We heard it through the grapevine, Motown music is headed to DeLand!
When you think of the great music of the Motown era, what city comes to mind? If you said Detroit, you’re not alone. But, the fact is, Motown’s reach extended far beyond the Motor City.
In the 1960s, the label’s music was being played on radio stations from coast to coast, and its artists were belting out tunes at venues, bars and nightclubs throughout the country!
One of the cities that was quick to embrace Motown’s soulful sound was Memphis, Tennessee. In fact, many of the label’s most iconic artists, including Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, the Staple Singers, Smokey Robinson, The Miracles and Marvin Gaye, all recorded in Memphis.
On Wednesday, March 22, you can relive the music, catchy melodies, nostalgia and heyday of all things Motown when The Memphis Motown Soul Experience takes center stage at the Athens Theatre!
Memphis, no stranger to music royalty, is best associated with the king of rock ’n’ roll, Elvis Presley, and is widely considered to be the birthplace of that genre of music. However, it was also home to a vibrant soul-music scene in the 1960s and 1970s.
Motown music brought with it something that other music of the times was missing — a galvanizing sense of unity.
As Martha Reeves recalls, “It was a beautiful feeling, when we were so full of hate and anger and everybody was so full of unrest, that we saw people actually join together, get out of their cars and dance to a song (Martha and the Vandellas’ 1964 smash hit “Dancing in the Street”) that meant we should rejoice. The Motown sound was a very big influence in the civil-rights movement. It was not that we marched or paraded; we just promoted it through love.”
The Memphis Motown Soul Experience is a tribute band that pays homage to the music of the Motown era. The 10-piece band features dynamic vocalists and a tightly syncopated rhythm section playing all the classic hits from The Temptations, The Four Tops, Smokey Robinson, Sam Cooke, Wilson Pickett, Booker T. & The M.G.’s, Stevie Wonder and many more.
When this exciting band is performing renditions of classic Motown hits and Memphis soul classics from the 1960s and 1970s, fans of Motown’s legendary music are in for an out-of-your-seat, foot-stompin’ good time! With shows at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 22, this show is signed, sealed, and delivered to be a hit with audiences of all ages!
Ticket prices and more information can be found at www.athensdeland.com, or by calling the box office at 386-736-1500. Box-office hours are 1-5 p.m. Tuesday- Saturday, and 1 1/2 hours before live performances.
