Flathead Valley, are you ready to rock?

Rock legend Rick Derringer is bringing his high-energy show to Kalispell Nov. 30.

The show starts at 8 p.m. at Majestic Valley Arena. Doors open at 7 p.m. 

“People can expect a great rock ‘n’ roll extravaganza,” Derringer said in a recent phone interview from Florida. “We’re gonna play all the stuff you want to hear from the past, and we’re gonna play some stuff you haven’t heard yet.”

Songs from the past include “Hang On Sloopy,” Derringer’s first hit as a 17-year-old playing with his band, The McCoys.

“We really didn’t know what we were headed for,” Derringer said. “We just loved playing music. The fact that ‘Hang On Sloopy’ came out huge, it was totally a surprise to us.”

“Hang On Sloopy” is the only song to be chosen as a state’s rock anthem, Derringer said.

“Ohio is the only state in the union that’s ever done that,” he said. “It’s a rare song. It’s always on the top 100 of rock songs of all time, and it’s the only song ever voted an official rock anthem.”

From that smash-hit beginning, Derringer’s career has run the gamut as far as musical genres are concerned. He has played with rock, pop, jazz and blues greats and recorded scores of albums.

Hits listeners will recognize include “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Coo,” and “I Am a Real American,” which Derringer first wrote and recorded in the 1990s. The tune became well-known as Hulk Hogan’s theme song, but since then it has taken on a life of its own, Derringer said.

“When Hillary [Clinton] ran for president, she used it as her campaign song,” he said.

“Before that even, when the World Trade Center was hit on 9/11, the first lines of the song, ‘When it comes crashing down, and it hurts inside, ya gotta take a stand, it don't help to hide,’ took on new significance. ...

“It started becoming a downloaded song because of those words’ pertinence to 9/11,” he added.

Others have used the song to convey their own “real American” status, Derringer said. President Barack Obama played the song when he unveiled his birth certificate a few years ago. Like Clinton, Newt Gingrich used “I Am a Real American” as a victory song during a primary campaign battle.

“All of a sudden I realized, wait a sec, I shouldn’t have taken [the song] for granted just because it was Hulk Hogan’s theme,” Derringer said. “I have totally new respect for it now.”

In addition to songwriting and performing, Derringer’s long career has included producing music. He takes credit for discovering Weird Al Yankovic in the 1980s. Derringer’s production of Yankovic’s Michael Jackson parodies “Eat It” and “Fat” have been among the artist’s best-selling recordings.

“Al has become one of the real kind of feathers in my cap,” Derringer said. “I’m proud to be associated with him.”

Working with other artists is one of Derringer’s passions, but he’s equally enthusiastic about performing.

“If I could have my druthers, I’d divide my time up half and half,” he said.

Derringer said he’s looking forward to his Kalispell show. He’ll be performing with bass player Charlie Torres and drummer Kenn Moutenot. The show will also feature guitarist Doug Rappoport.

“He’s one of the best guitarists I’ve ever played with,” Derringer said. “I’m flattered he’ll be there with me.”

The concert is the first by Cabin Fever Productions, a new Marion-based venture dedicated to bringing rock acts to the Flathead Valley.

“The valley’s starving for rock ‘n’ roll shows,” Rick Brown of Cabin Fever Productions told This Week in the Flathead in October.

“We’re just getting started. We’ll be bringing rock ‘n’ roll to the Flathead Valley all winter long,” Brown added.

Derringer promises his show will be worth the price of admission.

“It’ll be a night they won’t ever forget,” he said.

Kristi Albertson, editor of This Week in the Flathead, may be reached at 758-4438 or at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com.