Frankie's Still Got It

   The last two days have been fun-filled.  On Wednesday we celebrated Jan's birthday by going over to Deb & Dan's and having a scrumptious dinner.  She served a roast beef from Costco.  It comes in a plastic sack.  You microwave it for 10 minutes and voila, you have roast beef that tastes just like your mom makes, or my mom anyway, with gravy to boot!  It was great.  She also had philly-sour cream mashed potatoes, tequila berry salad, corn and Boston cream pie for dessert.  After dinner we all went to the back yard and sat around a bonfire.  Splendid night.

     Last night, thanks to Dan, we had Savoy pizza and then went to Mystic Lake Casino to see Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.  Frankie is still the original, but the Four Seasons are now 20-something bucks who do a bang up job of harmonizing and dancing behind Frankie.  I've seen him in person before but again was stunned at his height.  Even with Cuban heels, the top of his head barely grazed the chins of the new Seasons. It says online that he's 5' 5", which would make the Seasons about 6' 8".  Not sure I'm buying it.  It's amazing that this tiny 78-year-old man who could have just jumped off the top of a wedding cake can still belt out that wonderful falsetto exactly like he did nearly 50 years ago while barely moving his lips.  He's not too mobile on stage...oh, once in awhile he'll bust a 30 degree bend, or raise his left hand from its comfortable limp-wrist position, but he doesn't need to be too animated.  The boys move enough for three Frankies.  Frankie is the Man.  He's calm.  He's in control.  He oozes class and suavity.  Further, there's practically an entire orchestra behind him and the boys.  It includes a local horn section from whatever town he's playing, his own guitarists, saxophonist, drummer and keyboardist who also happens to be his music director of 33 years.  All of them provide 90 non-stop minutes of hits.  Not just music, but every single song is a big hit we all remember.  No wonder Jersey Boys won a Tony.  The music is timeless.

     The highlight for me, however, of this wonderful evening was when they sang Groovin' recorded by the Young Rascals in 1967.  I was singing along in my mind when Frankie and the boys crooned, "...you and me endlessly....groovin' on a Sunday afternoon."  For 44 years I've thought it was, "...you and me AND LESLIE...groovin' on a Sunday afternoon."  Talk about a revelation.  I've been wondering all of this time who Leslie was and what Leslie had to do with the song.  Was Leslie a fictional character or a real life friend of the lyracist or a band member?  Was there some secret message in the song for Leslie?  No longer do I have to ponder these questions....wait for it......endlessly.