The outdoor fall concert series kicked off to a near packed house at the Sun Bowl tonight. None other than the original Token's were on hand to help start the season. I was leery; it was 1961 when their smash hit The Lions Sleeps Tonight was released. You can do the math, but we're talking about guys who started signing a year after Sun City opened (just think about that). They came on at 7 pm and a 5 person group took the stage. It took a little while for the crowd to warm up to them, but clearly the two originals to the group, Philip and Mitch Margo knew how to work a crowd. The opening songs demonstrated their vocal weaknesses, and my wife and I both wondered how long we would last. Here's where it gets good; these guys are walking encyclopedias when it comes to 1960's rock and roll. Early on they became record producers and worked with several big name groups. Their skills went far beyond singing a handful of hits. They were showmen who walked the audience through a medley of songs that got us singing along with them. It was sheer brilliance on their part. These guys know their limitations, and better yet, they knew how to make the crowd feel comfortable and enjoy themselves. We've been going to these free shows for years and it's inevitable people get up and leave mid-concert. That wasn't the case tonight as those in the audience were enjoying a group of guys who knew how to entertain and wanted people to have a great time. I was worried when it started, but by shows end we were delighted we had come and even more so that we stayed. Great job Theresa, one hell of a show.
I read Bill's comments with interest, and my take runs virtually parallel. Ten minutes into the concert I turned to the guy sitting next to me to tell him, "I've heard better instrumentation and vocalizations by kid bands playing at low-budget wedding receptions." His response? "It's a nice night to sit out and view the eclipse!" In the end, none of that mattered. As a Sun Bowl regular, I found the Tokens total show the most interesting I can remember. Sharing their experiences producing "Gold Record" hits for other groups was wonderful. Putting together 25-30 snippets from classic hits that virtually demanded one to sing along at recognition was brilliant and perfect for a Sun City audience. Kudos to everyone at RCSC involved for providing us with yet another sterling opportunity.
Hey BR, great to see you posting again; been gone for the summer? There was something very scary last night, and it wasn't the eclipse of the moon (though that was pretty cool to have a front row seat as it vanished from sight). Off the top of my head, I would guess we could have gotten another 500 to 750 people into the bowl comfortably. After that, sitting in one another's laps may have been the only answer. So why the worry? It's September folks and lots and lots of the winter residents haven't returned yet. And when they do, a good share of them will be taking advantage of the free entertainment for Sun City residents. Where the hell are you going to put them all T? There's a great lineup of talent coming and the better it gets, the more they will be lining up. How about we stream it live on our website and folks can sit and watch it from the comfort of their home? Maybe take a couple of our auditoriums and podcast letting folks sit inside out of the elements. I know it wouldn't be the same as sitting under the stars, but turning people away is ugly. Just saying gang...put your thinking caps on because this is just the start of something very, very good. Of course there is the other thing...buy that beat up old shopping center behind it and make it one kick-ass venue with adequate parking and a real sound system.
I've been to one of the Sun Bowl concerts (as an escorted guest of a resident), and no, watching it live streamed would not have been the same. The Sun Bowl is a great venue, I look forward to seeing/hearing how the crowd is handled and the overflow situation is taken care of.
Reminds me of that place that used to be out in SCW, The last concert I saw there was Bob Dylan & Merle Haggard ! talk about one extreme to the other...Great show
