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As many of you know,
Late Arrival
has not been gigging since late 2006. Time passed and I realized that life
was kind of nice not having a gig every weekend. I've got a family and a
business, and it was hard juggling all three of them. Not that I didn't
have a good time in
Late Arrival
- I had a blast!
For four years we had the time of our lives playing the great 80's tunes
that we have all come to know and love. During our four-year run, our lead
singer
Rod Grant
won the
Best Vocalist
award in the
Illinois Times "Best Of Springfield"
survey two years in a row.
Late Arrival
also placed 3rd and 2nd place in the
Best Band
category in the same survey. Central Illinois welcomed us with open arms,
and we gave back by giving 200% in all of our performances. It was like
re-living the 80's all over again.
We would like to thank all of our fans, club owners, event planners, and
roadies for allowing us to have four years of fun and great times. The
good memories of these four years will not soon be forgotten.
Take Care!
John Cota
 9-22-06:
Thanks to everyone who
voted for
Late Arrival
for the
Best Band in the recent
2006 Illinois Times Best
of Springfield
survey.
Late Arrival
moved up a notch this year to win
2nd Place in the
Best Band
category, which ended up being a very close race due to the usual strong showing
by
F5.
The Illinois
Times referred
to this year's
Best Band
competition as an "epic battle between two great powers". We are truly
grateful to everyone who took the time to vote for us. Here is part of
the Illinois
Times article:
"There is some great
historical analogy that describes a continuing epic battle between two
great powers in which one always wins no matter how the other attempts
to overcome. This would most fully explain the rivalry between
F5
and Late Arrival
in the Best Band
category. For the last several years,
F5
has come out on top, but every year
Late Arrival
is right there as a close second."
Link
 8-6-06:
What a rockin' party last night at the
Anchor Boat Club
at
Lake Springfield!!!
There is truly no other summer festival that can rival this annual event
in the Springfield area. Last year was big, but this year was even bigger
with thousands of partygoers who flocked to the club to eat, drink, and
party with
Late Arrival.
The huge crowd was electrified from the moment we hit the stage until we
finished. It was by far the best gig of the year for us. We look forward
to coming back again next year!
Click here to check out a video of
"Pour Some Sugar On Me"
that was videotaped at the
Anchor Boat Club
gig (it is 22MB in size, and the audio quality is somewhat distorted).
6-18-06:
With a few gigs under our belt with our new bass player
Vic Serbe
onboard, we are ready to head into our summer festival tour of 2006. We
kicked it off on Friday 6-9-06 at the
Pawnee Prairie Days
Festival. The
weather was great, and the crowd was much bigger than last year. Thanks to
everyone who came out and partied with us! On
Saturday, 6-30-06
we are looking forward to rockin' the
2006 Riverton Athletic
Club Independence Day Party.
Come out and enjoy fried chicken, beer, fireworks, and plenty of
hard-driving rock music with
Late Arrival.
Then it's off to Nokomis on
Friday, 7-7-06
for the annual
Nokomis Homecoming.
The next night,
Saturday, 7-8-06,
we will be playing at one of our favorite summer gigs - the
Sherman Summer Festival
(formerly Sherman Homecoming). On
Saturday, 8-5-06,
we will again be playing at one of Springfield's largest summer festivals
at the
Anchor Boat Club Chicken
Fry
at
Lake Springfield.
To round out the summer, we will play two gigs at the
Budweiser Tent
in the
Illinois State Fair.
See our schedule for dates, times, and
locations. We hope to see you this summer!
Click here to hear Late Arrival playing a cover of
Rebel Yell at the Pawnee Prairie Days festival on 6-9-06.
 4-10-06:
We would like to invite everyone to attend the
Bounce Back Springfield
Party to support
the relief workers who helped Springfield recover from the recent tornado
damage. It was amazing to see how quickly they put Springfield back
together, and they are well-deserving of a pat on the back. The party will
be held at
The Warehouse
in Springfield on
Saturday, April 22, 2006.
Doors open at 3:00pm and
Late Arrival
takes the stage at 5:00pm, followed by our good friends
The Lost Boys
at 7:30pm. The public is invited, and over 3,000 tickets will be
distributed. Listen to radio stations
WQLZ 92.7FM,
WNNS 98.7FM,
The River 97.7FM,
and
WMAY
970AM
for details on how to get free tickets to this event.
Click here for more details. We look
forward to seeing everyone there. Come out and support the workers!
 1-3-06:
We want to thank everyone
who made our
New Year's Eve Party
at
Spillway Lanes
such a tremendous success!
Click Here
to view pictures from the party. It turned out better than we expected. As
we roll into 2006, we are looking forward to scaling back a little on our
schedule. We have been "on tour" for over three years now, and we are
looking forward to taking a much-needed break from gigging every weekend.
It's been a lot of fun, but even the national acts take breaks between
tours. We plan to take some time off in March and April to
develop some new material (covers and originals). So, if you don't see our
schedule as full as it has been in the past, you will understand why. We
hope to see you soon!
 12-23-05:
Click Here for complete details
about our
New Year's Eve Party
at
Spillway Lanes
in Springfield on 12-31-05!
We are really looking forward to what promises to be the best New Year's
Eve party in Central Illinois.
Spillway Lanes
will be in for an unprecedented crowd due to the buzz that this party has
generated around Springfield. We expect a 300+ hungry, energetic, partying,
rocking crowd to descend on the
Spillway Lounge
this New Year's Eve for one great night of partying, dancing, and
rock-n-roll (not to mention the complete Pizza Hut buffet!). We hope to see you there. Get your tickets in advance for
$10.00 at Spillway Lanes or Daddy O's Music Shack on Stevenson Drive. This
is one party you don't want to miss. It looks like it may be
"The Party" of 2005!
11-27-05:
Thanks to everyone who
came out last night to see us at
Spillway Lanes
in Springfield. We will be at
Spillway
again on
New Year's Eve,
and we hope to see you there. It promises to be the best New Year's Eve
party in town! We will also be at
Chantilly Lace
in Springfield on Friday, 12-16-05. This popular dance club has recently
opened its doors to live entertainment, and we look forward to celebrating
the holiday season there with all of you.
Happy Holidays to you and
yours from Late Arrival!
 10-27-05:
We hope to see everyone at
the
Forty Niner Bye Bye
in Springfield this Saturday 10-29-05 for their first annual Halloween
Party. Costumes are welcome, but not required. Since this club has
recently been remodeled and is now under new management, they have begun
to attract new and old patrons alike to their venue. Come ready to party!
As we look forward to the
holiday seasons, we are in awe at the way
Late Arrival
has been received in Central Illinois. Just two years ago when the band
got started we were wondering where we were going to get booked, now the
offers are coming in fast and furious! We owe it to our fans who obviously
enjoy what we are doing as much as we do. We look forward to rocking-out
and partying with you this winter!
10-14-05: We now
have New Year's
Eve Party tickets
on sale on our website. You can purchase them with a credit card or eCheck
by
clicking here. It is going to be held
at Spillway Lanes
in Springfield, and it is going to be one party that you don't want to
miss! There will be an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet from
Pizza Hut,
party favors, Champagne at midnight, and of course live music with
Late Arrival.
Click here for complete details and
to order your tickets online. We will also have tickets available at
Daddio's Music Shack
and several other Springfield Businesses and locations to be announced
soon.
 9-15-05:
Congratulations to our
lead singer
Rod Grant
who once again took home the
Best Singer
award in the recent
2005 Illinois Times Best
of Springfield
survey.
Late Arrival
was an honorable mention (3rd place) in the
Best Band
category, which ended up being a very good race due to strong showings
by
F5,
The Lost Boys,
and
Late Arrival
according to
Tom Irwin of the
Illinois Times. Congratulations
also go out to our good
friends in
The Lost Boys
band
for their second-place finish in the
Best Band
category!
Here is a quote from the
Illinois Times
regarding the
Best Singer
award for
Rod Grant:
"A repeat
winner from 2004, Rod Grant
has got some bitchin’ pipes, and people obviously know it. The lead
singer of the local classic-rock group
Late Arrival
is in a class all his own. He started singing out in local theater and
was discovered at a karaoke night by drummer
John Cota,
who was looking to start a band. At that time,
Grant
had never sung with a band but was willing and able to do so. Stage
presence came naturally to the gifted vocalist, and his range allows
Late Arrival
to cover songs other bands only dream of doing."
Link
 9-5-05:
As the summer of 2005
nears an end, we would like to thank all of you for coming out to see us
at the different festival and fair gigs. We still have one more to go!
This Saturday we will be playing at the
Jaycee's Fall Festival
in Mount Pulaski
- home to legendary keyboardist
Jeff Schlitt.
We had a huge crowd there on a Friday night last year, so this year
should even be better as we will be there on a Saturday night when
everyone is rested up from the work week. Come out and enjoy the great
people of
Mount Pulaski
and maybe even a BBQ sandwich with us! There will be rides for the kids.
We hope to see you there!
8-7-05:
AWESOME!
That's the word
DJ Jonny T
used to describe our 8-6-05 show at the
Anchor Boat Club,
and we felt the same way about you all! The 3,000+ crowd was the most
energetic we've seen all summer! If you attended the party and enjoyed
it, please sign our
Guestbook
and let us know. We would like to commend the
Anchor Boat Club
management for
putting on one of the best events in Springfield. We would also like to
thank
Ric "Skippy" Major
for doing a
tremendous job on the sound system for us. Last but not least, we want
to thank all of you who came out to see
Late Arrival.
You are the reason that we do what we do, and when we get an energetic
crowd like we did at this party - it makes it all worth it!
 Late
Arrival is proud
to be a Budweiser
True Music band.
There are not many bands who reach this status in just their third year of
existence as we have, and even less who get the opportunity to play in the
Budweiser Tent
at the 2005
Illinois State
Fair on a Friday
night. We are looking forward to putting on two high-energy rock-and-roll
shows for the fairgoers this year. Details are as follows:
The first show will be on
Tuesday, August 16, from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. This show will be the official
Blue Oyster Cult -
Foghat pre-party
(who will be playing in the State Fair Arena immediately following the
pre-party). Our second night in the Budweiser Tent will be on Friday,
August 19, from 9:00pm to Midnight. We invite all of you to come out to
the State Fair on either one (or both) of these nights to enjoy a cool
Budweiser and to rock-out with
Late Arrival.
We hope to see you there! Be sure to bring a friend or two. There will be
plenty of cold beer on tap, and we will also be giving away some cool
Budweiser apparel.
Click here to view the complete
2005 Illinois
State Fair Budweiser Tent
Band Schedule.
8-1-05:
Well, our busy month of
August has begun. We will be playing the next six weekends in a row
beginning with the
Anchor Boat Club Chicken Fry
at beautiful Lake Springfield on Saturday, August 6, from 7:00pm to
11:00pm. This is a huge annual event that you don't want to miss!
Ric "Skippy" Major
will be running sound for us, and he is one of the best soundmen in the
Midwest. Bring your dancing shoes!
7-31-05:
Thanks to everyone who came
out to Club 51
in Macon last night. What a show! The crowd was wild and energetic, and it
brought out the best in the band. Macon is one of our favorite out-of-town
gigs, and each time we play there the crowd gets better. We look forward
to seeing you all again soon!
 7-26-05:
Our bass player
Doug Antonacci
would like to thank
Dale T.
of
Warwick
for their
recent bass endorsement!
Warwick offers rare endorsements to a limited number of players who have
shown commitment to the continuing development of their craft in a
professional or semi-professional setting. Doug's bass of choice will be
the new
Corvette Double Buck
4-String. Doug's
endorsement was made at the recent
Summer NAMM Show
in Indianapolis.
 Late Arrival
will be opening for
The Little River Band
for the 2005
Secretaries Appreciation Party at
The Illinois State Fair
Expo Building
in Springfield on Wednesday,
4-27-05. This
event is sponsored by
WNNS
Lite Rock 99 and
Bud Light.
Advance tickets are free of charge. Listen to
WNNS
and WYVR
for more details on free
ticket locations.
Late Arrival
will go onstage at 7:00pm, followed by
The Little River Band
at 9:00pm.
In 2005,
The Little River Band
celebrates its 30th year as an enduring musical icon. During that time
they have had thirteen top-40 and ten top-10 hits in the US charts, and
have sold over 20-million albums worldwide. Their blend of soulful
harmonies and melodic rock music is still alive today!
In 1975, Graham Goble, Beeb Birtles, and Derek Pellicci were in London
with Mississippi. Glenn Shorrock and Glenn Wheatley were in London at the
same time. They all agreed to put a band together when they returned to
Australia. The first album,
"Little River
Band",
was recorded with Roger McLachlan on bass and Rick Formosa on lead guitar.
Since that time, the band has made numerous personnel changes, but remains
true to its roots with the recent release of their latest studio album
"Test Of
Time".
Come out and enjoy a great night of partying and dancing with us!
 Late Arrival
will be opening for
Jackyl at
The Warehouse
in Springfield on
12-1-04. This
event sponsored by
WQLZ
will take place in Springfield's newest concert venue located at 2548
South First Street.
Late Arrival
will go onstage at 7:00pm, followed by
The Lost Boys
at 8:00pm. Jackyl
will take the stage at
9:00pm.
It's been nearly
15 years since
Jackyl
shot out of Georgia with its wild, untamed and uncouth approach to rock
'n' roll. Equal parts hard rock, heavy metal and Southern rock,
Jackyl
formed in 1991 and brought back rock 'n' roll back - back to its
down-to-earth, wild, fun-loving origins.
Full of spit and swagger - and a "dirty" sense of humor to boot -
Jackyl
quickly earned a deal with Geffen Records.
Jackyl's
live shows were already legendary before the ink dried on the Geffen
contract. The 1992 self-titled debut album went platinum and featured
notable rock radio hits like "Down On Me," "When Will It Rain," "I Stand
Alone" and, most notably, "The Lumberjack," during which vocalist Jesse
James Dupree performed a chain-saw solo. Dupree's chain-saw escapades on
album and in concert became one of many
Jackyl
trademarks.
 Congratulations
to our lead singer Rod Grant!
The
Illinois Times
readers voted Rod the
Best Singer
in the
2004 Best of Springfield
readers poll. Here is the full article from the September 16, 2004 edition
of the
Illinois
Times: "John Cota
first heard
Rod Grant
singing karaoke and said to himself, "Wow! That guy has a great voice." He
asked
Grant
what band he was in, and the answer was "None." So the two joined together
with veteran local musicians to form the rock band
Late Arrival.
Many
Illinois Times readers apparently
think
Cota is a good judge of talent: They picked
Grant as Springfield's
best singer."
8-01-04:
New pictures from the
Knights of Columbus
SummerFest at the
Chatham
K of C Club at Lake
Springfield
featuring
Late Arrival
have been posted on the Forum.
Click here to view them.
Late Arrival will be
performing at the
Knights of Columbus
SummerFest this
Saturday evening
7-31-04, from
6:30pm to 10:30pm at the Chatham
K of C Club at Lake
Springfield. The
public is invited to this event, and we are expecting a large turnout.
There will be a fish fry and music provided by Mikey's DJ Service from
4:00pm to 6:00pm. See our schedule for driving directions.
Don't miss it!
Don't miss Late Arrival
at the
Decatur Macon County Fair
on Saturday night,
6-19-04, from
8:00pm to 11:00pm in the beer tent (ADM
Building) next to
the Grandstand. We will go on right after the Demolition Derby. Thanks to
Chris
from the Macon County Fair for pulling this off at the last moment for us!
It is going to be a great show. See our schedule for driving directions.
Late Arrival just scheduled
a gig at the Centerfield Lounge at
Paradice Casino in Peorial,
Illinois on
September 4, 2004
(thanks Mikey!). The Paradice provides a free charter bus shuttle from
Springfield to Peoria that we hope to get a group of people on for that
night. Or, you could just drive up yourself and spend the night at the
Paradice Hotel (we are!). We play from 9:00pm to 1:00am. Come up to listen
to Late Arrival - and who knows - you may just win some money! See
schedule for driving directions.
Don't miss Late Arrival
Friday night,
4-30-04,
from 9:00pm to 1:00am at
Marley's Pub in downtown
Springfield. Marley's is one of Springfield's finest night clubs, and this will be a Budweiser True Music Event complete with all kinds of free
stuff to giveaway. Check our schedule for directions.
4-17-04:
Click here to view the pics
from Late Arrival's 4-16-04 gig at
The Grandstand.
 Late
Arrival is now an
Official Budweiser True
Music band! On
Friday,
April 16, 2004
we will kickoff our first official Budweiser True Music Event at The Grandstand in
Springfield. Mikey of Mikey's Entertainment will be on hand to give away
all kinds of Budweiser stuff, so don't miss it! We will be unveiling five
new songs that we've been working on during our little break. We took a
few weeks off due to Rod's new son arriving here on earth, who is doing
quite well by the way. We hope you can make it out tonight, it will be a
great time.
The Grandstand seems to get a lot of the premium bands in
Springfield. The show starts at 8:30 pm. *Note: If you want to book Late
Arrival for a Budweiser True Music Event, you can call Mikey at 971-6110.
Van Halen with Sammy Hagar will be playing at the Savvis Center in St.
Louis on July 28,
2004. Tickets go
on sale today at 10:00am.
3-22-04:
Click here to view the pics from Late Arrival's
3-19-04
gig at
Knucklehead's.
3-17-04:
Click here to view the pics from the
WQLZ St. Patrick's Day Party
at
Starship Billiards
in Springfield featuring Late Arrival.
3-14-04:
Congratulations to lead singer Rod Grant and his wife Lauri on the birth
of their son, William "Will" Alexander Grant.
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