August 9, 2010 – This is a publication dedicated to covering rock music, so a story on Pee-Wee Herman probably isn’t something you’d be expecting to find here. You also wouldn’t expect to find the star of Pee-Wee’s Playhouse right in the middle of a week filled with rock concerts from the likes of ZZ Top and Ozzy Osbourne. But that’s exactly what’s happened at the Buffalo Chip in Sturgis, where entertainment is not bound by categories, and Pee-Wee appeared on stage right before ZZ Top brought the blues.

Before that, the entertainer was on scene filming for the Tonight Show with Jay Leno at the 2010 Legends Ride in Deadwood, South Dakota, a one-of-a-kind charity event that brings celebrity and casual bikers together to raise money for children’s charities. But let’s back up a minute and ask the bigger question. Why is Pee-Wee Herman in Sturgis?

If you’ve seen the Tim Burton directed Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, perhaps the pinnacle of Pee-Wee mania, you probably recall the funniest part being a certain dance in a biker bar to the sound of The Champs’ “Tequila“. Since Paul Reubens brought the character back last year, perhaps it was only a matter of time before this scene saw a recreation.

But that’s not the only reason that Pee-Wee came to Sturgis – he also has a special assignment from Jay Leno. Yes, the talk show host is known for sending out-of-place “reporters” into funny situations, and this one is no exception.

“All of these bikers here are my peeps, Jay, and I’ve got tattoos all over my back,” Herman said to the cameras on a motorcycle laden street in Deadwood. Sporting a leather vest atop his traditional gray suit and red bow tie, perhaps there was some truth to that statement.

Later on, Pee-Wee led the 500-strong Legends Ride on his own kind of bike. Not a Harley, but a Schwinn.

Watch for Pee-Wee’s Sturgis segment to air Wednesday, August 11, on the Tonight Show.

Have you become caught up in the latest internet phenomenon? Melodic Rock Concerts is now on Twitter, so be sure to become a follower to stay up to date on all the latest concert news, and you’ll be the first to know when a new review is posted here on the site. I’ll also be posting lots of shorter stories that might not make it onto the front page. You can view the page at Twitter.com/RockConcerts.

#7 - AUTOGRAPH – “Dance All Night”

Autograph was a great band, and they put out three albums of keyboard-laden rock in the 1980s. Although their fame had waned by 1987′s release of Loud and Clear, “Dance All Night” was a stand out track with some great screams by vocalist Steve Plunkett, starting at about 3:50.

#6 - DOKKEN – “Standing in the Shadows”

Don Dokken’s voice is one of the most distinctive in its genre. Not only is he able to sing soft ballads and hold notes for a great melodic effect, but he was also capable of some impressive high notes in his prime. “Standing in the Shadows”, from 1987′s Back for the Attack, is the best example of this that I can find. Not only do you get his signature vocal style, but you also get some nice yells towards the end of the song.

#5 - WARRANT – “Down Boys”

Jani Lane is another very impressive vocalist from the 1980s. His voice has an almost effortlessly smooth quality that’s hard to explain. In the band’s well known hit “Down Boys”, released in 1989 on their debut album, Jani’s voice is at its best. At about 2:45, after the guitar solo, he hits a great note, and in the song’s video he can be seen balancing his microphone on his extended palm while singing the lyric. Of course at the end, he hits another great note that ends the song: “Where they go”.

#4 - GREAT WHITE – “Face the Day”

Continuing on, we make a stop at the incredible voice that is owned by Great White’s Jack Russell. He is one of the few artists that when singing live, sounds exactly like he does on the album. Even in 2008 he can still belt out all the hits and sound great. In “Face the Day”, Russell’s vocal abilities are showcased when he screams the song’s title several times at the end of the song.

#3 - VALENTINE – “Someday”

Although Valentine never achieved a lot of fame, their vocalist Hugo Valenti is certainly noteworthy. Valenti bears a strong physical resemblance to Steve Perry, and his voice is certainly capable of tackling the Journey catalog. In this tune, some reviewers have even complained that his excessive high octave singing is “annoying”, but it is still impressive nonetheless.

#2 - FIREHOUSE – “Overnight Sensation”

C.J. Snare is my favorite vocalist in this genre, so I’m a little biased here. But still, you must admit that the note that Snare holds for 12 seconds at the beginning of the song is nothing short of amazing. It was hard to choose from all the FireHouse material, so I decided that length of the note would be the deciding factor. Snare still sounds incredible today, don’t pass up a chance to see the band live.

#1 - STEELHEART – “Steelheart”

Although I don’t care for the song itself, the note that singer Michael Matijevic reaches in this song is the highest that I’ve ever heard in this genre, although please correct me if I’m wrong. Give it a listen, but watch out for breaking glass!