The Valley Cultural Center Free Concerts in the Park Series opened Sunday June 3rd. It is located at the Warner Center Park in Woodland Hills California. The maiden concert was none other than Grammy award winners, Survivor. Talk about a blast from the past. The show was very entertaining for us classic rock lovers. Fans that varied in age from infancy to elderly had to be the widest age span I have ever witnessed at a concert. Enjoyed by everyone, Survivor rocked the park with all their hits. The current lineup is a mix of old and new members: newcomer Robin McAuley (vocals), original member/songwriter Frankie Sullivan (guitar/vocals), longtime member Marc Droubay (drums), and veteran members Billy Ozzello (bass) and Chris Grove (keyboards/guitar).
The concert started around 6:30pm and ended at 8pm. It was a crowd-participating set that brought back many memories for some and good classic rock for all. They played the hit songs they were famous for, including, “I Can’t Hold Back”, “High On You” and “The Search Is Over”, along with many other recognizable tunes. Robin McAuley even brought a female fan onto the stage to serenade t
o her right next to him. She seemed to enjoy that moment of attention, as she was encompassed by the amazing vocals and showmanship of Robin. She left the stage starry eyed and content. Original member Frankie Sullivan made his guitars sing the entire evening. The whole band got the crowd going song after song, as they showed why they have been around since 1977. They have been pleasing crowds for 30 years and it looks they will continue to rock for many more. As they wrapped up their set, they left the stage with the crowd wanting more. Chanting “Eye of the Tiger” over and over, Survivor finally came back to the stage to whet the audience’s request. They finished their show with the Grammy Award Winning Song from Rocky 3, “Eye of the Tiger”. They had the large crowd dancing and singing along
with every word. It was a rewarding sight to see that everybody of all ages truly enjoyed themselves. I don’t think that many bands could pull that off. All in all it was a very fun experience. Thanks to The Valley Cultural Center and all their sponsors for putting these shows on every Sunday for the entire Summer.
By the way, according to guitarist Frankie Sullivan, the band is said to be going back into the studio to record brand-new material for a new Survivor record (featuring McAuley on lead vocals) for a 2007 release. This should be very interesting.
