DATE: Sunday, April 6, 1997                 TAG: 9704040202

SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN             PAGE: 13   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: SUFFOLK'S SPECTACULAR SPRING FESTIVAL 

SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   49 lines

DRIVER'S MUSIC WILL MIX WITH MEAL AT FRIDAY FEAST

Barbecue pork, fried chicken, chili, baked beans, Driver, Showmen: That's Friday's menu at the Magnolia Ruritan Club's Food Fest, part of Suffolk Spring Spectacular. . . balloon fest.

The first four are for eatin', the other two for listenin'.

Driver and Showmen provide the entertainment during Food Fest and, thanks to their versatility, provide you with music no matter what your taste - almost.

Showmen are into the Motown music of the 1960s, mixing the classic tunes of that era with such originals as ``It Will Stand'' and ``39-21-40 Shape.''

They have performed in several Hampton Roads and Peninsula locales including Hampton Bay Days, Harborfest, and an outdoor festival in Richmond.

The Showmen, known for their four part harmonies with and without accompaniment, are reminiscent of such groups as the O'Jays and Delphonics.

So, look for a lot of the older stuff and only a little bit of contemporary music along the lines of Boyz II Men.

``The older groups sang songs in those days,'' said Warnermaker Brown. ``They had more meaning than the rap stuff out today.''

One of the leading country bands in Hampton Roads is one of its newest - Driver, organized in 1994.

The name could apply to their point of origination - that artsy community in Suffolk - or it could define their `driving' rhythms which, by the way, are not limited to country.

Influences range from Lone Star and Diamond Rio to B.B. King and ZZ Top.

``The group has turned out to be a hit at every and any place they perform,'' said lead vocalist, Howie Weeks. ``Driver has given the audience what they wanted and all they could handle.''

The band has performed at the Pungo Strawberry Festival, and plays Shuckers and Partners in Suffolk, the Savannah in Newport News and the Cowgirl Lounge in Virginia Beach.

``Perhaps the biggest thrill,'' Weeks said, ``was playing before 14,000 folks on the aircraft carrier, USS Stennis.''

The Food Fest should provide them with their second largest crowd. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

The musical group Driver, left, will join the Showmen in providing

the entertainment during Friday's Food Fest. Thanks to the

versatility of both groups, diners will be provided with music no

matter what their taste - almost.

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