For the last two years, mid-60s three-part harmony band The Villagers have reunited once a year, each time to screaming success.

The band got started when its guitarist, Duke Shanahan, was in ninth grade, about 40 years ago. The band played locally, doing private parties, playing at high school dances and at the ultra-important Lake Dances that young people were so fond of in the 1960s in Auburn.

There were four high schools in Auburn back then, so The Villagers alternated its weekends and played at each one consecutively. After high school, the band played colleges and frat parties.

Shanahan remembered that the band broke up around 1968, and that was the end of the group known for three-part Beatles-like harmony combined with three guitar players.

“It was like a combination of the Beatles and Lynyrd Skynyrd,” Shanahan said.

The band performed Cream and Hendrix at the time when they were new on the scene and even some Blood, Sweat and Tears with guitars where the horns should be.

Three years ago, Shanahan decided the band had been apart for too long. The Villagers reconvened for its first reunion then along with another band, The Crossfires, who began playing in high school before The Villagers. The bands performed at Friends bar during the Great Race weekend to a packed house.

“The place was mobbed,” Shanahan said.

Because of the response, both bands played again the next year to yet another packed house. All of the excitement encouraged Shanahan to book The Villagers at the 1966 Auburn High School reunion last year along with The Crossfires and former students became fans all over again.

“It's good to have the bands that used to be hip back then,” Shanahan said.

Feeling even bolder, Shanahan decided to put four bands together from the mid-'60s era at the Ukrainian National Club and the crowd loved it. Now, The Villagers will be playing two gigs within four days - Friday night at The Cascade Grill, in Moravia on Owasco Lake, and Tuesday at Hoopes Park. The Villagers are also planning to play TomatoFest.

“We just want to do it to get together and play music for the old days,” Shanahan said.

Members of the band are Joe Piorkowski on guitar, Buddy Barrette on vocals, Dave Chitambar on vocals, Shanahan on guitar, Dave Arliss on bass and Mark Chitambar filling in at Hoopes Park on guitar work.

If you go

What: The Villagers

Where: Hoopes Park, Auburn

When: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday

Cost: Free

For details: Visit www.ci.auburn.ny.us or call the city recreation department at 255-4737