You're never too old to rock (video, photos)

10 different bands comprised of more than 40 musicians from Sault Ste. Marie's classic rock and roll heydays came together Saturday night for 18 Forever at the Steelback Centre to prove you're never too old to rock.

Gone but not forgotten, venues like the Palm Gardens, Dante's Inferno, the Vic, the Dew Drop Inn and the Peppermint Lounge were the places to be in the 50s and 60s for a night of dancing to the best the Sault had to offer.

As the spirit of that scene descended upon the mostly baby boomer crowd of 3,000, the Cool Jerks, Bobby D and the Bobcats, the Fireflies, the Vendettas, the Rogues, Amen, Polisi Bassoon, Apricot Brandy, the Pavement Artists and Jackson Hawke kept the dancers on their feet and the memories flowing.

SooToday.com videographer Tyler Simpson captured a few songs from this historic event:

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Ray Gassi of Polisi Bassoon reminisced about a Battle of the Bands in Thunder Bay at which they lost to the Paul Shaffer Band.

Caught up in the moment, Gassi striped off his shirt at the conclusion of Light My Fire and stood proudly naked from the waist up accepting the huge applause from the audience.

Also coaxing a massive response was Bobby Clarke's jaw-dropping drum solo.

Unfortunately the event was running about 45 minutes behind schedule and a large portion of the audience had already headed home by the time Jackson Hawke took the stage just before midnight.

Not only did they miss the band's emotional performance of its 1976 double-sided hit, Into the Mystic and You Can't Dance, but also a rousing version of the Cool Jerk's With a Little Help From My Friends which featured a remarkable vocal performance by Michael Yurich and Jay Scali doing a stunning Joe Cocker impersonation.

18 Forever was a spectacular display of local talent that will not soon be forgotten.