Mount Vernon News

Sweet Revenge’s 33rd reunion concert Saturday night started mellow with the ’50s hit “Teen Angel.” It was the mark of a band that didn’t feel hurried to prove itself, for it knew just what it’d be able to deliver by evening’s end, when the group virtually blew the roof off the Memorial Theater with a hard-rocking version of “Freebird.”

The concert, hosted by Jenney Murray from WMVO, was the annual fundraiser for the Knox County Humane Society, which has been in existence since 1887. Because all of the performers donated their services, every dollar raised went to help the dogs and cats of Knox County.

The concert, introduced with the help of some reminiscent skits enacted by Liz Vining and Ian Ernsberger, quickly gained momentum. Spence Hoeflich Sr., looking for all the world like Papa Hemingway with his gray beard and Hawaiian shirt, impressed on lead vocals and harmonica. Hoeflich seems remarkably laid back on stage, saving his energy for when he sang and played, when he unleashed strong blasts of power, particularly on such tough vocals as “Runaway,” with its high-leaping chorus. At times, Hoeflich’s vocal (or anyone’s on the central microphone) had a tough time piercing through the band’s wall of sound, which at full force carried six guitars and sounded like a force of nature. Hoeflich was at his most impressive on his original number “Lady from the Deep Blue Sea.”

Rhythm guitarist and vocalist Mark Thomas served as resident mischief-maker, heckling his bandmates and exchanging good-natured barbs with audience members. When someone in the crowd threw a pair of ladies underwear on stage, Thomas promptly took off his hat and donned them as headgear. But, like all the best comedians, Thomas was very intense when he took lead vocal on several songs, combining power with the ability to smoothly croon. He seemed particularly at home in the southern-fried rock of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “They Call Me the Breeze.”

Lead guitarist Mike Snyder supplied several solos throughout the evening, including playing some bottleneck slide on “Freebird.” He took lead vocals on a few numbers, including a growl worth of Eric Burdon in The Animals’ classic “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” which was combined with “Come On and Dance” to become a real rock-and-roll juggernaut, especially when Chris Snyder joined Mike for a powerful guitar duet that threatened to overload the sound system. Chris Snyder proved to be a very polished vocalist when he took lead vocals in “There Goes Another Love Song,” which again saw the band in tight groove formation.

Randy Booke pitched in for a few guitar solos, as well as playing banjo and fiddle. Kent Eastman played keyboards and saxophone on several numbers, even contributing a flute solo to one Marshall Tucker Band tune which Hoeflich belted out vocally. Everything was tied together with resilience by drummers Bill Mahan and Ron Fraser and bass-player Dale Stopher. The three combined as a rhythm section that never put a foot wrong, and drove the music with astonishing precision. It’s hard to believe theband only assembles twice a year, for it plays with the assurance of a band that plays continuously, a band with a special chemistry that is more than the sum of its parts.

But those parts got extra jolts of energy from several friends who joined in for various numbers, including vocalist Lew Sleeman, who brought a punchy, bluesy growl to “Mustang Sally;” guitarist Ken Mishey, whose cutting voice pierced through the wall of sound on the Creedence Clearwater Revival song “Travellin’ Band;” Jim Casco on harmonica in “Back to the Country;” Ben Blackford on guitar for “Long Haired Country Boy” and vocal for “Memphis;” and Rick Mavis joining in on drums in a few numbers.

When the headliners took a break, the gap was filled by Rob Stevenson, Tony Linger, and Tim Eyster, who joined Randy Booke to perform a superb acoustic set including fine originals. The style was somewhere between bluegrass and country rock, and was warmly received by the large audience.

At the end, the acoustic band, all the special guests, and the audience joined Sweet Revenge in a sing-along romp through “Hang on Sloopy” to bring the evening to a fun close. The concert, which was recorded for future release on CD and DVD, was almost three hours of nonstop, top-drawer music from some of the finest home-grown musicians this area has ever seen, and, to top it off, it was for a good cause.

Hoeflich summed it up best after the concert.

“We just have so much fun up here, and I think the crowd has fun, and rest just kind of takes care of itself,” Hoeflich said.