Full Throttle won't be back at Heat this Bike Week but tent is up and it will be rockin'

LACONIA — Heat Pizza has a big parking lot that's typically a hot bed of activity during Motorcycle Week and, despite the relatively last-minute decision of Full Throttle Saloon to do a show in Chicago instead of New Hampshire, the extravaganza will continue — Laconia-style.

And for owner Davida Cook and Bar Manager Meghan Doptis, bringing together a project of this scale in about two months and working from scratch was no small feat.

"I think the time frame was the biggest challenge we had," said Cook who described the giant entertainment venue under the tent as a "moving machine with a million parts."

This year some of those million moving parts will include nationally known "1980s and 1990s hair band" Quiet Riot, L.S Guns (one of the precursors to Guns 'N' Rose) and Bang Tango.

Also appearing as headline acts during the second and most popular second weekend is Aerochix — a female tribute band to Aerosmith that is gaining national momentum and Dan Lawson, who, according to Doptis is really well known in biker circles and is very popular in Europe.

But for Cook and Doptis, giving local talent a venue and local people some much needed jobs was as important as getting some big-name acts for the Friday and Saturday shows.

Included in the local entertainment roster are Michael Vincent and Double Shot, Ricky and the Giants, Jam Sandwich, Roadhouse Sons, No Limitz, Tripwire, and Mindset X.

Other live entertainment will be Diamond Dolls — a professional all-female tattooed professional models and dancers and entertainers from the many sponsors like Jeremiah Weed, Red Bull, Mistress Carey from WAAF, the Miller Lite Girls, the Narragansett Girls, Jaegar Girls, 3 Olive Girls and the el Jimador girls.

Cook and Doptis said the Laconia Motorcycle Review Technical committee members have been very supportive — especially since Heat has made such an effort to hire local people.

"I think that made a real difference to them," Cook said noting that while Full Throttle Saloon — based in Sturgis, South Dakota — was professional and entertaining, the organization brought most of their own people with them.

Doptis said she had hired nearly 70 people for a variety of roles like bartenders, security, bar stockers, booth girls and three shot girls. In the past seven weeks, local contractors lead by carpenter Jeff Jelinik and RDH Electricians have spent countless hours designing and building the bars with much of the materials coming from discarded stuff from the former go cart tracks across the street.

"We're reusing and recycling every thing we can," Cook said.

Hours for Heat are Sunday through Tuesday form 7 p.m. on; Wednesday and Thursday from noon to closing and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. until closing.

"The last Sunday day is a chill day," Doptis said. "We'll be open but most people will be getting out of town."

Heat is located on Rte. 3 North, across from Funspot.

CAPTION: Bar Manger Meghan Doptis and Heat Piza owner Davida Cook behind one of the many bars being built by their own crews for Motorcycle Week. When Full Throttle Saloon opted for a different gig in Chicago this year, the two created, designed and planned a similar event on their own.