10,000 At SPAC Hear America
by Scott L. Powers, The Times Record, August 27, 1975
For somebody who grew up in the 1960s, it seems almost sacrilege for John Sebastian to have to be a lead-in act for America.
But there it all was, the former Lovin’ Spoonful mastermind doing his show, warming up the audience for the group with no sound, America.
Just under 10,000 people, almost 3,000 more than came to hear Frank Sinatra Monday night, showed up at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center Tuesday night to hear the high school crowd’s answer to creative music.
America played almost nonstop all the way through their set, pausing only to change instruments or crack a joke nobody laughed at. From “Tin Man,” the group went to “Muskrat Love” and then to their new single, “Daisy Jane.” Gerry Beckley sat at the piano, and halfway through the song, lightning struck and out went the lights, equipment and music. “I guess he didn’t like that one,” Beckley said.
The group switched instruments all night, and traded the spotlight. Dewey Bunnell did his Nell Young imitation true to form for “Moon Song,” and Dan Peek had a hard time of it during “Lonely People.”
This is a studio group. Their sound is synthesized, and a concert format does nothing to the sound except jumble it all together. The vocal harmonies, for the most part, were in tune, but the concert forced away some of the few subtle aspects of their sound.
Like a race to see how many songs they could pack into the show, the group raced through “I Need You,” “Don’t Cross The River,” “Ventura Highway,” “Glad To See You,” and for an encore, “Sandman.”
It’s nice music to be doing something else to, but in a concert format, the group has absolutely no stage presence.
Sebastian surprised many of the younger people in the crowd to whom the Lovin’ Spoonful is something way out of the past. The man can entertain. Supported by only a guitar and harmonica, he drove his listeners to their feet with renditions of “Daydream,” “Nashville Cats,” and “Red Eye Express.” The crowd demanded, and received, an encore.
But the most pleasant surprise of the night was The Captain and Tennille, who opened the show. The Captaln was at a mint Rick Wakeman keyboard unit, and played off Tennille’s vocals nicely all night. The woman is a dynamite performer, and this is a group to watch out for in the coming months.
They ended their set with a better-than-the-single version of Neil Sedaka’s “Love Will Keep Us Together,” and for this husband and wife team, that’s exactly what has happened.
Tonight at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, The Beach Boys and Ambrosia are in concert.
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