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The Four Freshmen have entertained audiences for the past 75 years, with their songs both classic and contemporary. Over the years, the group has evolved and reinvented itself all while touring and recording new music.
This year, the current lineup of the group returns to the Bankhead Theater in Livermore to help audience members ring in the new year. The Four Freshmen will take the stage next Sunday (Dec. 31) at 8 p.m.
Bob Ferreira, drummer and vocalist, reflected on the significance of this performance and shared reflections on his time with The Four Freshmen.
“Some people try to say that we’re a memory group. The group has always made new recordings, and we’re not a tribute band either — it’s still the same group from 1948,” he said. “It’s like a sports team, the players change but the organization is the same. We’re just a continuation of the original group, just with different members.”
“Our main goal is really to have people enjoy what we do and enjoy themselves at our shows. Whether it’s people who remember the group from back in the day and they’re reliving old memories by hearing these songs, or if it’s people who had never heard of us before and they just love that style,” he added.
The original four members of the band formed in 1948. The Four Freshmen captivated young audiences with their jazz vocal harmonies. During the late 1940s and early 1950s, their music would inspire acts like The Beach Boys, The Mamas & the Papas and Kenny Rogers.
This past September marked their 75th anniversary.
“We don’t take it lightly. This is a huge legacy, the impact the group’s had on the music industry and on people in general,” Ferreira said. “There are a lot of people who were influenced by this group that went on to be successful, but it was because of the innovative sound of The Four Freshmen and how they created this back in the ’50s.”
Ferreira joined The Four Freshmen in 1992 at the age of 20. At the time, he was pursuing music education for his undergraduate studies and had planned to become a teacher.
“It was a very real crossroads for me because I was going for a music degree. I was geared more towards classical and opera performance through education,” he recalled. “The opportunity to be able to do this and to have that experience of being in a professional group and touring was something I wanted to try.”
After being part of the group for over 30 years, Ferreira still feels the inspiration and drive to keep performing, recording and traveling.
“At the start, all these experiences were so new and so exciting. There was the energy of being able to travel around the world, seeing these places and meeting wonderful people. It’s something I fell in love with,” he said. “People ask me, ‘Don’t you ever get tired of it?’ I always say — I wish I could get more of it.”
Much of the group’s current success and fulfillment comes from their bond and ability to work well together, according to Ferreira.
“We just enjoy ourselves,” he continued. “We’ve enjoyed traveling with each other and hanging out and being able to play music on and off the stage. It’s all part of the experience. I still appreciate the joy in the little things that we’re able to do.”
“A lot of it is due to the chemistry me and the three other guys have and how we make it sound. We just have a lot of fun on stage. We try to give the best performance and most energetic and intense and emotional performances we can,” Ferreira said.
The group holds a special connection to the Livermore venue, being the first-ever act to perform on the Bankhead stage when it opened in 2007.
Ferreira spoke to the significance of the theater for him and his bandmates, saying it is one of his favorites to play at.
“One of the things I really loved about the theater is the fact that it has this real intimate feel, you don’t feel disconnected from the audience — and I can only imagine the audience feels the same way,” Ferreira told the Weekly. “It’s such a beautiful theater and it’s nice to be back there again. It does feel like this warm little place, a home away from home.”
After visiting venues across the globe, the Bankhead continues to be a standout theater, Ferreira said.
“The Bankhead really captures a human element to performance. Being able to catch the subtle nuances of what a performer does, whether it’s in dance or theater or music, it’s really incredible. This makes it stand out amongst other performing arts centers,” he added. “It’s nice to be able to have that kind of closeness, and yet you can still fit a lot of people in there. It was very well designed and acoustically just wonderful.”
Ferreira and his bandmates have taken to the Bankhead stage several times for New Year’s celebrations. Due to the anticipation of the new year, these shows are special to him and his fellow musicians.
“The New Year’s Eve show does kind of set it apart a little. There’s this excitement in the crowd,” Ferreira said. “It’s kind of an underlying feeling where we’re all ready to start the year fresh and hope that the new year is going to bring us all more happiness. We want to make their last show of the year something memorable as well.”
Ferreira said he and his bandmates hope to return to the Bankhead many times in the future.
“It’s nice to be able to see and know that we are either bringing back memories or creating new ones for audience members,” he said. “Hopefully we are sharing a little bit of happiness along the way. That’s what the power of music does.”
To find tickets to The Four Freshmen show this New Year’s Eve at the Bankhead, visit livermorearts.org.
