Apparently The Whitsuntide Singers played a large supper club in Rockford Illinois on numerous occasions. I had totally forgotten about that, but was reminded by Marssie and Lenny of that fact during our recent reunion. The above photo is proof according to my "group mates". I still have no recollection of those performances. This club was near a stone quarry out there in Western Illinois, but some limited research has not yet identified the name of the place. More Googling to do I guess.
During this time the group was really concentrating on it's "showmanship". The set lists were rarely tinkered with as the music and harmonies were tight. What set us apart now was our ability to engage an audience with banter and humor. Some of the material between songs was adlib, but most was rehearsed since it had proven to get us laughter and/or applause. The recipe of Marssie's naivety, Lenny's exaggerated facial expressions, and my dumb Tommy Smothers persona clicked with adult crowds. Denny was usually deadpan and noticably annoyed by our antics. We were a well oiled musical machine! Could a stint at the Stardust in Vegas be that far away?
1 comment:
Can't believe you played "the dummy!" I'll see if John can come up with some possible supper club names.
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