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| Mac Arnold & Plate Full O’ Blues returns to DeSoto stage The Historic DeSoto Theatre Foundation is pleased to announce the return of Mac Arnold & Plate Full O' Blues to the DeSoto stage on Saturday, May 4th. Mac Arnold performed during the successful Ma Rainey Blues Festival and Pub Crawl in November, leaving the audience yearning for more of his great music and engaging stage personality. The DeSoto responded to the encore request and included Mac Arnold in the theatre's 2013 season. Rome's new local Blues group, The Unusual Suspects, opens for Mac Arnold at the DeSoto. A VIP Meet-and-Greet Reception will be held at The Great Room at Seven Hills Fellowship prior to the concert, with Chattanooga's Lon Eldridge providing live music. Eldridge was part of the Pub Crawl and also opened for Mac Arnold in November. His unique "grandpa" looks, and his own quirky mix of blues, ragtime and jazz, made him an audience favorite. MacArnold was one of thirteen children. He was raised on a sharecropper's farm and played in several bands during his high school years. Arnold worked with famous names such as BB King, James Brown, and the Temptations. In the1970's he moved the California and worked on the set of Soul Train. Arnold moved back to South Carolina in the 1990's to help his ailing mother run the family farm. Last decade he was rediscovered, and after much convincing, started touring with his own band, Mac Arnold & Plate Full O' Blues. The band consists of Joe Jones on bass and vocals; Austin Brashier on guitar and vocals; Max Hightower on keyboards, harmonica, guitar, and vocals; Mike Whitt on drums; and Mac Arnold on vocals, bass and gas can guitars. Opening for Mac Arnold at the DeSoto is The Unusual Suspects, a new local group of professional musicians that play Sunday Blues at The Brewhouse in Rome. Their mutual love for blues and roots-based music made them enjoy a quick chemistry, and their audience has responded accordingly. The group is led by Scott Thompson on vocals and guitar, Jeff Brewer on base, Bill Carroll on guitar, Jon Ledford on drums, and Lee Shealy on keys. The Historic De Soto Theatre, built by O.C. Lam, was the first theatre in the south built for "talkies." In the1980'sRome Little Theatre (RLT) purchased it and kept it as a theatre. As upkeep became more difficult and expensive, the non-profit Historic DeSoto Theatre Foundation was established in 2008, purchasing the structure form RLT for $1, says Paul Griffin, Historic DeSoto Theatre Foundation president. All proceeds from the concert and the Meet-and-Greet reception will benefit the theatre's restoration efforts. The Foundation's mission is to lead a community effort to restore, maintain and operate the DeSoto Theatre as a historical, cultural and economical asset. "We're lucky to have the guidance, vision and support of the Fox Theatre Institute in Atlanta every step of the way, " says Griffin. "As part of that mission and by the suggestion from the Fox", Griffin adds, "our theatre not only has to generate income from rentals, but it also has to become a presenting theatre. The idea is that eventually the theatre will become self-supporting, but until then, we have to rely on the very generous contributions of people like you. " VIP Meet-and-Greet Reception starts at 6:30 pm; $50 VIP ticket includes hors d'oeuvres, refreshments, and a reserved-area concert ticket. Concert begins at 8 p.m. write your comments about the article :: © 2013 Jazz News :: home page |