Yester

Yester

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WILKES-BARRE — Jim Yester of The Association says sometimes the crowd reactions to the group’s hit songs are so strong, he gets choked up on stage.

“So many people have really major memories attached to these songs,” Yester said. “You can feel it in songs like ‘Cherish’ and ‘Never My Love.’ It’s the same for us — we have strong connections from when we were growing up, like where we were when we heard a song, what we were doing and who we were with. That era — the sixties — it’s really about the songs. everybody knows them and they know the words and they have a lot of personal meaning.”

Yester and The Association will be in town when the highly-successful and popular hit-filled summer package tour, “Happy Together,” stops at the F.M. Kirby Center on Aug. 9 at 7:30 p.m.

Entering its 12th year, the hit-filled lineup features returning favorites and new additions — the Turtles, Gary Puckett & the Union Gap, The Association, Classics IV, The Vogues and the Cowsills.

Yester said The Association will be sure to play their list of hit songs, such as No. 1 hits “Cherish,” “Windy,” “Never My Love,” and “Along Comes Mary.” This iconic vocal group was a staple on AM radio in the 1960s.

“Everybody knows those songs,” Yester said.

Yester said he and Jules Alexander will front the band when they play the Kirby Center. He said he still gets excited about getting on stage and playing all those songs that people love to hear.

Yester plays rhythm guitar and some keyboards and he said everyone in the band sings lead.

Yester said the Happy Together tour is filled with great bands playing great songs and they all have a great time. He said The Cowsills usually open the show up and he said, everybody loves Susan Cowsill. Susan’s brother, John, is now the drummer with the Beach Boys, Yester said.

“The bands are all incredible people,” Yester said. “Every song you will hear was a major hit.”

The touring sensation that has criss-crossed the nation delighting audiences for a decade features a show full of chart-topping hits from the ’60s and ’70s – an undeniable 40 solid gold smash hits.

Tickets are only available online at kirbycenter.org and by phone at 570-826-1100.

The Turtles are best known for their harmony-heavy California pop sound. With hits such as “Elenore,” “She’d Rather Be With Me,” “It Ain’t Me Babe,” “You Showed Me,” and the title of the tour, “Happy Together,” the band ruled the airwaves in the late ’60s.

Gary Puckett & the Union Gap will feature Gary’s trademark voice, belting out his hits one more time. Fans will affectionately remember “Young Girl,” “Over You,” “Woman, Woman,” “This Girl Is A Woman Now,” “Lady Willpower,” “Don’t Give In To Him,” and more.

Joining Happy Together for 2021 is Classics IV with their southern soft rock sound They are one of the most popular and influential pop groups of the ’60s and ’70s. They achieved phenomenal success with multi-platinum hits “Spooky,” “Stormy,” “Traces,” and Everyday With You Girl.”

Brand new to the touring family for 2021 are the Vogues. Also known for their harmony-driven pop sound, the Vogues had numerous Top 10 hits with singles such as “Five O’Clock World,” “You’re The One,” “My Special Angel,” and “Turn Around Look At Me.”

Rounding out the bill are the Cowsills, the harmonious family act (two brothers and a sister) that inspired the smash hit ’60s television show, “The Partridge Family.” They are sure to delight with their best-known songs, “Hair,” “Indian Lake,” “The Rain, The Park & Other Things (I Love The Flower Girl)” and more.

Ron Dante joins the line-up to delight with his own mega-hit, “Sugar Sugar.”

Yester said he likes to interact and banter with the audience, but with so many groups and so many hit songs, there will be precious little time for that.

“We are really looking forward to being in Wilkes-Barre,” Yester said. “Everybody is going to have so much fun. This really is a fun show.”

Yester said the Happy Together Tour is much more than a jukebox playing songs — the actual groups that made those songs major hits will be on stage playing them.

Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.