By David Fleet
Editor
Ortonville — On Friday afternoon Brandon Fire Station was cooking with fire while jamming with a classic rocker.
The Melody Grill, once a popular syndicated Public Broadcasting cooking show is now returning to the airways. Last week, the third of six episodes was filmed live at Fire Station No. 1, 53 South St. featuring show host Mike Abraham along with legendary rocker Johnny “Bee” Badanjeck.
“In most cooking shows the chef is front in center,” said Ken LaPlace, a Brandon Township resident and executive producer of Living Legends Motion Pictures. “The Melody Grill changes that and puts the food on center stage. We give a voice to the ingredients through music.”
Badanjeck, a Warren native, who played with the Rockets, Edgar Winter, Alice Cooper, Dr. John, Bob Seger and Ronnie Montrose, just to name a few, jammed for a small crowd of locals in the fire hall with bass player Jonathan Scott of local group The 99. Following the short gig Brandon Fire Chief David Kwapis joined Abraham and Johnny Bee and cooked chicken Parmesan in the fire station kitchen.
“We rock the flavor,” said LaPlace. “It’s up to musicians to improvise what that food has to say. It comes together as a culinary concert.”
Such was the case on Friday with Johnny “Bee” flattened chicken breasts with a pair of meat mallets while Jonathan Scott jammed on the bass guitar.
“They play together and for the first time the meat, veggies and spices in the dish all have a voice,” he said. “We like to try different locations, the fire department is a good spot.”
Kimberly Wells is a two-time Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker and Associate Professor of Electronic Media Broadcasting at Delta College. The Melody Grill will be aired on Delta College Public Media in the spring in addition to YouTube.
“It’s a fun show that pairs food and music together,” said Wells, who attended the filming at Brandon Fire Station on Friday. “It’s all about Michigan ingredients and Michigan based musicians. Our state has an amazing music and culinary scene that don’t always get the attention they deserve.”