NewsInfo

ABILENE is proud to announce the addition of a new PRESS page to the website where fans can read

newspaper and magazine articles that have been written about the band throughout the years!

Few regional bands have been written about so extensively in the media as has ABILENE. And now fans

can relive some of their favorite ABILENE memories! Were you at the Hearthstone Pub in the 70s and

80s? Then don’t miss the TIMOTHY Magazine article that described a typical night at that legendary

venue! Were you at the shows when ABILENE was the opening act for Charlie Daniels? Or the Lynyrd

Skynyrd concert? Or perhaps the Ricky Skaggs or Nitty Gritty Dirt Band shows? Reviews of those

shows and other articles are all available now for review on ABILENE’s new PRESS page!

The Good Times Roll On!

Citizens' Voice newspaper article explores the history and long-lasting appeal of NEPA’s

In the Friday, September 26^th edition of the Citizens' Voice staff writer, Caleb Sheaffer, takes a look at

ABILENE, the country-rock band that launched their careers opening for Billy Joel and continues to pack

It was another wild night at the Shadowbrook Resort in Tunkhannock when Los Abileenos took the

stage on Friday, June 20^th. And it turned out to be a very SPECIAL night with a surprise appearance

by Northeast Pennsylvania’s own Nashville Star, Bethany Schmidt. Bethany and her husband, Carl,

were kind enough to stop by after playing an early show at another regional venue, and ABILENE

brought Bethany onstage for a house-rockin’ rendition of “Sweet Home Alabama”. The crowd at the

Shadowbrook showed their appreciation with a big ovation for Bethany, and the band assured the

audience that Bethany and Carl will be featured in a future “Special Guests” night sometime in the fall.

The pictures are now posted to the Photos section of the ABILENE website. The crowd was raucous

and rowdy (as you can readily see from the photos) If you were there, you’re sure to want to see if the

ABILENE wishes to express their sincere thanks to all of their fans from the great town of Tunkhannock!

And don’t worry…… plans are in process for a future date at the Shadowbrook when we can do it all

Feedback from fans of the band clearly indicates that they have been enjoying the photo albums posted

to the PHOTOS section of the ABILENE website after every show. They tell us that they look forward

to checking the website in the days following each show to see pictures of themselves and their friends

having an ABILENE experience. And for that we have to thank ABILENE’s official band photographer

and Number One Fan, Kim Pratt! Kim, as you might guess, is a talented professional photographer

and website designer who for reasons known only to her and God makes the drive from her home in

Philadelphia to wherever Los Abileenos are playing, and she rarely misses a show. ABILENE would

like to express our heartfelt thanks and acknowledge our indebtedness to Kim not only for providing fans

with artistic pictures documenting the ABILENE experience, but for being a true friend to the band for

all of these years. You can be sure that as long as Kim is around, new photo albums will continue to

But recently, many longtime fans have been asking to see photos of the band from the past. They want

to see pictures of Los Abileenos and the crowds from the days of the Hearthstone Pub in Dallas, the

Kiln House in West Wyoming, Gallagher’s in Eynon, the Gemini in Hazelton, the Alley in Pottsville, the

Country Roads (Van Zandt’s) in Hummelstown, the Pirate’s Club in Mahanoy City, the Fuzzy Bunny in

Gratz, the Station in Wilkes-Barre, and all of the other clubs where ABILENE appeared during the 1970s

and 1980s. They’ve asked for photos from the Spring Flings and Fall Balls held at Shippensberg

University, and the many outdoor concerts where ABILENE was the headlining act during those

Sorry to say, there are precious few pictures of those halcyon days of yore available. The truth is that

with the exception of Kim Pratt’s photos from the 1976-to-1979 timeframe, there is very little pictorial

documentation of long-past ABILENE’s performances. Silly as it may sound, being working and

traveling musicians during those years the band members never thought to take cameras with them to

And so this is an appeal to ABILENE fans wherever they may be: If you have pictures of yourself

and/or your friends enjoying an ABILENE show from anytime prior to the year 2000, please send us an

email message! They can be pictures of the band, or just pictures of yourself and friends at the show.

