The other day I wanted to transport my upright bass and my son at the same time. After decades of being used to the subcompact lifestyle, I was a little shocked to find that I could fit both of them in the vehicle at the same time rather than having to arrange a series of multiple trips. Bizarre.
The Midnight Special served up an episode from 1975 with B.T. Express and Sha Na Na:
B.T. Express, it turns out, are really good. Tight, danceable, bass heavy, no filler, no ballads, hypnotic dance moves, flute solos, excellent taste in 70s goldenrod clothing. I'm mesmerized by the lead singer's insistent and unergonomic tambourine shaking. The prude in me is a little put off by the orgasmic moment in the middle of "Do It ('Til You're Satisfied), but has to admit that it makes sense.
Then Sha Na Na comes on and... I don't get it. I'm trying to contextualize this absurdist greaser-nostalgia act in the context of the late 60s and early 70s, and heaven knows I love absurdist humor, but this is like fourth-order nostalgia at this point. And it doesn't help that the performance is notably half-assed and all over the place compared to the laser focus of BT Express. Maybe they were over the hill at this point? Maybe it made more sense in the context of the times? I guess I'll have to talk to the boomers in my life.