2023 Winter Dance Party Lineup

Thursday, February 2 2023
	John Mueller's Winter Dance Party John Mueller's Winter Dance Party show is the official live and authentic re-creation of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper's final tour and the only show endorsed by the Holly, Valens and Richardson estates. Each live concert performance includes unbridled, high voltage entertainment featuring all the hit songs of the 50s era: That'll Be The Day, Peggy Sue, Oh Boy, Rave On, La Bamba, Chantilly Lace and many, many more. John takes Holly's songs true to their original form on a reissued 1957 Fender Stratocaster--the exact year and make of Buddy's guitar and uses the same heavy flatwound guitar strings that Buddy used. John is indeed living proof that Buddy Holly's legacy lives on!
	Holy Rocka Rollaz The Holy Rocka Rollaz are a high energy Minneapolis based trio who are no strangers to the Winter Dance Party. Using vintage instruments and having spent years studying the styles of all the early rock 'n rollers, the Holy Rocka Rollaz know how to deliver the spirit and sound of those pioneers...and Winter Dance Party fans clamor to see and hear them each time they take our historic stage!
Friday, February 3 2023
	Shake Baby Shake & The Lovettes Shake Baby Shake will bring a performance that showcases hits of many major artists of the 1950s and 1960s including song styles from the birth of rock and roll. Their show also features the charming Lovettes, who honor the girl groups and major female artists of the same time period, such as the Andrew Sisters, the McGuire Sisters, Lavern Baker, Connie Francis, The Ronettes, The Supremes, Etta James and more.
	Bill Haley Jr & The Comets Bill Haley Jr. and the Comets will return to the Surf’s historic stage with many hits recorded in the early and mid-1950s by the legendary Bill Haley and The Comets, including the number one selling rock & roll single of all time, Rock Around the Clock. The group was a part of the 2015 Winter Dance Party lineup, making this their second appearance at the Surf Ballroom’s Winter Dance Party.
	Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a nostalgic trip back to the start of rock and roll, with a strict adherence to the 1950-1969 timeframe. A trip back to when songs were tossed back and forth by artists, and one night could find Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry, and Jerry Lee Lewis all on the same stage. An experience of the birth of rock music, with over 50 songs from a time before music started its electronic shift. Their repertoire is ever-growing and assures you’ll be twisting all night long with their modern take that continues to be true to the original sound.
Saturday, February 4 2023
	Slim Jim Phantom Trio featuring Jennie Vee Rock and roll icon Slim Jim Phantom is well known for his work as the legendary drummer for The Stray Cats, and alongside bandmates Brian Setzer and Lee Rocker spearheading the neo-rockabilly movement of the early 1980s. With a love for 50s rock and roll, the Stray Cats took inspiration from that bygone era and mixed with their youthful energy and aggression to produce the updated hard-edged rockabilly sound that saw them conquer London, Europe and later the U.S., gaining fans among the likes of Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, and Robert Plant along the way. Phantom is joined by Canadian songwriter/guitarist Jennie Vee.
	Albert Lee Albert Lee is one of the most respected and renowned guitarists in music history, having worked with The Everly Brothers, Eric Clapton, Emmylou Harris and The Crickets over his long and illustrious career. The British-born country-rock artist started his career during the emerging rock 'n' roll scene of sixties London, when he swapped bands with the likes of Jimmy Page and Chris Farlowe. After moving to the U.S. and assimilating himself into the country music scene, Albert quickly garnered a reputation as one of the fastest guitar players in the business. He recorded a number of solo albums, and won a Grammy in 2002 for his contribution on 'Foggy Mountain Breakdown'. He continues to tour today, and plays his signature Ernie Ball Music Man Guitar.
	Hayden Thompson
	Kenny Vance & The Planotones Kenny Vance, an original founding member of Jay & The Americans, has a career that spans from the 1950s to today, including live performances, solo album projects and session work, as well as work in the TV and film industries. Vance started his first vocal group, the Harbor Lites, with two friends at the age of 15. He then co-founded another group and auditioned for Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who signed them to United Artists Records, naming the group Jay and the Americans. Jay and the Americans released fifteen albums, with many singles hitting the Top 10. Their first hit, She Cried, was released in 1962. The group was the opening act for not only The Beatles' first US performance, but also for The Rolling Stones' first US performance at Carnegie Hall. They also appeared on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson.
	Gary U.S. Bonds Best known for his number one hit Quarter to Three, Gary U.S. Bonds additionally co-wrote and recorded School is Out, School is In, Dear Lady Twist, Twist, Twist Senora, Seven Day Weekend and a number of other hits in the early 60s. Bonds has performed throughout the world, rising to a status so high that on a 1963 tour of Europe, he headlined above a group of relative newcomers... The Beatles.
	Austin Allsup Austin Allsup rose to fame in 2016 as a top-10 finalist on NBC’s “The Voice.” His father, Tommy Allsup, played guitar with Buddy Holly during the 1959 Winter Dance Party Tour and was a regular performer at the Surf Ballroom until his death in 2017. After performing in his father’s place that year, Austin instantly became a part of the Winter Dance Party list of fan favorites and has returned to the Surf every year since.