After a 42-year absence, The Sixth Generation is returning for a performance at Tippy Dance Hall, Leesburg. The band last performed at the dance hall over Labor Day weekend in 1969. This Labor Day weekend, they’ll be covering music up to 1969 at Tippy Sept. 4 at 8 p.m. “The Tippy performance is really a family occasion,” said Dave Walenga, drummer and founding member. “We hope they come and have a ball.” During a telephone interview Tuesday afternoon from his Baltimore, Md., home, Walenga, who also does some lead singing, said the band was founded in 1965. Originally from the Niles, Mich., area, the six band members now live all across the U.S. They all went to high school at Niles, except one who went to Buchanan. When The Sixth Generation started playing, back then the music was Top 40. “We covered what was on Top 40. That’s what made us popular – our vocals and what we played,” said Walenga. Some of the bands the group covered included The Kingsmen, The Rascals, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and “a lot of the British Invasion songs,” he said. In 1966, the six guys recorded their only original song at that time, “This Is The Time”. “It got some good regional play,” said Walenga. “It wasn’t a hit, but it wasn’t a flop either.” The Sixth Generation at times shared the stage with other popular groups of the day, including the Buckinghams, Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels, the Kingsmen, the Box Tops and others, according to information provided by Walenga. The Sixth Generation opened up for the Buckinghams at Tippy Dance Hall in 1969. The group had stopped playing together in 1969 because of college and the Vietnam War. Walenga said the members didn’t feel like the band was done yet at that time. On Memorial Day a year ago, Walenga and Paul Davies were sitting on the porch when Davies’ daughter told them they should get the band back together. They couldn’t think of a reason not to and started tracking down the other members. The Sixth Generation has been in rehearsal since the beginning of this year, Walenga said. In July, the band started playing out again. They started touring, but instead of calling it a concert or show, Walenga said they’re calling it a party. The response to the band and the music its playing has been tremendous, Walenga said. People are thanking the band for taking them back to their youth and the good time, he said. Their performances last 1 hour, 45 minutes, and are for all ages. Walenga said they’ve played a few festivals and people get up and dance. Their shows attract people of all ages from children to baby boomers and older, Walenga said. “It’s a wide variety,” he said. This year, the band was honored by being inducted into the Michigan Rock ’N’ Roll Legends Hall of Fame. Currently, The Sixth Generation has recorded three originals. The band hopes to make them available on Amazon.com and iTunes before Labor Day weekend. Walenga said the group is planning to release a CD in the future. This year the band’s goal is to just get out of the starting block as the distance is a challenge. “We’re 600 miles apart. It’s a challenge,” Walenga said. Along with the three originals, he said the band also recorded two cover songs in Virginia. They will do a couple more down there, and finish up in Michigan. If the mp3’s take off, Walenga said, the band may perform more shows. They want to do a couple of shows a month now. “We’re not quite sure where this will take us. We’re open for anything,” Walenga said.For more information on the Tippy Ballroom, visit the website at www.tippydancehall.com For more information about The Sixth Generation, visit the band’s website at www.thesixthgeneration.com or “like” them on Facebook. Walenga concluded, “What I’m so thrilled about is I have the ability to make music with guys who are truly my brothers. We’re really grateful for the second chance and we’re loving every minute of it.”
