Dancing to the Beat of Tony K.

Any communication I have had over the years with Tony Krucinski about reunion matters always leaves me laughing. Tony, our Newton High '74 classmate and drummer for our reunion entertainment, Snake Oil Willie Band (http://www.snakeoilwillie.com/), is one of the most cooperative and easygoing people I have ever dealt with. He called me this week to say he took a trip over to Perona Farms, not far from his real job at a liquor store on Newton-Sparta Road, to see and tour The Barn for the first time. He had told me weeks ago that he had a few doubts and logistical questions about how his band could perform in this barn-like atmosphere on July 25. I was happy to hear that all those doubts disappeared once he saw the place and examined the second-floor bandstand. My brief conversation with Tony -- in which he told me about people he has seen around town talking up the reunion, and how he thinks of our class as special in a number of ways -- actually got me even more excited about the reunion than I've been (and, as you know, I've been pretty psyched about it for a while). Think Snake Oil Willie can play some of my favorite Manilow songs ... probably not, huh?