The SOC HOP stories

CALLING ALL SOC HOPpers....
Don't miss The Fabulous New Silvertones Kansas City debut...
Join the fun at Knuckleheads Saloon for their Halloween gig on the 28th.
If the house is rockin, don't bother knockin, just come on in....
It's the Kansas City Blues Society band Challange Finals.
Don't miss this 2pm till 6pm blast. $5 cover to the Blues Society
followed by a Halloween Party with The New Silvertones/no cover
For more info go to http://www.knuckleheadskc.com/
The New Silvertones featuring Frank Plas and Little Joe Sherrick will be playing
all of your old favorites from The SOC HOP. With special guest musicians.
Hope to see you there.

PS. Mark you calendars
Friday, November 17th
It's SOC HOP Redo #2
at RC's Lounge in Martin City
Just east of Holmes Road on 135th Street
Get Out Your Good Socks and Get Ready To Rock
To the awesome sound of The Legendary Frank Plas
and Little Joe Sherrick and their new band
The Fabulous New Silvertones.
Call All Your Friends and Let Them Know !
Details Coming Soon ! ! !

The New Soc Hop didn't have the same charm as the old barn did, but it did have it's own charismatic style, with wagon wheel chandeliers that were reminders of the original dance hall. The dance floor was wider, but not as long. The ceiling was lower, which made the sound project into the crowd without as much loss as was experienced in the old barn. The stage had custom electronics and modern lighting which added ambiance to the nighttime atmosphere. It wasn't the old barn, but those who went there loved it just the same. This picture was taken from about thirty feet into the dancefloor. I took it with my Kodak Brownie early one Sunday morning after I had cleaned up after a Saturday night. I was getting ready to move the church pews out away from the walls to get ready for the church that held Sunday services there. I have many fond memories of dancing on this wonderful dancefloor. It is funny how some things just stay in your mind and never go away. If you ever danced here, or played in a band here, please make a comment below and share your memories.

There are many SOC HOP nights that remain etched into my brain. This was one of them. Good Bye to the old SOC HOP, good bye to the old barn that had been our first home.
Hello to the New SOC HOP, to swimming and dancing, and still, The Fabulous Silver Tones.
The SOC HOP and The Silver Tones, Kansas City's best ever combination of place and music..
Does history really repeat itself ????

In April of 1962 the SOC HOP moved. We hated to leave the old barn, but progress wouldn't let us stay, so to Lenexa we went. The old Silver Spur Country Club had sat empty for years and was just ready to be the new home of Johnson County's greatest Rock & Roll dance hall. It definately didn't have the mystique of the old barn, but it worked good while it lasted. There were three distinct groups of SOC HOPpers; those who went to the barn only and then moved away, those who were to young to go to the barn, but got old enough and went to new place, and those who were die hard rockers and went to both places, (like Joe & Judy Sherrick). At the old barn, you paid and got your hand stamped when you went through the front door. At the New SOC HOP, you paid when you came through the front gate, and then could go in and out of the dance hall freely. We rotated the gateshack duties between family members, usually an hour on, then an hour off. I sat at that gateshack many nights. I remember one night in particular that we had over twenty three hundred, yes, 2300, attendees over the course of the night. Of course, they were not all there at the same time, but what a night it was. KUDL Radio was simulcasting the music of Roger Calkins and The Fabulous Silver Tones who were playing there that night. I remember sitting in the gate shack listening to both the radio and the sound eminating from inside the building and thinking, "Wow, I've got live stereo here!" You know what they say about hindsight....Man, if I had only known then what I know now, I would have done a much better job at recording the Fabulous sounds of one of the great bands of those wonderful, wonderful times.
If you have a favorite SOC HOP memory (that you can share) please post a comment in the area below. And keep on rockin'