By Audrey Anderson
Hometown Weekly Reporter
The energetic Retro Rockets arrived ready to entertain the crowd on Tuesday, August 20 at the bandstand on the Walpole Common. Together since the winter of 2006-2007, the group has been performing in lounges and town concerts for almost 20 years, bringing back classic rock and oldies favorites for appreciative audiences.
The group’s sound was tight. They offered strong lead vocals that were balanced particularly well with the guitar, bass, keys, and drums to create a powerful sound. The keys added so much atmosphere to the music with a wide range of effects, while the lead singers’ voices were strong and expressive over the wide range of songs performed.
The memorable songs played by the Retro Rockets included “Temptation Eyes” by the Grass Roots, “To Love Somebody” by the Bee Gees, “Soul Man” by Sam and Dave, “Woolly Bully” by Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs, and “Kind of a Drag” by the Buckinghams. In “Palisades Park” by Freddy Cannon, carousel music and other typical amusement park interludes played on the keys brought back so many great memories.
In the crowd, adults relaxed, listened to the band, and chatted on the comfortable stone checker/chess tables on the common and on their own folding chairs. The children were drawn to the colorful Walpole 300 ducks that made an appearance together on the common.
According to the Walpole 300 web site, “the ducks were designed and painted by a group of Walpole High Art Students under the guidance of their Art Director, Sandra Allison . . . [and] Assured Collision [gave] them their final shiny protective coating.” The shiny, technicolor, larger-than-life ducks added to the festive atmosphere of the concert.
You can learn more about the Retro Rockets on the Facebook page @retrorockets, and if you’d like to reminisce by listening to their classic rock songs, see their You Tube channel @RetroRockets-Boston.
