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 APRIL 11-17, 2018 UCW 17 STEPHANIE CRIDER, As- sociate Publisher. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomingweekly. com. 910-484-6200. Community Concerts bring the Commodores to the Crown by STEPHANIE CRIDER The Commodores are no strangers to Fayettev ille. Before t he band ever produced a record, t hey were entertaining locals. "We used to play at t he Utopia Lounge in Fayettev ille," said Commodore Walter "Clyde" Orange. "We played Fayettev ille t wo to t hree times a year back t hen because we had a follow ing t here before we even made a record." Communit y Concerts is bring- ing t he band to t he Crow n April 14, along w it h special g uest Landau Eugene Murphy. Founded in 1968 when t he original members were attending Tuskegee Universit y in A labama, t he Commodores have sold more t han 60 million records. Orange said t he band's stay ing power stems from several factors, one of t hem being t heir abilit y to adapt. "We went t hrough hard rock – we played all k inds of t hings. We played all k inds of clubs. Then when Motow n was look ing for an opening act for t he Jackson 5, t hey picked us because we were well-rounded. Michael Jack- son was just 9 years old t hen." Orange joined t he group in 1969, replacing James Ingram when Ingram left t he band to ser ve in Vietnam. The fact t hat t he band still has fun toget her plays a big part in its success, too. "W hen we played w it h t he Jackson 5, we were just as play ful and dev ilish as t hey were in terms of hav ing fun," Orange said. "We made sure to have a good time ever y where we went. We still do." Instead falling into t he habits t hat destroyed many of t heir peers, t he Commodores chose to focus on t heir music as many performers suc- cumbed to drugs and ot her v ices. "The hip t hing to do is create music," said Orange. "We wanted to create songs t hat would last forever. Thank t he Lord, we are still here today, doing what he blessed us to be able to do. We were able to weat her t he storms, stay toget her and continue to work – and people like what we are doing. Sure, we are older, but we are just as play ful as we were when we started." Wit h an impressive play list t hat includes hits like "Easy," "Three Times a Lady," "Brick House," "Fancy Dancer" and more, t he band was awarded its f irst Grammy in 1986 for "Night Shift." Orange said t he band is look ing for ward to t he April 14 concert, promising a high-energ y perfor- mance w it h a lot of soul – even w it h t he ballads. "They are going to get a chance to listen to songs like 'Three Times a Lady.' A nd while it may not be of your generation, when JD f inishes t he song, you w ill be in love w it h t he person next to you. W hen I sing 'Still,' you w ill feel t he mood and t he f lavor. We strive for perfection." Communit y Concerts shares t he Commodores' philosophy of only offering t he best entertain- ment possible. Wit h its 82nd season w inding dow n, t he passion for f irst-class shows and love for communit y t hat inspired t he founding of Communit y Concerts is strong as ever. "Commodores is an unbelievable show," said Communit y Concerts Attractions Director Michael Fleishman. "It's got a really interesting opening act. We are bringing in Landau Eugene Murphy. He won 'A merica's Got Talent' four or f ive years ago. Frank Sinatra is no longer w it h us, but his voice is back w it h Murphy." This is a special concert because it is t he night t hat someone new w ill be inducted into The Fayettev ille Music Hall of Fame. In 2008, Com- munit y Concerts founded The Fayettev ille Music Hall of Fame to honor t hose who have brought musical distinction to t he communit y. "This pro- gram has done not hing but grow in stature and prominence since we created it," said Fleishman. "The new members w ill be inducted before t he Commodores show. Two people w ill be inducted t his year." The next show t his season is The Illusionists: Live from Broadway, which is set for May 10. "This was going to be our f inal show, but it looks like t he Charlie Daniels Band and The Marshall Tucker Band w ill w rap t his year up w it h a concert on June 1." Fleishman said. "The Illusionists was one of t he top 10 shows in t his countr y t his last year and is t he No. 1 magic show on planet today. It is not one, but f ive magicians onstage. They are not only fabulous magicians, t hey are funny. We tr y to keep it fresh, and t here hasn't been a magic show like t his in Fayettev ille in, I t hink, 25 years. The audience w ill love it." Communit y Concerts also supports local artists of all ages by prov iding opportu- nities to perform. In recent years, teen Christian group Voices of t he Heart per- formed w it h Gladys K night onstage at t he Crow n, and The Linda K inlaw School of Dance performed w it h Tina McBride. Local musician Trae Edwards sang w it h R ick y Skaggs at t he Crow n as well. The all-volunteer organization also offers col- lege scholarships to local high school graduates. The program was initiated in 2004. Since t hen it has awarded about 30 scholarships. For Communit y Concerts, access to top-notch musical performances is a qualit y of life issue. So, t he group looks for opportunities to bring people to its concerts who might not get to ex- perience t hem ot her w ise. Communit y Concerts has inv ited several groups to its concerts for free. These include t he Vision Resource Center, Fayettev ille Urban Ministr y, The Sunshine Cen- ter as well as local f ire and police departments, high school t heater and art classes and members of t he militar y. Earlier in t he season ZZ Top canceled a perfor- mance and later, a concert featuring t he Charlie Daniels Band and The Marshall Tucker Band was postponed. "This season has had some ups and dow ns and t hings we could not control," Fleish- man said. "We hate t hat t his has been a prob- lematic season, but artists are people, too. They get sick and t here is not hing you can do except roll w it h t he punches. We really appreciate how people have been so understanding. We want to say t hank you to t he communit y for t heir sup- port and to Jim Grafstrom and t he Crow n. We are work ing hard to come up w it h an extra special season for next year." To f ind out more about Communit y Concerts, or to purchase tickets, v isit w w w.communit y- concerts.com. COVER STORY Community Concerts brings the Commodores to the Crown April 14 with special guest Landau Euguene Murphy.