Hall of Fame adds two more Sioux City bands
By Earl Horlyk, Journal staff writer | Posted: Monday, September 01, 2008
Are you ready to rock and roll?
Two Sioux City bands were to join 18 others to be inducted into the Class of 2008 of the Iowa Rock'n Roll Hall of Fame this past weekend in Arnolds Park.
Founded in 1969, the Establishment brought together five teenagers from North Sioux City, Jefferson and the Riverside section of Sioux City. Together, they formed one of the premier guitar-based bands in the area.
Establishment members were Eric "Bomber" Boetger (drums), Gene "Genoe" Plicker (bass and vocals), Pete "Papa" Goede (bass and vocals), Terry "Hubie" Hubert and Terry "Chic" Chicoine (guitar and background vocals).
"We played everything that we heard on the radio," Boetger remembered with a laugh. "That was AM, mind you. So we played plenty of Led Zeppelin and Bad Company."
From 1969, the Establishment played high school dances, street dances, county fairs, summer festivals and nightclub gigs.
"We stopped performing in 1977," Boetger said. "We all wanted to get married and raise a family. Touring no longer fit in."
But the Establishment hasn't stopped performing entirely.
"We still perform when we want to," Boetger said, "and it's still fun."
Unlike the Establishment, the members of Silver Strings never stopped playing.
The group, consisting of old friends Mike King, Ronnie Denning and Bill "Chopper" Pelchat, got together in the early '70s.
"The first time on stage, Chopper and I became like Lennon and McCartney," King noted. "Our level of partnership became that great."
Silver Strings subsequently added a '50s act.
"We called ourselves Chopper and the Blue Moons," King remembered with a smile. "We'd grease our hair with Mazola and strip to our T-shirts."
King also recalled that at some point in the show, the Blue Moons would, in fact, moon their audience.
"It was something that we became known for," he said. "Plus, the audience loved it."
Currently, Pelchat is a member of Roadhouse, and King plays with a reconstituted version of Danny and the Velaires.
"The coolest thing about becoming Hall of Fame members," Pelchat said, "isn't actually being in the Hall of Fame."
"Nope, the cool thing is being able to hang out with such legends as (Velaires founding members) Bob Dawdy and Don Bourret," King said. "To be able to play and hang with our idols means we really made it."
Two Sioux City bands were to join 18 others to be inducted into the Class of 2008 of the Iowa Rock'n Roll Hall of Fame this past weekend in Arnolds Park.
Founded in 1969, the Establishment brought together five teenagers from North Sioux City, Jefferson and the Riverside section of Sioux City. Together, they formed one of the premier guitar-based bands in the area.
Establishment members were Eric "Bomber" Boetger (drums), Gene "Genoe" Plicker (bass and vocals), Pete "Papa" Goede (bass and vocals), Terry "Hubie" Hubert and Terry "Chic" Chicoine (guitar and background vocals).
"We played everything that we heard on the radio," Boetger remembered with a laugh. "That was AM, mind you. So we played plenty of Led Zeppelin and Bad Company."
From 1969, the Establishment played high school dances, street dances, county fairs, summer festivals and nightclub gigs.
"We stopped performing in 1977," Boetger said. "We all wanted to get married and raise a family. Touring no longer fit in."
But the Establishment hasn't stopped performing entirely.
"We still perform when we want to," Boetger said, "and it's still fun."
Unlike the Establishment, the members of Silver Strings never stopped playing.
The group, consisting of old friends Mike King, Ronnie Denning and Bill "Chopper" Pelchat, got together in the early '70s.
"The first time on stage, Chopper and I became like Lennon and McCartney," King noted. "Our level of partnership became that great."
Silver Strings subsequently added a '50s act.
"We called ourselves Chopper and the Blue Moons," King remembered with a smile. "We'd grease our hair with Mazola and strip to our T-shirts."
King also recalled that at some point in the show, the Blue Moons would, in fact, moon their audience.
"It was something that we became known for," he said. "Plus, the audience loved it."
Currently, Pelchat is a member of Roadhouse, and King plays with a reconstituted version of Danny and the Velaires.
"The coolest thing about becoming Hall of Fame members," Pelchat said, "isn't actually being in the Hall of Fame."
"Nope, the cool thing is being able to hang out with such legends as (Velaires founding members) Bob Dawdy and Don Bourret," King said. "To be able to play and hang with our idols means we really made it."
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