Remembering Paul Revere in Reno

Roger Hart, manager of the popular Reno casino showroom act, ‘Paul Revere and the Raiders,’ says Revere died Saturday, October 4th at his home in Garden Valley, Idaho, from cancer.

In July 2014, Revere posted on Facebook that he was dealing with some ailments. Despite doctors’ request that he take a break, Revere and his Raiders still booked shows well into 2015.

Born Paul Revere Dick, he became known as “the madman of rock and roll” for his colonial wardrobe and onstage persona. The group launched its career in 1963 with its biggest hit coming in 1971 with “Indian Reservation.”

My first recollection of that song was in 5th grade at Margaret Keating School. My classmates and I were doing somersaults on a mat in class while the song played over and over much to Mr. Escola’s dismay.

Seventeen years later I would meet Paul Revere and the Raiders during a radio event the station I worked for at the time was hosting. Life has funny little interconnections like that from time to time.

Paul Revere and the Raiders served as the house band for “Where the Action Is” and made appearances on TV’s ‘Batman’ starring Adam West, ‘The Ed Sullivan Show,’ ‘Happening ’68’ and ‘American Bandstand’. From the 1970s through the 90s Revere was a staple at the Harrah’s Reno cabaret.

In 1988, Paul Revere and Bill Medley (of Righteous Brothers fame,) opened ‘Kicks’ in Reno, Nevada in March following a $400,000 make-over inside the National Bowling Stadium at 300 N. Center. The club got it’s name after the band recorded a song by the same name, releasing it as a single in 1966.

According to Wikipedia, “Considered one of the earliest anti-drug pop songs, “Kicks” was composed and released during an era in which pro-hippie, pro-experimentation, and other counterculture themes were gaining popularity on U.S. FM radio stations.” In 2004, the Rolling Stone’s list of ‘The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time,’ ranked the song at number 400.

As for clubs décor, it included the rear end of a ’59 Edsel jutting out of a wall, a guitar signed by Chuck Berry hanging from the ceiling, 200 framed photographs of the Raiders in action and tabletops that were over-sized replicas of the group’s hit albums. There was also a black-tiled bar lined with gold singles, flanked by large TV monitors showing old snippets from the shows they appeared on.

In the back was the ‘Junk Rock Cafe,’ claiming they had the second best hamburger in town. The only dessert available was Revere’s personal favorite — Hostess Twinkies — at 25 cents by themselves or a buck-25 with a glass of ice-cold milk.

Paul Revere was 76 years old.