Steven Mirkin on March 2nd, 2020

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The Wild Honey Orchestra’s annual benefit show for the Autism Think Tank is always an upbeat affair — it feels like a summer camp reunion as much as a concert — but this year’s show, dedicated to the Lovin’ Spoonful, was especially sunny.

Some of this is due to the the string of breezy hit singles the New York-based quartet had in the mid-1960s, songs that blended folk, rock, country, bluegrass and jug band styles — it’s hard to imagine anyone hearing “Do You Believe In Magic” or “Daydream” and not smiling. But also there was the presence of the surviving members of the band: bassist Steve Boone, drummer Joe Butler and singer-songwriter John Sebastian, in their first appearance together in nearly 20 years.

The 75-year-old Sebastian, especially, took an active part in the proceedings. In past shows, Garth Hudson of the Band and Richie Furay of Buffalo Springfield did a cameo for a few songs, their presence a benediction and a hook for ticket sales. The Spoonful all leaned in this time.

It would have been enough if he only played the three Spoonful songs that kicked off the nearly four-hour concert (including Mississippi John Hurt’s “Coffee Blues,” the source of the band’s name) and led the finale’s joyous all-stops-out version of “Magic,” but Sebastian was a near-constant presence on stage. He added guitar, showed his prowess on harmonica, sang backup vocals and even came out from the wings just to get a better look when a performance excited him. Clearly enjoying himself, he performed with a blissed-out smile on his face. He looked a few years older, but he still radiates the boundless optimism of his impromptu performance at Woodstock.

He had every reason to be happy. The Wild Honey Orchestra and their guest vocalists, including Ian Matthews, Carla Olsen and Micky Dolenz, performed the Spoonful songs with their usual respect and grace. Among the many highlights were Peter Case’s shaggy, raucous takes on “4 Eyes” and “Blues in the Bottle;” Mark Eitzel’s yearning, rueful “Didn’t Want To Have To Do It,” turning the song into a Bacharach-David torch ballad; Claudia Lennear’s “You Baby,” which brought the song back to the Ronettes/girl group roots; and Paisley Underground faves the 3 O’Clock (with Darian Sahanaja on vocals) catching the first-love rush of “She Is Still A Mystery.” But the show hit its zenith with the instrumental “Night Owl Blues,” with Sebastian on harmonica and Dave Alvin’s stinging guitar.

The show also made the case that the Spoonful are, if not exactly underrated, underappreciated, even if they are members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Primarily a singles band, the more than two-dozen-strong Wild Honey Orchestra dug into the Spoonful’s three albums (and two soundtracks), dug into their catalog, and lesser-known songs such as “Darlin’ Companion,” “Stories We Could Tell” (a duet between Sebastian and the Textones’ Carla Olsen) and “Coconut Grove” (possibly the first time a concert grand harp and pedal steel guitar have shared a stage) were dusted off and refreshed.

Sebastian, Boone and Butler were so jazzed by the evening, they came back to the stage for an unscheduled reprise of “Daydream,” with Sebastian leading the sold-out Alex Theatre in a sing-along. Yes, it’s a corny line, and I promised myself I wouldn’t use it, but by the end of the evening it really was possible to believe in magic.

Photos by Steven Rood / A Rood Photo and Susan Moll