News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Alpena Native Brendon MacNeill, who goes by Brendon Mac, touches hands with a fan while filming a video in Alpena in September. Mac will release his new single, a remake of the popular Stray Cats hit “Rock This Town” which will be released on Nov. 3 on WATZ in Alpena.

ALPENA — Alpena native and up-and-coming country artist Brendon Mac intends to release his latest single on Nov. 3 and residents in Northeast Michigan will be the first to hear it.

Mac, whose real name is Brendon MacNeill, did a remake of the 1980’s rockabilly hit “Rock This Town,” by the Stray Cats, and recorded a video for the song in early September in Alpena.

The video’s editing is in the final stages and it could be released a few weeks after the song comes out.

Mac said he is doing a live interview on Nov. 3 with Ben Stevens on WATZ, 99.3 F.M., at about 8:45 a.m. and the radio station will air the song for the first time afterward.

“I’m releasing ‘Rock This Town’ in my hometown the same way I did ‘Ring of Fire,’ and that will always be the case when I release a song, at least for now,” Mac said.

Mac’s last single, a remake of Johnny Cash’s hit “Ring of Fire,” had a strong reaction and is approaching 2 million streams worldwide. He is also in the process of working on original material that he hopes will help to take his blossoming career to the next level in Nashville.

Expectations for “Rock This Town” to match or exceed Mac’s first single are high, but he said the few people who have heard it, including those in the country music and production industry, have offered high praise.

“Few have heard it, but the reaction I have received has been phenomenal,” Mac said. “This song shows a little different side of me, and everything I’m hearing about the new song has been extremely positive.”

A new, original song could be released in the spring, Mac said, and he promises it will be powerful and fit his rockabilly and country style.

“I can promise you that it will be a hard hitter and it is going to come out of the gate hot,” he said. “It will be very upbeat and have the classic rockabilly sound.”

Mac, and his wife, Linda, spent several days in Alpena to shoot the video, as hundreds of locals served as extras during the recording. Mac and his wife made time to chat and pose for photos with Mac’s admirers and also made a personal donation to Pied Piper School.

Mac said the experience and the amount of support he received from his hometown was humbling and there was never a doubt in his mind where he wanted to record the video and release the song once it was recorded and mixed.

First released as a single on Aug. 31, 1982 by the Stray Cats, the song peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Rock This Town” was listed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the “500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll” and has been featured in a variety of media, including the video games “Guitar Hero II,” “Elite Beat Agents,” and the video game based on the 2006 Pixar film “Cars.”