Holy General Lee! Batman At Dukesfest!

[TimDuke]

That's right folks in case you haven't checked the Dukesfest site lately. The one and only Adam West from the TV series Batman will be there.

[DaneyDuke]

That's right folks in case you haven't checked the Dukesfest site lately. The one and only Adam West from the TV series Batman will be there.

Catherine Bach interviewed him for her official website in 2006.

http://catherinebach.com/index1.html - Catherine's Corner - The Catherine 12 section has Adam West & Dukesfest 2006 clips.

Catherine and Adam appeared at the 2006 Motor City Comic Con in Novi, MI.

James Best & Adam West were in the 1978 Hooper movie.

He does have ties to cast members not the series.

Tim, is it true Adam West charges $25 -40 for a picture autograph?

[TimDuke]

True. 40$ He was at some Sports memorabilia show in Cleveland in 2006 but it had other celebs in attendance besides the sports guys. They were talking on the local talk show about how he was charging 40$ a autograph.

[JESSI DUKE]

Wow!! That's alot!!

[MaryAnne]

Catherine Bach interviewed him for her official website in 2006.

http://catherinebach.com/index1.html - Catherine's Corner - The Catherine 12 section has Adam West & Dukesfest 2006 clips.

Catherine and Adam appeared at the 2006 Motor City Comic Con in Novi, MI.

James Best & Adam West were in the 1978 Hooper movie.

He does have ties to cast members not the series.

Tim, is it true Adam West charges $25 -40 for a picture autograph?


A lot of actors have ties to the cast members of the Dukes, who were never on the show. Why don't we just invite everybody who's ever been anybody in Hollywood for the past 30 years to this thing and call it Old Home Day? LOL

Like Clint Eastwood. Catherine was in "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" and Clint took some of Jimmie's acting classes.

I mean, c'mon, Adam West? Who's sponsoring DukesFest this year, TVLand?

Next they'll be having David Hasselhoff at the thing and they'll call it the Retro 80's Television Reunion and they'll run races between all the General Lees and all the black T/A's that show up. And dang if you're one of them fans that has both cars. Which car do you take? LOL

And forty bucks? That ink better be gold...

[JESSI DUKE]

Either way if it's gold or cash I still won't get his autograph. That's just plain silly to charge that amount for him to sign a picture or something you all ready own and brought for him to sign.

[TimDuke]

Oh it's more if you want a picture with him that is an additional charge. I don't have a problem with it. I can't go anyways. It's John and Ellys decision to get him to come. So it's no use in complaining about it. If you don't like it don't come or don't go in his autograph line. It's not like it is costing you any extra for him to be there. They got him cheaper than Jeff Altman (Huey Hogg) if you can believe that but it is true. Jeff's appearance fee is outrageous. I understand the reasoning on getting him it'll draw a whole bunch more people maybe into both Dukes and Batman. I'd rather meet Adam then say Sean William Scott or Johnny Knoxville.

[Meadowmufn]

Oh it's more if you want a picture with him that is an additional charge. I don't have a problem with it. I can't go anyways. It's John and Ellys decision to get him to come. So it's no use in complaining about it. If you don't like it don't come or don't go in his autograph line. It's not like it is costing you any extra for him to be there. They got him cheaper than Jeff Altman (Huey Hogg) if you can believe that but it is true. Jeff's appearance fee is outrageous. I understand the reasoning on getting him it'll draw a whole bunch more people maybe into both Dukes and Batman. I'd rather meet Adam then say Sean William Scott or Johnny Knoxville.

Just because it's Elly's and John's decision doesn't mean folks can't or shouldn't complain about it. I recall several times fans complained about situations at past DukesFests and got plenty of things changed in future ones.

[TimDuke]

Oh I'm not saying you can't but it is pointless to do so that is what I meant..It's a lock he's gonna be there.They aren't going to change it now regardless of how much anyone complains.It would be like if any of the movie cast was there for me.I could complain at the top of my lungs but if they chose to get them and it was locked no amount of doing so would change it.I would just choose not to attend if I could attend. Yes perhaps if enough complain this time they may not do something like this in the future but this year is this year and he is locked on being there. It took us car owners 5 years of complaining before anything was done about getting our cars signed so things don't change overnight. Oh if you feel this is a bad decision you can email Elly at elly@dukesfest.com

[JESSI DUKE]

I could complain at the top of my lungs but if they chose to get them and it was locked no amount of doing so would change it.I would just choose not to attend if I could attend.

I would be right there with you on that.

[Brian Coltrane]

That's right folks in case you haven't checked the Dukesfest site lately. The one and only Adam West from the TV series Batman will be there.

BAHAHAHA!!! I can't think of a worse mismatch. What the (BLEEP!) does the 60's-era "Batman" have to do with the Dukes of Hazzard?

Adam West is a (BLEEP!) in real life, too. I witnessed an exchange between Jimmie and Adam at a car show in Detroit several years ago. They're not real fond of each other.

And who the (BLEEP!) would think that having Adam West at a Dukes event would add value to it? People are going to DF to experience "Hazzard County" not the (BLEEPING) Batcave.

Adam West does charge an outrageous amount for his photos and autographs. When most Dukes fans are lucky if they can afford one or two cast photos at these events, who the (BLEEEEEP!!) thought that this crowd could afford an Adam West photo?

Holy Bad Idea!

I have a pretty good idea who's behind this peice of oxygen-deprived genius and I'm not going to blame Elly for it.

Oh, and to express my feelings in more detail...

BLEEP BLEEP BLEEPING BLEEPITY-BLEEP!

Brian



BLEEP!

[TimDuke]

Brian I can't see the logic in him being there either other than the hopes of drawing more of a crowd.As to who's idea it was. I can't say. If you want to PM me who you think it was feel free. I promise it won't go any further than between you and I. If they spent the money on him instead of Don Pedro or Chip Mayer or another Dukes cast then yes I think that is poor judgement but I have no proof that is the case. It is what it is now.I provided an e-mail to cast your displeasure. She makes the call regardless of whose brainstorm it was,she approved it. Do the Schneiders read this forum Brian? If so then I retract what I said about it being pointless to complain here. Adam is going to be there now that isn't gonna change it's been advertised. Changing it now would really make the Schneiders look bad even if it cost them losing a few fans from coming. I don't see how lawn mower races or pro wrestling belong at Dukesfest either but very few have complained about those in the past.

[Brian Coltrane]

Brian I can't see the logic in him being there either other than the hopes of drawing more of a crowd.As to who's idea it was. I can't say. If you want to PM me who you think it was feel free. I promise it won't go any further than between you and I. If they spent the money on him instead of Don Pedro or Chip Mayer or another Dukes cast then yes I think that is poor judgement but I have no proof that is the case. It is what it is now.I provided an e-mail to cast your displeasure. She makes the call regardless of whose brainstorm it was,she approved it. Do the Schneiders read this forum Brian? If so then I retract what I said about it being pointless to complain here. Adam is going to be there now that isn't gonna change it's been advertised. Changing it now would really make the Schneiders look bad even if it cost them losing a few fans from coming. I don't see how lawn mower races or pro wrestling belong at Dukesfest either but very few have complained about those in the past.

Tim, ol' buddy...

Since when is DukesFest hard up for "drawing more of a crowd?" And if somebody wanted to boost gate attendance, how the hell does Adam West make that happen? WOW, Adam West!! *yawn*

It's just a mismatch for whole point of DukesFest becoming the living, breathing, epitome of Hazzard County for a weekend.

Adam Freakin' West. Talk about "Strange Visitor to Hazzard..."

I'm not hostile over it to the point I'm gonna point fingers, name names, or email Elly. I just plain disagree with the decision to bring in Adam West. This is DUKES Fest. Not, Whoever We Can Dig Up Fest.