We’ll make arrangements to scan your photos and add them to a special “ABILENE Through The

Years” photo album that we will post to our website. Not only will we post copies of your photos to the

album, but we’ll (1.) note them as having been contributed by you, and (2.) we’ll post the names of the

So, get out those old shoeboxes that hold your old photos, and dig out that old photo album! Let us

know what you find by sending us an email at Abilene@abileneband.com. We’ll keep you up-to-date

For Those Who Couldn’t Attend the ABILENE show at the Shadowbrook Resort on Saturday,

That’s the “official” headcount of those who attended the ABILENE show on Saturday, April 12^th,

To the best of the band’s collective memories it had been at least twenty-five years since ABILENE

last played in Tunkhannock. During the early years of the band they frequently played a bar in

Osterhout (the name of which now escapes everyone’s memory), and later they regularly played the

Wagon Wheel on Main Street. But it had been a long time since the folks who live between the

mountains saw an ABILENE show in their town, and the band didn’t disappoint them! Almost from the

very first song the dance floor was filled and it stayed that way until the very last note was played at

The pictures are now posted to the Photos section of the website. As with every ABILENE show,

there were surprises and giveaways, and even a couple who announced their engagement. If you were

there, you’re sure to want to see if the band photographer, Kim Pratt, caught you and your gang taking

ABILENE wishes to express their sincere thanks to all of their fans from the great town of Tunkhannock!

And don’t worry…… plans are in process for a future date at the Shadowbrook when we can do it all

At one time the Shadowbrook Inn & Resort in Tunkhannock was one of the most popular vacation

destinations in Pennsylvania and one of the finest venues for live music to be found. But the competition

from many other resorts and casinos built throughout the northeastern part of the United States over the

past few decades saw the Shadowbrook fall on some hard times. New ownership is remodeling the

resort and they’re determined to bring back the glory days to the Shadowbrook. And they’ve chosen

ABILENE as the band to kick off the summer season and be the first band to bring live music to the new

You’re going to like what you experience at the new Shadowbrook. There’s plenty of free parking and

the nightclub has lots of table-seating. The dance floor is HUGE, the largest anywhere around, and the

acoustics are great for live music. And for those ABILENE fans who don’t want the bother of driving

home after the show, the Shadowbrook has plenty of clean, modern rooms available at very reasonable

So, fans……. Spring is here and it’s time to get into a “summer state of mind”……. warm, starlit nights

……. great live music…….. rowdy crowds dancing, hootin’ and hollerin’! It’s time for a great ABILENE

show at the new Shadowbrook Inn & Resort! Los Abileenos will take the stage starting at 9:00 PM and

For directions go to the Schedule page or call the Shadowbrook Inn & Resort at 570-836-2151.

Call the gang and make plans to be there to experience ABILENE at the Shadowbrook, Saturday,

PICTURES FROM SATURDAY, MARCH 29^TH AT GENETTI’S ARE NOW ON THE ABILENE WEBSITE!

The crystal chandeliers, mirrored ceilings and fancy surroundings didn’t stop a raucous and rowdy crowd

of approximately four hundred people from hootin’ and hollerin’ when ABILENE took the stage of the

Grand Ballroom at the Genetti Hotel & Convention Center last Saturday night in support of the Meyers

It was a heckuva night! And we’ve got the pictures to prove it. There are lots and lots of pictures of

people having a great time. Are you one of them? To find out, just go to the ABILENE home page

Los Abileenos would again like to express their thanks to the Mohawks Marching Band committee and

Spring is in the air, and Los Abileenos have spring fever! It’s time to put the pedal to the metal and

This coming Saturday night, March 29^th, from 7:00 PM until 11:00 PM ABILENE will perform in concert

in the Grand Ballroom of the Genetti Hotel and Convention Center in downtown Wilkes-Barre as a

Genetti’s is an ideal location for an ABILENE show, with plenty of free parking, lots of comfortable

seating at tables and a huge dance floor. The band will take the stage promptly at 7:00 PM and rock

the house until 11:00 PM (or until Gus throws us out). Tickets are $10 in advance (Call 570-417-8507)

and $15 at the door, and the ticket price includes admission and finger foods. There will, of course, be

plenty of drinks available at the cash bar, and ABILENE promises a great night for everyone!

