7:30 p.m. Oct. 11--

Over the summer I saw rock n' roll commerce played out in its most hopeless grandiose manner with the opening of the Hard Rock Park in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
The $400 million amusement park opened on June 2.
It closed a couple weeks ago, filing for bankruptcy.

The park's CEO was responsible for developing Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando and other HR venues. But he and other creative officers had that bulletproof rock attitude, charging $50 a ticket in tough times. The park never came close to its projection of averaging 30,000 people a day. Hard Rock Park was on my beloved co-worker Robert Feder's bucket list. Now he will have to settle for that Beatle tribute in Branson.

The folks at Busy Beaver Button company in Chicago also have a rock n' roll pedigree. In manufacturing buttons for Beck, White Strips and local venues like the Hideout, they keep their passion in focus. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact the business is run by women. Here's a video of my visit (I guess I was so excited about buttonmaking I couldn't stop nodding like a bobblehead) followed by some essential links.

The links follow.......