CityView Magazine

20 March 2021 Adolph Thomas has described their live stage performances as "a family-oriented show – so we like to see people have fun and see how wonderful it is to come together." we like to see people have fun and see how wonderful it is to come together." "We can jack it up," Duce omas said. For an interview, five of the band members convened for conversation and even played a bit in Adolph omas' garage in Cliffdale West. Typically, they gather for rehearsals at founder Bradford's home. As of mid-February, the musicians were eyeing a scheduled date for the Seniors Black and White Ball at Friendship Baptist Church in Charlotte in August and the 2021 North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh. ey say that Ripley's Believe It or Not! On the Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, also has shown interest in booking the band. Mostly, they're a regional band that has played weekend dates at Dirtbag and for the Dogwood Festival, various birthday parties and religious organizations. While the group's bread and butter has proven to be cover material, keyboardist Ludgood is eager to incorporate some original material into the mix for shows. ese selections would be more jazz-oriented instrumentals. As they played a few tunes, it was obvious these band members enjoy being together. Making music together. eir ragged-but- right voices blended nicely on "Ain't No Stopping Us Now" by the R&B duo McFadden & Whitehead and the Ann Peebles' soul gem, "I Can't Stand the Rain." Guitarist Duce omas would probably have made funkster Nile Rogers proud with his Chic-like rhythmic precision and jazz- fusion groove on a Fender guitar. But friendship, he said, is the real star in the band. "... We find pleasure being around each other a lot and this particular thing just grew because we started out just as a house party and before you knew it, people were saying, 'Can you come? Can you come?' So now we're regulars at Dirtbag."

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