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"Publishers and editors are asking me more often than not these days for articles and/or cartoons that deal with aging. Sometimes I scratch my head and have a “why” look on my face; then remember, I’m one of those who are aging. I just turned fifty-nine and would probably be considered “active” by many of my peers. Obviously, I’ve slowed down since my twenties and thirties, but Lee and I love to hike in the Ouachita Mountains and it’s not unusual for us to go 3-5 mountain miles per day 2-3 times per week. We practice Tai Chi before we hike, and we run all our own chores etc. We go to concerts and to weekend retreats. For those couples, married or not, who think it’s “too late for such nights”, I’m fifty nine and Lee is fifty six. We are fairly active in that we hike in the mountains, do tai chi, travel when we can, and even dance to our favorite songs at home if we feel like it. I know we are not unique; there are plenty other baby boomers who “participate in life”, and we believe others would like to, if they just knew where to go, what to do, and how to avoid “replications of all the things we’ve seen, or seen something like it before”. Last Saturday Finish Line Theater at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ar. Helped us travel by time machine to our early teens. Herman’s Hermits was top billed and Peter Noone drove the audience wild (while other band members, though prolific, barely showed their faces, close to the back of the stage without spotlights on them. Then came The Grass Roots, and finally (the opening act), The Buckinghams spilled their sweat and tears to an enthusiastic full house. Audience participants were from teen to in their eighties (my guess). The Finish Line Theater is a large venue (for a theater), but not so large as to not feel a part of the action, and not too small so as to be depressing. It is actually a perfect concert venue. The Oaklawn staff was courteous and professional and immediately made us feel at home, but not just us, we observed the friendly greeting to patrons as well. In my youth, Herman’s Hermits was one of my favorite bands. But I loved The Buckinghams and Grass Roots as well. To my surprise (and Lee’s) the Buckinghams musically stole the show. Their voice range and ability to play a myriad of chords and riffs, proved them to be true musicians. Hermans Hermit’s Starring Peter Noone put on an excellent choreographed variety show which included standards like “No Milk Today”, “Listen People”, “Mrs. Brown You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter”, and “Henry The 8th”, not to mention numerous standard hits by others such as “This Boy” by the Beatles (the harmonies were right on target). Ironically, though all of Herman’s Hermits melodies were excellnent, Peter Noone’s best performance did not include his own music but impersonations of Mick Jagger and Johnny Cash (which were some of the best I’ve seen. The Buckinghams were quick to satisfy with old standards like “Kind Of A Drag”, “Don’t You Care”, “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” and others plus a list of newly press songs that were every bit as satisfying. Lee and I were assigned our seats but we opted not to use them. There was an unused “disabled balcony” with perfect center view in the near-center back row. We were pretty much alone except for a young. None of the original members of the Grass Roots were in the Grass Roots who played on stage Saturday, but after they got going, they began to sound more and more like the original band. They had played back up for the original band many times (and even filled in when need be). The leader of the original Grass Roots has been dead for several years. By the time they reached their final number, “Temptation Eyes”, I was thirteen again. It sounded just like the original band playing in the studio. As mentioned earlier The Buckinghams were the most musical and engaging. They aren’t just a rock or pop band. They are obviously trained musicians with a wide range of abilities. We conducted a concert and photo shoot after their stage time. It was less of an interview and more like old friends chatting at the dinner table. We talked about music, health, food, getting older and ways to handle keeping a band together for so many years. They had two original founding members and another who had been with them 30 years. They got a good chuckle that when they were starting out around 1966, I was in my first job at Pal’s Music Company in downtown Hattiesburg, Ms. At age twelve selling records by Wilson Pickett, The Beatles, Gerry And The Pacemakers, Donavan, The Dave Clark Five….and of course The Buckinghams. After asking them the predictable questions such about food, exercise etc., I discovered their secret to success was a total discipline and commitment to the music. They’ve never done it for the fame and money. They did not set out to be the Beatles or Stones, only to play the music they loved. However Buckingham’s bass player Nick Fortuna cites the love and support of his family, and working out regularly at the gym, in addition to sharing the musical goals of other band members as the key to his contribution of keeping the sound alive. Lead singer and co-founder Carl Giammarese had no specific health plan but he shared Nick’s commitment to create the best music they can make; and it obviously works. Getting older doesn’t mean a thing to either of them. They said they really don’t think about those things. Getting on the road and playing is just “part of the job”. One interesting aspect of The Buckinhams. They are walking their walk. They played a number of their newer songs, and they’ve decidedly not lost their touch. Though we’d never heard the new songs, we found ourselves trying to sing along with them. They were a lot of fun. We left approximately ¾ into the last song so as to get out of the parking lot without getting caught in a traffic jam. We were home within 10 minutes. But I’d left my canvas bag, my notes and my camera at the theater (which reminded me; I’m older and writing for a magazine for people, like me, are often over 50. So I have to ask my readership. Have you ever walked in a room and forgot for what you went in the room to retrieve? Not me. No. I’ve never ever done that. Nosiree! Not even once. Nope. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rick London is an author, designer and cartoonist. He is best known for Londons Times Cartoons, Google's #1 ranked offbeat cartoons and funny gifts. He highly recommends to check with Oaklawn race track in Hot Springs, Ar. and their Finish Line Theater to find the best upcoming concerts in Arkansas. The facility offers much more such as horse racing, a casino,and much more.
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hermans hermits, herman's hermits, the buckinghams, the grass roots, oaklawn, oaklawn track, race tracks, 60s music, oldies, oldies music, concerts,
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