Leader Publications

By JOHN EBY
Dowagiac Daily News

The Plaids bear The Beatles no ill will for their tragically premature demise, proving it by covering that hip-to-be-square anthem, “She Loves You, Yesiree.”

It’s Feb. 9, 1964, and as John, Paul, George and Ringo get ready to conquer America on Ed Sullivan, the Plaids, on their way to their first big concert in Pennsylvania, are killed by a busload of teen-age girls who miraculously escape unscathed.

Thanks to the alignment of time and space more than their grasp of “the sound of young America,” the Plaids return to Earth for a farewell concert.

In between sharing the stories of their snuffed lives, baritone Francis (David Carew), the confident leader who has a tendency to hyperventilate; tenor Sparky (Christopher Keech), the baddest boy of this bland boy band; Jinx (Tim Borst), the shy high tenor with recurrent nose bleeds; and bass Smudge (Joe Krueger), the dimmest member of the quartet, shine when they sing greatest hits from the 1950s before returning to heaven.
What have they got to lose? They can’t “die again.”

You can’t take it with you in one suitcase, and it could be the greatest comeback since Lazarus.

These fellows who met in audio-visual club in high school, possess the Osterizer chops to blend, puree, chop and mix harmonies.

This harmonic convergence reels off “Sixteen Tons,” “Chain Gang,” “Three Coins in the Fountain” and a tune which reminds them of their shapely Spanish teacher.

“Forever Plaid,” the Stuart Ross musical, will be presented this weekend only at Beckwith Theatre, 100 New York Ave., for five shows of cascading chords and warm clouds of sound.

The Plaids never dared dream as high as Top of the Pops, like four lads who shook the world.

These four didn’t see themselves at Radio City Music Hall, let alone the Pittsburgh Hilton. More like an International House of Pancakes in Scranton. Why should they?

The never merited a Buddy Holly plane crash blaze of glory, just a busload of “parochial virgins.”