Felix Cavaliere, original member of The Rascals, brings the band’s chart-topping 1960s hits and more to Brown County Music Center on Saturday.
Felix Cavaliere was groovin’ — in his element, right at the gym.
These days, at age 81 and still touring as a lead singer with one of the more classic rock ‘n’ roll shows, that physical preparation is nearly as important as any rehearsal prep behind the keyboard for The Rascals.
“You can’t do this if you don’t take care of yourself,” he said, speaking by phone from Nashville, Tennessee, where he lives.
Let the rock record show that Cavaliere, the only original group member who will appear at the 8 p.m. Saturday show at Brown County Music Center in Nashville, remains passionate about taking care of the band’s nostalgic fans. They’re folks who love The Rascals’ three No. 1 hits — “Groovin’”, “People Got to Be Free”, and“Good Lovin’” — and more than a dozen other Top 20 radio-friendly tunes such as “A Beautiful Morning,” “Mustang Sally” (before Wilson Pickett’s version, Cavaliere said), and “How Can I Be Sure?”
The group, formed in 1965 in Cavaliere’s native New Jersey, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. These days, when the current, six-member ensemble is within a few hours’ drive of original member Gene Cornish’s residence, he still performs while seated onstage.
Before touring again on behalf of The Rascals, Cavaliere also happily played for a time with Ringo Starr’s All-Star Band — and called the ex-Beatle an all-star of energy and enthusiasm after more than 60 years.
“You have to practically drag that guy off the stage,” he said.
Cavaliere promised that the group will do “all the hits,” plus small, teasing, 16-bar snippets of others’ hits such as The Temptations’ “My Girl” “just to keep people awake,” as he facetiously put it. He mentioned that he hardly readily expects to fill the 2,000 seat area music center. But the group did just play before an estimated 1,000 people at a Connecticut casino.
And the vocalist who still has a recognizable, bluesy, soulful voice, loved it.
“You have to understand,” he said. “We don’t get paid to play. You know that we’d still do that for free. We get paid to travel.”
He’s uncertain how long the Brown County show will last. However, he’s approaching it as practically as possible.
“If we get to the end,” he said, “and they wanna hear more, we’ll play more.”
Cavaliere remains proud of the sixties era that he helped influence. He speaks of the Beatles, Rolling Stones. Bob Dylan and others in nearly reverential tones.
“That music is priceless,” he said.
Who knows quite how much longer he can realistically do this, he said. He laughed about never dreaming that he could still be touring this deep into supposed retirement.
“But I just love the fact,” he said, “that the guys in this band love playing my music.”
About the concert
Who: The Rascals with original member Felix Cavaliere.
When: 8 p.m. Saturday.
Where: Brown County Music Center, 200 Maple Leaf Drive in Nashville.
Information: browncountymusiccenter.com.
