Last night: Herman's Hermits, Billy J. Kramer, Terry Sylvester (Hollies), Joey Molland (Badfinger)

[Faygo Kid]

Last night we went to the British Invasion concert in Baltimore.

Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas were first. He was very good, and did familiar songs, but didn't do "Trains and boats and planes," which I wanted to hear.

Next was supposed to be Denny Laine of the Moody Blues, but he was a cancellation. The crowd groaned, until they announced that they flew in(from Toronto, where he lives now) Terry Sylvester, lead singer of The Hollies (from 1968 forward). I was frankly happy about it, and he did early Hollies hits as well as his own, like "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress." Excellent. Then, Joey Molland of "Badfinger," and he was high energy and sang all the hits. He was a really good musician, too, and tore it up with the house guitarist, who was way cool.

Then intermission, and last, an hour-long set from Herman's Hermits, which brought the house down. Not because their music was better, but because Peter Noone is such a showman. He did some very funny comedy shtick, and some great "covers," from Tom Jones to Johnny Cash to Mick Jagger. Gave us our money's worth. The encore song was "There's a Kind of Hush," and that was great. Of course, when everyone sang the hits, the audience turned from the stage to listen to me (in my dreams). Actually, I must be really old, because I remembered the words to more songs than I thought I would, from every group.

Anyway, it was a great time, and a magical Boomer evening.


Terry Sylvester (left), Joey Molland (right), Steve Garvey (center. WTF????)