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Bert: We're back on All Access with State Theatre New Jersy up coming events we're going to get to those coming up a little later in the program. Kel we've been talking to some of the great performers from the Happy Together 2019 Tour which is coming to State Theater, Wednesday, May 29 at 8 pm. Tickets are going fast so get yours at stnj.org
Let's talk to another one of the performers, shall we?
Kelly: Yes, with us today - from the Cowsills - is Paul Cowsill. Welcome Paul
Paul: Thank you Kelly and Bert. How are you guys doing? How is New Jersey doing today?
Kelly: We're fabulous Paul. We are so looking forward to you guys coming back to State Theatre on May 29th. Are you excited to come to New Jersey?
Paul: I'm always excited to come to New Jersey because The Cowsills - we're from Newport, Rhode Island - you know so for us to even make in the show biz world, it wasn't going to happen in Newport, so we kept traveling to New York and New Jersey and way back in the early, early '60s we would every year go to North Bergan High and we would perform there every, every year. It was just amazing. New Jersey was where we really got going once we left Newport. You had to the city to get things going and New Jersey was our first stomping ground and when we played New Brunswick at the State Theatre there is going to be kids there. Our kids . . . jeezs what am I talking about. There will be people my age there that saw us there way back in 1963 in New Jersey, in North Bergan. So, you know, our roots go deep in New Jersey.
Bert: Yeah
Paul: I sound like a politician. (everyone laughs)
Bert: I guess you see that everywhere you go, Paul. No matter what city The Cowsill are in. No matter where the Happy Together goes to, you have fans who have been following you guys for years and years. And it's such a cool thing when generations of fans come on out and experience The Cowsills.
Paul: It is really incredible and after every show we always go out after the show. The buses all take off to bring people to their hotels. We don't use a hotel. We use the bus. And so after every show we don't have to don't have to get shuttled to a hotel and we meet with all our fans all the time. Bert, it's so crazy because we'll be there and we always do a meet and greet and stuff like that, so - and people will come and they will have scrapbooks, you know, and there we are. I mean there will be a girl there who will have her scrapbook and she was like 11 or 10 and there we all are. Susan was probably 7. John is probably 10. Barry 11. And so all these scrapbooks come and we all look like little kids. I mean we were all little kids, all growing up together.
Kelly: And you know . . . funny you would mention that because so often we get - we get your fans will be at the Happy Together Tour. They'll be like, "Can you bring this backstage?" I don't want to touch it. It's so like . . . they've been collecting that for years and it's like rare. Their memorabilia there.
Paul: I know
Kelly: Their personal stuff and I'm like "Oh you're going to have to hold it yourself."
Paul: Right. Well sometimes they'll come and they're, what they're idea is to give it to us.
Kelly: Oh wow
Paul: They give their whole memory book to us and I always hate taking them myself. A lot of the times we'll get something that we just can't fit into a suitcase. It's kind of tough like that, but it is a joy to see all these people. I've asked these people after shows because people still come on out. I mean we're - we sell out these shows all summer and I always say, "Wow what keeps you guys coming?" and our generation they didn't have MTV. It wasn't instant gratification. You had to first hear the record on the radio. You had to search it out, find the record at the music store, and then you had to search out the band. And you had to go and see them live. And that's how we all did it, you know. So it's nothing for these people to leave - at 60 - to leave their house and get in their car to go park and get in a line to get into a place. And then get in the place and . . . it's just amazing and they have the energy to keep coming. And we'll keep coming as long as they keep coming.
Bert: Yeah That's how it's done. And for you, Paul, and the Cowsills, you come from the period I think of really being the Golden Age of pop music, where there were great bands, great song writers, production values were really coming along and studio wizardry was really big deal. There will never be another era like this, the one with The Cowsills. There was a lot of excitement going around that time, right?
Paul: The was a lot of excitement going around that time and there was a lot of music coming out of a lot of corners of the world. And we were just lucky enough to be at that spot, you know. We brought a little bit of sunshine and a little bit of love and a little bit of happiness and way back then, you know, was something that people could put down but - we've all amalgamized so bands that The Cowsills would have never played with - Chuck Negron, Three Dog Night. The Cowsills and the Three Dog Night would have never been a billing of a show back in the late '60s. That wasn't going to happen, but now a days it does happen because we're all now the same age and our music has become one big batch of music. It's not departmentalized. We're not bubblegum. Chuck Negron isn't heavy metal, you know. All these titles have gone by the way side and we’re coming out . . . Kelly and Bert, it's all about the songs. It's all about the songs. That's what we're enjoying the night of the Happy Together Tour show is that we're all going back to junior high. For my sister it's elementary school. And high school and just reliving those times cuz, even to us, the songs they bring us back immediately to a time we remember, whatever it was.
Kelly: Yeah
Paul: And it's always brought to you by a song. I think it's the joy of this show for people. It's going to be 6, 12, 18, 24 . . . about 25 hit songs. All in the top 5 you know. So it's pretty incredible that we are able to bring this around the United States like we do still. We're grateful for the people to still come on out, you know.
