If you are of a certain age (that would be my age), the name
Shaun Cassidy might throw you back to The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries on
Sunday nights, "That's Rock N Roll" and make your heart go pitter pat
like it did back when you were a teen or tween.
If you were a true fan you might still have the albums (I do) or you
might have the show on DVD (I could only find season 1). You might even know
that this teen idol didn't completely fade away (although it might have felt
like he did), he appeared on Broadway (I'm still bummed that I never saw
"Blood Brothers") and has written and produced several tv shows (the
most current being "New Amsterdam," but I was more of an
"American Gothic" fan.) He has
a website and is somewhat active on social media. And it was through this media, that I learned
that he was going back on the road this spring/summer (after the pandemic had
stopped his earlier attempt). I may have
missed out when I was a tween; I wasn't going to miss out again.
Despite doing a show in NJ (Atlantic City), the venue
closest to my home was in Tarrytown, NY and several months ago (I'm old; I
don't remember exactly when), I purchased a ticket for myself. I sure the heck wasn't going to pay to drag
my husband along. (Would he even let
himself be dragged?) By going solo, I
was able to snag (at a relatively reasonable cost; at least as far as live
performances go) a ticket in the front row (albeit on the far left side or for
Shaun, stage right). I considered it a
belated birthday gift to myself.
But as the day grew closer, life got more complicated. If you've been reading this blog, you know
neither of my parents are in the best of health and my mother, in particular
has been having some serious health challenges.
On the Sunday of the show, she was not in a good space, and I seriously
considered NOT going. It was only after
much back and forth with myself, that I decided after a stressful month (during
which I have had to make many difficult decisions when it comes to my mother's
health), I should take a break from reality, if only for a few hours, and so I
headed Northeast to Tarrytown (hitting awful traffic, but when ISN'T there
awful traffic on 287?)
The theater was small and the audience was 98% women. (Were there half a dozen men in the
audience? I think that's a valid
guess.) We were all of a "certain
age" and we were all excited to be transported back to our youth through
the music and stories of Shaun Cassidy.
And he delivered.
The highest praise I can give to Shaun and the two other
musician who shared the stage with him (keyboardist Kathleen Sieck and
guitarist Cole Cassidy) is that for the 60+ minutes that they were on stage, I
was present in the moment. I was part of
the story, the music and the magic. I
cannot emphasize how incredible and important this was. For the past year, and more specifically, the
past 29 days, I have crushing pressures coming at me from all sides. Despite efforts, I have not been able to
relax and my downtime has been pretty much non-existent. This concert was my refuge, my oasis of
joy. I was captivated and focused on the
music and the stories; every second was a delight.
With that said, I have two "complaints/criticisms"
(sort of). Are you listening Shaun?
- The show was too
short. It may be a lot to ask, but I
wanted more. More music! He sang many of his hits ("That's Rock N
Roll," "Hey Deenie," "Teen Dream," and of course
"Da Doo Ron Ron" to just name a few), he covered "She" and
"If I Loved You" (proving that he still has an INCREDIBLE voice) and
even sang a new song (against the advice of his wife.) I still wanted more! (I was looking for "Holiday,"
"Carolina's Comin' Home," "Audrey" and "Right Before
Your Skies." Yes, I'm an old
hardcore fan looking for the non-hits, specifically from his first three
albums.) But I wasn't just looking for
more music, I was looking for more stories.
Shaun Cassidy is a gifted storyteller.
(Which would explain why his "day job" is as a
writer/producer.) He shared his talent
with us, but I wanted more. I know
there's more to hear and I'll admit it, I'm greedy. I want more Shaun Cassidy stories from the
man himself.
- You left too quickly.
I know you had your family with you and maybe you wanted to get your
kids out and back to wherever you were staying (far from the maddening
crowd). That's what a responsible
parent/adult would do. But darn it, I
brought my Dynamite reproduction cover (which was small enough to fit in my
rather large purse as my copy of Born Late, which is my favorite of your
albums, would not) AND a red sharpie. I
knew it was a long shot, but I was hoping for an authentic Shaun Cassidy
autograph and maybe (I know I'm greedy) a selfie. (The one below isn't very good. I don't look as polished as I would like and
I don't know if anyone other than me would realize the figure off in the
distance on stage is you.)
But these "complaints/criticisms" can be easily
fixed...with your next concert series.
(Yes, I'm expecting more...I think your dedicated fan base is too.) With a summer break you could expand your
show with more songs and stories. Maybe
you could throw a meet and greet in for fans.
I know I'd be willing to pay for that privilege and HOPEFULLY on your
next go round Covid will be a thing of the past (or at least a better
controlled thing) so that we could safely and comfortably meet.
So thanks for an all too brief magical evening Cole,
Kathleen and Shaun. You lifted me up and
I really needed that. (Just wish I
didn't have to come back down to reality so quickly, but...) I'll be keeping my eye out for your next tour
(don't let me down on that) and can't wait to see you again.
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