Take a walk down memory lane, to a simple time when love and rhythm were in the air.
That’s what Garfield Fleming and That Motown Band plan to deliver when they take the stage at the Mars Theatre on Friday in Springfield. Fleming is no stranger to the magic of Motown and Rhythm & Blues music. He spent 25 years with the famed R&B/soul group, The Delfonics, before launching a successful solo career in the 1980’s.
He is a living link to a bygone era, one revered for its upbeat, pop-influenced style of rhythm and blues synonymous with industrial American cities like Detroit and Philadelphia.
These proud working-class metropolis’ spawned iconic Black vocalists and vocal groups in the 1950s and 1960s, which transcended class, race, and geography to top the radio charts of their day. "That was that positive era that we came up in," shared Fleming in between stops on his 2022 tour.
Credit: Photo provided
Credit: Photo provided
"We had a message in the music at that time, everything was about love and trying to be happy and hold onto your relationships."
That Motown Band is a 10-piece band featuring four vocalists, including Fleming, which has been entertaining rhythm and blues fans for years. At their Springfield show, the band promises to deliver classic songs that defined a generation of music fans, classics like “Heat Wave,” “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” “Baby Love” and more.
These are songs that strike a chord and send listeners back to a time when life was simple, and love abounded, Fleming noted.
"To bring some of those positive memories and days when things were more peaceful and loveable and just grooving — people can relate to that," Fleming explained.
Credit: Photo provided
Credit: Photo provided
"When our friends and fans can come out, they’re going to get a chance to sit down and bring back some good memories, the young and old, they are going to get a great show."
That Motown Band’s musical journey is directed by Johnny Gale, a Grammy-nominated producer, composer, arranger, vocalist, and guitarist. Gale is a renowned expert in the authentic style of classic soul, doo wop, R&B, blues, and rock.
That Motown Band is a group of authentic experts on a subject they hold dear: the classic sounds of an era they grew up defining. Even after decades on the road, on the stage, and in the studio, Fleming says he and his bandmates still get electrified for each performance.
Credit: Photo provided
Credit: Photo provided
When the lights go up, the music starts, and the fans start clapping, it’s an experience that remains magical all these years later, he said.
"The people can feel it. They can relate to it," Fleming shared.
"Once you hear the music backstage, and then it’s time to come on, you can’t help but go out there and feel positive — whether it’s one person or a full house, the band is on and that’s the energy we try to keep."
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: That Motown Band to deliver heart, soul, and memories at the Mars Theatre in Springfield
The Latest
Featured
