Concert Review: Tommy James & The Shondells- Valentine’s Day at Penn’s Peak

Rachel Cholko
16 hours ago
4 min read

What’s a better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with some of the greatest love songs ever recorded? The answer is: to watch the man who recorded them perform them live!

Tommy James & The Shondells returned to Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, PA on February 14th for a Valentine’s night of rock, romance, and groovy 60s reminiscence. Though this event was postponed from its original date of mid-October, it was hard to be annoyed that they had somehow picked the perfect date to reschedule it for. Groups of lovers flocked to the top of the chilly mountain this past Saturday, their hearts set on taking in all the legendary tunes.

Having seen this group about two years ago, I was curious to see what my camera would pick up from them. Unfortunately, I ended up not being allowed to shoot for very long, so my eyes alone would have to do most of the work this time. My ears, however, were brought back to the familiar and uplifting sounds immediately.

It’s both joyous and tough when your favorite song ends up being the set opener, but “Draggin’ the Line” from Tommy James’ 1970 solo record Christian of the World sets the mood like no other track would. With six “Shondells” onstage with James, the resulting live rendition is undoubtedly heavier than the original recording— and it suits it extremely well. It feels like the most perfect live opener surprise for this group.

A veil of blue light engrossed the band for the next track, “Crystal Blue Persuasion”, giving us the psychedelic audio that became partially synonymous with the group over the years. The classic, upbeat “Say I Am” and “Gettin’ Together” followed, just before James took an acoustic guitar to his microphone to perform “Please Pull the Twine” (a Roger Miller-penned spoof of Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line”). Once the audience’s howling laughter and applause quieted, he relayed some news and a story upon us.

The last time I saw Tommy James & The Shondells, James had mentioned that his memoir, Me, the Mob, and the Music, was being turned into a feature-length movie. Since it’s been roughly two years since I last heard this statement, he gave us a bit of an update on the film, stating it is now in the process of becoming an episodic series rather than a full-length movie. Either way, I greatly enjoyed every word of Me, the Mob, and the Music, and cannot contain my excitement for the completion of this project.

James also mentioned that the final song used in the series is to be a slow, acoustic, melancholy version of “I Think We’re Alone Now”, and proceeded to give us a full taste of exactly what was in store. Much like “Draggin’ the Line” having more weight to it when played live, changing the meaning of “I Think We’re Alone Now” for a lonely, stripped-down piece is also very oddly fitting. This just goes to show how his talent and musical catalogue are both versatile and multi-sided. James’ voice, too, is still smooth and melodic as ever, allowing the slight bend on these songs to revolve around the anchor of his unrelenting skills.

Tommy James’ solo era is, in my opinion, still underappreciated. Because of this, I was swept off my feet when he and the Shondells went into his own version of Alive ‘N Kickin’s “Tighter, Tighter”, and was reminded of just how much I loved this song. The focus was shifted in the best way immediately after this, as James sang out the trademark, “Ahh…” that can only mean the beginning of arguably the group’s most famous track, “Crimson & Clover”. All around the venue, I saw arms go around shoulders, hips begin to sway, and smiles blossom across faces. Romance was afoot, but not for long, before it was time to do the “Hanky Panky”, making it the time for moving and grooving instead.

Though James had already taken us through his own downtrodden version of “I Think We’re Alone Now”, he wasn’t going to let us leave Penn’s Peak without playing it in its original giddy-and-in-love tempo. Once again, it was time for romance, and this was further solidified by the groove-worthy “Do Something to Me” that followed.

I had slipped into the bathroom during this song, and while at the sink, the high energy and anticipation of “Mony Mony” began to seep through the venue walls. The woman at the sink next to me excitedly beamed, “Ooh, it’s ‘Mony Mony’!” Having seen these performers in the past, I knew exactly what this song had in store.

“That means Tommy’s about to go into the crowd,” I told her with a smile.

“Really?” she gasped in disbelief.

“Yeah! So get back out there!”

Outside the bathroom, the party was in full swing. During the extended musical interlude of “Mony Mony/I Feel So Good”, James makes his way through the eager crowd to shake hands, sign autographs, take photos, etc. Onstage, the band has a field day with rocking out like there’s no tomorrow. With this being over the course of an unknown period of time, they looked like they were having all too much fun filling the space with their own (at times, improvised) razzle dazzle.

We knew there was no way this was the only grand finale, however. For the encore, the unifying “Sweet Cherry Wine” and the mythical “Mirage” were the true setlist closers of the night. Not only did Tommy James & The Shondells put love in the air, they also gave us a full feast of sweet rock and roll nostalgia. Between James’ unwavering leadership and the Shondells’ expert musicianship, it seemed the band and crowd were a match made in heaven this Valentine’s Day.

Tommy James & The Shondells have a string of tour dates taking place throughout the year as well as all over the country. Locals to the east-central PA area can catch them at the Bloomsburg Fair this fall. More information about the tour and the band can be found at tommyjames.com