CULTURAL EVENTS

By Spencer Carney

As the summer works its way to the end and the heat increases, the fun and interesting activities don’t have to be over.

Both the Imperial Centre and the Dunn Center at N.C. Wesleyan College have several upcoming musical events that will be worth checking into throughout the rest of the summer and into the fall.

Currently at the Imperial Centre is its featured Downtown Live! concert series, featuring a variety of bands on the back lawn. The concerts are free to the public and begin at 6 p.m. Some of the performers include Jim Quick and Coastline, The Legacy Motown Revue and The Embers.

Pulling from the threads of Soul, Blues, R&B and Americana, Jim Quick and Coastline weave together their own genre of music known as “Swamp Soul.” The band works to show the spirit of traditions created in small southern town and bring it to life as genuinely as possible. Singer Jim Quick and his band Coastline will be in Rocky Mount on August 1.

The Legacy Motown Revue, a tribute band, pays homage to generations of classic bands such as The Drifters, The Coasters, The Jacksons, Earth Wind & Fire, The Temptations and more. The group includes dancers and singers, as well as a six-piece horn band and will appear on Aug. 15.

Carrying the moniker of North Carolina’s Official Ambassadors of Music, The Embers laid the groundwork for what has become known as “Beach Music.” Boasting an expansive collection of albums and single releases, the band will be playing on the Imperial Centre lawn on September 12.

At the Dunn Center, some of the events include The Malpass Brothers, Elisabeth Von Trapp and “Elf the Musical Jr.”

From Goldsboro, comes The Malpass Brothers, a country music duet who actually are brothers. They primarily cover classic country artists such as the Louvin Brothers, Johnny Cash and Marty Robbins but also perform some traditional gospels and their own music. They will perform at the Dunn Center at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 27.

Elisabeth Von Trapp is the granddaughter of Maria and Baron Von Trapp, whose story inspired “The Sound of Music.” She has worked to carry on the legacy of the Trapp Family Singers, learning piano and guitar and singing. Her repertoire ranges from Bach to Broadway to Schubert to Sting, and reviews promise an unforgettable performance. She will be on stage at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 25.

The 60-minute version of the musical, “Elf the Musical Jr.” is based on the holiday film “Elf.” The show follows Buddy the human elf as he leaves the North Pole to find his birth father to discover that his dad’s on the naughty list and his half-brother doesn’t believe in Santa. A heartwarming classic, the show will play at the Dunn Center at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 21.

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