Log In


Reset Password

Fabulous Greaseband proves 'fabulous'

Ever visit an old-time diner, like Silk City near Reading, where you can pick from tons of old-time songs to play on the jukebox? What memories of a great musical past: Dion, the Supremes, Del Shannon, Beach Boys.

It was like that jukebox came to life Friday night at Penn's Peak in Jim Thorpe when the Fabulous Greaseband took the stage.The Fabulous Greaseband proved fabulous in song selection and stage presence.It was one of two concerts staged at the venue on New Year's Weekend. On Saturday night, Live Wire, billed as the "World's Greatest AC/DC Tribute," put on a New Year's Eve show.The next event at the Peak will be on Friday, Jan. 20, when Air Supply is here in concert. Tickets are $35 and $30.Air Supply, together for 35 years, has had such hits "Lost In Love," "All Out of Love," and "Every Woman in the World."The Greaseband played all cover songs, which included a lot of dancing music. They played love songs, doo wop, Motown, pop, and even a little bit of country.Their skits included mimicking the Blues Brothers and a couple of scenes from the 1978 movie, "Grease," which starred John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.The Greaseband played songs from the 50s ("In the Still of the Night"), the 60s ("Brown Eyed Girl"), the 70s ("Taking Care of Business"), the 80s ("Soul Man"), and the 90s ("Man! I Feel Like A Woman").Together for over three decades, the Fabulous Greaseband is comprise of seven members, including three key vocalists, Chuck Broadbent, Harry Pasquito, and Jeanne Giguere.Giguere is actually with the band for the past decade, but has become a vital part of the group.She opened the show with the hit by the Ronettes, "Be My Baby."For three songs, the crowd was satisfied with just listening to great pop songs from the 60s vault, but then in the fourth song, the tempo slowed with the band playing the ballad "Crazy" by Patsy Cline. This brought many audience members to the dance floor and some never sat down. It was a dance party for the rest of the night.Broadbent was quite the showman, stealing the act as a "Blues Brothers" imitator.Pasquito fit in perfect as the "greaser" wooing "Sandy" in the Grease scenes. The duo shined in this setup doing such songs as "Summer Nights" and "Grease Lightning."The band closed its two-hour show with an Americana medley dedicated "to veterans and the boys and girls overseas." Songs in the grouping included Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA," the Oak Ridge Boys' "American Made," and the Lee Greenwood anthem "Proud to be an American."A curtain call was made with another medley, this consisting of rock 'n roll songs such as Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock & Roll," Joan Jett's "I Love Rock & Roll," and Kiss's "I Wanna Rock and Roll All Night Long."

Ron Gower/TIMES NEWS Lead singer Chuck Broadbent of The Fabulous Greaseband imitates a member of the Blues Brothers during the Greaseband's concert on Friday at Penn's Peak in Jim Thorpe.