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Remember the Rascals? Maybe not, if you were born after, say, 1958. Starting out as the Young Rascals, the quartet led by Felix Cavaliere produced some of the sweetest, best-natured, soul-tinged rock songs of the 60s, including “Beautiful Morning,” “Groovin’,” and “People Got to Be Free.” They held on to their East Coast urban ethnic roots well into the Beatles era. Even their psychedelia feels like it was created by people who’ve spent time listening to Frankie Lymon.
The concert part, though, is a triumph. Not only can the Rascals still play, but they project the delight in playing that made their first incarnation so much fun. Cavaliere, in particular, is soulfully regal behind what appears to be a Hammond B-3 organ, looking like an odd kind of cross between Carlos Santana and late-period Abbie Hoffman. The band get solid help from a backup quintet comprising three singers, a keyboardist, and bassist/music director Mark Prentice. (The preshow and intermission music is exceptional, too, including idiosyncratic old hits like “Game of Love” by Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders.)
