David Cassidy on the Web
REVIEW: Cassidy plays hits, fans in fine form
May 23, 2010
By Diana Nollen
http://gazetteonline.com
RIVERSIDE - Teenage girls can sure scream loudly, even when wrapped in baby boomer bodies.
Few seats were empty Saturday night (5/22/10) in the Riverside Casino Event Center, until David Cassidy hit the stage. Little by little the seats started emptying as his fans remembered the heady feeling of standing at the edge of the stage, dancing, singing and reaching up to clasp their idol's hands. I even spotted some guys standing near me.
Um, yes, my inner tween wouldn't be denied this brush with greatness. And lest you smirk at the thought of a thousand 40-to-60-somethings acting like kids again, Cassidy was one of the early rock megastars who lept from the TV screen into packed stadiums and giant concert halls around the world in 1970.
At age 60, he's still poster-photo cute and terrific in concert. He knows what his fans want and he delivers in high-energy style.
He thanked the audience many times during the nearly 90-minute hit parade, saying how he was so afraid no one would come see him. Rick Springfield had been booked for a sold-out concert that night, but caught a sick bug and had to reschedule for Nov. 6. So on Thursday morning, Cassidy's agent called asking if he and his band could rearrange their weekend plans and head to Riverside.
Springfield ticketholders got first crack at their reserved seats, and at 8 p.m., the rest of us could go in and grab any empty chairs.
At the head of the line was Patty Feddersen, 55, of Cedar Rapids. "I've waited 40 years to see him," she gushed. Afterward, she declared the concert "fantastic, awesome."
"I got right up to the stage and got his guitar pick and shook hands with him," she exclaimed.
The highlight for her - and for most of the crowd, judging by the reaction - was his finale, "I Think I Love You."
"It brought back old memories of happy days," Feddersen said.
The entire concert was a hop, skip and jump down Memory Lane, but thanks to hip, updated arrangements, several of the earliest hits sound new again.
Cassidy and his stellar four-piece band kicked off the evening with the Partridge Family hit, "I Can Feel Your Heartbeat," sending his fans swooning. His beautifully feathered tresses have been clipped to a more decade-appropriate length, but he's still as energetic and expressive as when he rocketed to fame in the '70s.
The son of actors, he was born to the spotlight and his personality shines right through every dramatic guitar lick and his winning smile. He's in fine form vocally, as well, with solid high notes and terrific phrasing.
Of course he sang "Cherish" and "I'll Meet You Halfway." But he also played songs I didn't remember, like "Point Me in the Direction of Albuquerque" and "Hush," and threw just the right growl into an acoustic cover of "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone."
No doubt plenty of rejuvenated baby boomers woke up in love Sunday morning.
(JAG Entertainment) Shown here in an earlier concert, '70s heartthrob David Cassidy hit the stage Saturday night at the Riverside Casino Event Center with an enthusiasm and appreciation born from 40 years of setting hearts aflutter.
