The Hook & Ladder Theater is proud to present a very special commemorative matinee concert event remembering; The Day the Music Died on the 65th anniversary of this tragic event. 

 

The story of the ill-fated Winter Dance Party is part of American folklore. On February 2, 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and JP Richardson (the Big Bopper) performed at The Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. The plane crash that occurred hours later changed music history forever.  Holly, Valens and Richardson were killed in the crash.  They had been on a flight to Moorhead, MN.  Young Dion DiMucci was broken-hearted.  The nineteen-year-old had lost some dear friends, but the scheduled performance in Moorhead wasn’t canceled.  Dion took the stage in Minnesota along with a new, unknown artist, fifteen-year-old Bobby Vee of Fargo, ND.  A call had gone out on radio stations in the Fargo/Moorhead area looking for local talent replace the deceased superstars.  Vee answered the call, and as they say, the rest is history.    

A Hard Day’s Night tells the entire story with tributes to artists who performed at the Surf Ballroom on February 2, 1959 and the Moorhead Armory on February 3, 1959. This faithful tribute features the songs made famous by Holly, who was considered one of the foremost pioneers of rock and roll.  It has played the best venues including a performance on the main stage at the Surf Ballroom in February, 2023 and the main stage at Moondance Jam in Walker, MN.  This show commemorates the 65th anniversary of “the day the music died.”  It is a must-see for those who remember as well as a brand-new generation of fans.

 

SET TIMES
1:30pm – Set 1
Intermission
2:30pm – Set 2