Ya know....I've done my share for Duke and Country over the years, concerning DF and car shows and HNet. I'm not any big screaming deal but I have worked hard for this fandom. So if I speak a strong opinion, it's because I remember all what it took to get here.

Adam Bleeping West had nothing to do with the Dukes of Hazzard, then or now. I don't reckon we'll have people drive 600 miles to Atlanta and pay $4.25 a gallon for gas along the way, to see Adam West.

[countrygirl1986]

Brian,

Who do you think is to blame, and I have to agree, I am not a fan of Adam West either. He has had cartoon versions of himself done in several childrens shows (hey, I used to regularly babysit kids and I have 3 much younger siblings. I was 14 when the youngest was born), and it is just a major turn off hearing he'll be there. I wasn't a big fan of the Batman Series from way back when.

Needless to say, I am going to try to go this year. Infact, I hear there are a few of us Davenport cousins who may be trying to go.

As far as lawnmower races, I can see how that relates. It's a form of racing, and the Dukes had a lot of racing. Sides, who's to say I'm not guilty of threatening to race the lawnmowers when I was in Highschool? Teacher heard another girl and I talking about it and we got banned for a while from using them. Anyway, I will say, I would LOVE to watch... love even more if I could participate, but that wouldn't be happening.

The only way I can think of linking wrestling is 'in this corner Luke Duke' but that was boxing. Maybe they added it because of all the ballroom brawls? Ok, so maybe that one can't be put into logic.

Also, why drive when it may be cheeper to get a bus ticket and rent a car unless carpooling? Just a thought.

[Julieduke]

A lot of actors have ties to the cast members of the Dukes, who were never on the show. Why don't we just invite everybody who's ever been anybody in Hollywood for the past 30 years to this thing and call it Old Home Day? LOL

Like Clint Eastwood. Catherine was in "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" and Clint took some of Jimmie's acting classes.

I mean, c'mon, Adam West? Who's sponsoring DukesFest this year, TVLand?

Next they'll be having David Hasselhoff at the thing and they'll call it the Retro 80's Television Reunion and they'll run races between all the General Lees and all the black T/A's that show up. And dang if you're one of them fans that has both cars. Which car do you take? LOL

And forty bucks? That ink better be gold...
That's not so bad maybe the Kitt from the Knight Rider 2008 will show up as well. If could afford to go I would want to see a race between General Lee and Kitt see who is the faster car now.

[Brian Coltrane]

Brian,

Who do you think is to blame, and I have to agree, I am not a fan of Adam West either.


"Blame" is a strong word. I have a notion, but like so many other things, I won't air it here in the name of Peace And Unity In the Dukes Fandom. And I'm not angry about Adam West being there, I just disagree with it in a big way. Ain't his gig, ya know?

I have another guess....the only reason I can think for pulling in other non-Dukes celebrities....is if there was some doubt about the commitment of some of the Dukes cast.

I'd heard a few months ago that Tom was "in" for DF. But recently, I'd heard that he had another Broadway gig. Broadway is Tom's main bread and butter and it will always come before Dukes these days.

Daney also tipped me off that the concert that John and Tom were supposted to have in CA, was called off. It was supposed to be in May, and again I suspect the Broadway opportunity took priority.

Tom's website does say he's in a musical called "A Catered Affair" starting this month, but it doesn't say how long that gig will be running. I suppose, like most Broadway shows, it'll run so long as tickets are selling well.

Tom's site also mentions the concert in CA with John, but last I'd heard through HazzardNet's Underworld Spies, this show was cancelled. The cancellation was supposted to have happened within the last week.

Tom's website makes no mention whatsoever of DukesFest.

Thankfully, it doesn't mention Adam West either.

Heh.... WestFest!! There we go. Bahahaha!

Ok, I'm going to log off before I'm fired.

[countrygirl1986]

You aughta see the character Adam West plays on Fairly Odd Parents. Catman.

You also aughta see the wierd character he plays on Family Guy.

*Shutters*

[DaneyDuke]

Yes, Brian - The Orange County Performing Arts Center calendar for May 10th doesn't list the concert.

A bit of research...

Venue grandstand capacity:

Bristol Motor Speedway: 165,000
Music City Motorplex: 15,000
Atlanta Motor Speedway: 125,000

No previous Dukesfest has had more than 100,000 attendance.

7 DOH cast autographing estimated 3,500 people's items: 24,500
People attending to view replicas - lets make it equal to signatures: 24,500
General Lee rides: estimated 1,800 based on 3 passengers / 300 rides daily


When I read that a non DOH celebrity was coming to DukesFest, my first thought - the promoters don't think DOH fans will be enough to make this event a success. This event had a chance to break the record for the largest Dukes Of Hazzard crowd, the organizers choose not too.

[Brian Coltrane]

Daney, I just realized I had a redundant thang in my post about the concert cancellation. I was writing that at some ungodly hour of the night and that's what happens, 'cause I mentioned it twice.

What's worse, is I blew your cover as one of our underworld spies. Oopsy.

For your protection, I recommend an immediate change of identity.

This message will self dee-struct in five seconds.

*BOOM!*

[DaneyDuke]

Daney, I just realized I had a redundant thang in my post about the concert cancellation. I was writing that at some ungodly hour of the night and that's what happens, 'cause I mentioned it twice.

What's worse, is I blew your cover as one of our underworld spies. Oopsy.

For your protection, I recommend an immediate change of identity.

This message will self dee-struct in five seconds.

*BOOM!*


It's alright. Change of indentity, hmmm...

[Brian Coltrane]

It's alright. Change of indentity, hmmm...

Yeah. Get a new alias.

Like...BatGirl01.

BAHA! I'm never going to let this Adam West thing go. I can't.

You know what the fatal error is in that whole announcement...is they came out and went, "Adam West is going to be at DukesFest!" before clearly defining who among the Dukes cast itself is locked in.

That's just stupid. It's like trying to sell tickets to a Rolling Stones concert, while saying the Rolling Stones will probably be there, we're working on it, but hey, we've booked Vanilla Ice as the opening act! WOW! Thhpbth.

I've also seen (sadly) the return fire of this issue, elsewhere, and for those Dukes fans who spoke their mind against Adam West...well, evidently they're not team players. They don't "get" how these Big Shindigs work and they can't possibly understand all the logistics and money involved. No criticism welcomed from the peanut gallery.

Let me just say this about that. If DF has to bring in non-Dukes related celebs, to convince "non-Dukes fans" to attend DukesFest...which is how this Adam West thing has been explained....

...then something is seriously bleeped up!!!!!

You mean to tell me, they can't sell tickets to DukesFest....in ATLANTA GEORGIA?! Come on.

Why the hell would they want non-Dukes fans there to begin with?

What next?

[TimDuke]

Well according to the supporting staff over on CGLFC any Dukes cast listed are definitely coming including Tom Wopat if you you can believe that. I'm on the fence about Adam West as I was a Batman fan as a kid. The reason to attract non-Dukes fans? To try and hopefully convert them into Dukes fans is the only logic I can come up with. The Schneiders think it's a good idea apparently. Why don't they get Johnathan Frakes? He was a Hogg before he was Riker. That would draw alot of Trekkies to Dukesfest. I'd be far more upset if they got Johnny,Sean,Or Jessica.

[DaneyDuke]

You know what the fatal error is in that whole announcement...is they came out and went, "Adam West is going to be at DukesFest!" before clearly defining who among the Dukes cast itself is locked in.


Well according to the supporting staff over on CGLFC any Dukes cast listed are definitely coming including Tom Wopat if you you can believe that.


Tim, you may want to check the event website stars page. Does not confirm, it suggests which DOH cast might be there.

