July 11, 2009 – A select and lucky few in the business of music can simultaneously look back on a successful 40 year run while looking out on a sold out crowd of fans screaming to hear the same songs here in the now. Tommy James is one of those people. Along with his band, The Shondells, Tommy became an absolute sensation in the late 1960s and sold more records than any other artist in the year that was 1968. He became a sensation once again last night in Fort Yates, North Dakota at the Prairie Knights Casino as fans gathered to hear the cherished hits and deeper cuts alike. From beginning to end, the set was heavy on energy and on hits. The singer appears as if he hasn’t aged a day, and together with his tight band the difficult task of bringing the studio Shondells sound onto the stage was accomplished.
Tommy climbed onto the stage amid the unmistakable beat that signals “Draggin’ the Line“, a monster hit he acheived shortly after forging a career without the Shondells in 1970. At any given show, it doesn’t take long for all eyes to be drawn to Tommy. With his long brown hair, signature voice, and commanding stage presence intact, it’s hard not to let your mind take you on a trip through time back to when the songs first hit the radio. “Crystal Blue Persuasion” was next, and it’s another crowd favorite. There’s no limit to the number of ways in which Tommy and his band could perform these classics, but they forge a path between staying true to the original recordings and bringing in new sounds and arrangements – and it works wonderfully. On stage the frontman is joined by his band – the Shondells. No, not the original Shondells, but rather a tight group of musicians who have been working with Tommy for anywhere between 9 and 20 years. As Tommy himself put it, the irony is that he’s spent more time with his current line-up than he ever did with the original ’60s Shondells. Indeed it was during a short time span of four years that the hits known around the world were churned out.
The next few songs in the set included “Tighter and Tighter“, a hit track Tommy wrote for the short-lived rock group Alive ‘N Kickin’. When “Hanky Panky” broke out, so did the crowd. Everyone was having a great time singing along and dancing to the simple, yet undeniably catchy song. When it was followed up by “I Think We’re Alone Now“, surely a few younger concert attendees were thinking that Tommy decided to cover a song by Tiffany, the female sensation of the 1980s who played the song time and time again to screaming girls at malls all over the country. It’s just a testament to the lasting effect and impact of his music, and I’m sure he doesn’t mind the misconception. During “Mony Mony”, bassist Owen Yost and guitarist John Golden provided both vocal and instrumental entertainment on stage while Mr. James ventured down a set of stairs and into the crowd to sign autographs and greet fans. There were plenty of male fans who wanted to shake his hand, but even more female fans who wanted a hug from the music legend. After some time spent mingling, he climbed aboard the stage once again to finish the song.
After the band departed, local radio personality Bob Beck grabbed the microphone and asked the crowd if they heard all the songs they wanted to hear. Of course, “Sweet Cherry Wine” was left unplayed, so Tommy and the Shondells finished off the encore with two more songs and a reprise of Mony. Expectations are set high for this group to deliver the goods in the live setting, and clearly the goods are still there. It’s hard to believe and you could even call it shocking that 43 years after he first emerged in America as a youthful music icon, Tommy James is still singing loud and proud for all to hear. He has his fans to thank for this tremendous longevity, and his gratefulness can be seen on his face as he smiles and performs. One thing that’s special about Tommy’s music is that everyone seems to have their own memories associated with his songs. All of us in the crowd had different memories coming to mind as the band tore through the set, and that’s the beauty of a Tommy James concert.
Want the latest on the singer and the songs? Head on over to TommyJames.com where you can sign the guestbook, and order a whole host of CDs and DVDs including ‘40 Years: The Complete Singles Collection‘, which features 48 songs on two discs. Also check out ‘Live at the Bitter End‘, a recent recording available in a DVD and CD combo package. You can also read our recent interview with Tommy at the following link: Tommy James May 2009 Interview.
