2017 Winter Dance Party line-up announced

Advance tickets on sale 8 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15

The Surf Ballroom & Museum announced Tuesday the artists who are scheduled to appear at its annual 2017 Winter Dance Party event, scheduled for Feb. 1-4.

“We are excited to announce our 2017 Winter Dance Party lineup, as it promises to be another fantastic celebration of rock ‘n roll performances, friendships and history. The Surf continues to search for and is pleased to welcome new performers to our legendary stage, and we are always delighted to welcome back longtime friends of the Surf and Winter Dance Party event,” stated Surf Ballroom & Museum President, Jeff Nicholas.

Johnny Rogers History of Rock ‘n Roll Show will kick off the Surf’s event on Wednesday evening during the annual Winter Dance Party Family Sock Hop.  Rogers’ show features portrayals of country legend Johnny Cash, a re-creation of Elvis Presley in his Sun Studio and early RCA years, and an uncanny recreation of hits by the late, great Buddy Holly. Rogers has performed during several Winter Dance Party events, including tributes in 2006-2009 and 2016. Single night tickets are available for this show for $10 in advance or $13 at the door.

Thursday night’s entertainment lineup features Lloyd Price (“Mr. Personality”), Jack Scott, and The Holy Rocka Rollaz, along with Tommy Allsup, who has an extremely strong tie to the event as the original guitarist on the 1959 Winter Dance Party Tour. Allsup continues to be a fan favorite, having performed at the Surf Ballroom’s annual event for 12 consecutive years. Lloyd Price will be appearing at the Surf Ballroom’s Winter Dance Party for the first time, while Jack Scott performed during the 1991 and 2004 events. The Holy Rocka Rollaz also return to the main stage after having performed during last year’s Winter Dance Party as part of the Friday night Sock Hop.

Friday evening’s Traditional Sock Hop will feature The Whitesidewalls, Orbison & The Everly Brothers Reimagined, The Del Shannon Show Starring James Popenhagen and the Tailfins.

“The Friday night Sock Hop continues to be a fun night for fans to dance to the songs they remember best from the era,” said Event Producer, Shane Cooney.  “That tradition continues with our Friday evening entertainment line-up. The Whitesidewalls have been a part of the event many times back to the beginning and continue to be fan favorites, and we’ve added the Del Shannon Show Starring James Popenhagen in honor of our event’s very beginnings, when Del Shannon was a regular performer in the Tribute’s lineup.”

Saturday evening’s entertainment lineup will feature a headlining performance by legendary rock ‘n roller Johnny Rivers, who is best known for his hits “Poor Side of Town,” “Baby I Need Your Lovin’,” and “Memphis.”  Other performers scheduled to appear on Saturday evening will include Albert Lee and Friends, and The Fireballs featuring Jimmy Gilmer and George Tomsco, who have performed during the Winter Dance Party event in previous years (1994, 1999, 2001, 2007, 2009 and 2013) as well as a first time performance by Rockabilly Music’s Danny B. Harvey and Annie Marie Lewis. Albert Lee first appeared at the Surf’s Winter Dance Party in 2006 as part of The Crickets performance, returning in 2013 and performing each year since.

Advance tickets for the 2016 event will be sold for $115 each and are valid for the evenings of Thursday, Feb. 2, through Saturday, Feb. 4. Both tickets and seating for the event will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Seating for the event is priced at $100 for a four-person booth, $150 for a six-person booth and $250 for a table which seats 10 people. You must purchase a minimum of four tickets to reserve a four-person booth, six tickets to reserve a six-person booth and 10 tickets to reserve a 10-person table on the floor. The booths and tables will be reserved for all three evenings of entertainment (Thursday through Saturday). Tickets for the event are non-refundable and the entertainment lineup is subject to change. Tickets and seating reservations may be purchased online at the Surf Ballroom’s website (www.surfballroom.com) or by calling the Surf’s box office at 641-357-6151 beginning at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 15.

A very limited quantity of VIP tickets will also be available for $315 each. Each VIP ticket will include admission to all Surf Ballroom sponsored events that weekend including nightly entertainment and seating in the VIP bar area.