[TimDuke]

As I understand it if you go to the car registration portion it asks you which cast you need to sign your car and you are supposed to check which ones you need and Toms name is there. Someone even asked if he is definite in one of the threads and the answer was yes.The guy wasn't going unless Tom was a for sure thing.

[Brian Coltrane]

Well according to the supporting staff over on CGLFC any Dukes cast listed are definitely coming including Tom Wopat if you you can believe that. I'm on the fence about Adam West as I was a Batman fan as a kid. The reason to attract non-Dukes fans? To try and hopefully convert them into Dukes fans is the only logic I can come up with. The Schneiders think it's a good idea apparently. Why don't they get Johnathan Frakes? He was a Hogg before he was Riker. That would draw alot of Trekkies to Dukesfest. I'd be far more upset if they got Johnny,Sean,Or Jessica.

I'm with ya Tim. With all the other choices that could have been made, I can't agree with Adam West being a "headliner."

Daney's also correct in that there's no real verification of who is going to be at DF, thus far. This is why I'm taking issue with the West announcement. People aren't goign to buy DF tickets and make travel plans across several states to see Batman.

Adam West could have been added to the bill without as much havoc, if the whole Dukes cast attendence issue had been sorted out and confirmed first. People would still question what West would be doing there, but there wouldn't be the same level of what-the-hell-are-you-thinking.

I was suprised how the criticism was handled. This is DukesFest #10 and the prior nine did not have non-Dukes related celebs on the autograph roster. Of course Dukes fans are going to be like "Huh? Batman? Here? Why?"

Maybe that's cool for other car-related shindigs where the theme is Anything Goes, but DukesFest was, and should be, the epitome of the Dukes of Hazzard. Not, Dukes and whatever else is handy that might bring in a buck.

I'm sure the promoters mean well, but hey you gotta put the Duke-related cast info at the top of the list. Not mutter it out of the corner of your mouth as "might be" or "could be" while the Adam thang gets a billboard. Uncool.

[Brian Coltrane]

As I understand it if you go to the car registration portion it asks you which cast you need to sign your car and you are supposed to check which ones you need and Toms name is there. Someone even asked if he is definite in one of the threads and the answer was yes.The guy wasn't going unless Tom was a for sure thing.


Oh, I see...so, the only way to know for certain if a Dukes cast member is going to be there, is to have a General Lee that needs autographing? And then sign up on that little section that Lesser Fans Without GL Replcas couldn't visit?

That doesn't look good either. Somebody needs to get this presented better, STAT.

[AlexJackson]

Oh, I see...so, the only way to know for certain if a Dukes cast member is going to be there, is to have a General Lee that needs autographing? And then sign up on that little section that Lesser Fans Without GL Replcas couldn't visit?

That doesn't look good either. Somebody needs to get this presented better, STAT.


Seems that once again all the replica owners get all the kudos...I cant say this surprises me. And why have Batman there? To attract more fans? The last two Dukesfests were massive! The DOH fans dont need Batman to come in and save the day...

[Brian Coltrane]

Seems that once again all the replica owners get all the kudos...I cant say this surprises me. And why have Batman there? To attract more fans? The last two Dukesfests were massive! The DOH fans dont need Batman to come in and save the day...

Before this goes where it shouldn't.....I've nothing against the replica owners, it's just the handling of the event info hasn't been done very well.

I will say that it looks like DF "belongs" to the replica owners now. That's the perception, right or wrong. And hey, I love seeing all the GL's. It wouldn't be DukesFest without them. So absolutely I got no problem with the car owners getting a perk and getting a car signed.

But largely, that kind of thing has been transparent to the wider fandom that doesn't own GL Replicas. I mean, do the math. 50 to 100k fans at DF, vs the number of GL's. Not all of us can have a car. We'd like one, though, and you have our envy and admiration in equal dose.

Presentation creates perception. I'm hoping things improve on the communication front so that this DF is a great experience for all DUKES fans.

[TimDuke]

Ok Whoa,Whoa.Stop right there. Don't even go there.Don't start dissing the car guys or you'll have all those guys coming here to defend themselves. I'll see to it that happens because I am one. I was just making a point it list the cast on the car registration form to show that yes indeed they are gonna show.They are having a lottery to have X number of cars guaranteed to get signed. The cars with zero signatures are getting the first pick in the lottery. Us car owners had to complain for 5-6 years before anything was done about getting signatures on our cars. I know that there are some of you who may feel the replica owners should get no special treatment.However consider this. It was due to Wayne Wooten and his Dodge Charger registry along with Aneeshs Dukes club to start having conventions. Wayne even coined the phrase Dukesfest before it was called that.I believe it was due to Ben seeing all those General Lees at the 99 convention that gave him the incentive to do Dukesfest and it was with the help of another General Lee club that made that happen. So if it weren't for us replica guys Dukesfest may not even exist. You may disagree but I have made very good points. I'll think I'll start a poll seeing how many fans would still attend if there were no General Lees or police cars there. If the poll shows they still would go then I'll relay that to the car club and save all those guys a ton of money since fans don't care if they are there or not.

[Meadowmufn]

I think Brian clearly stated that this isn't about the car owners. It's about communication and perception.

We have a lot of respect for the car owners and DukesFest is about ALL fans. There's no need to turn this into a big Us vs. Them brewhaha. And I don't think a poll will do a whole lot of good. Most fans don't have replicas and they'd probably still go just to meet the cast and other fellow DOH enthusiasts. So, if you're expecting for the poll to tell you that the cars ARE DukesFest, you may be disappointed. The cars are integral, they're appreciated, and they're important, but so are the people... just as it was on the show.

[RogerDuke]

John Schneider once said that the show would have succeeded if the General would have been a Gremlin instead of a Charger and I think he's right. I agree with Brian and Meadowmuffin that the people come first. When I met TimDuke recently at a car show, I would have still gone even if there wasn't a single car there (except the one that I needed to get there). I went there to meet Tim, Daney, DaisyMae and most of all Sheriff Rosco P Coltrane. There was one General there and one sheriff's car too but seeing those vehicles didn't nearly give me as big of thrill as meeting an awesome Dukes fan like Tim.
Every Dukes fan loves the General though and every Dukes fan admires and respects anyone who has gone through all the work and expense to get one. It takes true love and dedication to the Dukes to do something like that and us fans who don't own Generals are insanely jealous of people like Tim.
We are all a family here so it hurts me to see people I care about arguing but on the other hand a good debate can be healthy on occasion and it can make us all stronger.
This kinda reminds me of Army soldiers and Marines arguing over which is the better branch of the service. Sometimes those debates can be fun but the bottom line is that they are all there for the same purpose of serving our country and should never let their differences get in the way of that bigger mission. (even though everbody knows that Marines are better)
I was really enjoying the Batman vs Dukes thing and if I could make a humble request, let's nudge this debate back to that instead. What do you say Tim old buddy, sound like a plan? I'm gone.

[Meadowmufn]

John Schneider once said that the show would have succeeded if the General would have been a Gremlin instead of a Charger and I think he's right. I agree with Brian and Meadowmuffin that the people come first. When I met TimDuke recently at a car show, I would have still gone even if there wasn't a single car there (except the one that I needed to get there). I went there to meet Tim, Daney, DaisyMae and most of all Sheriff Rosco P Coltrane. There was one General there and one sheriff's car too but seeing those vehicles didn't nearly give me as big of thrill as meeting an awesome Dukes fan like Tim.
Every Dukes fan loves the General though and every Dukes fan admires and respects anyone who has gone through all the work and expense to get one. It takes true love and dedication to the Dukes to do something like that and us fans who don't own Generals are insanely jealous of people like Tim.
We are all a family here so it hurts me to see people I care about arguing but on the other hand a good debate can be healthy on occasion and it can make us all stronger.
This kinda reminds me of Army soldiers and Marines arguing over which is the better branch of the service. Sometimes those debates can be fun but the bottom line is that they are all there for the same purpose of serving our country and should never let their differences get in the way of that bigger mission. (even though everbody knows that Marines are better)
I was really enjoying the Batman vs Dukes thing and if I could make a humble request, let's nudge this debate back to that instead. What do you say Tim old buddy, sound like a plan? I'm gone.

