Forget your Kelly Clarksons and Clay Aikens; Barry Williams & Co.’s incoming nostalgia-fest trumps any of the so-called modern-day “idols” ...
1. Barry Williams, “It’s a Sunshine Day” (It’s a Sunshine Day: The Best of the Brady Bunch, 1993) YouTube promos show the former Greg Brady decked out in full bell-bottomed, blindingly hued regalia. Dude, there’s a reason everybody’s smilin’ and laughin,’ and it ain’t the weather..
2. The Cowsills, “Hair” (The Cowsills in Concert, 1969) Not only is Hair considered Broadway’s first rock musical, In Concert was the first live album to include a studio track. Who knew?
3. Rex Smith, “You Take My Breath Away” (Sooner or Later, 1979) Tough call; either this song or a selection from his many years as The Pirates of Penzance’s Frederick ...
4. Bay City Rollers, “Shang-a-Lang” (Bay City Rollers, 1975) The ridiculously titled ditty birthed a UK TV show of the same name and helped usher in the challenge to the Beatlemania pop-cultural throne known as Rollermania.
5. Bay City Rollers, “Saturday Night” (Bay City Rollers, 1975) America, meet tartan. Angus Young, meet your nemeses.
6. Melvins with Leif Garrett, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (The Crybaby, 2000) “It’s one of the best, most f--ked-up ideas I’ve ever come up with,” Melvins vocalist/guitarist Buzz Osborne said in 2000. “He saw the idea of this as being something that would be interesting to capitalize on—not really to become rich and famous again, but just to do something cool.”
7. Leif Garrett, “Former Child Star” (Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star soundtrack, 2003) Garrett shares credits with Corey Feldman, Todd Bridges, Gary Coleman, Dustin Diamond and more. ’Nuff said. –Julie Seabaugh
Original Idols Live featuring Bay City Rollers, Leif Garrett, The Cowsills, Rex Smith, Barry Williams. September 1-2, 8 p.m., $25. Silverton pool, 914-8557.