Burn off that extra serving of stuffing at Hotel Baker Swing Night
You know you're going to eat a little more tomorrow than at your typical dinner during the week. That must be why the Hotel Baker booked another Swing Night in its Rainbow Room tonight with the Flat Cats providing the music.
If you're not inclined to hit the dance floor, or are afraid your body can't quite hold up to the fast pace of the swing, fear not. It's worth the price of admission to watch the dancers who show up for this band. They really know their stuff.
The calorie burning and fun starts at 8:30 p.m. and cost is $10 per person.
Rebuilding its reputation: A dance at the Hotel Baker has to bring back pleasant memories for those who know the local history of the hotel and Club Arcada as vibrant nightspots in St. Charles.
"This place was built for entertainment," said Kay Catlin, the hotel's media liaison. "The Rainbow Room alone has produced an incredible legacy - Louis Armstrong, Tommy Dorsey, Guy Lombardo and Lawrence Welk all played here."
Catlin said the new ROX City Lounge signaled the hotel's commitment to offer great entertainment on a regular basis.
Catlin said the swing nights have been her favorite, but she also has enjoyed the talents of singers Laura Preston and Ed Collins.
"Preston is incredibly versatile," Catlin said. "One minute she's got the Janis Joplin vibe, then it's Patsy Cline and Shania Twain, then she switches to Ethel Merman."
Collins represents old rhythm and blues, Catlin said, as he sings Luther Vandross, Lou Rawls and Barry White.
"He's so good, I can honestly say I haven't heard better outside of Vegas," said Catlin, who has booked Collins for a show on New Year's Eve.
Unleash the joy: As Kaneland football teams showed us in 1997 and 1998, and the Batavia football team illustrated in 2006, there's nothing quite like the sheer joy young men and their families, friends and fans feel when reaching the pinnacle game of high school football.
This year, Geneva and Aurora Christian are taking their turns. The scene on Burgess Field in Geneva last Friday night is one that those of us lucky enough to be part of won't forget for some time.
However, it was too bad that longtime public address announcer Kurt Wehrmeister couldn't catch a plane back from a business trip soon enough to take his spot in the press box and be part of this historic night. I'm sure it was an important meeting regarding his job at Mooseheart, but we all know how work has a tendency to get in the way of fun stuff.
His longtime "spotter," Chuck Lencioni, the guy who looks for players' numbers to help the announcer provide accurate information to the fans, also was missing. He's recuperating from lung surgery and we hope he's back at his job as Geneva's building commissioner soon.
Aurora Christian did its celebration on the Richmond-Burton field last Saturday afternoon, but considering its historic significance - the first Aurora school with a shot at a football state title - the party location was no problem.
dheun@sbcglobal.net