What Tar Heel Writers, and Others, Have Said of KING MACKEREL:

"KING MACKEREL is a good-time tonic . . . the show is such a fun, upbeat production it's a natural pick-me-up: a breath of summer as winter closes in."
--Jim Wise, DURHAM MORNING HERALD

"A musical Valentine to coastal life . . . the songs deal with things anybody who's ever been to the coast can identify with -- pier fishing, joy riding on the strand, hurricanes, living on the sound side."
--Mary Cornatzer, Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER

"The Cohorts were dressed for the part themselves, in favorite baseball caps and workboots, as their Corncake cabaret leaped straight into the deep waters of Carolina coastal goodtimes . . . Those who were lucky enough to catch a ride this time came home with a full catch."
--SPECTATOR (Raleigh)

"Like a trip to the beach!"
--FAYETTEVILLE OBSERVER

"Spellbinding storytellers as well as accomplished musicians and songwriters . . . Everything about the show reflected a laid-back, down east atmosphere . . . KING MACKEREL was easily the best musical entertainment I've experienced so far this year . . . it's a show you don't want to miss."
--CARTERET COUNTY NEWS-TIMES (Morehead City-Beaufort, NC)

"The return of KING MACKEREL & THE BLUES ARE RUNNING is exciting news. The Coastal Cohorts put on a very good show . . . a rollicking good time."
--THE EASTERN WEEKLY

"It's so pro-Outer Banks, the Legislature should pass a bill designating it the State Musical of North Carolina!"
--Tony Brown, CHARLOTTE OBSERVER

"A winner--landlocked mountain residents get a breath of salt air . . . an unforgettable evening of theater."
--ASHEVILLE CITIZEN-TIMES

"A delight, rich with the feel and lore of the Carolina seacoast. They have a shaggin', sand-in-your-toes sound that makes you wanna dance even if you don't know how. An evening of rousing song and a slice of Carolina culture."
--THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER

"A simple set evoking the Outer Banks, and three very inviting guys singing 'their music,' make this show a memorable experience. There are better than 20 songs in the show, and I woud be hard-pressed to find one I didn't enjoy--and I can't even say that about the Stones."
--MOUNTAIN XPRESS

"ONE HELLUVA FISH STORY . . . a fast-moving and thoroughly charming night of down home banter and country-flavored music. Bullseye of a show! The title tune, an uptempo footstomper, is balanced elsewhere by a capella gospel, ballads, a country anthem and a tribute to Carolina beach music."
--David Hinckley, NY DAILY NEWS

"Unfailingly melodic . . . rhythmically infectious!"
--Roy Sander, BACKSTAGE

"CAROLINA FISH TALE IS QUITE A CATCH . . . a pure, salt-watered delight . . . wonderfully evokes a carefree, buddy-buddy world of fish, fishermen and the lovely Carolina coast."
--Clive Barnes, NEW YORK POST

"There's something delightfully un-New York about leaving an off-Broadway show holding a Bingo card, a handful of multicolored rubber worms and a map of North Carolina . . . [King Mackerel] revels in the down home culture of the Outer Banks of North Carolina . . . good old fashioned foot-stomping music . . . simply a breath of fresh salt air."
--Sydney H. Weinberg, HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

"A Great boogie-woogie about ghost hunting, joy riding, fishing, trash-talking and--a North Carolina perennial favorite--shag dancing!"
--The VILLAGE VOICE (NYC)

KING MACKEREL & THE BLUES ARE RUNNING
Songs & Stories of the Carolina Coast, By Bland Simpson and Jim Wann, with Don Dixon and J.L. Mills -- At the Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C., June, 1996
Press Comments

"A Charming evening . . . extremely fine music."
--Lloyd Rose, Washington POST

"An evening the whole family can enjoy together, which is a great rarity these days . . . MACKEREL hooks some fine songs."
--T.L. Ponick, Washington TIMES

"KING MACKEREL is a regular old musical feast."
--THE GEORGETOWNER

"One of D.C.'s more delightful shows these days--the lively, dulcet tale of Southern seaside life."
--Kara Swisher, Washington POST

"Coming one after another the songs form a remarkable portrait of a particular place and make perfect summer fare."
--Geoffrey Himes, The Columbia FLIER

"A joyous celebration of life on the Carolina coast."
--Metro HERALD

"Injecting D.C. with Some N.C. . . . It's Jim Wann at guitar and Bland Simpson at piano . . . the duo's work is well known locally and just about everywhere else . . . has managed to capture not just the Outer Banks but the overall feeling of a small-town America that is fast disappearing."
--Mal Vincent, Norfolk VIRGINIAN-PILOT

"Musical Makes a Splash at Kennedy . . . seamless harmony, both in the singing and the story-telling . . . words, music and pictures peak toward the end of the show, in a memorable trilogy about waiting out a storm."
--Jennifer Peltz, Medill News Service

King Mackerel Press Quotes Word .doc format

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