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The Acton Teen Scene

Because Acton was a small suburban town in the 1960s, it did not have multiple commercial music clubs or teen‑only concert halls like bigger cities nearby (e.g., Boston). Instead, music and dances for teens happened in multipurpose community spaces. Battles Of The Bands usually took place in the Gymnasium of Acton‑Boxborough Regional High School or Acton District High. Even if there was Exchange Hall on School Street, built in 1860 and serving as a ballroom, dance hall, and concert space for more than a century, I could not find any specific teen dances or gatherings take place there.

Acton's high school yearbook was called "Torch". The Internet Archive currently hosts copies of the 1965 and the 1967 editions. You can browse or download them here.

Acton had a fantastic roster of groups: Backstreet Affair , Boss Todes , Color , Mauve , Pebbles , Reactions , Retreds , Royal Coachmen , Sounds Unknown , Tempos , Torques , Tremtones

Among the people being active in the Acton group scene were: Eric Semple, Charlie Weeks, Dick Ford, Ron Walunas, Brian Imhoff, Paul Munroe (Boss Todes / Mauve), Paul Ribeiro (Color), Bob Piper, Rick Kapche, Bill Condon, Rick Shamel, Charles Pickard (Reactions) , John Hill, Brian Magoon, Frank Willard, Mark Evangelos, Gordie Noble, Chris Sinnett, Bob McKean (Retreds) , Kim Carlson (Royal Coachmen) , Butch Lester, Charlie Centauro, Joe Centauro, Danny Lattuca, Jeff Carlton (Sounds Unknown) .

As for records coming out of Acton: The Mauve cut a glorious record on Cori in 1966. "You Got Me Cryin'" is one of the finest examples not only of New England moody garage rock, but of the whole genre altogether. It was later covered (among others) by the Brood from Portland.

The Boss Todes cut a good record for Sound City in 1967.

Acton High 1962
Acton High 1963
Acton High 1969

Battle of the Bands, High School Gymnasium, April 2, 1966

Prizes of $100, $25

Battle of the Bands, High School Gymnasium, June 24, 1966

Minutemen

@@ Zeile 1: / Zeile 1: @@
-The Acton Teen Scene
+=The Acton Teen Scene=
+Because Acton was a small suburban town in the 1960s, it did not have multiple commercial music clubs or teen‑only concert halls like bigger cities nearby (e.g., Boston). Instead, music and dances for teens happened in multipurpose community spaces. Battles Of The Bands usually took place in the Gymnasium of Acton‑Boxborough Regional High School or Acton District High. Even if there was Exchange Hall on School Street, built in 1860 and serving as a ballroom, dance hall, and concert space for more than a century, I could not find any specific teen dances or gatherings take place there.
+Acton's high school yearbook was called "Torch". The Internet Archive currently hosts copies of the 1965 and the 1967 editions. You can browse or download them [https://archive.org/search?query=creator%3A%22Acton-Boxborough+Regional+High+School%22 here].
+Acton had a fantastic roster of groups: ''[[Backstreet Affair]] , [[Boss Todes]] , [[Color]] , [[Mauve]] , [[Pebbles]] , [[Reactions]] , [[Retreads / Retreds|Retreds]] , [[Royal Coachmen]] , [[Sounds Unknown]] , [[Tempos]] , [[Torques]] , [[Tremtones]]''
+Among the people being active in the Acton group scene were: Eric Semple, Charlie Weeks, Dick Ford, Ron Walunas, Brian Imhoff, Paul Munroe (Boss Todes / Mauve), Paul Ribeiro (Color), Bob Piper, Rick Kapche, Bill Condon, Rick Shamel, Charles Pickard (Reactions) , John Hill, Brian Magoon, Frank Willard, Mark Evangelos, Gordie Noble, Chris Sinnett, Bob McKean (Retreds) , Kim Carlson (Royal Coachmen) , Butch Lester, Charlie Centauro, Joe Centauro, Danny Lattuca, Jeff Carlton (Sounds Unknown) .
+As for records coming out of Acton: The [[Mauve]] cut a glorious record on [[Cori]] in 1966. "You Got Me Cryin'" is one of the finest examples not only of New England moody garage rock, but of the whole genre altogether. It was later covered (among others) by the Brood from Portland.
+The [[Boss Todes]] cut a good record for [[Sound City]] in 1967.
+<gallery>
+Datei:MA loc Acton High 1962.jpg|Acton High 1962
+Datei:MA loc Acton High 1963.jpg|Acton High 1963
+Datei:MA loc Acton High 1969.jpg|Acton High 1969
+</gallery>
 == Battle of the Bands, High School Gymnasium, April 2, 1966 ==
+[[Datei:MA botb Acton april 1966.jpg|right|thumb|BotB Acton, April 2, 1966]]
-* [[Boss Todes]]
+Prizes of $100, $25
+* [[Boss Todes]] (#3)
 * [[Minutemen]] (#1)
 * [[Misfits (2)|Misfits]]
 * [[Retreads / Retreds|Retreads]]
-* [[Rockin' Gambells]]
+* [[Rockin' Gambells]] (#2)
-* [[Shadows 5|Shadows]]
+* [[Shadows (5)|Shadows]]
-* [[Sounds Unknown]]
+* [[Sounds Unknown]] (#3)
+==Battle of the Bands, High School Gymnasium, June 24, 1966 ==
+*[[Minutemen]]
-== Battle of the Bands, April 1967 ==
+== Battle of the Bands, High School Auditorium, March 25, 1967 ==
+[[Datei:MA botb Acton march 1967.jpg|thumb|right|100px|BotB Acton, March 1967]]
+*[[Beau Geste]]
+*[[Color]]
+*[[Cougars]]
+*Gremlins
+*[[Livin' Kind]]
+*[[Night Kapps]]
+*[[Olde Crows]]
+*[[Poets]]
+*[[Reactions]] (#4)
+*[[Sounds Of Aftermath]] (#1)
-* Reactions (#4)
+== Battle of the Bands, Acton Boxboro High School Auditorium, February 24, 1968 ==
+[[Datei:MA botb Acton feb 1968.jpg|right|thumb|90px|BotB Acton, Feb 1968]]
+* [[Afghanistan Banana Stand]]__NOTOC__
+* [[Backstreet Affair]]
+* [[Cellophane Pickle]]
+* [[Chalk Circle]]
+* [[Militia Men/ Militiamen / Malitiamen|Militiamen]]
+* [[Mississippi Hooka & Isaac's Gay Jug Band]]
+* [[National Grass Band]]
+* [[3 1/2 O' Clock Fruitstripes]]
+* [[Utopia Green]]