Mark your calendar now for March 29^th and be on hand when Abilene kicks off Spring 2008 at Genetti’s

ABILENE is proud to announce the addition of a new Music Player to the Main Page of the website

The first song posted to the Music Player is an ABILENE original that was recorded at WVIA studios

in 1979 and then debuted a few weeks later on WVIA’s “Another Roadside Attraction” television special

“The Mines Of Moria” is a newgrassy instrumental written by Joe Pacuska and Leo Mancini as a tribute

to Tolkien’s “The Lord Of The Rings” trilogy. Those fans familiar with Tolkien’s books or the recent

blockbuster movies will recall that Frodo Baggins and his friends were forced to travel through the

Mines of Moria on their way to Saruman’s castle. What started out as a slow walk through a dark and

foreboding place ended up in a terrifying battle with the Orcs. ABILENE’s composition is a rollicking

number that features five-string banjo and acoustic guitar parrying back and forth with several changes

Give a listen to ABILENE’s new Music Player and check back often as the band will be posting new

ABILENE is proud to announce the arrival of their NEW PHOTOSITE! Now ABILENE fans can see

pictures of past shows that are easily accessed from the band’s website. Not only will you see great

Are you in one of the photo albums? The only way to find out is to visit the ABILENE main page and

click on “PHOTOS” to access the new photo site. (Here’s a helpful hint….. once you choose the

photo album you want to view, try clicking on “Slide Show” for a cool slide show presentation of the

ABILENE launches a new "spam free" Guestbook. The spam was getting unmanageable in

the old one, so we needed to purchase the services of a Guestbook provider who would

control the spam for us. We found one that we think will do just fine. You can check it out by

clicking the new "Guestbook" button at the top of the Home Page. Happy spam-free posting!

And if you still want to see all of the entries from the original Guestbook, just look for the message

at the bottom of the home page and click to see the Guestbook Archive. There was just too

ABILENE announces that on Friday, April 13th, they will be playing a special fundraiser for

Where: Ramada Hotel Grand Ballroom, Wilkes-Barre

Time: 7:30 PM to 11:00 PM

Who: Open To The Public - Everyone Welcome

Tickets Cost: $50.00 Per Person (it is a fundraiser, after all)

Includes: Entertainment, food and beverages (Food will be hot dogs, hamburgers, etc.

Beverages include beer and soda.)

Tickets can be purchased from committee members or by calling C.A. Leighton Co. at 570-823-7144

ABILENE announces the launch of our new Guestbook. Just go to the Home Page and click on

the word Guestbook in the new Home Page message. Follow the simple instructions and join us

in the ABILENE community. Ask questions, share your thoughts, and most of all, have some fun!

Here’s a great, big THANKS from Los Abileenos to all of our fans who were at the Rhythms

& Brews show last Saturday night! What a blast! Larry Zick would like some feedback from the

winners of the ABILENE personal products, so don’t forget to email him using our website.

He’s hard at work on a new belt-buckle polish, so your comments will definitely be helpful!

We’re not sure if we can squeeze any more people into R&B’s, but we’ll give it a shot when we

For those ABILENE fans who weren’t able to make it (and especially for those who did and

want to see pictures of themselves), you can see photos taken at the Rhythms & Brews show

posted at Nashville Mike’s website (www.nashvillemikes.com). Just click on “Photo Page” and

As always, don’t forget to check back on the ABILENE website for updates on the band and

Attention: Tonight's performance at the Fireman's Inn in Wilkes-Barre has been CANCELLED

due to the severe weather conditions in the area. We apologize to anyone who was planning on

We will be at the the Wyld Horse Saloon in Pittston, PA on Friday, December 8, so we hope

Former band member returns to Abilene! For details, click on the Special Announcement

A recent article about ABILENE in the Pittston Sunday Dispatch stated INCORRECTLY the

In fact, ABILENE will be playing at the Wyld Horse on Friday, November 3^rd. The show

begins at 9:00 PM with opening act Mike Chafin and Chuck Artim, followed by ABILENE from

Please mark your calendars and join us at the Wyld Horse Saloon on Friday, November 3^rd!

On Sunday, October 15th, ABILENE will be playing at Gin’s Tavern on Route 107 in Factoryville,

Pennsylvania, for the benefit of the family of John Hayos. A well-known and respected member of

the regional biking community, John was recently killed by an allegedly drunk driver while riding his

Several bands will be taking part in the event which begins at 2:00 PM and culminates when

Well, if you're reading this then you already know! ABILENE has launched it's official Web Site!

We sure hope you all like it! It will continue to grow and expand as time goes on. At launch, it

contains information on the History of ABILENE, the Band Members, and our current playing

Schedule. In the future, it will contain a Message Board, a Press Page, and eventually some

downloads of the band, so make sure you check back often to catch up on the latest ABILENE

News and Web Site features. We're glad you are an ABILENE fan and hope to be partying with

PS - Don't forget to join the email distribution list (found on the Contact Page) to get the latest