Great post, Roger. I completely agree with all of it. And yes, let's get this discussion back to the original issue at hand, Adam West being at DukesFest.

(Pssst... Roger, don't tell anybody else, but I think Marines are better too. :) My grandfather was a Marine and served on Iwo Jima during WWII.)

[TimDuke]

I'm sorry guys but I get VERY defensive about us replica owners and will defend them to the last since I'm one of the few that come to this board. Perhaps I was a bit hasty with a poll but when AlexJackson started sorta implying bad vibes towards us car guys I went in defensive mode and got a bit upset. It's in the Schneiders ballpark how they are promoting Dukesfest.He's never done something like this before so I say cut him a little slack.He'll learn from mistakes just like Ben did. I didn't intend on starting a pi--ing match between the car guys and the average fans . The thread just sorta headed that way. Ok back on topic.

[Meadowmufn]

I'm sorry guys but I get VERY defensive about us replica owners and will defend them to the last since I'm one of the few that come to this board. Perhaps I was a bit hasty with a poll but when AlexJackson started sorta implying bad vibes towards us car guys I went in defensive mode and got a bit upset. It's in the Schneiders ballpark how they are promoting Dukesfest.He's never done something like this before so I say cut him a little slack.He'll learn from mistakes just like Ben did. I didn't intend on starting a pi--ing match between the car guys and the average fans . The thread just sorta headed that way. Ok back on topic.

Tim, don't let the comments of one person get you that upset. At the core, we're all the same, Dukes fans!

Now, I've got a question that probably nobody knows the answer to right now, but here goes...

I know the cast individually decides what to charge for photos, but I think for the most part they've all kept their prices about the same, i.e. a black and white autographed photo will cost about the same at one table as it does at the other. I think at one DukesFest Ben may have even requested they have set prices. So, my question is... is Adam West going to bring his prices in line with the other cast or will folks have to pay 2 to 3 times as much for a non-Dukes autographed photo from him at a Dukes event??? Seems kind of unfair for him to possibly make more money at DukesFest than the actual cast does!

[Capt_Redneck]

I didn't intend on starting a pi--ing match between the car guys and the average fans.

So we are just average fans because we don't have a General Lee or Police car replica? Is this along the same line as when you said you are not "true" Dukes fan for liking the 05 movie?

By the way I would have preferred Johnny Knoxville and Sean William Scott to be there.

As far as Adam West, I am scratching my head...

I'm gone
Darrell

[Brian Coltrane]

Tim, we're cool, I got nothing against the GL owners. In fact, I went a few hundred miles out of my way once to ride in a GL at a car show , before DF existed. And before your club existed. It was in Salem IN and the guy driving the car - ok, I'll tell you, it was "Pearl" - he drove like a loon on this racetrack. I don't know if he was showing off or trying to scare me, or both, but that was my last GL ride.

So when many of the good folks of the Confed club offered GL rides at the Bristol TN DukesFest, I was thinking "Oh gawd" but you guys did an excellent job, and thrilled thousands of fans. That's cool, I was there, I remember it and I give y'all props for it. GL's make everybody smile and I personally appreciate all your club does for the fandom.

I also appreciate all the Dukes fans who have attended DukesFest and have stood outside in blazing heat for hours on end, waiting to get in the gate, waiting for an autograph. Without those ticket-paying fans, there's no DukesFest either. Without the money those fans collectively shell out for tickets and souveniers and photos....the cast members wouldn't be at the event, let alone autograph anybody's General.

I have been a DF staff volunteer for many consecutive years, so I'm very familiar with all the historical and logistical challenges the event has been through, including the ones your club has endured. So never assume I'm unsympathetic.

What I see happening with DF so far, troubles me, and it comes down to the communication, or lack thereof, and how things are being presented, and how things are being prioritized. Maybe I can't agree with what I'm seeing because I've personally been through too much with DukesFest. All I want, is for the event to be a huge success as always. I want the GL owners happy and I want the fans who barely had enough money for gas for the trip, and their ticket, and one cast photo, to be happy.

HazzardNet normally gives DukesFest heavy promotion - without a dime of compensation, without getting special favors. Now I don't own this website and I don't call the shots, but to me there's no way in hell we're putting up a DukesFest promo on the homepage to feature Adam West. Frankly it's an embarassment.

Anyhow - good discussion, eh? I don't think any of us would get riled up so much, if we didn't have a passion for the Dukes.

[TimDuke]

Darrell I'm not about to get into it about a statement you took out of context and get this topic off track again. Let us just say the car guys are more into the little details of all the vehicles,which interior color is the correct one,stuff like that and not so much details of the show itself.Where as the fans here are into the show as a whole is the best way to explain the difference.

[JESSI DUKE]

Can't we just drop it? We all if it wasn't for GL owners there wouldn't GL's at DF, but also know if the fan didn't come. The owners wouldn't have anyone to show there cars. All I'm saying why keep up the same fight every time. You can't have on without the other. So can we PLEASE bury it. And be thankful that we have a DF to go to.

[DaisyMaeDuke]

For the record...

Since this was initially about why Adam West will be at Dukesfest...this is what John said:

"My favorite show as a youngster was... You guessed it... Batman! POW! I can only assume that if that was John Schneider's favorite show as a kid that it had to be Bo Duke's favorite show too! It is very important to remember who the Dukes are inside and not just their public image..."

And you know what? I think he's right. So often in role plays and round robins and things we who write use our imaginations to try our best to make the characters of Dukes as real as we can to the readers and to ourselves. The fact that we do this is not because we simply have nothing better to do, it's that, for me at least, we want them to be more than just an image on screen. We want to feel...and i think most of us on here do...that we know them and that, more than characters on tv, they are symbolic of what could still happen. That there are still "good ol' boys"...that there are still families that believe in supporting one another...that the word "family" doesn't necessarily mean mom, dad, brother sister...it can be uncle with cousins...or even friends brought together by a common bond (like us here on hnet)... It is this type of inside knowledge that endears us to them so much. John once said that he can always tell who knew him from Dukes and who knew him from Smallville because strangers felt they could go to Bo Duke and give him a hug whereas Jonathan Kent they did not.

All that to say, for my two cents worth, for me, Dukes is more than being about an awesome car, two gorgeous guys and a good deed thrown into every show. It's about a bigger picture... a simpler time...a genuiness and, as proved by its longevity, a realness to the characters that the American (and non-American) population misses from tv today.

If Batman is part of what made Bo Duke who he was and helped make him real to us, I say bring him on...

[DaneyDuke]

How different any Adam West at Dukesfest discussion might have been with that knowledge... Thank you, DaisyMae.

[North_of_Border1]

I can picture Bo Duke being a Batman fan. He loves action and fast cars. I bet he wanted a Batmobile as a boy. LOL!

I don't have anything against Adam West in particular. He seems like a nice man and I enjoyed the show as well as a kind. The idea of him at Dukesfest is odd at first but there were special guests on the show so I guess I'll consider him being a "special guest star" at DF.

Besides since John and Elly are nice enough to organize the whole thing (I can only imagine the logistics of it, Yikes!) I feel they have the right to invite some friends if they so choose.

