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Published Sunday, June 1, 2003

The Entertainment, Theatre & Culture group opened its second season Saturday night, bringing some of rock's biggest stars to Lake Clementia Amphitheater.

The show, "Raised on Radio," was a collection of music tributes -- impersonations of rock stars -- and the music offered a wide range of rock's best. As the sun set, and lakeside breezes picked up, some people were out of their chairs or up off their blankets and dancing.

One of the performers shouted, "I've heard Rancho Murieta knows how to rock!" To the surprise of some, he might have been right.

Rob Hanna, the show's host, has been celebrated for 20 years for his Rod Stewart tribute. He didn't disappoint, opening with "This Old Heart of Mine" and tearing through "Maggie May," "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" and more. Among the other acts, Michael Furlong brought Tom Petty to the stage, Latisha Lewis performed as Bonnie Raitt, and Brad Ford was Huey Lewis.

The show was enthusiastically received, and the Amphitheater was as full as it has been for any event. Etc. did not have a firm crowd count, but it appeared to be 400 or 500.

Michael Jones, Etc. president, said in opening comments that "Etc. means 'something more,' and that's what we're bringing you, something more." The organization has raised $16,000 so far in memberships, with a goal of $20,000, while it plans to spend more than $50,000 bringing in this season's nine events, he said.

He emphasized that ticket sales don't cover the costs of the entertainment, and memberships are vital to the group's success.

To spur memberships, Etc. offers members-only receptions and events that are free to members. People were signing up for Etc. on the spot Saturday night, which allowed them to take part in the reception before the event.

RanchoMurieta.com was corporate sponsor for the event. There's more information about Etc. available here.

The Rancho Murieta Association has improved the Amphitheater in time for this season. There's a lighted center aisle that runs from the top of the bowl to the stage, allowing easy, lighted access to the seating areas.

Seating presented a small problem Saturday night, as Etc. organizers attempted to get audience members with chairs to sit on one side of the aisle and audience members with blankets to sit on the other side. The idea was to improve visibility to the stage, addressing the problem of people in chairs blocking the views of people stretched out on blankets.

The next show, a free event for the community, is Music Mike, a performer for the kids. The show, Saturday evening, is co-sponsored by Etc. and the Kiwanis. Music Mike warms up from 6:30 to 7, and the show runs from 7 to 8.

The crowd was as large as any seen for an event at the Amphitheater.

The crowd enjoyed a handful of tribute performances. That's Michael Furlong as Tom Petty, above, and Latisha Lewis as Bonnie Raitt, below.