Iris eyes were smiling: Beaver Valley's resident rock star Donnie Iris shines on 80th birthday

MOON TWP. – Donnie Iris' birthday wishes came true Saturday, assuming Beaver Valley's resident rock star wished for an amazing party with a guitar-shaped cake, a heartfelt gift and 4,000 friends and fans merrily serenading him with the "Happy Birthday to You" song.

You couldn't beat the entertainment at a sold-out UPMC Events Center, led by Iris and his band The Cruisers delivering two hours of loud, loose and joyful rock 'n' roll laden with beloved hits, regionally cherished radio cuts and a few surprise covers.

Iris, the 80-year-old birthday boy, wore jeans stylishly ripped at the knees, though even a non-ripped pair might have borne holes by night's end, given how many times he dropped to a kneeling position on stage to dramatically muster the force for one of his trademark, magnificent screams.

Darned right he still nails those daunting vocal notes ― the towering highs and rugged lows ― c'mon, he's King Cool, you know.

"I never thought I'd be doing this at 50, let alone 80," Iris said with a wide smile after launching his set with the traditional "Agnes," then "Do You Compute?" complete with three of his mighty screams.

The Cruisers lineup, with original members Mark Avsec (keys), Marty Lee Hoenes (guitar) and Kevin Valentine (drums), kept the pocket tight, ripping through "Tough World," "Sweet Merilee" and "That's The Way Love Oughta Be," each a popular choice for decades on the all-request "Electric Lunch" weekday show on Pittsburgh's rock juggernaut, WDVE-FM.

Iris plunged to his knees to find the vocal power for the "That's The Way Love Oughta Be," screams, and though he sprang to his knees at the song's conclusion he told the crowd "That takes the (energy) out of you," as he took a pause for a big gulp of water and to catch his breath.

But he was just warming up, and there'd be no signs of him slowing down after that.

Iris smiled abundantly as he scanned the crowd, pointing at people he looked to have recognized, and giving credit to two male fans on opposite sides of the floor both dressed like Donnie Iris lookalikes in yellow sports jackets, wigs and dark-rimmed glasses.

Some spectators wore their freshly bought "80 Years of Cool" Iris T-shirts at the merch table; others wore St. Patrick's Day attire from earlier visits to Pittsburgh's holiday parade that morning.

They'd get chances to sing, notably when the Cruisers' excellent bassist Paul Goll, a band member since the early 1990s, finished his solo with an impromptu riff from Lou Reed's "Take a Walk on The Wild Side," which persuaded Iris to sing a few lines, changing the lyrics to a Pittsburghesque "Take a walk on the South Side." That selection morphed into a medley, as Iris sang Sly & The Family Stone's "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" and then Queen's "Another One Bites The Dust," for which Iris aimed his mic at the crowd and insisted they sing it.

"That was pretty good," Iris said about the crowd's rendition, perfectly pausing for the punchline of, "not great, but pretty good."

Hey, the fans were just warming up, too.

After stomping their feet to the beat of an impromptu polka jam led by an accordion-wielding Avsec, the audience rose to the occasion of singing "Happy Birthday to You" as a guitar-shaped birthday cake was carried onto the stage.

His bandmates presented Iris with the gift of a wristwatch from the Frank Sinatra collection, which Iris accepted graciously.

But then with Sinatra-like aplomb, Iris went back to business, rocking out on the iconic "Play That Funky Music" from his and Avsec's days with Wild Cherry (Iris joined that Steubenville band two years after its chart-topping hit).

Next came Yinzer nirvana, as Iris shined on his twin, timeless hits, "Love is Like a Rock" and "Ah! Leah!" the latter sang and played initially at a slow pace with simmering intensity before he and the band bust out into the familiar, guitar-driven version recorded in New Brighton and cranked from western Pennsylvanian car radios since 1980.

"How many of you remember 1970?" Iris asked as the band dug into national chart-topper "The Rapper" by Iris' Beaver Valley band The Jaggerz. In maybe the night's most touching moment, Iris pointed upward and fixed his eyes on the scoreboard video screen, stirred and momentarily swept back in time as he marveled at videos showing the Jaggerz in action.

And the band played on, resplendent in a bouncy, jubilant cover of Deep Purple's "Hush" with Avsec's fingers dancing on the lowest level of his three-tiered keyboards.

Scott Blasey and Jackie Popovec, lead singers of the night's stalwart warmup acts, The Clarks and The Vindys, came back out on stage and joined Iris on The Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter," which they had cooked up at soundcheck. Popovec's powerhouse pipes delivered on that most-challenging number, demonstrating why Iris said in a recent interview in The Times that she's a real-deal rock star.

By that point, Popovec still wore her Donnie Iris T-shirt she had sported in The Vindys electrifying set but had ditched the leathery skirt for a pair of casual joggers.

Blasey beamed with delight, savoring the opportunity to sing with Iris as the closing number arrived, the Cruisers' customary cover of The Beatles' "With a Little Help From My Friends," which got fans swaying along with the melody. That song about perseverance through the support of friendship was a fitting finale on a night celebrating the half-century relationship between a humble, perpetually upbeat rocker and the region that proudly adores him.

The Clarks have forged a bond like that, too, and fans Saturday were treated to a tight, stellar performance by the rockers who crushed on a set bookended by regional hits "Cigarette" and "Better Off Without You." Lead guitarist Rob James, of Beaver, unleashed non-stop impressiveness, hitting an apex with his flavorful mandolin plucking on "Penny on The Floor."

Blasey demonstrated his excellent vocal range and prowess, including a nice falsetto on "Some Call It Destiny," and still somehow not getting his tongue tangled on the rapid verses of "Let It Go."

It was good to see all the post-show praise from people catching The Vindys for the first time.

The Youngstown band's high-octane set showcased Popovec's thrilling voice. She elicited the night's first "DAWN-E ...DAWN-E" chant, properly laying on the Pittsburgh accent heavily.

The Vindys played "Are You Ready" recently licensed by ESPN after uses in Pirates, Penguins and Steelers telecasts. The band's twin-guitar attack sounded exhilarating on the Allman Brothers' "Whipping Post."

Their volume reached a few ear-ringing levels, with the soundboard making adjustments by night's end.

Hey, what's a fun birthday party without a bit of a headache the next morning?

Donnie Iris setlist

Agnes

Do You Compute?

Tough World

Sweet Merilee

That's The Way Love Oughta Be

Pretender

Why Can't This Be Love?

Take A Walk on The Wild Side/Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)/Another One Bites The Dust

Ridin' Thunder

Polka instrumental

Play That Funky Music

Love is Like a Rock

Ah! Leah!

Hush (Deep Purple cover)

Gimme Shelter (Rolling Stones cover)

With a Little Help From My Friends (Beatles cover)

Scott Tady is entertainment editor at The Times and easy to reach at stady@timesonline.com.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Iris eyes were smiling: Beaver Valley rock star shines at B-day bash