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 Dean
Boraas
Dean is the sound and lights engineer for Bobby Vee
and the Vees. He not only loves what he does, but realizes what
each show means to the fans. Read in his own words a little more
about his passion for rock 'n' roll.
I have the best job in the world! Being the sound
engineer first of all for Bobby for almost 20 years now has been
amazing! We have had the good fortune to work with and meet so many
legends that now I have the pleasure to call my friends. Bobby and
his whole family are like part of my family..... we have been on
the road together for so many years..... We all have a blast together!
Can you imagine a 20 year family vacation!!! No just kidding we
do work hard and I hope it shows that we all love what we do! We
have seen a big part of the world together and we have had the pleasure
to meet so many fans that are now also great friends.
I have the pleasure of being in Branson now and working with
some of the most advanced high tech consoles and control systems
and speakers available today. The Dick Clark Theatre's sound system
was set up by an amazing engineer, Bob McCarthy, who used to be
Lilly Tomlin's engineer for many years and now is the tops in our
field at setting up rooms. He just recently set up the Beatles "Love
" in Las Vegas where thousands of speakers are used for that
show. He did an outstanding job in our theatre to try and make all
seats sound the same. When I first started touring with Bobby, it
wasn't always this nice. Technology had not made it to rock n roll
in the 80's! We did our best with what we had.... we still joke
about the old Kelsy board we used to use that is probably now holding
someones dock in place on a lake in Minnesota.
I still remember my first gig with Bobby... I had worked with The
Vees and mixed a few shows for them and then was asked to mix a
show for Bobby. I have been doing it ever since. My first gig with
Bobby was a lot of fun..... meeting a guy who today is one of my
best friends, Ar Stevens, was an added bonus. One thing when you
are on the road with Ar, you will find out is that no matter how
good your sandwich is. Ar always has a better one! That is still
true today! The Ricochettes were the backing band for Bobby then
and were really nice guys and a great band. We got to the gig and
set up and then Bobby came in and I got to meet him. What an amazing
guy, a true rock n roll legend, and a great friend! A lot of towns
and gigs have come and gone since that day but I can honestly tell
you, I still feel the same! Bobby is always so great to the fans
and everyone he comes in contact with. There is one lesson everyone
in the entertainment industry should learn from him. That is, you
see the same people on the way up as you do on the way back down.
So you better be nice to them on both ways.
Long drives and hours on planes, trains and ships ... waiting in
airports has meant story time for years. I wish I had a better memory
to recall them all. The England tours with the sing alongs on the
bus and all of the stories about the good old days have been very
educational and inspirational. The many celebrity functions we played
and especially for me, meeting Sir Tim Rice and Sir Andrew Lloyd
Weber, as well as Bill Kenwright have truly inspired me on my writing
of Road E The Musical. If you want to learn more about that project
check out www.Roadethemusical.com.(Road
E is spelled without an I... as working as a roadie for so many
years I have learned there is no I in team so there is no I in Road
E either) Working with these stars as well as Sir Paul McCartney
made me really take to heart that these stars (Bobby, Brian Hyland,
Chris Montez, Fabian, The Chiffons, The Crickets, etc....) we work
with every day are the stars the other stars look up to. That to
me is amazing!!! Seeing Sir Andrew and his brother Julian in way
too tight Bobby Vee white t-shirts they had as kids and getting
Bobby's autograph is one sight I will never forget. That was cool!
I am married to a beautiful girl from Brazil! Isabella and I got
married on the most beautiful beach I have ever seen in San Jose,
Brazil. The Ocean, the flowers, family, friends and my wife made
it a dream come true!!! One day our dream is to open a beach resort
in Brazil and call it Road E's roadhouse and have great rock n roll...
fresh organic food and Brazillian BBQ and the freshest fruit ever!!!....
I love to cook...can you tell? Oh ya and really fun rock n roll
themed rooms. Road E style!! Hopefully you all can come visit us!!!
I won't keep rambling on.... Times and technology has changed. So
many of the great artists we have had the pleasure to work with
have come and gone and moved on to rock n roll heaven. We will see
them all again one day. The day they say the music died a new star
was born and he has continued to bring entertainment and songs to
us all for so many years and I have had the pleasure to be his engineer!
Thanks for the great times!!!! Thank you to all the fans who keep
us all rockin'! As Chris Montez says, "without you... we'd
be nothing and I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
If you haven't had a chance to get to Branson to see the show....
Please come!! I told a friend of mine who is a carpenter that he
is so lucky because at the end of his day, he has something physical
to look back on that is a piece of art made from his hands. At the
end of one of our shows I told him we have nothing physical to look
at. He said "no, but your show brings so much joy to so many
people and makes them remember the good old days. That is amazing
to me," he told me. Since that day I have really seen what
he means watching the audiences at our shows. All of the acts on
the show are the real thing!! If you can't make it to Branson, I
hope we can see you at a town near you soon and make "new"
good old day memories! The music will never die!!!!! Rave On!
Thanks,
Dean
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