One thing I find peculiar though is that there is no mention of Byron Cherry on the Dukesfest website. He said that John invited him. I know that he doesn't have as much fans as the other cast members but putting him on the list would be the polite thing to do in my opinion. He and Chris did help keep the show going after all.

I also wonder if they thought about inviting Chris and Don Pedro Colley. Mr. Colley always comes to the gathering in Canada. I think he would enjoy Dukefest, the biggest one of all. I hope Byron mentioned it to John

Well that was my two cents' worth. Now I shall sit back and enjoy this debate. I'm enjoying this thread. LOL

[Brian Coltrane]

I can picture Bo Duke being a Batman fan. He loves action and fast cars. I bet he wanted a Batmobile as a boy. LOL!

I don't have anything against Adam West in particular. He seems like a nice man and I enjoyed the show as well as a kind. The idea of him at Dukesfest is odd at first but there were special guests on the show so I guess I'll consider him being a "special guest star" at DF.

Besides since John and Elly are nice enough to organize the whole thing (I can only imagine the logistics of it, Yikes!) I feel they have the right to invite some friends if they so choose.

One thing I find peculiar though is that there is no mention of Byron Cherry on the Dukesfest website. He said that John invited him. I know that he doesn't have as much fans as the other cast members but putting him on the list would be the polite thing to do in my opinion. He and Chris did help keep the show going after all.

I also wonder if they thought about inviting Chris and Don Pedro Colley. Mr. Colley always comes to the gathering in Canada. I think he would enjoy Dukefest, the biggest one of all. I hope Byron mentioned it to John

Well that was my two cents' worth. Now I shall sit back and enjoy this debate. I'm enjoying this thread. LOL


North, that's part of my discontent with this whole Bat blast. Sure, it's John's gig and I expect a few things to be different - but holy dip stick, one would think he'd get the Dukes cast appearances sorted out first.

John may be a Batman fan, but saying Adam West fits into DukesFest because Bo Duke would have dug Batman.... gimmie a break.

Did the Dukes even have a tv? I thought they were motorheads who wanted to grow up to be race car drivers.

Cooter may have dug Led Zepplin, but that doesn't mean they'd fit in at DukesFest. Daisy might have dug watching General Hospital but that doesn't mean you'd have Michael Damien signing autographs at DukesFest. Rosco may have enjoyed watching Charlie's Angels but that doesn't mean you'd have Farrah Fawcett at DukesFest.

[DaisyMaeDuke]

Well...for that matter... why was jerry Lawler there (no pro wrestlers ever came from Hazzard)....or the BMXers...or why was a Barney Fife look alike there before...he was from Mayberry...It's all about having something there that everyone would enjoy...and like it or not, Dukesfest is held not only for fans but also to make money...John has to make a living too... I guess I just don't see how it's any different...

[lost_sheep3]

I just don't know about Batman at Dukesfest. That's like going to a Rascal Flatts show and having Ozzy opening for them.

I saw Adam West at a car show a couple of years ago, he wanted $25 for a black and white picture. Unless he lowers his prices for Dukesfest, I can't see many Dukes fans wanting to pay that kind of money for a Batman photo when most of the Dukes photos are much cheaper.

[North_of_Border1]

North, that's part of my discontent with this whole Bat blast. Sure, it's John's gig and I expect a few things to be different - but holy dip stick, one would think he'd get the Dukes cast appearances sorted out first.

John may be a Batman fan, but saying Adam West fits into DukesFest because Bo Duke would have dug Batman.... gimmie a break.

Did the Dukes even have a tv? I thought they were motorheads who wanted to grow up to be race car drivers.

Cooter may have dug Led Zepplin, but that doesn't mean they'd fit in at DukesFest. Daisy might have dug watching General Hospital but that doesn't mean you'd have Michael Damien signing autographs at DukesFest. Rosco may have enjoyed watching Charlie's Angels but that doesn't mean you'd have Farrah Fawcett at DukesFest.


1. Very true, cast first, guests later. I will give you that one.

2. I did NOT say he fits into Dukefest. I just say the more the merrier. The dukes always welcomed strangers into their home, so should we. Uncle Jesse wouldn't have it any other way. ;)

Yes they owned a TV. I saw it in the background in the living room once. I would assume they watched Nascar races.

3. About Led Zeppelin and al.: Good point. I see what you mean.

However Michael Damien (who was in The Young in the Restless not GH) is James Best's son-in-law so his presence actually would make a little more sense that Mr. West's. LOL! I would put him in as a singing guest.

[Brian Coltrane]

However Michael Damien (who was in The Young in the Restless not GH) is James Best's son-in-law so his presence actually would make a little more sense that Mr. West's. LOL! I would put him in as a singing guest.

I was wondering if anybody would catch that one! You get a gold star.

Ya know what else is troubling me, is that I don't see any of the other Dukes cast members themselves, making noise about being at DukesFest.

Ben's site has a small banner ad for DukesFest, but it's not listed under his upcoming appearances.

The tab for "DukesFest" talks about the 2007 gig. Nothing on 2008. Granted he's not running it anymore, but one would expect some promotional gesture, if Ben himself was attending.

I also noticed that Ben's site no longer has any tab or link about any General Lee club. He used to.

Maybe Ben hasn't updated his site yet, so let's not jump to conclusions.

Tom Wopat's site doesn't meantion DukesFest yet either. Hell, there's not even a link to it.

Cathy's site never gets updated, so no conclusions from that....

Jimmie's site confirms him as attending DukesFest. Now if only the DukesFest site would pencil him in.

And ya think Adam West would put up something about DukesFest on HIS webpage, wouldn't ya! Nah.....

[Denver C.]

Maybe they figure that Adam West would be something for the nonDukes fans that come with family or friends. (I realize that it is a shock that there could be such uncultured people out there, but they do exist!:D)
Personally, I don't care if he's there or not, but I do agree with everyone else that it would be nice to know which actual cast members will be there before worrying about "special guests". It would be nice if they could have all of the surviving regular and semiregular cast members there, though.

[RogerDuke]

I'm wondering who it is that takes all the financial risks and reaps all the financial benefits of DukesFest. Is it just John or are there others who have money wrapped up in it? The (financial) bottom line is the most important thing here to the people who are financially involved. Us fans who are in it for the love of the show can sometimes forget that. If I was John, I would find out how many people pay (that astronomical amount) for Adam West autographs. (They must be true fans of his to pay that much.) Then subtract the amount they paid to get into the place from the amount he has to pay Adam and see if he made a profit. My guess would be that he's going to lose a lot of money from inviting Mr West and will be smart enough to not do something like that again.

[DaneyDuke]

I was wondering if anybody would catch that one! You get a gold star.

Ya know what else is troubling me, is that I don't see any of the other Dukes cast members themselves, making noise about being at DukesFest.

Maybe not all the contracts and sponsorship is in place at this time? This is purely a guess on my part.

[Brian Coltrane]

Maybe not all the contracts and sponsorship is in place at this time? This is purely a guess on my part.

Very possible, and that's exactly my point about having the Adam West announcement break wind before anything else is heard.

And to revisit the "Bo Duke woulda dug Batman" thing....

Ya'd think Bo Duke would be a Superman fan, given John's Smallville gig.

Now if John woulda pulled in somebody from the Smallville cast, for DukesFest, I could understand it. I probably wouldn't agree with it 100%, but at least there's a sort of logic involved with John's fan base.

I also want to answer RogerDuke's post as he's onto something. This year, DukesFest isn't getting (as far as I last knew) any CMT sponsorship or support. That's got to make the budget a bit tighter.

Also, as cool as it is to have DukesFest in Atlanta - right now I'm wondering if it's a tactical error. It's my opinion that Nashville appreciated DukesFest a helluva lot more than Atlanta does. I had to step back and look at this, because earlier in my rants I was like, "can't sell DukesFest tickets in Atlanta?? Riiight..."

