John North Editor & Publishe

My only foray to Bele Chere this past weekend was to see and hear the Loviní Spoonful, which provided a much-needed blast from the past among the final acts to perform late Sunday afternoon, on the Rock ëní Kiss Stage on Coxe Avenue.

It was worth the hassle of the crowds and traffic to hear this historic group, which has left a musical legacy that is sure to last. Indeed, in a span of four or five years following the ìBritish invasionî in the mid- to late 1960s, the Spoonful provided a spirited American musical response that brightened an increasingly strife-ridden planet with innovative good-time music mixing the best of folk and rock ëní roll, with a dash of country. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2000.
Hereís my take on the Spoonfulís Asheville concert:

Missing, of course, were two blockbuster founders of the band ó lead singer John Sebastian, who often played harmonica and autoharp; and Zal Yanovsky, the lead guitarist extraordinaire from Canada.

Sebastian, by far the most talented member, left to go solo in 1968. By any measure, he has enjoyed a fine solo career, too. Yanovsky, one of the first rock musicians to wear a cowboy hat on stage, left the group in 1967 following drug charges and the threat of deportation. He later opened a restaurant in his native Canada. Yanovsky died of congestive heart failure in 2002.

However, two originals ó Steve Boone and popular drummer Joe Butler (who now serves as lead singer) ó provided spirited performances and heartfelt renditions of their classic songs with the current version of the group in downtown Asheville. Also present on stage was an almost-original, Jerry Yester, who replaced Yanovsky on guitar and has been the groupís musical director since 1967.

The five-member group began at 4 sharp, as advertised, with ìYou Didnít Have to Be So Nice,î a quintessential Spoonful song that hit No. 10 in 1966, followed by ìNever Going Back,î which is an ode to Nashville, the country-music capital. That nicely segued into ìNashville Cats,î which reached No. 8 on the pop charts in 1967 and also charted in the top 10 on the country charts. With much pride, the group noted that it was the first song in American history to cross over onto both charts and reach such high positions.

One band member noted that, ìGee, if we only had a bass player to start us out ...î Just then, the bass riffs of ìJug Band Musicî began ó to the swaying audienceís delight.

The next song, ìA Younger Girl,î was introduced as being rerecorded as a hit by The Critters from an early Spoonful album. With mock sarcasm, one of the band members noted, ìWe hope you like OUR song.î As Butler sat on an amplifier, strumming his autoharp in apparent rhapsody, the Spoonful provided a crisp performance with a casual look.

After the romantic ìA Younger Girlî was finished, I couldnít help but laugh when one gray-haired Spoonful member deadpanned to the cheering female audience members, ìThank you very much ó and, take it from me, youíre all younger girls!î

Next, the group played ìFull Measure,î noting that it was on the flip side of the ìNashville Catsî single ó and, much to everyoneís surprise, also became a hit.

Perhaps to provide some comic relief, the Spoonful announced, ìWeíre going to do a song by a group from Southern California known as the Egos. Thatís E-G-O,î as the band segued into ìAvocado,î a semi-hysterical take on The Eaglesí ìDesperado.î As the crowd laughed, one group member joked about performing ìYouíve Got to Take it to the Clinic One More Time.î Fortunately, that version wasnít played.

Next, Mike Artuso played a painfully long drum solo, which, I mused, provided an opportunity for some of the old geezers in the Spoonful to rest.

ìYou know, this is our 42nd year on the road with the Loviní Spoonful,î one band member said. ìSomehow, in 1965, had the told me in 2007 Iíd be standing up, much less playing in a rock band, Iíd have laid off the ...î His comments triggered much laughter from the crowd.

While recognizing the bandís newer members (Arturi and Phil ìGuitarî Smith), the group saluted its departed founders, noting that ìwithout John Sebastian and Zal Yanovsky, our career would have been 42 daysî instead of 42 years.

The Spoonful then reeled off classics that included ìDid You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?î ìDaydreamî and ìSix OíClock.î During the whistling ending to ìDaydream,î the crowd joined in, prompting a band member to quip, ìAs I live and breathe, itís the Canary Tabernacle Choir!î

Prior to ìDarliní Be Home Soon,î the crowd cheered when the Spoonful asserted, ìWeíd like to dedicate this next song to our troops in Iraq ó weíd like to have them home NOW!î

Later, a band member noted that it emerged from the folk-music movement in the mid-í60s ó ìThe Beatles killed itî ó and desired to perform a medley of rock songs by other groups influenced by the folk genre, including ìNever My Love,î ìWalk Away, RenÈe,î ìMr. Tambourine Manî and ìCalifornia Dreaminí.î For me and many others cheering in the crowd, that smashing medley was the concert highlight.

The Spoonful concluded with its only No. 1 song, ìSummer in the City,î followed by its other major hit, ìDo You Believe in Magic?î Despite the absence of Sebastianís hallmark vocals, I still enjoyed the renditions, which proved to be crowd-pleasers. An encore, which included a crowd-participation number, ìDonít You Just Know It,î ensured everyone, including me, left with a smile.
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John North, publisher and editor of the Daily Planet, may be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .