An evening of great oldies is in store for the audience at 7:00 pm on May 4th at the bergenPAC. LAR Enterprises will present “Oh What a Night of Doo Wop & Rock ‘n Roll Volume III,” featuring Kenny Vance & The Planotones, Larry Chance & The Earls, Chris Montez, The Dubs, Kathy Young, The Fireflies and The Classic Sounds. The evening is hosted by Cool Bobby B of Sirius Radio 50’s on 5.
Kenny Vance and the Planotones first arrived on the scene as a fictional band appearing in the 1978 film “American Hot Wax.” After leaving Jay and the Americans, Vance formed Kenny Vance and the Planotones in 1992. Now among today’s great vocal pop musicians, well known for the hit “Looking for an Echo,” the group’s sound is original, with broad and appealing dimensions. Comprised of Kenny Vance, Johnny Gale, Ladd Vance, Jimmy Bense, keyboardist Chip Degaard and Tony Galino on drums, the group redefines oldies with vocal authority and freshness.
Larry Figueiredo was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Upon moving to the Bronx in New York, he formed a group called The Hi-Hatters. The group was eventually rechristened The Earls and Larry changed his last name to Chance, after the record label. In 1962, the Earls’ single “Remember Then” was a huge national hit. Other records entered the charts, including “Never,” “Life Is But a Dream” and “I Believe,” an all-time east coast classic.
Chris Montez is a guitarist and vocalist whose style has ranged from rock ‘n roll to pop standards and Latin music. His rock sound is exemplified in songs such as his 1962 hit “Let’s Dance,” featured in the classic movie “Animal House.” He later changed to a more traditional role as a popular singer of soft ballads, scoring a hit with “Call Me” in 1966.
The Dubs are an American doo wop vocal group formed in 1956, best known for their songs “Could This Be Magic,” “Don’t Ask Me to Be Lonely” and “Chapel of Dreams.”
Kathy Young was a teen pop singer during the early 1960s, whose rendition of “A Thousand Stars,” at age 15. She was inducted into the Doo-Wop Hall of Fame in 2014.
The Fireflies are a doo-wop group from Long Island, New York. They were one of the first groups in which all band members both sang and played instruments. “You Were Mine” was their biggest hit, about a girl, who band member Paul Giacalone (now sadly deceased) met on tour while still a teenager.
Where else could such sweet music emerge from two teachers, a surgeon, a plumber and long-time artist? Only from the Classic Tones, whose a cappella harmonies always have the audience singing along.
Ticket prices range from $39 to $79 and are available at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling bergenPAC’s Box Office, 201-227-1030. The bergenPAC is located at 30 N Van Brunt Street in Englewood, New Jersey.
