Concert Review
David Cassidy presents The World's Greatest Teen Idols: Peter Noone, Micky Dolenz.
Grand Casino Hinckley Event Ctr. Hinkley, MN
September 22, 2013
My husband and I arrived for the Teen Idols concert that was being held at the Grand Casino in Hinckley, Minnesota a few hours early. After cruising through the casino (we can't figure out how to gamble and we're too chicken to ask anyone for a demonstration), we headed for the lobby to kill some time. On our way there, Mickey Dolenz walked past us, perhaps a foot away. My husband said, "Mickey Dolenz!" but to our disappointment Mr. Dolenz didn't so much as glance in our direction. A woman sitting in the lobby spoke to us after Mickey had vanished into an elevator. "He did the exact same thing to me! I said that how happy I was that he was going to be performing for us tonight and he didn't even look at me!" We chatted with this woman for a few minutes and learned that she was celebrating her almost one-year anniversary after having surgery for brain cancer. "The most important thing that I've learned is to have fun and be happy," she told us. "That's why I'm here tonight. I'm meeting a girlfriend who had brain surgery twenty-five years ago and we're going to have fun!"
An hour or so later we were seated in a large, packed auditorium waiting for the concert to begin. When the music started, David, Peter Noone and Mickey came out and sang, "Rock This Town." This was followed by a set by Mickey, then a set by Peter and finally, it was David's turn. Mickey's set was great (he might not be the most fan-friendly performer in the world but he is talented) and he did several standards such as "The Last Train to Clarksville" and "I'm Not Your Steppin' Stone." A highlight of Mickey's portion of the show was Mickey and David singing "Daydream Believer" in a tribute to Davy Jones.
Peter Noone took the stage next. His set was great and he told several funny, entertaining stories. Hearing him sing "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter" was, well, lovely. His voice sounds just like it did in Herman's Hermits heyday and it's hard to believe that this youthful looking, energetic man is in his mid-sixties. He jokingly said that he'd been mistaken for Nick Nolte at the Minneapolis airport but take it from someone who had second row seats: he looks waaaay better than Nick Nolte!
After Peter was through, it was time for David to take the stage. As expected, he didn't disappoint the audience. Hearing him sing "Cherish," "I'll Meet You Halfway" and "Doesn't Somebody Want to Be Wanted?" made the three hour drive from our home in southern Minnesota more than worth it. I especially enjoyed his comments about "Doesn't Somebody Want to Be Wanted" as I'd read that that particular song had been one that he almost quit The Partridge Family over due to the somewhat cheesy portion in the middle where he talks to the audience. Tongue firmly in cheek, David repeated the lines.
You know, I'm no different from anybody else
I start each day and end each night
But it gets real lonely when you're by yourself
Now where is love and who is love, I gotta know
Laughing as he finished reciting the lines, David said, "What is that all about? I was NEVER alone!"
While David was singing "Cherish," several women went up to the stage to shake his hand. The woman we had talked to in the lobby was one of them and it was apparent that she'd said something about her brain surgery to David when she shook his hand. He said, "I want to talk to you later." When the song was over, he gestured the woman back to the front of the stage and she shared how she was recuperating from brain surgery. Clearly touched, David said, "God bless you. This is what it's all about. Being healthy." It was amazing to see him take the time to talk to this woman and it was wonderful to see her glow after he spoke to her. That he would pause for a moment in the middle of the show to connect with a fan is probably the main reason why David Cassidy fans love him so much. He is the embodiment of a truly classy entertainer as well as a kind-hearted individual.
The show ended at six o'clock and by six-thirty my husband and I were on I-35 heading for home, tired, a dollar poorer after trying our luck with one slot machine but very, very happy.
Nell Musolf
