5,000 Enthuse Over Cat Stevens

by Marilyn Nason, The Post-Star, June 25, 1971

Varied Program Given at SPAC

Cat Stevens may not have drawn the biggest crowd of the season so far at Saratoga Performing Arts Center last night, with less than 5,000, but they certainly were enthusiastic.

Stevens is not too bad a performer, in fact, quite pleasant. He sings some enjoyable soft tunes, many his own, and offered a varied program with some rock which seemed to quench the interest of the totally teenage audience.

With Equal Ease

He plays guitar and piano with equal ease and possesses a deep clear voice, an Englishman’s pronunciation that made almost every word intelligible for a change.

Backed by three musicians, he was at his best in the calm love ballads, especially one he indicated was written while he was hospitalized with tubercu losis a few years ago.

When it came time for encores, security broke down as usual at SPAC and the audience rushed en masse toward the stage, But, strangely enough, once he returned to offer two more songs, the audience seemed satisfied and all the mounting fears of backstage SPAC administration were for naught.

Never Stopped

First half of the show, running an hour in length, featured the Nick Brignola Five of Troy. Believe it or not, they never stopped playing once. It wasn’t that bad, alternating in tempo and sound between jazz and rock, but it would have
been nice to have stopped even briefly.

Spectacular backstage rumor last night is a two-fold delight: Glen Campbell and “Jesus Christ, Superstar” are certain additions to the already star-studded 1971 special SPAC events. Although no officials would give actual dates, it appears the famed singer and the controversial rock opera group will be headliners for September.

Tonight at 8:30 it will be Mary Travers and John Denver.