FV4S 2007

Music was key in bringing a bunch of good friends together to relive a part of their childhood. I could be talking about myself, Tracdc, DaBralady & RGBisMe or I could mean the original Jersey Boys, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons The four of us youngsters spent the months leading up to this date musing on whether or not comedian Stewie Stone would lead off the show, the act would have changed much or if Frankie would still hit the high notes. Jokes about Geritol and needing a pre-show nap were good naturedly shared.

It was to be was my sixth time to see FV4S in concert. Their concert I saw in Radio City Music Hall, circa 1979, was billed as their "last concert" but I have since seen them twice since.

After tailgating in the lot of JR's grill, we had a nice supper and rocked through Delaware Water Gap to the Mountain Laurel Center in Bushkill, PA. It was a terrific venue. We had great seats under the roofed area but the pleasant breeze came in from the extended lawn to the back.

The manager of the performing arts center introduced the lead act of... STEWIE STONE! I cracked up as the same lousy comedian, albeit grayed and heavier, schlepped his way onto the stage told his tasteless ethnic jokes. Added to his repertoire were jokes on his prostate and something about dribbling like "lawn sprinkler." Did I mention that the four of us were on the younger end of the audience? There were probably 10 kids younger than us in the whole crowd and they were fans of the new Jersey Boys show on Broadway.

An exciting video montage and light show got everyone to peak excitement as the instrumentalists took their places on the stage. The show opened with what I felt was a poor choice in songs, Grease. Four leather clad hotties ran out to posture as doo-wop singers during the opening trumpet fanfare. They stood in front of their microphones, looking all of 20 years old as dear old Frankie Valli took the stage. Puffy faced and droopy eyed, Frankie slowly made it to center stage. I hoped his voice would not give away his 73 years as much as his appearance did.

You might not be able to tell just how highly I think of Frankie Valli. I had been belting his songs all week and have had them ALL memorized for over 30 years. So when I saw what looked like Frankie's lips were not quite in synch with a helium induced voice I was hearing, I was dismayed and a little confused. I could forgive him for not singing full out but pre-recording? After a post concert discussion, we all agreed that one of the doo-wops (Jim Carey look-a-like, Brian from LA) must have been a back-up falsetto until Frankie warmed up.

The doo-wops, or his "kids" as Frankie later called them, lost their leather jackets and sported dress jackets over charcoal t-shirts to match Frakie's attire. Although the costumes did not sparkle, the light-show, musicians and cheap Vegas choreography gave us plenty to distract us from Frankie's needing to warm up during the typical opening song of Our Day will Come, and the tinkling piano starting off Save It for Me. By the time he made it to Carol King's I've Got You Under My Skin, he in full belt and winning my heart back. He seemed to then start to visible relax and warm up to the crowd.

Many of the orchestrations were quiet odd and I didn't recognize Dawn at first. His first solo song of the evening was 1974's My Eyes Adored You. Nicely into the show by know, Frankie sounded like he was 30 years younger. We were excited to learn of a new album being released October 2 under the Universal Motown label, Romancing the 60's. He shared that it will consist of a lot of songs he always enjoyed from the 50s and 60s that other singers had covered and went on to sing Call Me. What the song lacked in lyrics, Frankie made up for in style.

Swearin' to God came next allowing for a few instrumental solos from the all male band lead by Robi Robinson on keyboards. After the brief vocal break, Frankie treated us to the Everly Brothers' Let it Be Me and the staccato syncopation of Rose of Spanish Harlem.

The old time favorite of Stay showed that Frankie could still charm us with that dear falsetto. It was during this that the doo-wops were so distracting with their background gesticulations that I joined in with them. Tracdc and DaBraLady were mortified and took to holding my arms down at intervals during the rest of the show. I didn't mind the Jersey Boys choreography being interjected into the begging of Who Loves You but most of their cheesy moves looked like a caricature of what anyone would expect to see a back up singer do. It was too much.

December 1963, Oh What a Night whipped the over 50 crowd into a geriatric frenzy. A venerable mosh pit at the front of the stage was greeted with grins and handshakes from Frankie. Next came his monologue with Robi's contrived keyboard in the background. I am sure this gives him somewhat of a vocal break but I would rather have had an intermission than listen to his preaching us on supporting the troops. I love your voice man, but save the politics.

The audience got to test the volume of their belt as Frankie encouraged us to sing out, Mel Gibson style, in the middle of Can't Take My Eyes Off of You. I have to thank the popularity of Jersey Boys for finally breaking apart what had in his 1970s tours been an abbreviated medley of Sherry, Walk Like a Man and Big Girls Don't Cry. We got to enjoy all three of these favorites, sung full out, in their entirety! Priceless!

The show wrapped up with a short section of Bye Bye Baby (Baby Goodbye). As they bowed and waved, instrumental strains of what used to be their closing number, Let's Hang On, played and the exited the stage. The cheering crowd was quickly appeased with the encore of Rag Doll. Then, there it was, that beginning chord that used to bring DaBraLady and me to tears, "There ain't no good in our goodbyin'..." Although he didn't have the lungs for an extended belt as he did in the 70s, Frankie hung on until the end of Let's Hang On.

I sure don't hope this blog came across as too harsh on the old guy. I had a blast, laughing and singing and clapping. I enjoyed what the show had to offer and knew it would not be the same as what I had experienced in my youth. I think I will always remember Frankie Valli as a man who loves to entertain and I was glad to have him feel he could give of himself again.


For those of you letterboxers who felt this was a waste of time reading, here is the back cover to a hard to find album that has my favorite order of FV4S songs.