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ASBURY PARK — Moe Septee's "summer of stars" at Asbury Park's Convention Hall climaxes with a Labor Day Weekend lineup featuring The Cowsills in shows at 7:30 and 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 30, and Vanilla Fudge, plus Rhinoceros, in a double bill Sunday, Aug. 31, at 7:30 and 9:45 a.m.
Freckles, laughter, big brown eyes, a "Munster-like mansion" in Newport, R.I., a mini-mommy and a whole lot Of latent. This is a Cowsill.
The Cowsills are a new dimension in entertainment.
The Cowsill corporation reads as follows: Bill, Bob, Barry and John Cowsill - the nucleus of the group; their mini-mommy, Barbara Cowsill, who lends her sweet, clear voice to the boys' harmony whenever it is needed and wherever they might go; the road managers, Dick and Paul Cowsill, who chose not to enter the performing end of the complex, keep equipment straight and in order throughout their journeys.
There is also a Cowsill baby, Susan (who is constantly teased by her all brother family) and Bud Cowsill, who, like any father would be, is stuck with the job of coordinating the conglomeration.
Mr. Cowsill, Mrs. Cowsill and all concerned live in a 22-room mansion on top of one of the few Newport hills. Ivy is growing all over the walls of the house, windows are broken, screens are hanging. It all has an air of the unreal.
The grass has grown to a height of three feet. Curly, the family dog and very much a member of the family, hunts rabbits and other wild things in this amazing forest. The house is three stories high with a "Captain's Walk." When a captain had the house built, he put the walk on the roof so his wife could watch for his ship to come into the harbor. Mrs. Cowsill uses the walk to escape from her eight riotous Indians. "This is my favorite spot in the world. I come up here to think and relax - pure heaven."
Artie Kornfeld, producer and writer, introduced the Cowsills to Lenny Stogel, probably the only talent manager in America who was ready for them. The rapport between Leonard Stogel Associates and the Cowsills led to MGM Records, and from there, in the space of just a few weeks, the Cowsills became one of the hottest properties in the entire industry.
The Vanilla Fudge's New York debut in 1967 was a concert with The Seeds and The Byrds at the Village Theater. The effect was almost staggering - that a comparatively unknown group could so totally excite and ignite a New York audience was almost unbelievable. The combination of the group's musicianship and stage presence coupled with the sound and special lighting effects brought a crowd of 2,000 to their feet - and almost disrupted the rest of the concert.
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