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... by Joanne Corsano ... joanne@picturelake.com

click thumbnail to see a photo gallery
of the concert

This is Rock 'n' Roll - Shutdown - Let's Rock 'n' Roll - First Kiss - Good News Now - She's An Angel - You're the One - Temptation - Under the Boardwalk {The Drifters} - Summer Girls - Upside of Lonely [sung by Dave Fox] {Tom Hambridge} - The Suitcase Song [sung by Dave Friedman] {old Vaudeville song} - Jeremy the Eighth {parody of Herman's Hermits} - Santa Claus is Back In Town - Rock, Jump and Holler - Never Tell An Angel - Coast to Coast - Palisades Park {Freddy Cannon} - American Fun - All I Want for Christmas is a Rock 'n' Roll Guitar

Scroll to below videos for a review of the show.

Let's Rock And Roll

First Kiss

Under the Boardwalk / Summer Girls

Rock, Jump and Holler

Never Tell An Angel

All I Want For Christmas is a Rock 'n' Roll Guitar

The Stompers were a very popular local rock band in the Boston area during the late 1970s through the mid-1980s. They have reunited several times each year for the past many years, including a yearly show on the Saturday after Thanksgiving at the Bull Run in Shirley, MA, west of the Boston area.

I've gone to almost all of these post-Thanksgiving shows. Last year there was no show due to the pandemic. When this show was announced a few months ago, I immediately bought tickets and then just as immediately had second thoughts. As much as I love this band, I said to myself, do I really want to gather in a crowd with potential Covid carriers? But as the months went by and the pandemic fluctuated from bad to okay to worse, the Bull Run, along with many other local venues, to their credit, started adopting a policy requiring proof of vaccination at the door.

Then a few short weeks before the show, The Stompers made an announcement on their Facebook page. This was going to be their last live show, ever. Dave Friedman and Jeremy Brown both live out of the area; Sal Baglio, Steve Gilligan, and Dave Fox all continue to be busy with performing with other bands, and recording their own music. Then there were the difficulties of traveling during the crazy time. And it had just become really difficult to reunite the band. During the show Sal emphasized that no one in the band is retiring from music; they're just retiring from The Stompers as a live act.

They very much put on a show worthy of a last gig. They played most of their best known songs, which were Boston radio hits back in the '70s and '80s. Several band members besides Sal got lead vocals. Steve sang The Stompers' classic "First Kiss" (a song he has covered on a solo album); Dave Fox sang a cover of the Foghat song "Upside of Lonely"; Dave Friedman sang what he thinks is an old Vaudeville tune, the naughty "Suitcase Song"; and although Jeremy didn't get a lead vocal, he got a tribute in the form of a parody of Herman's Hermits called "Jeremy The Eighth." The crowd loved singing along with many of the known Stompers classic, "Good News Now," "Shutdown," and others.

Since this was the first weekend of the traditional holiday season, there was a Christmas tree on the stage behind Dave Friedman's keyboard (stage left) and the band performed a few Christmas classics, including ending the show with the Stompers' classic "All I Want for Christmas is a Rock 'n' Roll Guitar" for which the entire band donned Santa hats.

A great time was had by all. Sal was in fine spirits, occasionally ribbing the audience for not jumping up and dancing (as if it were 1980 and we were all in our twenties), but you could feel the love passing between him and so many of us fans who have followed this band for years. Steve was his usual buoyant self, and the whole rest of the band were in top form musically and were obviously enjoying this loving good-bye.

Personally I won't be surprised if The Stompers stage a reunion in the not distant future, but for now there is nothing coming up on their schedule except for the numerous activities of the individual members. So, for now, bon voyage to The Stompers, and thank you for the music that has been such a part of my life for decades.

Here is a page with a handy list of links to all pages on this website with content relating to The Stompers and individual members of the band.