Sha Na Na puts it together at SPAC
by Dan Collins and Candace Hollar, The Saratogian
Blue suede shoes and white satin shirts broke the rock rhythm that brought record crowds to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center all summer, and Sha Na Na did it again last night at SPAC.
“Whaddya want, a knuckle sandwich?” introduced today’s long hairs to yesterday’s greasers. Sha Na Na, ranging from a single leather-jacketed songster to a gang-style rumble, exhibited a versatility and coordination lacking in many of today’s typical rock performers.
Opening with “Rockin Robin”, Sha Na Na traced their self-abridged history of rock through a 90-minute show that included motorcycle gangs, high school dances, monster movies and dance contests.
Sha Na Na brought their performance to a close and the audience to the present with the Temptations’ “My Girl”, the Beatles “Eight Days a Week”, Rolling Stones “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”, and the Who’s “Pinball Wizard.”
Walking down a memory lane of the 1950’s, Sha Na Na brought back that frivolous past for those in the audience old enough to remember with a medley of past hits including “Bring My Baby Back to Me,” “Splish Splash,” “Tell Me Why,” and “Tequila.”
Several clothing changes later, the rambunctious performers moved into a strictly rockin’ and rollin’ mood, playing portions of “In the Still of the Night,” “Johnnie Be Good,” “Charley Brown,” and “Duke of Earl.”
“Leader of the Pack”, adapted to their unique style, brought out a gang fight between two rival New York City groups, complete with a rumble, a choreographed copy of West Side Story.
They roared off stage on makeshift motorcycles; billowing smoke poured forth into the audience as Dracula appeared with *The Monster Mash” and “Tip Toe Through the Tulips.”
“Peggy Sue,” “Working on a Chain Gang,” “Kisses Sweeter Than Mine,” and “A Hundred Pounds of Clay” moved them into another rock ‘n roll medley and a dance contest with three willing “broads” from the “studio audience.”
“Beast your peepers on dese,” the announcer slurred, while the studio audience feasted their eyes on his striped jacket and ankle-length pants. Couple No. 3 won the contest with an energetic version of the jitterbug, the cha-cha, and the twist.
The lucky little lady chosen by one of Sha Na Na’s muscular greasers had the pleasure of dancing a spotlight number with the king of rock and roll, who could barely reach the diminutive girl past his stomach.
Listeners on the lawn, although too young to remember rock ‘n roll at its best, jiggled and jived to the music of Sha Na Na, proving their theme “Rock ‘n Roll is here to stay.”
Recent Comments