MUSIC: Woodstock Vets Rock Out at the Park

Monday, August 19, 2013

Ken Abrams, GoLocalProv Music Critic

 

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Ten Years After took attendees back to the legendary Woodstock last Thursday at the Park Theatre.

A Rock ‘n’ Blues show came to town last Thursday on the 44th anniversary of the celebrated Woodstock Music and Arts Fair. The Park Theatre hosted the event which featured classic tunes, guitar gurus, and a couple of hippie era sing-a-longs. The show featured five acts, all with songs in heavy rotation on classic rock radio.

Canned Heat

First up were Rock ‘n’ Blues legends Canned Heat. Opening with a great version of their well known Woodstock classic “On the Road Again,” they set the tone for the evening.  With original members Harvey Mandell on guitar, Larry Taylor on bass, and Adolfo de la Parra on drums, they rocked the house on their hit “Going up the Country.”  The Blues arrived on “Red Hot Mama” before the band closed with “Let’s Work Together,” wrapping a fulfilling, albeit brief set.

Pat Travers

A little younger than some of his colleagues, Pat Travers is a guitar god who blew away those assembled with a great performance. His screaming guitar on “Snortin’ Whiskey” reminded those present what rock and roll is all about. A new song “Diamond Girl,” from his album Can Do was well received by the crowd. He finished his set in grand style (with some help from the audience) on his classic “Boom Boom, Out Go the Lights.”

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Rick Derringer

Many in attendance may not have know that Rick Derringer was part of the 60’s group, The McCoys, whose classic “Hang On Sloopy,” knocked the Beatles “Yesterday” out of the Billboard #1 spot in 1965. He is much better known for his rock anthem, “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo,” which he belted out with the help of all in attendance.  Derringer, who once opened for the Stones and has played in Ringo Star’s band, is known for his guitar prowess, which was in evidence throughout his set.

Edgar Winter 

Edgar Winter is an artist who still sounds as great as he did 40 years ago when he was topping the charts with hits such as “Free Ride” and “Frankenstein.”  With help from Rick Derringer, the multi-instrumentalist blew away the crowd on both tunes. It’s simply beyond awesome to hear those opening chords to “Frankenstein” live.  He opened with the powerful blues standard “Tobacco Road,” featuring a great call and response segment with his brilliant guitarist, Doug Rappaport. (It’s worth checking out on YouTube!)  In terms of song total, his was the shortest set at only three tunes – in terms of pure rock power, he and his band produced!

Ten Years After

The final set of the evening belonged to Woodstock heroes Ten Years After. With Joe Gooch on guitar and vocals, the band includes original members Leo Lyons on bass, Chick Churchill on keyboards, and Ric Lee on drums. They dedicated their hit “I’d Love to Change the World” to original guitarist Alvin Lee who died unexpectedly in March. A highlight saw Gooch and Lyons trading licks on a powerful version of the classic “Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl.” In a definitive Woodstock moment, the band ended with an impressive version of their hit “I’m Going Home.”  With “Choo Choo Mama” for an encore, the boys from Nottingham, UK sealed the deal!

The Park Theatre is a great venue for a Rock show. The acoustics are excellent, the seats are comfortable, the staff is great, and the drinks cost less than the larger arenas. One concern raised by several concert-goers was the lack of space to move around inside the theatre. It’s still rock and roll and sometimes you gotta get up and dance – something to think about for the future. Speaking of which, they’ve got a great line up this Fall– click here for the full schedule.

 

Ken Abrams reviews Roots, Rock and Blues for GoLocalProv. He can be reached at [email protected].

 

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