Troy Group Main Hit at SPAC Opener

by Marilyn Nason, The Post-Star, June 14, 1972

When an area amateur rock group draws a standing ovation and the star attraction gets merely polite applause, then the sixth season is off to some kind of a crazy start.

And that was the way it was Saturday afternoon, as about 1,200 attended the first performance of the 1971 season. Originally billed to headline the Grass Roots, the program actually ended up as an adulation afternoon for two Troy groups picked from 25 who competed Friday afternoon for the right to appear on Saturday.

Winning Group

Sweet Silence of Troy, the winning group, was downright professional and offered 30 minutes of lively, choreographed, well-organized vocal-instrumental tunes which had the under-25 audience lapping it up, keeping time with the strong rhythm and responding to every antic of the seven performers.

At the close of their share of the program, they got a well-deserved standing ovation from what was obviously a Troy-oriented crowd. The group has also won the right to have a record cut by Vibra-Sound Studio at SPAC expense to be
promoted by area radio stations sponsoring the Battle of the Bands Friday Afternoon.

Opening the program was Horton Strong of Troy, second-place winners. This foursome was not even in the same league with the winners, unfortunately.

Nobody Cared

Following intermission, it was the Grass Roots but nobody really cared. They played about 10 numbers, including their top hit, “Temptation Eyes,” and even this failed to elicit much response from the audience.

When they concluded their performance that was it and about the best that can be said for them is that they were not so loud as some rock groups of past seasons at SPAC and they actually enunciated the vocals on occasion so they could be understood.

To me, their best number was “Sooner Or Later” but the audience gave little applause to
that either.

Actually Five

Perhaps the most ludicrous aspect of the afternoon was the program handed to the audience which pictured the Grass Roots as four young men when there were actually five performing.

Let’s hope the state “freeze” on funds unfreezes a bit, so someone will at least hose off the theatre seats so patrons aren’t required to do it themselves with their clothing for half the season.

Judges for the Battle of the Bands contest Friday for the 25 groups were Jon Dennis of
Station WBZA, Glens Falls; Don DeRusa, WSUY, and Pete Ruzzo. WPTR.