Well, maybe it is tougher. The city of Nashville was all for DukesFest. Whereas the politically-sensitive city of Atlanta may be cooler towards the yeehaw, Hee-haw, DukesFest image. Atlanta's tourism board spends a lot of time these days, pretending it isn't in the South.

About the cast contracts....the merchandise sales that each cast member has at the autograph table, is an obvious part of thier consideration.

So having a big turnout in fan attendance makes the whole gig more worth somebody's while. But it's not a bottomless drink, because you can only get through "x" number of people a day in your autograph line, and on the average a fan buys 1 or 2 items at a cost of ten bucks a pop. Yes, there's money here and it can be attractive, but there's only so much you can humanly do in terms of sales at the table.

This makes the appearance fee important, as it's a set amount, rain or shine, fans or no fans. But for the promoters and wallet-holders of the event, it gets dicey because you need that gate attendance to be strong. You've just promised somebody "x" dollars to show up, but your own income - namely the ticket sales - could be anything. If the ticket sales are awesome, you're in good shape. If the ticket sales are lower than expected, taking care of all the overhead concerning contracts, venue, entertainment, insurance, and so on becomes daunting.

Back to Adam West - several people have mentioned his high merchandise costs. As each cast member at DukesFest looks forward to having some merchandise sales, it would seem a conflict of interest.

Also, the reason Adam West charges so much, is because he'd rather sell 1,000 photos at $25... then sell 2,000 photos at $10. Less work, more money. Not a bad strategy but I'm not sure it works with a Dukes crowd.

[countrygirl1986]

Very interesting guys...

If Atlanta has been pretending they aren't southern anymore, the only reason I can see Dukesfest being there is because it's so close to Conyers and it being Georgia. If it weren't close to Conyers, I would have to say something is wrong. If it weren't I'd have to compare it to having Dukesfest in Delaware... it wouldn't work... well maybe in Slower Lower Delaware (Southern Delaware), but I know it wouldn't work in the north.

Atlanta trying to pretend they aren't part of the south is just stupid (downplaying being part of the south, phhhtth)... it ranks up there with Delaware and Maryland pretending they have no southern links. (Hello!? Mason Dixon line? Idiotic Slavery all the way until the Civil War? Tobacco Plantations... yes Delaware had tobacco plantations)

I think being part of the south should be with Pride. This is just another example of the North screwing the South over with misconstruing what the Civil War was over (and I'll give you a hint, it wasn't Slavery or the rights of the African American, try States rights, and Economics... if it were over Slavery, do you think Delaware and Maryland would have stuck with the Union? West Virginia? Hell, Lee was against slavery to quote Lee... "I have to fight for my country, and my country is Virginia..." (At the time before the Civil War, people talked about their States as their Countries... don't ask, I don't 100% understand that one, but i tmigth have something to do with the orignally type of Government the US set up... also a Confederacy) and a lot of southerners didn't believe in it, why else would there have been the widespread Underground Railroad? Slaves were mostly owned by the wealthy plantation owners. Lincoln had no plans to free the slaves, however, I am glad it was done. I believe it was an inevitability, and even if the south had won, it would have probably been outlawed down there by the 1900's, WWI or WWII at the latest... the Confederacy was actually letting free african americans to sign up with their armies, but they never got to serve.) So my question is, how can Atlanta be turning it's back on it's heritage?

In this case, the only real reason, aside from being where John grew up (Notice, i didn't say where he was from), why Dukesfest would be in Atlanta, is because of Conyers... and Hazzard supposedly was located in in Georgia.

Also, there was one episode on the Dukes of Hazzard that did say the boys grew up cuttin' there teeth on those westerns... don't know the exact quote for sure, I'd have to look.

Okay, I'm getting off the Soap Box and returning it to Brian.

(and I believe that was the wording of what Lee said, may have gotten a word or two wrong in there)

[JESSI DUKE]

I don't think that it's Atlanta not wanting to be apart of the south.
I think it just some people are afraid that someone might take it the wrong
way. People are so easy offend down days. It's not funny. With the bars and stars I see a a flag that helped make our great nation, someone else may see it as a hate symbol. I guess it's just your point of view on it.

[RogerDuke]

I'm pretty mad at you Jessi. Who do you think you are by making the statement "People are so easily offended now a days"
That statement offends me. LOL

[countrygirl1986]

LOL Y'all are nuts.

Yes, I agree people are too easily offended now a days. I believe if people cracked their history books while they are in school, they wouldn't, and I don't mean the history books that aren't correct either.

Maybe they should talk with some reinactors. It may do them some good.

If someone gets offended about seeing the confederate flag, they should also get offended at seeing the United States Flag. That was a KKK symbol before the rebel flag. The rebel flag didn't start getting used until the 1960's.

Again, I mention a point:

If the Civil War were about slavery, why did Delaware take a southern stance on everything except leaving the union? De had Slavery in the lower two counties (there's only three!) and had Jim Crowe Laws. Delaware limited the education of african americans for years by having one highschool for them in the whole state for years upon years (The school building which was used is still in operation today as a school; Howard High School of Technology), and only one college (Delaware State University).

I think it's mostly just a tiny few who are trouble makers. I have lots of African American friends, and they have no freakin' problem with the rebel flag. Shoot, I've sat down and talked with them about it! I tell them what my Yahoo! and Windows Live Messenger display pic's are, they laugh. They have no problem with it.

I believe the trouble makers in Atlanta need to go back to History Class! Be Re-educated with the correct facts. Open their blasted eyes!

[JESSI DUKE]

I'm pretty mad at you Jessi. Who do you think you are by making the statement "People are so easily offended now a days"
That statement offends me. LOL

Oh well, I guess you'll have to get over it. LOL

[Brian Coltrane]

Atlanta has a huge problem with the rebel flag. Years ago, the college basketball final rounds were to be played in Atlanta, but then there was the threat of boycott from offended parties. To make a long story short, the Georgia state flag was officially changed, to remove the portion that contained the rebel design.

So where does this put DukesFest in the Atlanta public eye?

Well, I happen to be a member of a tourist thang for Atlanta and I get their propaganda. Here's a quick list of upcoming Special Events for June 2008:


June
AtlantaFest Christian Music, Six Flags Over Georgia
Atlanta Pride Festival & Parade
Classic Chastain Concert Series (through August)
Georgia Shakespeare (through August), Oglethorpe University
Georgia Special Olympics State Summer Games, Emory University
SunTrust Concerts in the Garden, Atlanta Botanical GardenHmm. Something's missing. Let's see...links for culture, links for...hoo boy, well that explains Elton John's pechant for the city...what else is there....

Ah, here we go. If you search by venue, being the Atlanta Motor Speedway, and then search by date range, there's a little paragraph. There's a link to the racetrack, that has no information, and a link to the DF site, that has no information. Except about Batman. Heh!

[AlexJackson]

Atlanta has a huge problem with the rebel flag. Years ago, the college basketball final rounds were to be played in Atlanta, but then there was the threat of boycott from offended parties. To make a long story short, the Georgia state flag was officially changed, to remove the portion that contained the rebel design.

So where does this put DukesFest in the Atlanta public eye?

Well, I happen to be a member of a tourist thang for Atlanta and I get their propaganda. Here's a quick list of upcoming Special Events for June 2008:


June

AtlantaFest Christian Music, Six Flags Over Georgia
Atlanta Pride Festival & Parade
Classic Chastain Concert Series (through August)
Georgia Shakespeare (through August), Oglethorpe University
Georgia Special Olympics State Summer Games, Emory University
SunTrust Concerts in the Garden, Atlanta Botanical GardenHmm. Something's missing. Let's see...links for culture, links for...hoo boy, well that explains Elton John's pechant for the city...what else is there....

