Old time, good time music coming to Jorgensen

Saturday night brings a blast from the past with a modern twist to Jorgensen, as the vocal group Under the Streetlamp will croon their way into Storrs with a unique blend of Doo-Wop, Motown and classic rock songs.

Under the Streetlamp’s four singers, who met while touring nationally with the smash-hit musical “Jersey Boys,” will perform Top 40 classics from bands whose heydays were in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Some are more recognizable than others, but between the Beatles’ “Twist and Shout,” the Beach Boys’ “I Get Around” and the Turtles’ “Happy Together,” the diverse setlist will be eager to please.

Shonn Wiley, Michael Ingersoll, Michael Cunio and Christopher Kale Jones, the group’s four singers, named their group Under the Streetlamp from a phrase popular in the rise of Doo-Wop decades ago, when groups performed under city streetlights, the only easily available spotlight in most cities, according to a Jorgensen press release.

“People often ask us why we call ourselves Under the Streetlamp,” the band said in a statement on their website. “For us, that simple image epitomizes all the joy, intimacy, and passion wrapped up in the era of music we like to call the American Radio Songbook. Thoroughly diverse and infused with an indomitable spirit, this music is iconically American.”
Opening for the group is the acappella group Gentleman’s Rule, founded by the creator of a cappella supergroup Straight No Chaser.

The cabaret-format performance at Jorgensen starts at 8 p.m. Saturday, with doors opening at 7 p.m. UConn students can get tickets for $20 with a valid school ID; general public seats start at $39.