From first to last note the Retro Rockets band captivated its audience at the St. Patrick’s Day party at the Annapolis Senior Activity Center.
The seniors sang along with the vocalists, clapped in time with the music, danced and applauded the band. In return, vocalists Iris Hirsch and Glenn Bullion crooned to some of the seniors. Larry McCoy played his sax among the crowd, danced and led a Conga line.
While these three mingled with the audience, keyboard player George Toth, drummer Bob Jones and bass player David Armbruster kept the beat going from the stage.
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Since it was a St. Patrick’s Day party, the band played some Irish music such as “When Irish Eyes are Smiling.” Alleging that Elvis is alive and Elvis is Irish, the band played Elvis numbers such as “Suspicious Minds” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love.”
With music “from the ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, and beyond,” the Retro Rockets got the seniors moving. “The Electric Slide,” “Splish Splash,” and “Mustang Sally” brought the seniors to their feet, but slow or fast, they enjoyed all the music. Other music that took them back to their younger days included “At the Hop,” “Up on the Roof,” “Proud Mary,” “In the Still of the Night,” “Calendar Girl,” “Stand by Me,” and “New York, New York.”
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In addition to dancing, the party gave the seniors an excuse to dress up in their green outfits and to enjoy Shamrock-shaped cookies with green sprinkles, chips and punch.
About 100 seniors attended the party. Many came to hear the Retro Rockets because the band had performed for the Annapolis seniors on three other occasions. As its last selection, the band played “Goodnite, Sweetheart, Goodnite.” The seniors can only hope that the band will play for them again on some of their tomorrows.
For those who missed the party or those who would like to relive some of the fun, a clip from the party will be aired on Senior Centers in Action in April at noon and 7 p.m. daily on AACTV (Comcast 98/Verizon 38). It will also be uploaded to YouTube so people can watch online.