Kelly: Right Yeah Taking us back to when you guys were - like you were saying - these young ages. I know you guys performed all over the place but what is one concert memory that will stick with you forever of those early days?
Paul: It would have to be . . . you know we've talked about it a lot - me, Bob and Susan - it would have had to have been Atlantic City. We would do the Steel Pier in the summer. And Duke Ellington was there and you know . . . gosh there were so many people playing the Pier and we were real little, little kids so to us it was cool. We'd do two shows a day and in-between the show they'd show a movie and it was the Grand Prix - Steve McQueen racing movie - and they'd show it in-between shows and we'd sit in the back of this theater watching the movie backwards we would see it coming through the screen inverted. So we'd watch that. Also when we were in Atlantic City the moon walk happened. So many memories of that. And then all the kids, Atlantic City was a place where we kind of got to have some time to ourselves. As little kids we never had that kind of time. But at Atlantic City we were able to roam and we met kids our own age and so yeah we'd be doing a show and yeah they'd be going to the show, but we'd all be hanging out after the show. On the beach, at the Pier, watching the horse get pushed off the ledge, and all of that.
Kelly: Oh wow
Bert: Different time in Atlantic City
Paul: It was fun
Bert: But that's a great, great, great memory there for The Cowsills and wow Atlantic City, New Jersey. That is so awesome. This lineup here. You mentioned Chuck Negron. Gary Puckett, Classics IV, Buckinghams we mentioned earlier. These are all the acts you've played with before, right Paul?
Paul: Yeah, this will be our 5th year on the Happy Together Tour. You know, nobody likes to be the opening act, but we love to be the opening act. And so they said, "You're the best opening act we've ever had. Would you like to come back and do the opening act again?" and we were "Heck yeah." I love the opening act spot. You get to get the people fresh. You get to get them right away and you get them in the mood for what coming cuz what's coming after us is a huge show. I mean "Stormy" and "Spooky" by the Classics IV. The Buckinghams - our dear, dearest friends. Gary Puckett, we've been out now three years with him. He's insane you guys. His show, he just tears it up! I mean it's incredible. And then Chuck Negron - the biggest act I've ever played with. I couldn't even believe that I was going to get the opportunity to do it. And of course The Turtles and Ron Dante is filling in for Howard and Ron is doing a great job. He's killing it, actually. So it's just an incredible show.
Kelly: Yeah you guys have been in the state before, obviously, and every time the show finishes up we have these post show surveys and people are like "Bring them back. Bring them back." Specifically you guys so I just want to say you are a big draw to the Happy Together Tour so you're doing it right.
Paul: Well we're grateful for all those people and I'm going to tell you it's those people who have kept us coming back for - this will be our fifth year now. And we're just as grateful as - we're just like kids, we're like kids in a sandbox.
Kelly: So Paul, I have to ask you. With all, obviously you've been on the Happy Together Tour for quite some time, for many, many performances the rest of the year, but other than Happy Together, what do you do in your spare time?
Paul: Well it's so funny you know. We're doing a new album. I know it sounds funny that a bunch of 60 year old - well Susan's not 60 - but we're recording a new album. We have a new A Cappella album that we're actually going to go and finish up and that will be out with us on the Happy Together Tour. And so we're recording and when the Happy Together Tour isn't going then we are doing our own shows with our guys, our band The Cowsills. Our kids are in our band. My son Brendon plays guitar. My brother Bob's son, plays keyboards. Susan's husband is our drummer and it's a real family, family show that we do. So come September we'll go out with our band and go right through the holidays. We have a great Christmas show that we love doing and we're just busier than we've ever been you guys. I can't even believe it. I'm 68. Bob is going to be 70 in August. But Susan, you guys, is the only person left in the classic rock genre that isn't 60 yet. (laughs from everyone) I know. Think about that. Chuck and Gary, they are like 70's. And the Buckinghams, they are 10 years older than us. So we're like the little kids on this tour. You know what I mean. It's quite a summer. I got to tell you something you guys, it's just the best summer in the world. It would be like you guys getting on a bus with all the most famous DJ's you know. And all over the world. And you guys would all be on a bus, not really knowing each other because you've had different shows and then you get to know each other, all summer. Wouldn't that be awesome for you guys to hook up with all your favorite, favorite disc jockeys. Whoever motivated you and then to be able to go out and tour with them.
Bert: Yeah Just to go from town to town and celebrate it and look back at everybody's body of work and yeah, you know what? That does sound like a good time. OK let's start a band or something. Might as well.
Paul: Do it. You can open up for us or something.
Bert: Hey nobody opens up for The Cowsills, but we would try it.
Paul: And The Cowsills open up for everybody.
Bert: That's right. That's right. Paul Cowsill, always great to talk to you and best to everybody. We're so excited that not only are you on the Happy Together Tour this time around in 2019 but the opening act that gets everybody is such a great mood for a wonderful night of music so you've meant so much to so many over the decades. Thank you so much for that and we will definitely catch up on May 29th at State Theatre, alright?
Paul: Thank you Bert Thank you Kelly Thanks for having me on. I appreciate it.
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