Tommy James and the Shondells at the Genesse Theater: Still doing the Hanky Panky
Rock musician Tommy James has had a strange career and that's putting it mildly. Among the bizarre events was the mafia owned the record company that released his hit records. In 1970, after a concert, James collapsed backstage and was pronounced dead.
It's fifty-three years later and not only isn't Tommy James deceased, he’s still performing. Tommy and the Shondells played at the Genessee Theater in Waukegan on Saturday night.
I was expecting a show of cheesy oldies but I got more than that. Sure, there was a lot of cheesiness, but what I didn't expect was how good a band this version of The Shondells is. These guys were legit players. Even James himself showed off his guitar skills. Plus, Tommy’s voice was still in good form at age seventy-six.
The songs were what you would remember if you came of age in the 1960s. The show began with “Draggin’ the Line.” Among the highlights were “Hanky Panky”, “I Think We’re Alone Now”, and “Mony Mony.”
The length of the concert is only one hour-twenty-three minutes so you don't get a lot of music for your money, but you also don't get bored. Overall, it was a more than pleasant way to spend nearly ninety minutes… and yeah Tommy James is still doing the Hanky Panky!