Northwest Missouri State University - Tower Yearbook (Maryville, MO)

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nd the Rainmaker Came to Tbwn ' Northwest alumnus Bob Walkenhorst bids farewell to devoted fans in the final Rainmakers concert I When the Rainmakers performed their fare- well concert at Smith- ville Lake in the fall, another chapter in one of North- west ' s most glamorous success sto- ries came to a close. For lead singer Bob Walkenhorst, a 1979 Northwest graduate, the break-up of the band was not only an end, but a beginning. For me it ' s the end of a great mu- sical unit, Walkenhorst said. But, I ' m happy about the decision. When you ' ve gone as long as you can go, you gotta move on. When asked of his future plans, he replied, I ' m not done yet. Unlike the break-up of many bands, members of the Rainmakers agreed it was time to quit. There were no strained feelings, Walk- enhorst said. Everybody in the band had al- ways been on good terms, personal- ly and creatively, he added. We never had conflicts of ego or style. The Rainmakers formed following Walkenhorst ' s involvement in two other bands. The Walkenhorst Bro- thers, a duo with his brother Mark, was successful, but he said he be- came discontented with the commer- cialism of their career. While at Northwest, Walkenhorst got together with fellow student Rich Ruth and began making music. Steve Phillips later joined him and Ruth and formed Steve, Bob and Rich. A self- titled independent album was released by this band in the early ' 80s. Shortly thereafter, Pat Tomek joined the band and they became the Rainmakers. According to Walkenhorst, the pursuit of his degree and his whole NORTHWEST GRADUATE BOB Walk enhorst performs a number during the Rainmakers ' final concert. While attend- ing Northwest, his band played concerts in the Den. Photo by Don Carrick experience at Northwest was very influential to his career in music. 1 liked what 1 was learning, he said. At Northwest I was immersed in the joy of creating. I painted, I drew and I played guitar. If I could have stayed in school forever, 1 would have. 1 loved where I was at and what 1 was doing. The Rainmakers released three al- bums in their seven years together. Their critically-acclaimed, self -titled debut album was followed by Tor- nado and their final release The Good News and the Bad News. Newsweek called Walkenhorst an audacious songwriter, provocative and witty. Some critics said he was an angry soul due to some of the controversial themes found in his lyrics. I ' m not an angry man, I ' ve never been, he explained. I ' ve always been at peace in my life. Some of my music just looks at things that make people angry. Walkenhorst added that music needed to have a message. Every song should have a valid point, he said. Every human is capable of a wide variety of emo- tions. In my music I tried to portray those emotions honestly and with meaning. Walkenhorst said music is the modem art form and was very im- portant to his life. I remember loving to sing in front of people from as far back as when I was three, he said. Music has al- ways been a large part of my life. That is the way I make friends with the world; I sing to them. The break-up of the Rainmakers is just the close of one chapter in his life, Walkenhorst said. He planned to continue writing and doing some recording at home. When asked about a rumored solo career, he said nothing was definite. ' ' I was trying to relax and avoid the business side of music, he said. What I really wanted to do was con- centrate on the magic of the pure creative process. By Scott Albright WITH THE ENTHUSIASM of the local crowd behind them, the Rainmakers rocked the 16th annual Day in the Park at Smithville Lake, sponsored by Kansas City radio station, KY-102. Coincidental- ly, one of the first big gigs the band had was at the same event in 1983. Photo by Don Carrick The Rainmakers 23

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22 The Rainmakers

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A Novel Idea A multitude of Homecoming oddities adds flavor to the event, truly making it One for the Books By Christi Whitten Only at Northwest could one see Snoopy, Peter Pan and Scarlett O ' Hara walk side-by-side down the street. Begin- ning Oct. 17, Northwest was no longer a typical univer- sity. Instead it was transformed into a magical land where storybook characters freely roamed campus. Homecoming ' 90 was here and the theme One for the Books was apparent throughout Northwest. Homecoming ' 90 got under way with an exciting start Wednesday when the Variety Show began its three-night run. In years past, the Variety Show consisted of only two nights. ' There was so much interest in the show that we decided to have another night, Dave Gieseke, Homecoming committee chair, said. Masters of ceremonies Jean Jones and Shawn Wake entertained the audience while introducing skits such as Phi Mu Alpha ' s Bob- by Bearcat and the Search for the Holy Goal and olio acts such as Ken Lucas ' Hawaiian Song. Jones and Wake kept the audience laughing by ridiculing Campus Safety, ARA and other student gripes. The masters of ceremonies were really great, Stephanie Shaffer said. They kept the audience ' s attention between the acts. Along with the traditional Homecoming queen. Northwest students were given the opportunity to select a king. This was truly One for the Books ' ' since it was the first time Northwest had male royalty. Five king finalists competed for the prestigious title: Riaz Amin, sponsored by International Students Orgaruzation; Rocco Bene, Delta Chi; Garrick Baxter, ROTC; Tom Vansaghi, Phi Mu; and Steve An- derson, Sigma Tau Gamma. Anderson was chosen as the 1990 Homecoming king. -continued SO THEY WON ' T get drenched, two young parade watchers huddle under their rain gear. Photo by Tbdd Weddle 24 Homecoming