When Perryville native Lance Bohnert dreams, he dreams big. Haunted houses, animatronic monsters, rock stars painted up in surreal costumes — and now, his latest creation: “Lance-a-palooza,” a one-night rock fest that brings 1990s cult band Green Jellÿ (pronounced Jell-O) to the American Legion in Perryville.
The concert is set for Saturday, with doors opening at 6 p.m. and tickets available at the door for $18. The night’s energy will build toward the 9 p.m. set when Green Jellÿ takes the stage.
For Bohnert, it’s more than just booking a band. It’s about mixing his passions — substitute teaching, the haunted house industry, and his love for theatrical rock — into one unforgettable event.
“I’ve always wanted to do my own concert in a haunted house,” he said. “So I thought, how cool would it be if I brought in Green Jellÿ to play like Rob Zombie’s haunted house. That idea turned into Lance-a-palooza.”
From Tool to Perryville
Bohnert’s friendship with Green Jellÿ frontman Bill Manspeaker started with a simple Facebook message after a backstage encounter at a Tool concert. The two stayed in touch, and eventually the idea for a Perryville concert took root. For fans of Tool, the connection runs even deeper.
Bohnert points out that if it hadn’t been for Manspeaker, Tool might never have formed.
“Tool’s drummer plays on [The Three Little Pigs], and the lead singer from Tool has a small lyric in the song too,” he said. “Since Tool’s my favorite band, and I know I’ll never get Tool to Perryville, this is as close as it gets.”
A haunted touch
In addition to live music, fans can expect a full-on Halloween vibe. With years of experience working in attractions like Rob Zombie’s “Great American Nightmare” in Chicago and “Creepy World” in St. Louis, Bohnert has amassed an arsenal of animatronics and props. Those will transform the American Legion wedding hall into something more than just a concert venue.
According to Bohnert, “I have enough Halloween props to fill the entire hall. It’s going to feel like part rock concert, part haunted house.”
Building buzz
Promotion for Lance-a-palooza has been as colorful as the band’s hit song The Three Little Pigs. At Mayfest, Bohnert staged a last-minute parade act complete with costumed pigs, a Big Bad Wolf on a Harley, and even a nod to Rambo.
“I had to build this whole thing in a week,” he laughed. “But it came together just before the buzzer.” He’s also enlisted the talents of his high school classmate Phil Balsman, a Perryville graduate now living in New Jersey who once storyboarded for DC Comics. Balsman created original event artwork for shirts and posters, tying in another hometown connection.
The big night
Green Jellÿ may be remembered nationally as a one-hit wonder, but Bohnert is determined to give Perryville a show that feels larger than life. “I’m cooking this up just right,” he said. “My plan is to get 500 people there. With the music, the props, the artwork — it’s all coming together.”
Lance-a-palooza runs from 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13, at the American Legion in Perryville. Admission is $18 at the door. Green Jellÿ will perform at 9 p.m.
