A concert that’s less than advertised

Time comes for all of us, and the Grim Reaper is undefeated in his harvest. That being said, when you purchase tickets for an oldies concert tour, you’re already aware that some of the members of the bands you once loved are no longer with us. And if there are bands with all living members – or a majority of the members alive – sometimes those living members are in no condition to actually perform.

Which brings me to this upcoming local concert.

Check out this flyer.

I mean … this looks like a helluva package tour. You could sing along with most of the hits. And the original artists are right there on stage. Woo hoo!

Except …

Let’s review this concert brochure just a wee bit closer.

And right off the bat, I see more red flags than at the Chinese consulate.

The understanding is that you’re seeing the original stars performing the original hits. And certainly Gary Puckett (of Gary Puckett and the Union Gap) still sings and tours, even though he just turned 83.

Then it gets murky.

The Association has two original members – Jules Alexander and Jim Yester – from their 1960’s hitmaking years. All the other members have either retired or passed on.

The Cowsills have three original members – Bob, Paul and Susan – who performed on the original hits and who still tour and perform today. The other Cowsills from the 1960’s have passed away or retired, although another former member, John Cowsill, may join them on some “Happy Together” tour stops.

After that …

There’s one original Trogg – and it’s not the lead vocalist.

There’s no original Fortunes.

The Vogues touring lineup has no original members; three of the four originals have died and the fourth one performs under a different group name.

Chicago’s lead vocalist – Jason Scheff – sure. Yeah, he sang lead vocals on such Chicago hits as “Look Away” and a late-80’s remake of “25 or 6 to 4,” but he’s not Peter Cetera and he’s not Terry Kath.

Then it gets absurd.

Ron Dante is listed as the voice of the Archies – which he was – and the voice of the Turtles – which he was NOT. He only performed Turtles hits in the late 2010’s on the Happy Together tour to replace one of the ailing Turtles vocalists. That’s like saying I played for the Golden State Warriors because I bought a Steph Curry jersey and walked onto a basketball court.

Also … take a look at the songs advertised around the concert poster’s border. “I Love the Flower Girl” isn’t the title of the song, it’s “The Rain, The Park, and Other Things.” All the Chicago songs listed are tracks that were hits before Jason Scheff took over lead vocals.

So what we have here are a few tribute bands with Ship of Theseus connections to the original hitmakers, and a lot of soundalike and printalike sleight of hand to muddy the waters here.

Trust me. I understand completely. These package tours can be a lot of fun and a great way to enjoy some music. But don’t tell me that I’m seeing the original bands performing the original hits. In truth, I’m seeing some cover bands and some performers who are ten years past retirement age.

But I guess the other alternative – which is even more sinister – are those bands who claim to be the originals, yet have no original members and only operate with a slim copyright claim to the band name. Years ago, there were package tours that featured the Platters, the Coasters, the Drifters and the Marvelettes – tours which had no original vocalists, but still took the stage to fool customers into shelling out their hard-earned dollar in a bait and switch.

And if you’re paying for a “Happy Together” tour … you should at least either understand what you’re attending, or go into the show with the mindset that you’re hearing the oldies, but it may or may not be from the original performers and vocalists.

It’s like going to a Rolling Stones concert and expecting to hear this …

But you see a bunch of other guys on stage and they perform this instead.