Playboy

  When a concert is announced, there are sometimes opening acts leading up to the headliner.  That person or group is who people come to see.  Usually, the opening people are not as well-known as the headliner, and they are being promoted by the organizer.  Sometimes, the opening acts are people you have heard of.  Such was the case in both at this show.  

 It was put on as a benefit for the local firefighters in Columbia.  The acts were The Shirelles, Andy Childs, and Gary Lewis.  I didn't know who Andy was, but I had come to see Gary Lewis.  The Shirelles opened the show.  

 I knew some of their music from the fact that they were on tour with The Beatles back in the day.  I was sitting on the 2nd row with my friends Chris and Del.  During their set, they wanted an audience member to come up on stage and sing "Going to the Chapel of Love".  They pointed at me.  My heart sank.  I kind of knew some of the words of that song, but not enough to perform on stage. My life had passed before my eyes.  As I was about to stand up, the man sitting in front of me on the first row stood up.  I was so relieved!  They put on a great show.

 Next came Andy Childs.  I wasn't familiar with his work, but it was kind of like country rock.  He had the audience eating out of his hand.  He was amazing.  Every song came with massive applause from the audience.  By the time Gary Lewis (formerly of The Playboys) came on stage, the crowd was exhausted.  He sang almost all of his hits from the 60's which were many.  There was one problem:  our hands were sore from clapping for the two previous acts.  Everyone was polite to Gary, but we were exhausted.  By the way, for those who don't know, Gary Lewis's father was Jerry Lewis.  

 After the show, Chris, Del and I stayed outside at the stage door to meet Gary.  He signed the albums and cd's that we had brought.  He was nice to talk to, and we gave him a copy of our music from The Cobbwebs.  He heard it later and emailed us that he liked it.