Friday, August 28, 2015

Happy Together 2015

Still getting lots of comments on this year's Happy Together Tour ... most feel that ALL of the artists perform too short a set ... but felt especially cheated by the four songs performed by The Turtles ... as headliners (and namesakes) of the tour, fans simply expected more.

This is one of the people I subscribe to on youtube. 
He has posted several from the 8/16 concert at Bolingbrook. 
Stacee  
https://youtu.be/AWtUwX1YVyQ  
Thanks, Stacee ... several clips here to watch!  You can even catch all 13 1/2 minutes of The Turtles set.  (Jeez, based on their share of the gross this year, I wonder what that works out to a minute???  Even The Beatles used to play a half hour back in the day!!!)  I can't help but feel that Flo and Eddie have abandoned their fans to a certain extent and it's become more about the money than the entertainment value or bang for your buck.  Granted The Turtles ALWAYS put on a great show ... and getting six headliners on the same stage for $60 - $75 is an incredible value ... but 13 1/2 minutes by the headliners?  And only four songs?!?!  It just doesn't seem fair.  (I guess maybe they've found that they can make more money in the courtrooms than on the road these days ... Siriusly!!!)  kk  

I agree with you 100% on your Happy Together review.  The Turtles should have played more than four songs - The Association's harmonies were painful to watch - and Mark Lindsay and The Cowsills absolutely stole the show. 
Janet 

Thank you SO much for telling us about the Happy Together show in Bolingbrook.  We were all set to shell out $70 a ticket to see the same show in Aurora - so seeing it for free was a real treat.  You just can't beat this line-up - worth every penny!  
Dan  

>>>Bruce Soboroff was playing keyboards for three nights including Bolingbrook. The regular keyboard player Manny Focarazzo's mom passed away suddenly and he had to rush back to NY. Bruce was good enough to fill in and did a great job with no rehearsal and over thirty songs to learn with all the transitions. Thank you Bruce.   All our thoughts and prayers go out to Manny and his family. (Carl Giammarese) >>>And ours as well ... but kudos to Bruce for stepping in and just nailing it under what had to be some enormous pressure.  Baptism by fire as they say!  WTG, Bruce!  A tip of the hat to his fine musicianship for sure!  (kk)  
Kent, 
I am so sorry to hear about Manny's mom.  She and Godfrey Townsend's mother attended The Happy Together show at Westbury.  The Turtles did salutes from the stage to both mothers with Howard Kaylan running into the audience yelling, "Maamaaaaa!" and dispensing hugs.  How great that she was able to see Manny performing locally (for her) and feel the pride and witness the love.  My prayers are with Manny and his family at this time. 
Shelley   

Saw the show in New Brunswick, August 2. Everyone was great except the Association, who just weren't in sync with the band on the slow songs.  
Charles Farina     

The Cowsills were the highlight for me ... they still sound great.  No offense to ANY of the other groups, but I have seen them before, at least once to six times.  There's just something about the Cowsills ... their song's just make you feel good! Beautiful voices! Great songs!! 
Patty  
I agree that The Turtles need to mix it up a little more from year to year ... too many repeat performers doing the same songs each time out.  In all fairness, they tried that last year by adding Mark Farner and Mitch Ryder to the line-up ... but those artists just aren't known for their "feel-good" songs of the '60's.  Others wrote in stating that now that since The Grass Roots don't feature ANY original members, they don't belong on a high-profile tour like this one ... they had absolutely NOTHING to do with the recording of these hits.  It's a fine line ... but there is absolutely NO doubt that The Cowsills were a GREAT addition to the line-up this year.  We've seen them three times now and they were spot-on excellent each and every time.  (kk)   

>>>Lou Christie would make the PERFECT addition to next year's Happy Together Tour Line-Up.  (Are you reading this, Flo and Eddie???)  Let Lou come out and do his four or five biggest hits and the audience will go nuts!  (kk) 
I think Lou Christie would make a GREAT addition to the Happy Together tour - change things up a little bit and pump in some new blood.  We seem to get the same act year after year and it starts to get old after awhile.  (I'll bet I've watched Carl put on his old jacket for at least ten years now - we get it - he's kept his "youthful, boyish figure" - he's still thin and and trim and fit and extremely good looking - but all of these guys have been doing much of the same schtick for YEARS now!!!)  Liven things up with some new blood. I have to believe that by this time most of the audience is "repeat business" anyway - so why not treat them to something new and different each year.  There are SO many artists from the 60's and 70's that are still out there performing that we never get the chance to see - give us something new and exciting to look forward to next year!  
Sandy  
Although the Lou Christie idea was mine, I doubt that it'll ever happen ... The Happy Together Tour seems to revolve around the stable of Paradise Artists.  That's why you get The Turtles, The Buckinghams, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, The Grass Roots, Mark Lindsay, Micky Dolenz and Chuck Negron again and again.  Adding The Cowsills this year was a MAJOR coup.  (They even joked on stage that the reason they hadn't been asked before was because they were too young ... nobody in the group was over 62 ... and that typically the day you receive your AARP Card you also get an invitation to join The Happy Together Tour!)  They've gone over in a VERY big way ... and are definitely one of the highlights of the show ... and one of the best touring bands out there. 
But as mentioned earlier, Flo and Eddie DID try to mix it up a little bit last year by adding Mitch Ryder and Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad ... but these acts just don't fit the motif of "Feel Good" '60's Music.  Still I have to believe there are other artists out there who would make welcome additions to the show.  You're right ... they pretty much draw the same crowd every year ... so why not treat them to something new.  Many of these fans have been loyal to you for 50 years now ... and 30 years on The Happy Together Tour alone!  (kk)   


Like just about everything in life sooner or later all good things must come to an end ... and the 2015 Happy Together Tour is winding down right now with shows through the middle of next week.     

However, FH Readers in Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota and Ohio still have a chance to see the show ... details below ...   

Friday, August 28th - Oaklawn Racetrack - Hot Springs, AR
Saturday, August 29th - Riverside Casino and Gold Resort - Riverside, IA  
Sunday, August 30th - Bluestem Center For The Arts - Moorhead, MN 
Monday, August 31st - Minnesota State Fairgrounds - Saint Paul, MN  
Wednesday, September 2nd - Mahoning County Fairgrounds - Canfield, OH