By Jon Bream

When it comes to the Crickets coming to Minnesota, the weather invariably presents a challenge. Sonny Curtis and Jerry Allison's plane circled the MSP airport several times on Thursday because of rain. And Bobby Vee, the man who replaced Buddy Holly on the bandstand after that fateful Iowa plane crash in a frozen farm field in 1959, had slow driving from St. Cloud because of nearly two inches of rain.

They all eventually made it to Dixie's in St. Paul for a gathering of old buddies and some music and theater types in celebration of tonight's opening of "Buddy -- The Buddy Holly Musical" at the History Theatre.

Vee's kids, Robby and Tommy Vee were there (along with drummer Noah Levy), fresh from a recording session with Brian Setzer for a song for a movie soundtrack. The crowd included Nate Westgor of Willie's American Guitars, Chris Osgood of McNally Smith College of Music (and the Suicide Commandos), History Theatre managing director Kathleen Hansen and board members Ted Lentz, Paul Adelmann and John Apitz as well as St. Paul City Council Member Dave Thune, who got his electric guitar autographed by the three famous Holly associates.

Curtis, who has written several hit songs, regaled with stories about Roger Miller and writing "I Fought the Law," trying to sue Sting for copyright infringement for "Every Breath You Take" borrowing from the Curtis/Allison tune "More Than I Can Say" and suing Pat Robertson after he bought "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" (and put it on Nick at Night) but refused to compensate Curtis for writing and singing the theme song.

No doubt, Curtis and Allison will repeat some of those stories this afternoon when they talk to McNally Smith music students at the History Theatre. It's just the stories won't be fueled by Red Stripe and Summit Red. Then the Crickets will stick around to watch the opening night of "Buddy."