Author of Book On Minnesota’s 1960s Music Scene In St. Cloud Saturday

ST. CLOUD - The Minneapolis band "The Trashmen" and their novelty hit "Surfin' Bird" are one of the bands featured in a new book about rock and roll in Minnesota in the 1960's.

Rick Shefchik is the author of "Everybody's Heard about the Bird: The True Story of 1960s Rock 'N Roll in Minnesota". He says it was a great era for local music.

You didn't have as many opportunities to go out and find this kind of music. Basically it was either on the radio, or you had to get some sort of word of mouth. That was the beauty of it. Local radio stations in Minnesota were very opening and willing to playing records of local bands.

Shefchik says teen dances with live bands in clubs, small town ballrooms, and dance halls all across the Upper Midwest also helped local bands rise to local fame.

Shefchik will be signing copies of his book this Saturday at 1:00 p.m. at Barnes & Noble in St. Cloud.