Macon Pops Presents “Best of the 70’s”
This summer may be winding down, but there’s another season coming up that will keep the heat rollin’ right on down the Ocmulgee. Macon Pops, one of the city’s greatest musical attractions, will open its season on September 18th with an action-packed concert titled “Best of The 70’s”. This season marks the third year the orchestral phenomenon has wowed Macon audiences through its astounding turnout and captivating performances. I can’t wait to see for myself what this jive talkin’ is all about.
By combining world-class orchestra members, talented guest artists, the fine orchestration of Artistic Director and Conductor Matt Catingub, and not to mention the vision of strategist, co-founder, President and CEO Steve Moretti, the final product is something one must hear to believe.
The kickoff show to the season will feature the biggest artists of the decade including Boz Scaggs, Paul McCartney, The Bee Gees, KC And The Sunshine Band, and back by popular demand, guest vocalist Anita Hall! This season will be packed with a variety of genres and styles that will continue throughout April of 2016 with themes like “Top to Bottom: Sgt. Pepper & Abbey Road,” “Songs of the Soul,” and an “Annual Fundraising Concert with the Macon Pops Jazz Orchestra.”
I have been to several of Macon Pops concerts in the past season and let me tell you: this is no small ordeal! This is something extraordinarily rare and exquisitely executed. Just because there’s an orchestra on stage doesn’t mean you have to sit somberly in your seat, tapping one toe in your oxfords as if listening to Hadyn’s Symphony No 45. In fact, Macon Pops is redefining the orchestra experience by taking familiar tunes and reconfiguring them to a massively upscale degree.
What makes the Macon Pops experience exceptional is the quality and variety of orchestration, artistry, and talent: we’re talkin’ all genres, top-tier expertise, and collaborative skills to rival all Pops groups across the country. Not only that, but the frequency to which a Macon music-lover can enjoy attending the events is a true testament to the level professionalism demonstrated on the stage and behind the scenes.
Macon Pops’ Event Director Justin Andrews, who is also the program assistant for the local Otis Redding Foundation on Cotton Avenue and grandson of the late soul icon Otis Redding, knows exactly how much goes on beforehand to make these events run smoothly. “We have usually over a thousand people in attendance, usually around 1400. With that many people in the crowd getting into it and counting on an amazing experience, we’ve been working very hard as a team throughout this summer to prepare for the upcoming season. It will definitely be our best one yet.”
Macon Pops is making an investment into the revitalization culture we have in Macon: taking great elements of the past, blending with the innovative ideas of the now and creating a future of opportunity and collaboration. For Macon, music is the thread that binds us…our past is not celebrated and redefined without it. Macon Pops is enlivening this scene and bringing folks together from not only all ages, races, and neighborhoods, but all genres, styles, and talents. For the future of this community and for the listener’s ears, I will testify for the end result: fun that will burn down the house.
So put on those 3-inch platforms (and maybe even your plaid leisure suit) and head down to the Macon City Auditorium on September 18th. Reserve a table for great conversation, drinks, food, and easy access to the dance floor. Boogieing down not your thing? A view from above can bring the overall experience with a lower price in balcony seating. Tickets and tables can be purchased online at www.maconpops.com/shows.
To further support Macon Pops programming, check out their website and consider becoming an official patron. Sponsorships are crucial to keep these seasons recurring each year! Visit http://www.maconpops.com to donate today.
