The Fools Celebrate 50 Years of Rock With Live Show at Samuel Slater’s in Webster

By-Hank Stolz

Photo-The Fools

Worcester, MA-The Fools have been making classic rock and roll for fifty years. This Saturday they will be at Samuel Slaters in Webster. Frontman, Mike Girard, joined the Talk of the Commonwealth to tell us about the show. Girad reflected on the Boston music scene of the 70s and 80s. How it was easier to be in a band then because you could play five or six nights a week with so many clubs in existence and how supportive radio stations like WBCN were for local bands that didn’t even have record deals. He said the band’s live shows were known for being theatrical and unpredictable, a style that developed from their very first gig when they had to fill three hours with only 20 songs. Girard said that he has always loved bands that put on a “show” like J. Geils and The Tubes. Their hit song “Psycho Chicken” came about when they were just goofing around at a pool hall and was picked up by WBCN after a member of the staff saw them perform it live and lobbied for it to be added to the rotation. “I personally feel it’s one of the stupidest songs ever written, but I’m kind of proud of that.” It was also picked up by the Dr. Demento Show. Despite the novelty nature of “Psycho Chicken,” the band successfully followed up with other songs like “It’s a Night for Beautiful Girls,” and secured a major record deal with EMI. After being dropped by EMI, the band started their own independent label, Ouch Records, which allowed them to release more music like “World Dance Party” and continue their career. Their contacts in the music industry allowed them to be among the first to launch their own label. A documentary about the band’s 50-year history is currently in production and is expected to be released in the late spring. The band’s audience now spans multiple generations, with original fans bringing their children and even grandchildren to shows.

Tickets for The Fools on Saturday, January 24, 2026, are on sale now at samuelslaters.com. Doors open at 7:00 PM; the show starts at 8:00 PM. Samuel Slater’s Restaurant is located at 200 Gore Road in Webster, MA, outside of Worcester and less than an hour’s drive from Boston, Providence, Hartford, and Springfield.