Michael’s Musical Musings: Musical Chairs
My hometown of Waterbury, CT proudly promoted the multi-use Municipal Stadium, just a mere 2 blocks from my family abode. Opened in 1890 and called ‘Driving Park’ for horse and dog races, it has been the purveyor of fireworks on the 4th, football games, high school baseball practice, live music shows, skating in the winter, and a decent concession stand. I guess one highlight for me was seeing Soupy Sales there doing his new dance craze, ‘The Mouse’. He had famously performed it on the Ed Sullivan Show in Sept ’65, just prior to the Beatles segment. For reasons unknown, I was inexplicably swept up in this dance craze…and when I heard he was coming to do a show locally….well…I went a bit crazy! Just maybe, I fantasized, I could join their troupe as an intern roadie or ‘gofer’ and go on tour with them…like joining the circus…only better…
I thought I’d get a jump on the upcoming gig by volunteering my services to set up chairs for the concert and do anything else to help prepare for the show. Setting up the chairs was fun, but took forever. Eventually I got my ‘free’ ticket and stayed for the show. This was one of those Murray the K or Allen Freed type multi-act shows that featured short appearances by 5 or 6 performers. I can’t remember the other acts except for the Chiffons. I saw them standing outside their trailer smoking cigarettes and wanted to go over and get autographs, but they looked so aloof and ‘street smart’ that I lost my nerve and scuttled away empty handed. Soupy suddenly appeared, dancing around the stage with his hands cupped behind his ears flashing a big toothy grin…probably hoping this dance craze of his would get ‘legs’ and secure him an early retirement. Upon reflection, the day had been fulfilling, but I ultimately came back to Earth and reaffirmed my allegiance to the Beatles and let Soupy fade into ‘one hit wonder’ obscurity.
Other smaller local music venues booked bands like The Wildweeds, who had a hit single, ‘No Good to Cry’, or Vanilla Fudge playing their 1967 cover of ‘You Keep Me Hanging On’. But, fortunately, Municipal Stadium occasionally booked national bands like The James Gang or The Youngbloods. In the 70s, acquaintances, Mike and Richie, teamed up to promote rock shows at Waterbury’s Palace Theater. I enjoyed seeing the Grateful Dead there in 1972 and Queen in 1974. The latter band was the loudest concert I ever attended. They had a super clean sound but absolutely ear-piercing. The band knocked me out but ended up stripping away at least 10% of my hearing….What?
