Loyale Freilich serenades shoppers outside of Trader Joe's, wearing wacky clothes and standing next to a poster that reads "Silly Sing-a-Longs." Some of the tunes she and her friends sang included "Let Me Call You Sweetheart," "Pack Up Your Troubles" — with lyrical changes, including "pack up your troubles in your shopping bag, standing and waiting here can be a drag" — and "Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here" that swapped "hail" for "kale." Olivia Harlow/The New Mexican
Sandra Schwartz, a retired musical social worker, far right, stands alongside friends Loralee Freilich, center, and Elia Redfield, as the group — self-dubbed "Silly Sing-a-Long" — serenaded shoppers outside of Trader Joe's on Friday morning. Olivia Harlow/The New Mexican
From left to right: Loralee Freilich, Elia Redfield and Sandra "Sandy" Schwartz perform the "Hokey Pokey" for shoppers outside of Trader Joe's on Friday morning. The group — self-dubbed the "Silly Sing-a-Long" — hopes to perform at the grocery store and other local hotspots more regularly, to "just have a little fun," Freilich said. Olivia Harlow/The New Mexican
Loralee Freilich, 82, wears a funky hat she decorated and a wacky outfit while serenading shoppers outside of Trader Joe's with her friends on Friday morning. "We like to be silly," she said. Olivia Harlow/The New Mexican
Loralee Freilich, right, sings songs and entertains shoppers Friday alongside friends Sandra ‘Sandy’ Schwartz, center, and Elia Redfield, outside of Trader Joe’s.
Olivia Harlow/The New Mexican
Elia Redfield, who with her friends forms the Silly Sing-a-Longs, wears sock puppets while singing to Trader Joe’s shoppers.
Olivia Harlow/The New Mexican
Loyale Freilich serenades shoppers outside of Trader Joe's, wearing wacky clothes and standing next to a poster that reads "Silly Sing-a-Longs." Some of the tunes she and her friends sang included "Let Me Call You Sweetheart," "Pack Up Your Troubles" — with lyrical changes, including "pack up your troubles in your shopping bag, standing and waiting here can be a drag" — and "Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here" that swapped "hail" for "kale." Olivia Harlow/The New Mexican
Sandra Schwartz, a retired musical social worker, far right, stands alongside friends Loralee Freilich, center, and Elia Redfield, as the group — self-dubbed "Silly Sing-a-Long" — serenaded shoppers outside of Trader Joe's on Friday morning. Olivia Harlow/The New Mexican
Loralee Freilich, 82, wears a funky hat she decorated and a wacky outfit while serenading shoppers outside of Trader Joe's with her friends on Friday morning. "We like to be silly," she said. Olivia Harlow/The New Mexican
A group of friends known as the Silly Sing-a-Longs serenaded shoppers outside Trader Joe’s on Friday morning.
Wearing wacky outfits — a purple witch hat, ruffled blouses with jingle bells, an oversize bow tie, high-top shoes with red sequins — the women sang songs such as “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” and “Let Me Call You Sweetheart.” They repeatedly belted out “Hail, Hail, the Gang’s All Here” — swapping “hail” with “kale” — as well as “Pack Up Your Trouble,” with improvised lyrics about grocery shopping.
“We like to be silly,” said 82-year-old Loralee Freilich.
The group also included Sandra “Sandy” Schwartz, 74; Jeannie MacNeil, 64; and Elia Redfield. The Silly Sing-a-Longs said they hope to continue performing at different locations around town.
Freilich said she dreamed up the idea to sing to shoppers several weeks ago, after seeing a line of customers who looked “so restless, so bored, their heads were down” because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
“So the point was to bring people a little joy and fun,” she said.