A television and radio crew from the Belgium-based VRT radio and television network will be traveling Route 66 later this summer.
Producer Guy De Pre and singer Gunther Neefs will arrive in Chicago on July 30 and finish their journey Aug. 20 in Santa Monica, California, as part of “Roots 66. Music from Chicago to L.A.” As you might have guessed, the production will be music-focused.
Swa Frantzen of Belgium, who created the first Route 66 website, wrote on the route66 yahoogroup the production would be “pretty big” in his home country (his text has been lightly edited for clarity):
VRT on radio is outright the dominant player, and on TV one of, if not the biggest. Yes, they are funded with taxes, but their market share is huge — much bigger than public TV/radio would have in the U.S. or even Holland.
On top of that, the two names are pretty well known. I doubt you’ll find many that don’t know who they are.
Finally, the trip will be used as a vehicle for various things:
— Daily progress reports on radio
— Road movie on DVD
— Vinyl record by Günther Neefs featuring 66-related songs
— A touring theater show (I presume like most of those that that will also include Holland)
So I really think it’s worth it to step up for this if you want to promote 66.
Frantzen said he thinks the “Roots 66” production will spur a tourism boom from Belgium the same way “Billy Connolly’s Route 66” on ITV in 2011 sparked a years-long wave of visitors from the United Kingdom.
He added: “If you want to show off music to them are just guide them around town or want to be interviewed…, this is your chance.” De Pre may be emailed at Guy.DEPRE(at)VRT(dot)BE
This is the duo’s schedule:
- July 30: Chicago; Raffaello Hotel
- Aug. 2: Springfield, Illinois; Wyndham Hotel
- Aug. 3: St. Louis; Best Western St. Louis Inn
- Aug. 5: Springfield, Missouri; Sleep Inn
- Aug. 6: Oklahoma City; Best Western Plus Memorial Inn
- Aug. 7: Amarillo, Texas; Amarillo Inn & Suites
- Aug. 8 — Carlsbad, New Mexico; Stevens Inn
- Aug. 9 — Santa Fe, New Mexico; Courtyard by Marriott
- Aug. 10 — Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico; Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort
- Aug. 11 — Gallup, New Mexico; El Rancho Hotel
- Aug. 12 — TBD
- Aug. 13 — Grand Canyon South Rim, Arizona; Yavapai Lodge
- Aug. 14 — Flagstaff, Arizona; Embassy Suites
- Aug. 16 — Lake Havasu, Arizona; Super 8 Lake Havasu City
- Aug. 17 — Las Vegas; Luxor
- Aug. 20 — Santa Monica, California; Best Western Gateway Hotel
(Image of Guy De Pre, left, and Gunther Neefs via Facebook)
Interesting all the diversions off the Mother Road. Maybe on a map Carlsbad looks kinda close, but it’s probably 200 miles or so from 66! Well, best of luck either way…
They’re only staying at one classic Route 66 motel? Stunned. Couldn’t they at least hit one of the Cozy Cones? Or Blue Swallow??
Ah yes, Belgium, a country divided by two languages at least (French and Dutch). A bit like Canada (English and French) – and now the USA (English and Spanish). Of course the TV crew will be fluent in English, if not American English.