Authentic
Rock ‘n Roll,
central Florida style
Kathy Spencer first heard about a Saturday night, 60’s garage band
reunion and battle of the bands concert from a friend at work. By the
time she got home to Orlando and told her husband about the show, she
was already looking forward to being there in person. Her imagination
was working and her hopes were up for a great night out.
Not that she had ever heard of Ron and the Starfires, or the Spades or the Canadian Rogues. Even the headliners, the Rogues, were an unknown entity to the Spencers. In fact, while Fred Spencer has fond memories of the music of his childhood, he had never seen any of the featured acts himself. Neither had his wife, Kathy, who was still in diapers when those bands were touring around central Florida, driving from gig to gig in their jam-packed vans, with their bands names painted colorfully on the side. But Mrs. Spencer claims to have eclectic taste and an abiding love of music. She confides without a hint of sarcasm, “All music appeals to me.” And so she ventured out with her husband on an hour long drive to the Lake Mirror Center in Lakeland, Florida to see and hear four bands they had never heard a note from before, on the recommendation of a friend.
The show was held on a clear, but steamy August night. The four hour extravaganza of locally grown talent featured bands that had made an impact on the youth of Polk county nearly four decades before. Back then their members had flat stomachs, full heads of hair and not a care in the world. They lived in the dreamy, hope filled, near utopian world of the young. They had their sights set on the stars, and every intention of taking their place on the world stage for all to see. They were long haired dreamers. And they had real talent.
Some band members fulfilled their youthful dreams of becoming full time, professional musicians through sheer tenacity. Others have compromised a bit, and hold down regular day jobs now, playing when they can at night and on weekends. But all have kept the fire burning in their belly’s to get together with their boyhood pals, beat the drums, twang their guitars and tickle the ivories until late into the evening. When the opportunity came to do it again after all these years, they came from far and wide to relive their youth. Doug English, who beat the drums for the Canadian Rogues then, and now, came all the way back to central Florida from Seattle to rejoin his band mates. Buddy Owen, the hard driving singer and guitar player who fronts the Spades came from California to play with his old band again. The last time they played together as a group was January 1967.
The bands weren’t just visiting their old partners though. They were also reliving the glory days of the Lake Mirror Center itself. “I saw Roy Orbison here.” said Ronnie Harrell, singer for both the Rogues and the Canadian Rogues. He continued to reminisce prior to show time, sharing stories of his early days as a fledgling rocker. “We backed up Neal Diamond here, too.” said Ronnie as he ticked off big names from the glory days of Rock ‘n Roll, one after another. He and his confederates had either seen or supported a good many icons of American music on the same stage they were about to take. The air was noticeably thick with memories.
Amidst all the story telling it came out that Polk county boys weren’t content to stay close to home with their musical aspirations. During sound check, several hours before show time, English and Harrell sat together telling and retelling tales about this show and that, played all those years ago. English laughs easily as he remembers the life of the young locals when they were touring as far north as Ft. Wayne, Indiana and as far west as Shreveport, Louisiana. In the days prior to MTV these local boys had made enough of a mark for themselves that some were making more money playing music at frat houses and in far off clubs than their parents were earning at their more traditional jobs.
Back in the present, by show time 650 people were crowded into the Lake Mirror Center. Most were in chairs arranged in neat rows. Several were milling around the front of the stage, with another jumble of shuffling feet in the back of the room, lined up at the bar. The age range was wide, from young children to Social Security recipients. But the majority appeared to be in their forties and fifties and clearly remembered at least one band from their youth.
The Canadian Rogues were the first band to take the stage, and by the time they launched into, “Knock on Wood” for their second selection the dance floor was filling up fast. The vast majority of the crowd made its way to the dance floor as the bands set continued. Swelling and undulating like an advancing tide. By the time the group left the stage the audience was in full swing, swaying with the music as if transported in time to a day when letting loose and acting silly was of no consequence. They had no clients to impress, or peers to conduct themselves appropriately for. This was a Rock ‘n Roll show. Cut loose and dance...that’s all there is to it.
The Spades launched into what is arguably the greatest, and the original Rock ‘n Roll anthem, “Louie, Louie” to a floor filled with dancing feet and smiling faces. They were the grittiest, bluesy-est band of the night, without a doubt. Lead singer Buddy Owen growled out “Hoochie, Coochie Man” like he meant it, with all the ferocity the song deserves. Brothers John and Halsey LaFrandre also took lead vocal duties during the all too brief 11 song set. Halsey distinguished himself with the only drum solo of the night, which seemed to both surprise and please the audience. Who apparently hadn’t found themselves cheering on a drummer since long before their own kids learned how to bang pots and pans together.
Ron and the Starfires took the stage and presided over a dance floor that was crowded to capacity with grown men and women bumping and grinding and groping each other just like their parents were afraid they might do three and a half decades ago in this same room. The Starfires set list consisted of classics from Van Morrison, the Kinks, Lonnie Mack and James Brown, among others. It was a mix more diverse than you’re likely to hear on commercial radio in this country, and was delivered with an intensity that has far more punch than the average oldies radio listener would believe. By the third hour of this sonic assault there is no question in any ones mind what was going on in the Lake Mirror Center. This wasn’t an oldies show, a retrospective of the Pat Boone version of 1960’s American youth. This was a full blown, hard charging rock-fest put on by some of the best players you’re likely to see in such close quarters. These guys can rock, and swing, and belt out the high notes with the best of them. Heck, they are the best of them as far as this audience was concerned.
The Rogues were scheduled to close out the show. But with time left on the clock before both hands pointed straight up, a jam broke out that pulled even more talent from the floor to the stage. Most notably Roman Whitney, son of Ron Whitney the lead singer for Ron and the Starfires. Working with a backing band that was made up of substantially the same group that was backing his dad, Roland pumped out rock solid, bluesy guitar riffs while unleashing an expressively powerful voice that did his heritage proud.
And so it went until Saturday night turned into Sunday morning. Out the door and across the parking lot a few hundred weary but exuberant late night revelers took the thrill of the evening home with them, transforming themselves back into staid and serious members of the community as they went. But cherishing the memory of this night until the next opportunity to let loose presents itself.
Kathy Spencer was smiling in the back of the room as the show wound down and the jam slid into, “Close Enough to Perfect,” a song written by Rogue, Carl Chambers, and recorded by Alabama. It’s one of Kathy Spencer’s favorite ballads and she was pleasantly surprised to find that the man who wrote the song had been playing for her for over two hours now. “I loved it.” she said of the show afterwards. “I just enjoyed the entire thing. I was blown away.”
She says she’ll be looking forward to her next chance to see and hear her new found musical treasure trove too. For the reality of old Polk county rockers is, they are as authentic as Roy Orbison, Conway Twitty and Elvis ever were. And when they step out on stage, they’re as good as it gets.
And that’s the truth!