Cowsills, Checkmates Ltd. Give Perfect Twin-Bill in Performances at SPAC

by Marilyn Nason, The Post-Star, July 30, 1969

A perfect, twin-bill show was offered by two similar, yet totally dissimilar groups in the Cowsills and Checkmates Ltd. last night at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. More than 4,000 saw one of the best, most perfectly balanced specials yet to be offered in the four years of SPAC.

The Checkmates opened the program and were an ingratiating, older quintet, three Negroes and three white musicians—vocalists-entertainers in the highest sense of the word. As one of the Checkmates noted in the course of the show, “We’ve been together for eleven and a half years. Although you read in the papers, our two groups are going to kill each other and we won’t last through the weekend, we’ve proved tonight we can all get togetner and have good clean fun.”

And that they proved in spades and the Cowsills retained this tone for the second half of the show, all in all a perfect evening’s theatre bill.

The Checkmates, garbed in flared pants and matching fitted brown tuxedo jackets, really worked up a storm and encouraged the audience to join in with hand clapping, finger snapping and singing. In fact, two of them even raced into the audience, up and down the aisles, greeting people, shaking hands and encouraging participation.

“We don’t want you just to say you saw the Checkmates, we want you involved with us,” they shouted, as they offered lively, excellent renditions of “Do Your Thing,” “Sunny,” “Let the Sunshine In” and their current best-seller, “Black Pearl.”

Following intermission, two thirds of the Cowsills appeared,the group minus Mother Cowsill and sister Sue. The remaining four sons, handsome young men in black double-breasted tuxedos, were an excellent group and explained that their mother and sister were presently convalescing from pneumonia, which had been plaguing the group individually for several weeks.

“We could have canceled the concert but felt we wanted to perform for you anyway,” one of the Cowsills explained and the audience never complained of being shortchanged. This is a superior group, with clear, clean voices, a rousing style, fresh youthful enthusiasm and a fantastic beat for tunes ranging from “Indian Lake,” “Monday, Monday” and “The Prophecy” to Beatles’ tunes like “Yesterday,” “Hey Jude” and real rock versions of “Hair,” “Birthday” and “Proud Mary.”

For the “older crowd,” and they thoughtfully dedicated this number to the parents in the audience, “Diane” was a delightful diversion. Young John Cowsill at the drums and all of 13 years old was outstanding with his version of “Red Roses.”

The Cowsills wisely made no effort to offer an encore. In fact, the largely teenage audience was already making a mad dash for the stage door as they completed their last selection. The mob scene at the stage entrance practically equalled the 4,000-plus in the audience, it seemed, as the Cowsills tried to make a quick exit into waiting cars.

Perhaps one of the most significant moments—one recurring with increasing regularity among top performers recently—is the use of the peace hand signal. Petula Clark a few weeks ago at SPAC dedicated her entire show to peace. Last night, the Checkmates used the sign several times, invoking an immediate similar response from the audience.

As they closed their portion of the program last night, they significantly left the parting word “Peace” as their salutation to what they termed “one of the finest audiences we’ve ever worked with.”

The Philadelphia Orchestra with William Smith conductor offers a matinee today at 2:30 p.m. at SPAC. Eugene Ormandy and the orchestra officially open their month in residence at SPAC Thursday at 8:30 p.m., followed by the fifth annual benefit ball in the Hall of Springs.

Next one-night special event will be the appearance of O.C. Smith and Buddy Rich and his orchestra Monday at 8:30 p.m.