Ah, here we go. If you search by venue, being the Atlanta Motor Speedway, and then search by date range, there's a little paragraph. There's a link to the racetrack, that has no information, and a link to the DF site, that has no information. Except about Batman. Heh!

And let's not forget the lovely scene in the 2005 DOH movie where the rebel flag shows up on the roof of the General Lee and gets a less than friendly reception from the residents of Atlanta.

So you might be right Brian about Atlanta's opinion of the rebel flag, and how the city overlooked Dukesfest in its tourist thing. When DF was in Nashville, it was advertised all over the place. Will that change as June approaches? Guess we'll have to wait and see.

[Brian Coltrane]

And let's not forget the lovely scene in the 2005 DOH movie where the rebel flag shows up on the roof of the General Lee and gets a less than friendly reception from the residents of Atlanta.

So you might be right Brian about Atlanta's opinion of the rebel flag, and how the city overlooked Dukesfest in its tourist thing. When DF was in Nashville, it was advertised all over the place. Will that change as June approaches? Guess we'll have to wait and see.

I doubt we'll see much promotion at the local level. Atlanta is a great city, but I don't think DF fits in with the modern image they're trying to portray.

I doubt we'll see much promotion at the national level since CMT isn't backing it this year. ( last I checked.)

But there's a good three months before the gig, so there's time to get a media frenzy going. Or a nice box ad in the classifieds.

[countrygirl1986]

Amen. They want to distance themselves from the past, but they are more than happy to make a profit off of it.

[JESSI DUKE]

what do you expect people are greedy.

[countrygirl1986]

Very. Sometimes the cities and states can be soo greedy... worse than Boss Hogg!

Can you imagine how Atlanta will look crawling with General Lees before Dukesfest, when they are all arriving? They won't be able to avoid it! If I had a replica, I'd be verrry careful driving it down there. Ya don't know how folks will react (or how many ticket's you'll get)!

[RogerDuke]

You folks is right. Them city people can be greedy. Look at that Lester Starr feller and how he stole Daisy's song...he's from Atlanta. I suppose they ain't all bad though....

[Brian Coltrane]

Meanwhile, in the Somethin' New department for DukesFest 2008... a musical act!

The band is called "State Line Mob." Southern rock hickabilly sound. The singer dude looks like he could pass for Tom Petty's illegitimate half-brother who's spent too much time in a darkened room with questionable smoking materials.

But I like this much, their MySpace page has a photo of a General Lee in the background. They sound awright, too. Reminds me a little bit of Steve Earl but like something else instead.

You can check 'em out at their MySpace page, but be warned: It'll probably give your computer a vapor-lock. I've got a fairly tough machine and it nearly knuckled under trying to load this damn page:

http://www.myspace.com/statelinemob


The shotgun is a nice touch, too.

[Capt_Redneck]

Meanwhile, in the Somethin' New department for DukesFest 2008... a musical act!

The band is called "State Line Mob." Southern rock hickabilly sound. The singer dude looks like he could pass for Tom Petty's illegitimate half-brother who's spent too much time in a darkened room with questionable smoking materials.

But I like this much, their MySpace page has a photo of a General Lee in the background. They sound awright, too. Reminds me a little bit of Steve Earl but like something else instead.

You can check 'em out at their MySpace page, but be warned: It'll probably give your computer a vapor-lock. I've got a fairly tough machine and it nearly knuckled under trying to load this damn page:

http://www.myspace.com/statelinemob


The shotgun is a nice touch, too.

Just damn good....I love the Buford Pusser connection. In case anyone on here doesn't know The State Line Mob is the syndicate that controled the Miss./Tenn state line with gambling and other illegal activites in the 50's/60's. They were the ones that Sheriff Buford Pusser went after and were the ones who ambushed him and his wife killing her onm Aug 12, 1967..

I did a paper on Bufors Pusser back in college and am a huge collector of stuff from him.

They remind me more of Drive By Truckers and Little Big Town with some Bad Co. thrown in somewhat. Pretty good Southern Rock. Love their myspace with the General Lee....

I'm gone
Darrell

[Brian Coltrane]

I like the edgy country-rock thang with State Line Mob. So that'll be fun.

News on DukesFest has been quiet enough that I've resorted to doing my own spying, instead of waiting for our underground network of highly classified informants to fill me in so I can take all the credit. Seriously though I've been bashing this Adam West gig for days, so I figured pointing out some good things is in order.

I haven't confirmed this next one. But if I can beleive the archery news I found this on, then it sounds like Randy Oitker will be doing marksmanship demonstrations at DukesFest. Randy's site itself does not confirm it as of yet, so don't anybody base your ticket purchase on it.

But he is worth watching. He's famous for the 4-arrows-at-a-time shot that nails 4 Lifesaver candies simutaneously. Man, don't try and steal this guy's tree stand next bowhunting season. Here's his site, and there's a link to the aforementioned skill shot:

http://www.randyoitker.com/index.html

[Meadowmufn]

They remind me more of Drive By Truckers and Little Big Town with some Bad Co. thrown in somewhat. Pretty good Southern Rock. Love their myspace with the General Lee....



Great, now I'm gonna have My Sweet Annette stuck in my head all night. Khee!

I checked out State Line Mob on iTunes (http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=oP9thAaaPLI&offerid=78941&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fphobos.apple.com%252FW ebObjects%252FMZStore.woa%252Fwa%252FviewAlbum%253 Fi%253D274862843%2526id%253D274862831%2526s%253D14 3441%2526partnerId%253D30) and they're pretty good.

[AlexJackson]

I like the edgy country-rock thang with State Line Mob. So that'll be fun.

News on DukesFest has been quiet enough that I've resorted to doing my own spying, instead of waiting for our underground network of highly classified informants to fill me in so I can take all the credit. Seriously though I've been bashing this Adam West gig for days, so I figured pointing out some good things is in order.

I haven't confirmed this next one. But if I can beleive the archery news I found this on, then it sounds like Randy Oitker will be doing marksmanship demonstrations at DukesFest. Randy's site itself does not confirm it as of yet, so don't anybody base your ticket purchase on it.

But he is worth watching. He's famous for the 4-arrows-at-a-time shot that nails 4 Lifesaver candies simutaneously. Man, don't try and steal this guy's tree stand next bowhunting season. Here's his site, and there's a link to the aforementioned skill shot:

http://www.randyoitker.com/index.html


That archery guy was at 2007 Dukesfest. He tried to do a few really fancy shots that didnt quite work out. He was pretty good though.

[Julieduke]

That archery guy was at 2007 Dukesfest. He tried to do a few really fancy shots that didnt quite work out. He was pretty good though.
I really wish I could go to Dukesfest but I don't think I will this years.

[Meadowmufn]

That shot with four arrows through the four lifesavers was AMAZING! Then again, I'd be impressed if he hit just one. ROFL.

[AlexJackson]

That shot with four arrows through the four lifesavers was AMAZING! Then again, I'd be impressed if he hit just one. ROFL.


As I recall he did do the lifesavers trick... The one he did fine, but I think he failed to do the 4 at the same time. He blamed the weather on not being able to get it. It was a little stormy in Nashville, everyone got poured on, so he blamed the wind for messing up his trajectory. Still though, one arrow into one lifesaver was pretty cool.

[Julieduke]

I wished I could've seen that right there.

[countrygirl1986]

I was just over at the Dukesfest website and aparently they are going to be announcing the name of another celebrity that will be there. The announcement is going to be on April 1st. Unless they are announcing the cast line up (which I doubt), I hope it's an April Fools joke, cause there is no sense in announcing all of these guest stars before the cast. Absolutely NONE!

