The Classics IV

The Fox Theatre

Hutchinson, KS

By Lydia Lowe (photos by Bob Hunter)

       The late 60's and early 70's I feel, was the golden age of rock music. So many different combinations of instruments and styles were brought together. Everything was fresh and new, artists pushed the envelope to see what they could create. It wasn't like today where there is little variety and nothing original stands out. The music of today is so homogenized, so much of the same. So, seeing the Classics IV on Saturday night at The Historic Fox Theatre in Downtown Hutchinson was a real treat.

     While this is not the original group, the sound was much the same. And another treat for the evening, is that the group sang other songs from the era by a few other performers, this was a night to remember.

        The evening started out immediately as the band hit the stage with People Got To Be Free by The Rascals. There was some light bantering at the end of the song and then the hits just kept coming. Everyday With You Girl, Pollyanna, and then Unchain My Heart by Joe Cocker, What Am I Crying For, and then It's Not Unusual by Tom Jones. Then a treat, a new song done in Classics IV style, Teenage Lovers. This song is part of a Route 66 musical project. We heard Cherry Hill Park, Stormy, and then it was time for another new song in Classics IV style, A New Horizon. There was the Neil Diamond song, Sweet Caroline. All in Your Mind had just a beautiful flute solo. Least I forget, there was a tremendous amount of saxophone solos throughout the evening. I just love the sound of the saxophone, it's one of my favorite instruments.Then there was a montage of songs by The Buckinghams which included Don't You Care, Mercy Mercy Mercy, and Hey Baby (There Playing Our Song). There was a tribute to the founding member of the group who is no longer with us, Dennis Yost, and we got to see him on the screen while the band sang Traces of Love.

      And then the concert drew to a close. The band handled the encore in a unique way. The final song was Lee Greenwood's Proud To Be An American. It was done as the big send off to end the concert. Then the band stayed in place on stage and Tom Garret, the lead singer and front man of the group announced that instead of walking off stage, waiting for the audience to jump to their feet and hoot and holler for an encore they were going to stay where they were as they were old and didn't want to have to walk off stage. Also, what if the crowd didn't applaud, hoot and holler? The band had one more song to sing. So everyone jumped to their feet and clapping, and the band began singing Spooky.

     Truly a magical evening and a wonderful way to end the 2014-2015 season at The Historic Fox Theatre.