Toledo Civic Theatre rocked Nov. 6 as Peter Tork – formerly of The Monkees – brought his own brand of blues to town.

Opening the evening’s entertainment were area vocal/acoustic guitar duo Elixer with their fresh interpretations of The Beatles, followed by The Nu-tones.

An all-ages audience of approximately 150 attended the show, which was beset with technical difficulties due to the less than optimal acoustics of the venue, and a table of disruptive drunks – about whom the security staff refused to do anything – was a definite detraction.

Tork

Still, headliner Shoe Suede Blues ripped thru one rousing rendition after another. Material ranged from the great Louis Jordan’s 1943 classic The Chicks I Pick Are Slender and Tender and Tall to blues-flavored versions of a half dozen hits from Tork’s boy band days to newer numbers. Particularly enjoyable was a rollicking arrangement of the Huey “Piano” Smith-penned Sea Cruise, best known as sung by Frankie Ford in 1959.

SSB has a cult following in New England where the band is based, and it’s easy to understand why: they’re electrifying, and their musicianship is superb. In fact, one loyal fan came all the way from Massachusetts to attend the show. SSB consists of a cool drink of water named Arnold Jacks on bass, the red-hot Derek Lord on drums, and the wonderfully eccentric Joe Boyle on guitar. Then there’s Tork. The 67-seven-year-old is even better than you remember. Moving easily between guitar and keyboard, Tork puts the lie to persistent rumors that The Monkees didn’t play their own instruments. And his voice is stronger than ever, despite his having been treated with surgery and radiation for oral cancer earlier this year.

Tho often dismissed as bubblegum by critics, Tork is a consummate musician, as are the other members of the band. These boys can wail.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at 6:32 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, In Concert.
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