Bassist John DeWitt decided to form his own group and, regrettably, the wonderful Mongo Booth busted out of Cornell-replaced, however, by another Cornell African-American, the soul sounds of the fabulous one herself, Soni Edwards. Cornell senior and Ithaca native Gene Coggshall ’66 assumed the bass chores and instilled in The Bravados a deeper familiarity with songs of Ithaca bands as well as an appreciation of the emerging Bob Dylan folk rock sound to augment the soul and party theme. The musical repertoire was thereby enhanced with such songs as Chuck Berry’s “I’m Talking About You”, Dylan’s “She Belongs to Me” and “Like A Rolling Stone”. They quickly became regular performers at The Travelers and one of their dual dates was appearing there on December 3, 1965 from 4:00-7:00, then from 9:15-12:15 at The Melody Inn. On January 7, 1966 the Sun reported: “The Bravados-Shake it down to the soul sounds of Soni Edwards at The Travelers today 4:00-7:00”.

At the Straight, Cornell, Fall 1965. Left to right: Gene Cogshall, Soni Edwards, and Bruce Bergman

At the Straight, Cornell, Fall 1965. Left to right: Gene Cogshall, Soni Edwards, Bruce Bergman, and Joe Mooney

From left to right: Bruce Bergman, Soni Edwards and Gene Coggshall, Joe Mooney (front)

From left to right: Joe Mooney, Bruce Bergman, Soni Edwards and Gene Coggshall

Willard Straight Hall, Cornell, where The Bravados performed

At Christmas time the Long Island Bravados were together again and one of the indelible appearances was at the popular Leone’s in Long Beach.

Back at Cornell, fraternity party work continued, including at Alpha Epsilon Pi, Beta Sigma Rho,

At Beta Sigma Rho. Cornell, From left to right: Gene Coggshall, Joe Mooney, Soni Edwards and Bruce Bergman

and for the parents’ weekend party at Tau Epsilon Phi. Especially memorable was a major dance at the Straight. They also became regulars at Ithaca’s Alt Heidelberg and traveled to Bridgeport University to be reunited with Gary Gross and Mongo Booth at a party there in the Spring of 1966.

Bravados at Bridgeport University, Spring 1966. From left to right: Gary Gross, Gene Cogshall, Bruce Bergman, Jeff Newman, and Mongo Booth

Earlier that year, the son of then well-known television personality, Garry Moore, opened a terrific club where Route 366 and Route 13 intersected on the way to Cortland. Called The Boxcar, it was just that, a retired train car. With a partial glass floor and most people’s introduction to imported draft beer in frosty mugs, it was a unique and fun place. Moore’s son and Gene Coggshall originated the idea of busing Cortland co-eds to The Boxcar on Friday afternoons, with free admission for the ladies to encourage them and thereby attract Cornell men. Although hard to imagine now, females were a small minority at major schools back then, resulting in male students often visiting predominantly girl’s colleges like Cortland – known then as a teachers school. (The road trip in Animal House is essentially an accurate depiction of this.) Gene designed posters and distributed them at Cortland; the proprietor hired the buses. The blurb in the Sun recited “The Bravados at the Boxcar with the soul sounds of Soni Edwards and multitudes of screaming Cortland coeds, Friday March 11, 1966, 4:00 – 7:00 P.M”. That very night they also performed at the Alt Heildelberg from 9:45 – 12:45. On Saturday the 12th they played at the Travelers in Ithaca from 9:00- 12:00. “Boss scenes, boss sounds” said the Sun. And the crowds came. Chalk-up another enduring group of appearances for The Bravados.

They returned to The Boxcar on April 22nd from 4:00-7:00 and were still playing Friday nights at the Alt Heidelberg on Eddy Street in Ithaca just before graduation in June ’66 closed the chapter of The Bravados at Cornell.

Copy of the original advertisement in The Cornell Daily Sun, May, 1966