They're So Fine (Do-Lang, Do-lang, Do-Lang)

It wasn’t just a doo-wop revival; it was a doo-wop extravaganza.

Not one, but three groups took the stage at Burns Park on Saturday, as part of the “Music Under the Stars” series sponsored by the Town of Oyster Bay.

Even before the concert got started, anticipation ran high. Some audience members arrived three hours early to grab the best spots to view the evening’s performance.

“We’re excited to listen to all of them,” said Cathy McAvoy, who attended a concert at the park just last week to see Felix Cavaliere’s Rascals with her husband.

The show opened with The Chiffons, singing the hits that secured the group’s fame, including “He’s So Fine” and “One Fine Day.”

“You might be thinking, ‘these two were not here in 1963,’” said Judy Craig, introducing the two other members of the group. “And you would be right,” she laughed.

The original Chiffons in 1963 were Craig, Patricia Bennett, Barbara Lee and Sylvia Peterson. Lee died in 1992, while Bennett and Peterson left the group. On Saturday, lead singer Craig performed their most popular songs with her niece and daughter.

The female rock group didn’t  leave out one of their personal favorites, “I Have A Boyfriend,” which may have been less popular with listeners in the 1960s, but charmed the audience that night.

“We put it out and it didn’t go too high on the charts, but we always liked it,” said Craig.

The Crests took the stage next, featuring Tommy Mara, aptly nicknamed the “Pavarotti of Pop” by his listeners for his powerful vocals.

Several couples in the audience were compelled to get up and dance to the melodies of million dollar hits, “Step by Step,” “Six Nights a Week” and “16 Candles.”

“This is the song that made Johnny Maestro $13.67,” Mara informed the crowd, inviting them to snap their fingers to “My Juanita,” first popularized by Maestro, the group’s former lead singer.

The Crests took some concert-goers down memory lane.

“We danced to this music when we were kids,” said Farmingdale resident John Buckley.

The two-hour outdoor concert closed with Joey Dee and The Starliters, with special guests David Brigati, the original lead singer for The Starliters, and Bobby Valli, brother of  music legend Frankie Valli.

“This is the song that started my career. Its called ‘Peppermint Twist’ and it goes like this,” said lead singer Dee, presenting the song that inspired a 1962 rock musical entitled “Hey, Let’s Twist,” starring Dee himself.

The audience was certainly appreciative.

Two members of the crowd were so galvanized by the song that they stood up to do the ‘Twist,’ a dance fad that gained widespread popularity during the `60s. 

“This is my favorite type of music: old time rock and roll,” said one audience member Pat.

“I try to go to these things whenever I can. It’s a beautiful evening tonight."