Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM FEBRUARY 13-19, 2019 UCW 15 STEPHANIE CRIDER, Associate Publisher. COMMENTS? Editor@upand- comingweekly.com. 910-484-6200. Three Dog Night continues hit-filled Community Concerts season by STEPHANIE CRIDER COVER STORY It can be hard to imagine what goes through a per- son's head as they put together an amazing season of entertainment, much less 27 of them in a row. at's how long Community Concerts Attractions Direc- tor Michael Fleishman has been putting together top-notch entertainment for Fayetteville. He and the volunteers at Community Concerts do it every year, and each concert season, the only goal is to be better than the previous year. ey consistently pull it off, bringing top performers to Fayetteville at great prices. Friday, Feb. 22, ree Dog Night takes the stage for a night of rock and roll that will have the audience sing- ing along and dancing in the aisles. "ree Dog Night is an incredible show," Fleish- man said. "We had them here years ago. It was in- credible then, too. It is still one of the most success- ful groups of all time. … With this show, it is hit after hit. You will know every single song." e group's set list is extensive, with many of their songs appearing in commercials and major motion pictures. A few crowd pleasers include "Mama Told Me Not To Come," "Black and White," "Shambala" and "One." e band includes founder and lead vocalist Danny Hutton along with Michael Alsup, Paul Kingery, Pat Bautz and David Morgan. eir achievements in- clude 21 consecutive top 40 hits, including three No.1 singles and 12 gold albums. ree Dog Night has hits in pop, rock and country genres across the world. After a strong start with Michael McDonald's "Season of Peace" concert in November, ree Dog Night is the second in Community Concerts' rock- filled five-concert season. "Last year was more song and dance with a touch of magic," said Fleishman. "It had a more Broadway-esque feel. is year we wanted more concerts. More rock and roll." "Choir of Man," the next show in the Community Concerts series, is set for Feb. 27. Part of the inau- gural North American tour, this show has been a hit at music festivals around the world. "Choir of man is a show that is highly regarded," Fleishman said. "Don't let the name fool you. It is a stand-up-and- sing show. It has a working set with a piano and a working bar. e audience can go up prior to the show; it is very participatory. 'Choir' is a misleading name. is show is on fire." Friday, March 15, e O'Jays — Rock & Roll Hall of Famers — bring more than 50 years of electrifying energy to the Crown. Band members Walter Williams and Eddie Levert first met when they were the ages of 6 and 7, respec- tively. As teenagers in Canton, Ohio, they formed a band originally consisting of Levert, Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey and Bill Isles. In 1963, the band took the name e O'Jays in tribute to Cleveland, Ohio, radio disc jockey Eddie O'Jay. While several members have changed, Levert and Williams continue to lead the group. "Backstabbers" is one of the band's early hits. From there, this group topped music charts with various pop and R&B singles, including "Love Train," "Put Your Hands Together," "For the Love of Money," "I Love Music," "Darlin' Darlin' Baby (Sweet, Tender, Love)," "Livin' for the Weekend" and "Use Ta Be My Girl." e O'Jays were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. ey were also inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2005 and honored with BET's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009. In 2013, they were inducted into e Official R&B Music Hall of Fame. Today, the songs of e O'Jays are still used in many movies, commercials and TV shows. "e O'Jays are an iconic group of performers," said Fleishman. "Tickets for their show are available now. But don't wait too long. e phone has been ringing off the hook." While the concert series is underway, Fleishman noted that there are still options available for season tickets to cover the remainder of this year's concerts — at an attractive price, too. e season concludes ursday, April 4, with America. e group has six gold/platinum albums. Founding members, Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bun- nell, along with former bandmate Dan Peek, met in high school in London, England, in the 1960s and quickly harmonized their way to the top of the charts with their signature song, "A Horse with No Name." Almost 50 years later, they are still making music together and thrilling audiences around the world with their timeless sound. eir best-known tunes, which also include "I Need You," "Ventura Highway," "Don't Cross the River," "Tin Man," "Lonely People" and "Sister Golden Hair" dominated the '70s and have become rock standards. Community Concerts has been a part of the Fayetteville arts landscape for more than eight de- cades. It set the standard for what great performing arts organizations can and should do to help a com- munity thrive artistically. Beyond a dedicated team of volunteers and a commitment to bring the best music available to this community, the organization's passion has spilled over into other beneficial music- related programs. In 2008, Community Concerts decided to create a way to celebrate and honor those who have brought musical distinction to the community. As a result, each year, at one of the season's concerts, new in- ductees join the distinguished members of the presti- gious cohort in the Fayetteville Music Hall of Fame. In addition to recognizing locals for their music- related achievements, Community Concerts helps aspiring musicians chase their dreams by awarding scholarships to local high school graduates. e program started in 2004. To date, nearly 30 students have received scholarships. ere are other ways Community Concerts sup- ports local artists. One example is its local artist showcase program, which puts local performers onstage during regular season shows. Local perform- ers to participate in the local artist showcase include Voices of the Heart, which opened for Gladys Knight; students from Linda Kinlaw's School of Dance, who performed with Martina McBride; and Trae Edwards, who performed at the Ricky Skaggs Show. Community Concerts also provides free concert opportunities to select groups. Some of the groups who have already benefitted from this program in- clude the Vision Resource Center, Fayetteville Urban Ministry, e Sunshine Center, members of local fire and police departments, high school theater art classes and members of the military. For tickets and information, visit community-concerts.com/about-us. Friday, Feb. 22, ree Dog Night (left) takes the stage for a night of rock and roll. e Choir of Man (right) follows on Wednesday, Feb. 27.