When \u201cAlmost Famous\u201d <\/a>screens on a LED video wall as big as the stage at EPIC Event Center<\/a>, the night will be about more than just reveling in the cinematic gold that is the \u201cTiny Dancer\u201d tour bus scene<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a whole experience meant to give fans a deeper dive into Cameron\u00a0Crowe\u2019s\u00a02000 coming-of-age movie set during the 1970s rock scene. Twenty-five years after the film\u2019s release, they\u2019ll get to hear from\u00a0Marti\u00a0Frederiksen, who provided the vocals for Jason Lee as lead singer of\u00a0Sweetwater, the fictional band a 15-year-old William Miller (Patrick\u00a0Fugit) winds up covering for Rolling Stone.<\/p>\n While not exactly a household name \u2014 at least not when you\u2019re talking about a movie cast that boasts Kate Hudson, Billy\u00a0Crudup, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Frances\u00a0McDormand \u2014\u00a0Frederiksen\u00a0has worked with a who\u2019s who of music acts as a producer and songwriter, including Carrie Underwood,\u00a0Aerosmith,\u00a0Ozzy\u00a0Osbourne,\u00a0Daughtry, Motley\u00a0Crue, Def\u00a0Leppard, Mick Jagger, Richie\u00a0Sambora\u00a0and Sheryl Crow.<\/p>\n For the \u201cAlmost Famous\u201d Experience on Oct. 3 at EPIC in\u00a0Ashwaubenon,\u00a0Frederiksen\u00a0will perform some of the Sweetwater songs from the movie as well as some he has co-written or produced for other acts. He\u2019ll also sit down with comedian and “That Metal Show” host Don\u00a0Jamieson<\/a>\u00a0for a fan Q&A about what it was like to be a part of \u201cAlmost Famous.\u201d<\/p>\n Unlike the majority of the shows at EPIC by nationally touring bands and comedians, nobody else in the country is getting the \u201cAlmost Famous\u201d event. It\u2019s original programming created in-house by the staff, and there are plans to do more of it.<\/p>\n \u201cWe just love it,\u201d said Ryan\u00a0Vander\u00a0Sanden, general manager of EPIC. \u201cWe\u2019re over the moon about this idea, this project, and we hope it continues to get bigger and takes off.\u201d<\/p>\n The Verve Pipe lead singer Brian Vander Ark performed in January at Ashwaubenon’s EPIC Event Center as part of the “Rock Star” Experience. He had a role in the 2001 movie and provided Mark Wahlberg’s singing voice for the final number in the film.<\/p>\n It all started last year when the EPIC was looking for a way to put is own spin on some of those movie event tours out on the road that pair a beloved film with one of its stars for a night of nostalgia and behind-the-scenes perspective. A screening of \u201cHome Alone\u201d followed by a moderated interview with star\u00a0Macaulay\u00a0Culkin, for example, or Cary\u00a0Elwes\u00a0joining audiences for a discussion of \u201cThe Princess Bride\u201d after it shows.<\/p>\n EPIC staff wanted to go a step further by incorporating live music into the mix, so they brainstormed iconic movies that would allow for a concert component and came up with \u201cRock Star,\u201d<\/a> the 2001 movie starring Mark\u00a0Wahlberg\u00a0as a tribute band singer who gets asked to be the lead singer of his all-time favorite band, Steel Dragon.<\/p>\n They invited\u00a0Miljenko\u00a0Matijevic, the lead singer of real-life band\u00a0Steelheart\u00a0who was the voice of\u00a0Wahlberg\u2019s\u00a0Iggy in the film. They extended the same\u00a0invitation\u00a0to Brian\u00a0Vander\u00a0Ark, lead singer of \u201990s band The Verve Pipe, who was a member of\u00a0Wahlberg\u2019s\u00a0fictional tribute band and was his singing voice for the final number at movie’s end.<\/p>\n More: <\/strong>At EPIC Event Center, there’s 82 signed guitars on the wall, concert memorabilia on loan and loads of backstage perks<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n More: <\/strong>Two national acts announced for free post-race concert for next year’s EPIC Marathon & Running Festival<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n At the \u201cRock Star\u201d Experience in January, the movie was shown and then each artist did a 30-minute acoustic set before sitting down with Eddie Trunk <\/a>of\u00a0SiriusXM\u00a0for a Q&A about the film. The live music venue \u201cmovied\u00a0it up\u201d with a red carpet, red velvet ropes, table seating, popcorn and pizza.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been part of thousands of events, and it was one of my personal favorites that I\u2019ve ever been a part of. That goes for the whole team here. We were all just like, \u2018That was the best,\u2019\u201d\u00a0Vander\u00a0Sanden\u00a0said. \u201cIt was such an immersive kind of experience just because you came in, grabbed a cocktail, watched a movie, have a piece of pizza, drink a beer, get up for 15 for a little break, a couple of small acoustic sets, the Q&A. The three components we felt was the secret sauce.\u201d<\/p>\n It was such fun EPIC management gave staff a homework assignment to come up with five other music movies that could be given the same treatment. Titles like \u201cPurple Rain\u201d and \u201cThe Dirt\u201d came up, but they eventually settled on \u201cAlmost Famous,\u201d and they\u2019re already thinking about the next one.<\/p>\n \u201cIf these things go well, we\u2019d love to keep doing them and take them on the road even if we could. We believe, all of us, that it has the kind of potential,\u201d\u00a0Vander\u00a0Sanden\u00a0said.<\/p>\n Doors for the \u201cAlmost Famous\u201d Experience open at 6 p.m. Oct. 3, followed by the show at 7 p.m. Tickets are\u00a0$37.33 to $57.96 at etix.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Kendra Meinert\u00a0is an entertainment and feature writer at the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Contact her at 920-431-8347 or kmeinert@greenbay.gannett.com<\/a>. Follow her on X @KendraMeinert<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: EPIC Event Center combines music, movies, Q&As for one-of-a-kind shows<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/span><\/div>\n
EPIC’s first original movie-music-Q&A show was for ‘Rock Star’<\/h2>\n
Going to the ‘Almost Famous’ Experience?<\/h2>\n