Tommy James and the Shondells

As far as 1960s nostalgia acts go, Tommy James and the Shondells are among the best still playing live. Something about the particular sonic qualities of James' hits — maybe it's all that heady tremolo and old-time rock and roll style — seems to call to mind the 1960s, whether you lived through them or not, as vividly as any of James' more fawned-over contemporaries. Though James has produced nearly no new music since the 1980s, and The Shondells haven't dropped anything since 1970, it's hard to argue against classics like "Crimson and Clover," "Mony Mony," "I Think We're Alone Now," "Hanky Panky," and "Crystal Blue Persuasion" as bright spots in the great American songbook. It's also hard to pass up a chance to see these gems performed live.