The Neville Brothers and Dr. John & the Lower 911: The Ark/Michigan Theater Foundation.
See review. Double bill of New Orleans music legends. The Neville Brothers have been making music separately and together for more than 40 years--Art wrote the classic “Mardi Gras Mambo” in 1954, Aaron had a pop hit with “Tell It Like It Is” in 1966, and Art and Cyril formed the core of the Meters, the innovative 70s funk band. When they formed their current band in the early 80s, their heady amalgam of R&B, rock ‘n’ roll, funk, soul, jazz, and pure carnival spirits quickly made them favorites with critics and fellow musicians, but it wasn’t until the release of their 1987 Grammy-winning LP, Yellow Moon, that they finally gained a wide audience. Mac “Dr. John” Rebennack is a prolific songwriter with a voice at once silken and gravelly, but he is best known as the reigning master of New Orleans-style piano. His blend of rock ’n’ roll, R&B, gospel, boogie, blues, and funk is rooted in a long tradition shaped by the likes of Fats Domino, Huey Smith, and Dr. John’s mentor, Roy “Professor Longhair” Byrd. He established his reputation among musicians as a session player in the 50s and 60s before gaining his own audience through his adopted persona as “Dr. John, the Night Tripper.” He performs tonight with band.
7:30 p.m., The Ark, 316 S. Main. Tickets $29.50-$47 in advance the Michigan Union Ticket Office & all other Ticketmaster outlets, and at the door. To charge by phone, call (800) 745-3000.
