WPCNR DANCIN IN THE AISLES. By John F. Bailey. April 28, 2008: Saturday night was the most unusual concert The 5th Dimension has experienced in their 43-year recording and performing career – according to founding member, Florence LaRue. Speaking to WPCNR backstage she said the group had never gone on without musical scores, or their elegant costumes, but the show had to go on with or without the music – the sheet music that is.
5th Dimension Takes the Stage Saturday Night, Taking a Full House Up Up and Away at Westco’s Latest Gold Star Concert!
Let me set the scene for you: at the Westco Productions “happening” at Tarrytown Music Hall Saturday, staged by Westchester’s First Lady of Theatre, Susan Katz, an audience of over 700 waited. It was approaching 9 PM and Ms. LaRue and her “Dimensionaires” — were waiting for their music.
At that moment, speeding across I-287, was Ms. Katz’s co-producer, Peter Katz ,on a mission to and from LaGuardia Airport to get the legendary group’s music. American Airlines had lost the case of sheet music as well as the Dimension’s elegant limegreen suits and costumes due to the massive cancellation of flights from heavy weather Friday in the middlewest .
The Dimension improvised on costumes — having T-shirts made reading “London Paris Rome TARRYTOWN” (destined to be collector’s items), which were an instant hit with the audience when the group appeared on stage. But it was a question whether the Dimension musicians would have to play backup from memory. Would the music get there before they were to hit the stage?
As Mr. Katz screeched into the back parking lot of the ancient Music Hall, racing in with the music – the band was prepared go play into the night without music. But, with the music in hand and tension gone the 5th Dimension hit the stage with the audience warmed up laughed out and feeling great thanks to opener-upper comic Billy Garan – the Dimension gave Tarrytown all they had.
Getting Acquainted: Westco Concerts held in Westchester’s beautiful traditional theatres like Tarrytown Music Hall, bring out interesting reactions from the artists. Here The 5th Dimension get acquainted with the audience. Florence LaRue, original Dimension member , is second from left.
The group was introduced and bounded out with their first song drowned in applause. Rapport with the audience was immediate and the crowd entered another dimension in space and time – The 5th Dimension.
The Dimension sang for 90 minutes straight delivering 14 gold records, and favorites that evoked the emotions of those changin’ times, their voices and harmony stronger, more emotional and as meaningful, perhaps more meaningful than when they first became hits in the 1965-1975 era. Their intro song all but drowned out by the applause, they shifted into a Motown records classic – My Girl – complete with a nostalgic coordinated “Temptations” shuffle moves by Ms. LaRue’s backup boys — then launched into Up, Up and Away first big single and the audience was winging away feeling the freedom , the high of those years when that song just made you feel good.
The 5th Dimension — 1960s — Florence LaRue is pictured at lower right of this publicity still. Today’s Dimensions deliver a tight, personal show, as crisp as old Top 40 Radio – lead by the only original 5th Dimensioner – Florence LaRue, who was a Bronze Talent Award Winner in 1964. She’s perhaps even more beautiful today singing with an authoritative silky contralto with depth range and emotion that lifts you right out of your chair and makes you pay attention, baby.
From the warm start, the audience dug Wedding Bell Blues, Worst That Could Happen, Last Night I Didn’t Get to Sleep at All, and MacArthur Park, they turned to a change of pace:
Florence LaRue Today — Dancing with a member of the audience to Stoned Soul Picnic.
Stoned Soul Picnic turned into a dance contest, with Ms. LaRue going down into the audience, inviting former flower children to come up on stage and show their moves with her – and dance to the Dimension’s upbeat treatment of their classic. (You remember it, don’t you? “Come on and surrey down to the stoned soul picnic”).
Audience dancing in the aisles.
She got the packed-in house moving, conjuring up memories of Richard Nader’s Rock N Roll revivals, and as I’ve written before of these popular Westco Gold Star Concerts, the Fillmore East. Only no one was lighting candles or smoking anything Saturday night. They were listening to the once and future, and still digging it.
After the spectacle of Stoned Soul Picnic, the group assumed stools and showed their mastery of moods with what I’ll call, the “Rain” medley – started off by Jamila Ajibade’s solo turn on It’s Raining Men
Then Ms. LaRue showed off her remarkable voice singing a portrait of Stormy Weather that was a little Billie Holiday, a little Ella Fitzgerald, a little Lena Horne, but uniquely Florence LaRue. Ms. LaRue’s sensitivity and depth had the entire throng of upwards of 800 silent, rapt, reflective.
