The Buckinghams, with original members Nick Fortuna and Carl Grammarese, kicked off the show with their #1 hit from 1967, "Don't You Care." Grammarese's strong vocals propelled the set which included "Hey Baby, They're Playing Our Song," "Susan," the Soul Survivor's "Expressway to Your Heart'" and the Buck's #5 hit version of Cannonball Adderley's "Mercy,Mercy,Mercy." They left the crowd wanting more with their first hit, the 1966 smash "Kind of a Drag."
The Grass Roots were next, although with Rob Grill missing due to ongoing physical problems. (Note to Tour: I was disappointed his absence was not mentioned from the stage ... c'mon, the guy is on the t-shirt!!) However, what could have been a very "less than" experience was saved by the evening's impressive backing band (surprisngly adept at recreating each group's signature sound) and the lead vocals of ex-Grass Root Mark Dawson. They kept the good vibrations going with a parade of Grass Roots hits including "Heaven Knows," "Sooner or Later," "Let's Live For Today," "Where Were You When I Needed You," "I'd Wait a Million Years," and the megahit "Midnight Confessions." Here's hoping Rob Grill is back fronting his band soon, but on this night it was in good hands and and the crowd rewarded them with huge applause.
Mark Lindsay bounded to the stage as if no time had passed since his days as the exuberant lead singer of Paul Revere & the Raiders. His r&b influenced vocals still strong and passionate, he amped up the crowd's energy with 'Where the Action Is' era hits "Steppin' Out," "Just Like Me," "Hungry," and "Good Thing," before launching into a medley based around "Louie Louie" (which the Raiders recorded the same week as the Kingsman, who eventually had a hit with it.) Bits of "Sunshine of Your Love," "My Generation," and "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" brought back even hazier memories. As Mark quipped, "One day I woke up and I was in the 60's again ... MY 60's!!" He delivered his solo hit "Arizona," and another that was recorded as a solo but released as a PR&R single, "Indian Reservation." A #1 smash in 1971, it was Columbia Records biggest hit ever until it was outsold by Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean." Mark closed his exuberant set with the memorable 1966 Raider's classic "Kicks."
Micky Dolenz took the stage to a roar from the crowd, very much the sharp-dressed man in sportcoat over black t-shirt, both subtly embossed with rocker bling, black jeans, cool kicks, topped off with a groovy fedora. Making a subtle statement with his choice of opening with a later-Monkee single "That Was Then, This is Now," the accomplished show-biz veteran nonetheless generously gave the crowd exactly what they came for. "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You," and "Daydream Believer," may have been Davy Jones' lead vocals on record, but Micky's versions did not disappoint. The hits kept coming with "Last Train to Clarksville," and "Pleasant Valley Sunday." "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone," was interrupted by Mark Lindsay, who engaged Micky in a fun "we-recorded-this-first" mock confrontation, all leading to Micky's retort, "But WE had the hit!" The duet on the song that followed was a "clash of the pop stars" delight. Micky's story about meeting the Beatles in their recording studio lead into an impressive version of "Oh! Darling!," and he reminded the "kids out there" that he sang it prior to "Shrek" before closing with "I'm a Believer." To Micky's credit, he also frequently dropped in the songwriters' names (who wouldn't, when they included Neil Diamond and Carole King!) He also mentioned his new CD "King for a Day," a tribute to Carole King's songs.
If you had thought the heat and concert length may have wilted the crowd's enthusiasm, you would have heard otherwise when the Turtles were announced. Founding members Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan (aka Flo and Eddie) bounced onto the stage and brought the energy level to its peak of the night. Opening with "You Baby," and moving into an audience-assisted "It Ain't Me Babe," the duo danced around as if immune to the passing of decades, with Kaylan producing some jaw-dropping high notes. Joking that "We haven't been here in a long time, and you're about to find out why," the visually mismatched pair brought the funny along with the many hits. "We just missed being the Beatles by three letters .... and 800 billion dollars," said Volman. A couple of bars of a Frank Zappa number lead to a reminder of their long list of collaborations, including those with Bruce Springsteen, John Lennon and The Ramones. Mark did a fake-out intro to "Eleanor" which lead to a laugh-out-loud spoof on Jim Morrison. "You Showed Me," and "She'd Rather Be With Me," preceded the inevitable show closer, "Happy Together." The "Ba Ba Ba Ba's" of the crowd threatened to lift the roof off the tent, and all were indeed happy to be together for this fab reunion of some of the 60's best performers.
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