[Brian Coltrane]

I have no idea what's cookin' next, but to "hazzard" a guess maybe it's a bigger-name musical act. So far I've only come across news about the one band, the State Line Mob, and that's not gonna hold over the crowd for the whole weekend.

I gotta tell ya'll, I'm concerned about how this year's DF is going to do in attendance, with the economic mood folks are in, and with the lack CMT endorsement. Whatever the upcoming announcement, it needs to be strong enough to get the excitement level built up. If folks are excited enough, it won't matter what the gas costs to get there.

[Brian Coltrane]

I know I'm spending too much time here when I'm answering my own posts. Ah well, I'm too lazy to update the homepage so this'll have to do in a pinch.

Looks like Byron Cherry was the most recent, big announcement for DukesFest. To his credit, Byron treats the fans very well and has a smile for everybody.

And lo and behold...looks like the Dukes cast appearance confirmations are finally getting communicated. How 'bout 'dat. Adam West is mentioned at the bottom of the list, which is more appropriate.

Looks like the musical acts are still getting organized, but I reckon it'll get sorted out in the upcoming couple of weeks. ( Thus far nothing else is confirming the State Line Mob, but nothing is disproving it, either.)

We'll update our homepage soon and help spread the hoopla. Now that we have a better understanding of what the hoopla is.

Then again, the current promoters of DF may not want or need HNet endorsement 'cause they got their own crew handling things. We should probably let the pros handle it. Since we're pretty lazy anyway. And how would they gauge the effectiveness of their own online promos, if we got involved and started throwing thousands of visitors their way? Who'd want that?

[TimDuke]

I have one final thought on this whole thing. After speaking with the web designer of Dukesfest. The cast were always confirmed even though the language said might at one point. He pointed out to me that if someone wasn't committed to come why would he even bother advertising them to begin with . He apologized for any kind of mix up there may have been.

[Brian Coltrane]

Tim, thanks for clarifying that. I do recall the original "Here's who you might meet" phrase on an earlier version of the site. And in another thread , there was a remark to the effect of not every contract is locked in. But now there was supposedly never any doubt that all the orignal cast was locked in. Whatever....

At this point it doesn't matter, it's just the fact that for all the pretty pictures, the message itself was never very clear. Except for that announcement about Adam West - which irritated more fans than just me.

But dissent ain't permitted in certain circles, is it? I've seen the recent commentary, and the tone of Ye Olde DF Webmaster comes across a bit condenscending. Doesn't bother me none, but hell I've seen members of his own site get a fry pan upside the head for daring to disagree with him - from fellow members of the same site.

Feedback should have a place. Spirited disagreements, so long as they don't degrade into name-calling and cussing, are a natural part of any message board. So the dispariging tones and the squelch efforts kind of amaze me. Given the history of the organization and the charity purpose it used to serve.

I do wish DukesFest all the success in the world, and ultimately the thousands of paying fans going through the gate will be the ones voting on what works and what doesn't. Voting with hard-earned cash that's especially precious in the current economy. That's really what drives my promotional disagreements, because I don't think anybody can sit back and just blindly expect 50,000 people to show up at the gate this year.

[JESSI DUKE]

It's starting to look like this might be the best Dukesfest yet.
John is going getting guest that where part of the cast coming.
The line up is really cool. Tom, Cathy, Jimmy, Sonny, Ben, Rick,
Byron and the guy that played Sheriff Little. But I still don't get
why he invite Batman and catwoman for.

[statelinemob]

yes we are confirmed!2 shows for Dukesfest sat & sun around 12 pm,hows that?Hopefully right up your allies.We are featuring our song me and General Lee on a limited cd 7 will be performing the song.And dont forget an acoustic performance by State Line Mob sunday night at the Covington town square as we will be filmed during the "On the road to Hazzard" documentary.
See you there!
http://www.myspacelayoutscreator.com/uploads/images/2008-06-22/YAvouH02hg.jpg


Phillip,S.L.M.8-)


I know I'm spending too much time here when I'm answering my own posts. Ah well, I'm too lazy to update the homepage so this'll have to do in a pinch.

Looks like Byron Cherry was the most recent, big announcement for DukesFest. To his credit, Byron treats the fans very well and has a smile for everybody.

And lo and behold...looks like the Dukes cast appearance confirmations are finally getting communicated. How 'bout 'dat. Adam West is mentioned at the bottom of the list, which is more appropriate.

Looks like the musical acts are still getting organized, but I reckon it'll get sorted out in the upcoming couple of weeks. ( Thus far nothing else is confirming the State Line Mob, but nothing is disproving it, either.)

We'll update our homepage soon and help spread the hoopla. Now that we have a better understanding of what the hoopla is.

Then again, the current promoters of DF may not want or need HNet endorsement 'cause they got their own crew handling things. We should probably let the pros handle it. Since we're pretty lazy anyway. And how would they gauge the effectiveness of their own online promos, if we got involved and started throwing thousands of visitors their way? Who'd want that?

[statelinemob]

We will do our best!We have 3 shows lined up with the final being sunday night at covington at the town square.Dukesfest hasnt done a great job in the promoting department!But i think we are the best fitted band for dukesfest so far out of the other 2.We'll let you be the judge,Just 1 thing,if you love us,tell Dukesfest you want us back for next year & for us to be the headliner instead of the opening band at 12 pm.We have our newest song titled Me and General Lee & have added the song to our debut cd Ruckus & will be available as a limited edition cd for Dukesfest.Thought yall needed the update.Take care & see yall there in Atlanta! Phillip Crunk S.L.M.http://www.statelinemob.comhttp://www.myspacelayoutscreator.com/uploads/images/2008-06-22/ejCKNivzRK.jpg


I have no idea what's cookin' next, but to "hazzard" a guess maybe it's a bigger-name musical act. So far I've only come across news about the one band, the State Line Mob, and that's not gonna hold over the crowd for the whole weekend.

I gotta tell ya'll, I'm concerned about how this year's DF is going to do in attendance, with the economic mood folks are in, and with the lack CMT endorsement. Whatever the upcoming announcement, it needs to be strong enough to get the excitement level built up. If folks are excited enough, it won't matter what the gas costs to get there.

[GADuke01]

For those of you here wondering how Adam West was received at 'Dukesfest', well, let's just say that folks were a lot more eager to get a glimpse of the Batmobile than they were Mr. West.

I had dinner on Saturday with some people that had spoken with Adam West on Saturday morning. They said that West told them that he "would rather be at home." They said that he went on to say that "there was nothing going on there at 'DukesFest'." They said that he came across as a very arrogant man.

West was charging $40 for an autograph and $20.00 for a photo. Needless to say, his autograph/photograph line was pretty much non-existent on both Saturday and Sunday.



gaduke01

[Meadowmufn]

For those of you here wondering how Adam West was received at 'Dukesfest', well, let's just say that folks were a lot more eager to get a glimpse of the Batmobile than they were Mr. West.

I had dinner on Saturday with some people that had spoken with Adam West on Saturday morning. They said that West told them that he "would rather be at home." They said that he went on to say that "there was nothing going on there at 'DukesFest'." They said that he came across as a very arrogant man.

West was charging $40 for an autograph and $20.00 for a photo. Needless to say, his autograph/photograph line was pretty much non-existent on both Saturday and Sunday.



gaduke01

That does not surprise me one bit. I've heard stories from fans who'd seen him at various car shows and said similar things. That's one reason I wasn't all that enthused to hear he was going to be there. Why not spend the money to bring in a guest star that was actually on the Dukes?

And from your other post, sounds like Adam didn't do much to bring in extra ticket sales at all.