The shoulder-length shag haircut and puka beads may be gone, but
the voice, the moves and the screaming fans are still very much a
part of a David Cassidy concert.

That was evident to anyone who saw Cassidy in the opening show
of the Bradford Creative and Performing Arts 2006-07 season
Saturday in Blaisdell Hall’s Bromeley Theatre on the University of
Pittsburgh at Bradford campus. Northwest Savings Bank was the
presenting sponsor for the event.

Cassidy, dressed in a long white shirt and black pants, walked
out to enthusiastic applause, looking as lean and lithe as he did
in his heyday. He opened with “I can Feel Your Heart Beat,” a song
he made famous as a member of the 1970s “pre-fab” musical group,
The Partridge Family, spun off from a TV show of the same name.

“It’s so wonderful to be here in the fine town of Bradford,” he
told the capacity crowd that can best be described as doting and
interactive. “Although it only takes 17 hours to get here from
anywhere in the world.”

Backed by a tight four-piece band and accompanying himself on a
bright red electric guitar, Cassidy followed up with another
Partridge Family hit, “Point me in the Direction of
Albuquerque.”

A 13-year-old girl in a tank top emblazoned with Cassidy’s name
was the first of what would be a constant stream of female fans of
all ages approaching the edge of the stage to lavish Cassidy with
bouquets of roses and other gifts in exchange for a photo or
kiss.

And oblige his fans he did, often interrupting songs to talk to
his fans, pose for cell phone photos and sign autographs as if it
were 1972 all over again.

“This is a beautiful theatre,” he said, comparing it to being in
his living room. “I don’t often work in small theaters, but when I
heard about the … support for this facility,” he said, “I had to
come. It’s great when communities get together.”

The concert was more than a fan fest, though. During the
two-hour performance, Cassidy showcased his versatility as a singer
and musician that has won him accolades and devoted fans not only
on the world’s concert stages, but also on Broadway and in Las
Vegas. He had a chance to feature his expressive voice on cover
hits he’d had with The Rascals’ “How can I be Sure,” Neil Sedaka’s
“Breaking up is Hard to do” and The Association’s “Cherish.” At
times, he punctuated his performance with a few signature moves
that sent his female fans into a frenzy.

“It took me long enough to get here, so I’m staying here a
while,” he told the crowd, joking again about the 90-minute trip
from the Buffalo, N.Y., airport that turned into three hours after
the “trains, road work and rain” was figured in.

“He’s beautiful, and his voice is beautiful,” said Linda
Pascarella of Bradford, brandishing a photo of herself and Cassidy
taken a decade ago when she had seen him in the Broadway musical
“Blood Brothers.”

Other fans came from Boston, New Jersey and New York to see
Cassidy in the intimate setting. Devoted fan Cheryl Gilmore even
flew in from Dallas to see his show. “This is the fifth time I’ve
seen him,” she said. “I forgot my license so when I picked up the
tickets, the only thing I had to identify myself was my David
Cassidy Fan Club I.D. card.”

Cassidy also played without his band, accompanying himself on
his acoustic guitar and singing songs like “Ain’t No Sunshine” and
his 1990 comeback hit, “Lyin’ to Myself.”

During this time, he acknowledged a fan’s gift of a
4-foot-by-3-foot portrait painted by a fan in the first row, Kim
Kamrowski, who traveled six hours from Fremont, N.Y., to present
the gift to her idol.

“Who’s that handsome dude?” Cassidy joked when he saw the
painting, then expressed his appreciation for the heartfelt gift.
“Such wonderful fans,” he said.

Kamrowski told the star she did it to thank him for all the
charity work he and his wife do. “I wanted to give back to you,”
she told him.

Cassidy said he would autograph the painting and,
unsurprisingly, donate it to charity.

Also during his acoustic set, Cassidy mentioned his friendship
with John Lennon, saying he spent New Year’s Eve 1974 with him,
singing and playing old Beatles songs, like “No Reply.” He led the
crowd in a singalong with the Beatles tune “Hey, You’ve Got to Hide
Your Love Away,” showing good-natured exasperation when the crowd
had some trouble learning how to sing on the backbeat.

“This kind of feels like home to me,” he said, telling the crowd
he’d received the “coolest Zippo lighter you can imagine” earlier
that day. He launched into his final set that featured a scorching
electric guitar blues solo from Cassidy. He then did rock versions
of the Partridge Family hits “I Woke up in Love This Morning” and
“C’mon Get Happy,” proving that a good melody was nothing if not
adaptable.

But it was during the last song – when he bent down to kiss the
female fans edging the stage – who were decked out in everything
from “Kiss me Cassidy” T-shirts to cocktail dresses – that his
anthem, “I Think I Love You,” turned into a full-fledged commitment
to his loyal fans.