Hi Kent,
Hope all is well. We are doing very well and performing often. We just signed for a show on November 7th which features Chris Montez, Brian Hyland, The 1910 Fruitgum Company, The Vogues and The Grass Roots.
It will be at the Bergen P.A.C. in Englewood, N.J. Tickets at Ticketmaster.
Our schedule can be seen at www.1910fruitgumcompany.com
As usual, I enjoyed the news in your Forgotten Hits Newsletter, especially the question to my friend Alan O'Day.
Sad news about Gordon Waller ... he will be missed.
Keep up all the good work,
All the best,
Mick
The 1910 Fruitgum Company
Now THAT sounds like a KILLER line-up ... wish we could be there for this show. Thanks for staying in touch, Mick, we appreciate it! (kk)
Hi Kent -
Saw the Buckinghams at Elmwood Park Fest and I second the motion that their sound is greater than ever, especially with the addition of the horn assemble. What great musicians!
Tom on the drums is GREAT, too. What a drummer he is. Bob Abrams, with his sense of humor, adds spark to the show. Their rendition of Expressway to Your Heart and Domino is very entertaining utilizing Nick's vocals. Carl opened the show with Lawdy Miss Clawdy to get things rockin' ...
Looking forward to the Randy Bachman concert and ZZ Top, too. Keep up the fantastic comments.
Carolyn
>>>In a last minute performance, Dennis Tufano performed five Bobby Darin Songs with The Cryan' Shames last night in the park in downtown Bensenville. Dennis got a call from the band that Tom Doody dis-located his shoulder and they asked if he'd come down and perform. By the end of the show Tom came back from the hospital and sang the last song with all. (Linda Matlow)
>>>Now THAT had to be a nice surprise!!! (But why wouldn't he sing some of his Buckinghams hits for the crowd?!?!? You had an entire audience there primed for some '60's Chicagoland Rock Classics!!!) kk
We did go see the Cryan Shames last week ... at their Bensenville Show on the 22nd!
I saw Toad about two hours before the show talking to people in the street. When I went to talk to him he was gone.
We were having dinner at Two Chefs and at about 5:30 - 6:00 we watched a paramedic truck roll up. I told my wife, "Watch it's probably somebody in the band". Sure enough they rolled Toad out on a gurney. "There goes the concert".
Dennis Tufano did come in and do four Bobby Darin songs. Not quite what I was there to hear, but it was nice to have him fill in. "God Bless You" as he said several times.
What was more fun was that they called Larry Convey to fill in. He was on a golf course in the south suburbs and rushed up to fill in. He was great, especially dressed in golf shorts and a Cryan Shames T-shirt. We saw him last year doing a couple of songs as a guest singer. Larry sang lead with The Cryan' Shames from 1995 to 2002.
It was on the last song that Toad returned from the emergency room to sing the final song.
What was even funnier was that Hooke got a call on his cell phone during the concert in between songs. He took the call and he said "I can't really talk now ... I'm doing a concert." It was his wife giving him an update on Toad! How great!
And ... during the day, my son called me from his job at the Barrington Park District to say he talked to Toad, who was there watching his Grandson play baseball!
I did get a chance to talk to Toad after the concert and he said he had fallen and had a dislocated shoulder and had it a sling.
It turned out to be a great concert despite all the all the issues. The weather even held out.
Bill Hengels
... and, speaking of J.C. Hooke and the guys ...
BOLINGBROOK PERFORMING ARTS CENTER PRESENTS: "JPG" LIVE IN CONCERT WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2009 -- 7:30 PM TO 9:00 PMFEATURING:
J.C. HOOKE (JIMMY PILSTER) ON CONGAS, DAVE RICE ON KEYBOARDS, DAVE ZANE ON GUITAR
BOLINGBROOK PERFORMING ARTS CENTER375 W. Briarcliff Road
Bolingbrook, IL 60440-0951
Marlene
Another "side project" for Jimmy?!?!? Cool! And let's not forget The Jamez Band Show (coming up at the same venue on August 26th), featuring a reunion of FIVE original members of The Cryan' Shames, performing as part of James Fairs' new musical venture. (I'm treating myself to a birthday concert that night!!! Can't wait to see them!) kk
My husband I thought it would be fun to go see Gary Lewis on Monday night at the Music Pier in Ocean City NJ - it was! He and his band (I don't think they were originals) put on a really fun show, sang all their hit songs and a lot of other groups hits of the 60s - The Monkees, Sam the Sham, The Beatles ... Gary had a ball singing and telling stories, like how they chose him to go on the Ed Sullivan show, hinting all along that it was his "connections in the business" that got them to be recognized, and how he was the one to knock the Beatles out of the #1 spot. His voice - well, he was a bit off key and whiny through most of the songs - but his exuberance made up for all that, in my opinion. He was gracious to stay after the show and sign autographs for the crowd. Eileen
We saw Gary a few years ago ... nope, not one of the better vocalists out there ... but he sure did seem grateful and appreciative of the career he was able to enjoy back in the '60's ... and he was genuinely having fun up on stage, performing for an audience again. (We've covered the fact that Lewis may not have even sung much on his own records back then, typically following a "guide vocal" laid down by someone else!) But let's not forget the fact that Gary Lewis and the Playboys placed fifteen straight songs in The National Top 50 between 1965 and 1969 ... a pretty amazing feat for ANY recording artist. (That tally includes eight Top Ten Hits: This Diamond Ring, #1, 1965; Count Me In, #2, 1965; Save Your Heart For Me, #2, 1965; Everybody Loves A Clown, #4, 1965; She's Just My Style, #3, 1966; Sure Gonna Miss Her, #9, 1966; Green Grass, #8, 1966 and Sealed With A Kiss, #8, 1968.) You can pick up the COMPLETE collection of Gary Lewis and the Playboys Liberty singles on an EXCELLENT 2-CD compilation recently released by Collectors' Choice Music. (kk)
Hey Kent ...
Here are a couple more photos from our show with Al Jardine.
That's me, Richie, and Al onstage together at the end of the show and a photo of The Rip Chords onstage during our set.
What a blast we had! We'll be doing it again real soon.
Mitch Schecter / The Rip Chords 
Speaking of great surf music, we caught Dean Torrence and The Surf City All-Stars at their local appearance here last night ... GREAT show and a good-sized crowd on hand. The band performed the best live version of "Darlin'" (the 1968 Beach Boys tune) I've EVER heard ... and that includes seeing The Beach Boys themselves perform it at least a dozen times!!! From here they're off to Texas where former Beach Boys Al Jardine and David Marks join the line-up. (Here in Chicago, Bob Greene took the stage, along with Al's son Matt Jardine, who handled most of the high falsetto vocals.) If you get a chance to see them before the summer's over, do so ... GREAT summertime music and a guaranteed night of Fun Fun Fun! (kk)
Click here: The Surf City Allstars, World's Greatest Surf and Beach Party Band
The other day we told you about some of the Woodstock Anniversary Concerts that are coming up in various parts of the country. Meanwhile, let's not forget Hippiefest!!! These guys are still out on the road, too ... and man, what a line-up! Featured artists include Chuck Negron (formerly of Three Dog Night), Felix Cavaliere (formerly of The Rascals), Flo and Eddie (Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan of The Turtles), Joey Molland (of Badfinger), Mountain, Mitch Ryder and Brewer and Shipley. Tour dates can be found here (kk):
Click here: http://www.hippiefest.net/
