RASPBERRIES
House of Blues, Nov. 26

By Michael David Toth

Perhaps more directly influential on 25 years of "power pop" bands than fellow early-'70s cult luminaries Big Star and Badfinger, local boys the Raspberries have reaped a fanatical international reputation that Clevelanders may not recognize or appreciate.

Friday's first live appearance of all four original Raspberries in over three decades was one of the biggest local music events of recent memory, with an estimated half of the sold-out tickets plucked by out-of-towners from as far away as Japan.

The mostly forty/fifty-something audience was bursting with Beatlemania-worthy screams and kid-on-Christmas facial expressions. And that was even during the pre-show-hype video montage of vintage TV and Super-8 film footage. Fortunately, none of the crowd passed out or anything when the actual group appeared onstage.

The band opened with the masterpiece "I Wanna Be With You," which, along with Eric Carmen compositions like "Go All the Way" and "Tonight," typifies what most made the Raspberries so legendary: sleazy advertisements for teen sex driven by punchy guitars, irresistibly tasty melodic hooks and sweet harmonies.

Augmenting Carmen's pop genius, the set also showcased the fine songwriting contributions of other Raspberries Dave Smalley and Wally Bryson.

Surprises included two songs by pre-Raspberries band the Choir and covers of Who and Beatles tunes. The evening could have been potentially soured by Carmen's ego, notorious for 30 years running. But he actually seemed somehow humbled by the occasion, and his stage presence was rather endearing.

Any worries that the retired band may have gotten lazy and lost its original spirit or otherwise ended up stiffly professional or sterile were also unfounded, with just enough blemishes for an appropriate amount of live character. Although drummer Jim Bonfanti amusingly referred to the band as "the Elderberries," especially on their more rockin' hits, they sounded timelessly young, modern, and…well…fresh.

The evening was preserved on video for a future DVD, which will hopefully include scratch-and-sniff inserts to replicate the kooky raspberry fragrance that was ventilated throughout the venue. Plus, fans have another once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience the group in-person, as tickets go on sale Saturday for a follow-up New Year's Eve show.

Cleveland Free Times / December 1, 2004