Mary Weiss
Red 7, Thursday, March 15
For every tale of girl-group woe Ronnie Spector’s peddled, Mary Weiss has three. She was the Shangri-Las’ sultry vocalist with a sob in every note of their numerous Sixties hits, yet litigation kept her from performing those songs for 40 years. At her “second show since 1989,” Weiss fronted Reigning Sound for an endearingly flawed performance. “You’re Never Gonna See Me Cry” and “Stitch in Time” showed off her cigarette-cured voice, but even reading the lyrics didn’t keep her from stumbling on the words of “Break It One More Time.” “A senior moment,” she joked, though she looked marvelous for her 60-plus years, buoyed by feminine swagger. She tweaked corporate airwaves and sang “kids don’t know shit” from “Cry About the Radio” from her new CD, Dangerous Game. Yet for Weiss, singing since age 14, there was a sweetness in performing hits like “Remember (Walking in the Sand)” and “Give Him a Great Big Kiss” to an adoring audience that only wanted more.
This article appears in March 23 • 2007.