Rock Remembered, for What It’s Worth in Anaheim Show

Friday was a night to celebrate the old as “The 30th Anniversary of Rock and Roll,” a show featuring an assortment of rock and pop acts from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s, took over the Celebrity Theatre in Anaheim. Though many played just one or two numbers, each seemed to evoke certain memories for the nostalgia-crazed crowd.

The Tokens did two versions of their big hit, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” one with a band and one as a doo-wop number. The Coasters (minus group founder Charlie Brown) revisited “Yakety Yak” and “Charlie Brown,” while the New Seekers sang “Georgie Girl” and “Look What They’ve Done to My Song, Ma.”

Al Wilson brought the first half of the show to a soulful close, leaning into a slow, grinding rendition of “Show and Tell” and following it with a version of Otis Redding’s signature “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” that could hold its own against the original.

It was during the second half that the Celebrity really rocked. Mike Pinera came out, guitar in hand, and not only went through “Ride Captain Ride,” his big hit with Blues Image, but also jammed on Iron Butterfly’s classic rambling rocker “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.”

Buffalo Springfield Revisited proved that protest music doesn’t have to sound wimpy or dated. The band is a repackaging of the famed ‘60s group and does not include the two most famous of the originals, Neil Young and Stephen Stills. In fact, the new musicians who unfortunately were not identified individually.

But on the venerable “For What It’s Worth,” the band had the audience shouting “Hey!” after every “Stop” in the chorus. The Revisited truly bridged the generation gap, instead of merely mouthing ‘60s slogans, as did some of the other performers on the bill.

Badfinger switched the focus to the British Invasion, and after playing its own “Baby Blue” and “Day After Day,” the band brought Spencer Davis on the stage to play a freewheeling “Roll Over Beethoven.” Chuck Negron followed suit, bringing the female singers from the New Seekers back out to help him on “Celebrate.”

Rock and roll may once have been the music of rebellion, but it certainly has slowed down considerably since Woodstock. Hearing Pinera lead an audience in a cheer of “No” to punctuate a reference to “Just Say No (to Drugs)” probably would have been unthinkable during Iron Butterfly’s heyday. It’s obvious that some of these musicians have changed along with the times.

Still, for people who like to remember, these old musical heroes were more than willing to help them do it.