Ross alumni group hosts rock, doo-wop concert event

If you go

What: The Avalons, fundraiser for the Ross Alumni Association

When: 7 p.m. Saturday (doors open at 6:15 p.m.)

Where: Ross High School, 3601 Hamilton-Cleves Road

Cost: $10

More info/tickets: (513) 737-5452; rossalumni@ fuse.net; www.theavalons.net

ROSS TWP. — The audience at this month’s fundraising concert for the Ross Alumni Association featuring the Avalons should not be alarmed when an old lady shouts and heckles from her auditorium seat.

For the Avalons, an interactive ensemble of vocalists who perform tunes from the 1950s, ’60s and early ’70s, it’s part of a comedy routine used to kick off its performance of The Beach Boys’ “Little Old Lady From Pasadena.”

“We are more of a show than just a band,” said member Tom Caldwell.

The Avalons will perform from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday at the Ross High School Performing Arts Center, 3601 Hamilton-Cleves Road.

The group has opened for such bands as The Beach Boys, Four Tops, Temptations, and Frankie Valli & The 4 Seasons. It was founded in 2000 as a spin-off group from a band created in 1987 called Sh-boom.

The four-member ensemble will sing a mix of rock, doo-wop, and harmonies with the musical accompaniment of a track.

Connie Sullivan, secretary for the Ross Alumni Association, said the association began in 2006 after a multi-class reunion. The Association’s main goal is to provide scholarships for Ross High School seniors who plan to attend trade or vocational schools.

It also donates small amounts to afterprom committees and the band boosters.

Sullivan said the Avalons’ performance at the fundraiser last year was “a huge success.”

“We had a really good crowd and a lot of alumni came,” she said. Sullivan was also happy to see many members of the community at the performance as well.

“They do a little comedy,” Sullivan said. “They are great singers and they have a lot of fun doing it.”

During the show, the group puts a big emphasis on audience participation and even pulls people up on stage with them, Sullivan said.

Although Caldwell knows the ensemble will likely appeal to “baby boomers,” he believes younger people will also enjoy their show.

“We try to entertain the entire family,” he said.