The Shirelles shone the brightest in a Berkshire Music Barn show moved to the Pittsfield Boys’ Club (to allow for more screaming), which also featured the Beau Brummels, the Chiffons, and Bobby Comstock and the Counts.

‘Socko Whammy’ at the Boys’ Club

By Lisa Lansing / The Berkshire Eagle

NINETEEN HUNDRED kids got religion socko whammy Sunday night in two hours of high-pitched din at the Boys’ Club.

For the first of three times this summer, Don Soviero moved the Music Barn, lock, stock and ushers, to the Boys’ Club to allow for screaming space. On the bandstand last night were Bobby Comstock and the Counts, the Shirelles, the Chiffons and the Beau Brummels.

THE GIRLS were there in all sizes and complexions. Some, but only a few, were dressed in high-gloss pancake prettiness, high-waisted dresses and vacant stares, the kicky way to go anywhere that matters to them. One un-chic 14-year-old wore determined sneakers and held four programs (enough for each group to autograph).

The DSs are their leaders. A group of five came over from Troy to warm up the crowd. For vocal preliminaries, they had the kids shout, “Ratfink” three times as loud as THAT and then they were all ready.

THE SHIRELLES are the greatest because they’re thinking “you dumb kids” all the time they’re singing, but they understand how to make an audience feel it’s wanted.

They came on last night in ice-blue satin to the floor and split up the back of the skirt to the knee. They sing in high little girl voices, with a tough push right down the middle so that the sound system never catches up. It was all a beautiful blur. The four sang a long, good program of old songs: “’This Is Dedicated,” “Tonight’s the Night,” and others, all the time moving, stepping and throwing their arms in perfect unison.

THE CHIFFONS came on in gold lame, but it didn’t seem to do them any good. They couldn’t pick up the crowd, and they let them see what they were thinking – “you dumb kids.”

The Beau Brummels pretend they are British and have longer hair than three of the Chiffons. It seemed the kids didn’t like them as much as they thought they would. The greeting they gave them was loud, but the automatic noise between songs dwindled as the show went on.

The kids (boys too) have solved the problem of being made to sit down during rock ‘n’ roll shows – they do the jerk. The jerk looks as if one were trying to separate the head and neck from the rest of the spine. After two hours of that, they must feel as if a steam roller had made a swift pass from sacroiliac to skull. And all the time screaming or moaning, waiting to scream.