Three Dog Night Rocks The Esplanade!
Some rock and roll bands get better with age. The first concert of the 2009 Oldies 103.3 Free Summer Concert Series took place on Saturday June 13, 2009 at the Hatch Shell. Three Dog Night rocked a festive crowd of about 75,000. The weather was beautiful, with bright sunshine until dusk that was accented with a few attractive gray planar clouds.
The classic rock band Paisley Project warmed the crowd and built excitement. A set of cover songs were featured including titles such as: "Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band" by the Beatles, California Dreamin' by the Mamas and the Papas, and a great rendition of "Bus Stop" by the Hollies.
The crowd was diverse in age, from the youngest of babies being pushed around in numerous carriages, to seasoned silver music fans watching the show from traditional lawn chairs. The air was filled with a very attractive scent comprised of a mixture of popcorn, cotton candy, sausages, fries, and pretzels; the smell was similar to that of an old-fashioned carnival. The event was truly family-friendly.
Famous Boston Disc Jockey J. J. Wright introduced the main attraction. The crowd was primed and ready and chanted back the band's name a couple of times.
Three Dog Night animated a sea of people with their songs "Black And White" (1972), Never Been To Spain" (1971), and "Shambala" (1973). The harmony was superb, bringing one’s memory back to the early '70s. The band followed up with their big hits "Easy To Be Hard" (1969), and "An Old Fashioned Love Song" (1971). By that time dusk had set in, and the Hatch Shell back-lights were turned on, as well as a synchronized multi-colored light show that reflected off the large crowd.
The lead singer paused for a moment and talked about the band and its roots back in Los Angeles. The group had formed in about 1968, and then dominated the pop charts until 1974. The singer acknowledged the influence of R&B artist Buddy Guy, and described the setting of when some of their songs were originally written.
A rousing version of "One" (1969) then got people dancing on the park benches of the lawn fringes. An excited concert-lover declared, "They sound better live than in the studio!" Some high pitched music notes were achieved, just as they were over 40 years ago. "One" was followed up with a newer blues song, and then the band sang a cutting rendition of "Liar" (1971).
The performance was building to a crescendo. The lead singer joked about a comment by a fan: "Mama Told Me Not To Come (1970) was the origin of rap music." Half-way through "Mama" the vocalist flipped his hat around and broke into a rap song. The rap started with a melody similar to "That’s The Way I Like It" by K.C. & The Sunshine Band, and then eventually resembled something Amy Winehouse might sing. The crowd responded with laughter, dancing, and cheers. This break in "Mama" was a complete surprise, and was extremely funny.
This festive concert was capped off with "Celebrate" (1970), and then of course "Joy To The World" (1971). Everyone sang along and the event ended with roaring applause. CelebrateBoston would like to thank some of the sponsors for an extremely family-friendly event:
Contact Information & Address:
Hatch Shell (Mass Department of Conservation & Recreation)
Storrow Drive & Mugar Way, Boston, MA
mass.gov/dcr