Ms. LaRue’s Stormy Weather was my favorite of the show and was a highlight of a set of rain songs, that included Ms. Ajibade’s Raining Men, Can’t Stop the Rain, Rain Keeps Falling on My Head. The difference between then and now is the group sings the songs with more depth and feeling, rich with the wisdom of a full life, the understanding conveyed in the harmony and earnest manner the group delivers them. They sound just like those great 45s — only better.
Love Back to You — The group wrapped up the evening with their perhaps most loved song, Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In and it did!
This brought back an encore where Ms. LaRue and the group just did not seem to want to leave. Rarely have I seen an audience so on edge, ready for every song – as energetic in listening as the performers were in performing. This reporter has heard only one other group over the years who played for 90 minutes straight — The Ventures. The 5th Dimension showed the advantage of the continuous format, building and building the memories with each song. They made everyone feel so good!
King of the Two-Liners
The Katzes also gave the Goldies aficionados something completely different on this concert: A standup comic who is really funny – the Italian Henny Youngman, Billy Garan – king of the two-liners – Set up and punchline in 25 words or less and you laugh — guaranteed! A lot.
As Mr. Katz was flooring it from LaGuardia back to Tarrytown music case in hand containing the precious sheet music, the new king of the one-liners 2008, comic Billy Garan fresh in from a gig in Atlantic City was convulsing the audience with his machine gun, New Yawk Italian wiseguy stand up routine – sample: “I’m sorry Rudy Giuliani didn’t get the nomination President, so we could have a President who can say, Go bomb Iran and make it look like an accident.” There was not one dud.
On and on his jokes went about traffic, L.A. people being too nice, tolls, all jokes consisting of two lines – setup and punchline. Like an Italian Henny Youngman, he went for 20 minutes, then 30 minutes – faster, funnier, cleverer than the Letterman – Leno – O’Brien legions of writers could ever be. He should be doing a talk show.
Garan asked the audience if they wanted “More” They did – and then he gave us his 4 minute version of Casablanca with him playing all the parts. Billy the joke gunner must have told 50 jokes. You cannot get more laughs for the money. You have to see him to believe him. But – Billy – please slow the lines down they’re all so darn funny – and you say them so fast – we hearing-impaired 60s types miss them. Give us a CD, please!
The Katzes caught Billy’s act in Newport, Rhode Island, and decided due to the nature of the 5th Dimension show to add him as an opening act. Rarely have I laughed so much – without it being polite laughs executed by myself because a comedian no matter how bad or unfunny, you feel as an audience you have to titter or give a polite laugh even though comedians are not funny in the least
There was no need for that with Mr. G. Mr. Garan got thousands of genuine, oh did he really say that’s? Gasps, grins and chuckles, yucks and howls of recognition—guffaws of truth – and belly laughs of shock. Laugh out loud laughs. Lots of them. There are no false laughs in a Garan monolog.
Mr. Garan works casinos from Las Vegas and points west and had just finished up a gig in Atlantic City, and gave Westchester some much needed laughs on what was a very bad week.
Westco’s Susie the K (Katz), left with The Fifth Dimension and the legendary Florence LaRue, center…and Michael Mishaw, left, Jamila Ajibade, Ms. LaRue, Leonard Tucker, and Willie Williams.
Another feature of Westco’s Gold Star Concerts is the autograph and meet and greets with the artists. Here Ms. Larue and the gang sign for their fans after Saturday’s show. (You have to love those T-shirts…what an idea). One Dimensioner told WPCNR after the show, that though he has been singing for 25 years, that he never gets tired of it. He loves it. It showed Saturday night.
The 5th Dimension is the latest in Westco’s Gold Star Concerts the series invented by Susan Katz two years ago that brings back groups so great they have never gone away. WPCNR has given her the sobriquet “Susie the K” — in homage to the legendary DJ, Murray the K who staged concerts at the Brooklyn Paramount.
The lineup to come includes Jefferson Starship with Grateful Dead pianist Tom Constanten September 27; The New Christy Minstrels October 5; The Turtles October 25 and one I know all of you fraternity brothers have been waiting for – Eric Burden and The Animals on November 16.
However, we have to do something about the dress code. At the next Gold Star Concert – bring those cigarette lighters – and could we see some tie-dyed dresses, ladies, please, and men – a few leather jackets? For information to score ducats, go to www.westcoproductions.org. Or dial 914-761-7463
Remember, children — it’s Peace, Love, and music, not lawyers, guns and money.
