The Penn Stater Magazine

Fifteen years ago, I stood in the crowd at Cafe 210 West drinking cheap beer out of plastic cups. On Saturday night, I sat at Elk Creek Cafe in Millheim drinking the delicious Anniversary Ale brewed on-premises by Tim Yarrington ’89. I must be doing something right. (Or maybe I’m just getting old.)

What I never guessed these nights would have in common: A chance to watch the Blue Hornet Band shred a stage.

Queen Bee live in 1998

It was a rare appearance for the band that packed State College bars during the 1990s, called it quits in 1999 (I drove in from New York City to catch their farewell gig at Cafe), and mourned the loss of singer Tonya Browne ’85 in 2001. The surviving members have played a handful of gigs since, and when this one was announced, my wife and I decided we couldn’t miss it.

The timing was especially bittersweet given the subject of the My Thoughts Exactly essay in the new (Jan/Feb) issue of The Penn Stater. My old Collegian colleague, Amy Zurzola Quinn ’94, penned a terrific remembrance of how Queen Bee helped her get through the darker moments of her college years. Alumni Association members can find it on page 11 of their new issue; for those looking for an online version they can pass along to friends, here’s a PDF of Amy’s piece. Enjoy.

Almost forgot: The Blue Hornets sounded great last weekend. Mark Ross is still an engagingly awesome and crowd-pleasing guitar player, and a guest appearance by Ross’ teenaged son, McKinley, on keyboards was a highlight of the night. Tonya Browne’s voice remains irreplaceable, but the guys did justice to her memory and music. Here’s hoping it’s not the last time they get together.

Ryan Jones, senior editor