Remember those days of rolling up to the Tacoma Armory or the Spanish Castle in a shiny Mustang convertible or Chevy Impala hardtop?
You had borrowed it from your older brother, and put your set of baby moon hubcaps on it to look cool. You had to look cool, because you and a few hundred others were going out on a Friday night to listen and dance to one of the great local bands .
Bands like Tacomas Fabulous Wailers or Ventures, and Seattle bands, like the Viceroys, Frantics, Exotics, or Dynamics.
All of them front runners in the exciting and fast evolving Northwest Sound, which was soon to influence musicians globally, including the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.
If you were lucky enough to be there on the right night, you stood on the dance floor with the crowd in front of the bandstand, and watched in awe as local favorite Nancy Claire sang her heart out.
The little girl with the big voice and inimitable dynamic style rocked the crowds and shook dance halls to their very rafters, all across the Northwest.
Those dances at the Armory and the Castle are gone, and your big brother has long since traded that cool cruiser for a sensible SUV.
But thanks to the Partners for Parks organization in Lakewood, and their second annual fund raising event, folks will have a rare chance to experience the cars and the music once again, if only for a few hours.
The event is very generously being hosted by the family of the late Harold E. LeMay, at the LeMay property in the Parkland area.
This will afford attendees a rare opportunity to preview the worlds largest private car collection, including some very nice Mustangs that just might have been at the Armory one of those nights.
As for the music, the event entertainment will be headlined by Nancy Claire and Friends, as well as a host of other acts.
The Parks event will be Saturday, July 13, from 3 p.m. to 8p.m. Complete details and ticket information are available at Lowes of Lakewood, or at:
www.partnersforparks.com
A limited number of tickets are available for this fund raiser, at $40 per person.
A ticket includes parking, LeMay auto collection viewing, live entertainment, food and beverages.
