WE ARE BACK!!!
See our Calendar page for a full 2023 Schedule.
THIS WEEKEND AT RTY SUMMER SHOWCASE...
LaFlavour will be helping to kick off the RTY Summer Showcase free concert series at Tuscora Park in New Philadelphia this Memorial Day from 7 to 9. Always a good time and great show.
LaFlavour Biography...
Years Active: 1978 – present (45 years)
Founded In: Massillon, Stark County, Ohio, United States
LaFlavour began humbly in Massillon, Ohio in 1967. Twin brothers Pete and Steve Nervo (guitar and drums) joined with schoolmates Craig DeBock (guitar and sax) and Gino Milchak (bass guitar) to form the core of what would actually become several bands. Instead of following the path set by the British Invasion, the boys began playing soul tunes and early Motown, eventually getting gigs at local dances and sockhops. This early version of the band first called themselves "The Noblemen", then "The Blues Soul".
By the mid-1970s, the boys had progressed into one of the hottest dance bands in the area, and eventually began traveling as the show band "Ragweed". They officially became "LaFlavour" with the release of the album "Mandolay" in 1980. The music for this album was mostly written and produced by Mark Avsec (of Donnie Iris and Wild Cherry fame). Two singles from the album made the Billboard charts, with Mandolay reaching #7. With a certified success under their belts, La Flavour was signed to MCA records.
MCA changed the band's name to "Fair Warning", and the boys and Mark Avsec recorded a second album, this time of catchy pop/rock tunes. "Fair Warning" included a sure-fire hit single written by Avsec titled "She Don't Know Me". However, an up and coming band from Jersey called Bon Jovi were recording their first album at this time, and the song was selected for them. This move more or less ruined the chances of the song being pushed as a single for Fair Warning, and since the success of "Mandolay" had come on the heels of the disco/dance craze, Fair Warning was not as well received. MCA eventually shelved the album and the project.
Meanwhile, the show group LaFlavour was taking the country by storm in the big showrooms - the nightclubs and hotels across the country using live entertainment to do big business in the '80s. Since dance music was essential to the atmosphere of these rooms, La Flavour proved to be the perfect act to insure a full house. They were now not only recognized internationally for their hit Mandolay, but by this time had developed a novelty in their act which proved to be their crowning jewel. They had added a comedy-oriented floor show featuring two simple muppet-style puppets, Franklin and Nick. The boys were proving not only to be a terrific show band of top notch musicians, but great entertainers as well.
As LaFlavour entered the 1990's, the showrooms were no longer the rage and with the arrival of electronic multi-media, and entertainment outlets such as MTV and VH-1, Las Vegas-Style Shows were not drawing the same crowds. Also, the comedy material that was the cornerstone of the band's puppet shows began to collide with the country's changing political climate and the "political correctness" that came with it. LaFlavour needed a new direction to survive.
The 90's saw LaFlavour returning to a high-energy dance format, where they once again found success, engaging an audience from a new generation eager to experience "retro" dance music from the 70's & 80's, an era they missed but craved with a passion. With LaFlavour, they found the "genuine article." Here was a band who had actually been there - with a Top-10 disco hit to their credit, no less!
Although the "new" club audiences had lost interest in "show" bands and became obsessed with packed dance floors, there emerged an audience outside the club scene still wanting to be entertained. At the dawn of the New Millennium, LaFlavour suddenly found themselves in demand to deliver concert performances, particularly during the summer months. Thanks to energetic local concert promoters like Bill Curtain and Walt English, "the boys" began filling up their summer months with appearances at Community Concert Series events, headlining to thousands of fans of all ages who weren't necessarily "regulars" at their club dates. Performing a wide variety of popular music, LaFlavour became, and continue to be, an annual favorite on this circuit, enabling them to show off their vast range of entertainment acumen. The Summer Concert Series also has provided longtime LaFlavour fans the opportunity to see all four "original" members onstage performing together. While Craig, Pete, and Gino have remained with the band for more than 40 years, original drummer/vocalist Steve Nervo retired in 1996 for health reasons. On occasion Steve will make guest appearances with the band during the Summer Concert Series, most notably performing his remarkable lead vocals on the hit song "Mandolay." Along with LaFlavour veterans John Casey (guitar/vocals/keyboards) and Vince Scarpitti (drums/vocals), Craig, Pete, Gino, and Steve are still bringing to audiences the highest quality live entertainment available anywhere, filled with the same incredible music, fun, and antics they've become famous for during a remarkable career spanning more than 40 years!
COMING UP THIS SUMMER...
