I first saw this tour in 1986, when it featured the Monkees 20th reunion as the headliner. Along with the Monkees, there were Herman's Hermits (minus Peter Noone), Gary Puckett, and the Grass Roots.
Over time, the lineup has changed a lot, and the tour now carries more than four acts in any given year. Karen and I have gone many times and enjoyed the show each time. This year we thought we would have to miss the show, as we had pre-purchased tickets to see The Monkees Present the Mike and Micky Show. However, as most of you may already know, Mike became ill and the final four shows had to be postponed until January.
So, upon hearing this, I popped on to Ticketmaster and managed to get two tickets to see the Happy Together Tour at Westbury. Always a great venue, this show was terrific, with a couple of surprises. So, without further blather, here's the review!
The opening act was one that Karen and I saw a couple of years ago, and when we saw them we were blown away by how good they were. The Cowsills, now comprised of the remaining siblings, Bob, Susan, and Paul, do a really fun, high energy show which is perfect as an opening act.
Out next was one of those guys who's been sort of lost in the shuffle of things, the original lead voice of Paul Revere and The Raiders, Mark Lindsay.
Now, Mark had a couple of hits on his own, as well as singing on most of The Raiders hits, so he has a large collection of songs to do. "Kicks", "Good Thing", "Just Like Me" all sounded good, but, for the second time seeing Mark, either his microphone volume was way too low, or he's lost a little power off his voice.There were times that although he seemed to be singing, you couldn't hear him at all. Several people shouted 'we can't hear you', and he adjusted a bit, but it was still frustrating. "Arizona", his solo hit, and "Indian Reservation" rounded out the set.
Up next was The Association, or part of them, at least. This tour runs with a great backup band, so larger groups don't get to bring all of their players. The Association is, when you see them solo, a six piece group. For this tour, however, only three of the guys performed; Del Ramos, Jim Yester, and Jules Alexander. Jim and Jules are 'originals', while Del joined in 1972 (his brother Larry was an original member).
Gary Puckett is another performer that we've seen multiple times, including just this past spring, when he appeared with The Association and The Lettermen. Lots of hit records, and a very recognizable sound, Gary and The Union Gap were really popular in the late 1960's.
Today, his voice isn't as strong as it was way back then (whose is?), but he's a great performer, who really connects with the audience. All the hits "Woman, Woman", "This Girl Is a Woman Now", and "Young Girl", lots of interaction with the crowd, just a nice guy. Some of the songs have had their phrasing slightly changed, to accommodate his 'now' voice, but they still sound good.
Up next was a performer I really didn't have a lot of interest in, only because I was never a big fan of his group; Chuck Negron, former lead singer of Three Dog Night. Never cared for their songs much, but I was happily surprised by Chuck's performance.
For those who don't know, Chuck has been through more than a lifetime of nightmares; heavy drug and alcohol addiction; being fired by TDN in the midst of his addiction; and a near death car accident which left him with all sorts of mobility and breathing difficulties. He needed assistance getting on stage, and was connected via heavy cable, to what I guess is a breathing machine. Still, he did all the hits, "Mama Told Me Not To Come", "Eli's Coming", "Celebrate", and of course, "Joy To The World". He sounded fine, engaged the audience very nicely, and really showed the amazing inner strength some humans have. I'm still not a fan of the songs, but I am a fan of his, and I would go see him again in a heartbeat.
Finally, the 'closer' of the show, as they've been for many years, the group whose song the tour is named for, The Turtles. Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan have been carrying the Turtles music through the years, from their time as "Flo and Eddie", to all the Happy Together tours.
So we were shocked when out came Mark, and someone who was definitely NOT Howard!
As they've done the past few years, all the acts came back on stage and did a short version of one of their songs, and all sang Happy Together to close the show.
Although they get a little older each year, and some of their voices show it, this was a really good show. Each act had plenty of hits to perform, all were done well, there was good audience interaction, and damn, these songs are FUN! All in all a great night, one to look forward to each summer. If the Happy Together Tour comes through your town, do yourself a favor and go!
