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Valentine’s weekend starts
with ‘putting out the love’
■ Groove Juice Special
headlines a funk concert
that tries to capture a
festival-like atmosphere
By Lisa Toth
for the Emerald
To start off the Valentine’s
weekend with a beat and maybe
some dress-up fun as well, make
plans to attend “Late Night Friday
Funk” on Feb. 11 at John Henry’s.
Silver People Presents and local
band Groove Juice Special are
combining efforts for a night of
real emotion.
“Our animation lets people feel
the energy,” Groove Juice Spe
cial’s lead vocalist Ben Thomas
says. “We put out the love.”
Opening the show is Freedom
Funk Ensemble, with the celebra
tion beginning at 9 p.m. John Hen
ry’s is located at 136 E. 11th Ave.
and event organizers say that cos
tumes are encouraged to promote
a festival-like atmosphere.
Groove Juice Special always
sets out with the intent to produce
the most entertaining dance party
possible, Thomas says, and he
adds that this Friday night will be
no exception. The band’s music
fuses unadulterated funk and re
lentlessly catchy melodies with
elements of soul, blues, reggae,
and salsa.
Thomas, in addition to being
lead vocalist, also composes lyrics
and has experience on the conga
drums. Guitarist Brandon Beebe
admits to a passion for blues and
likes to counter that sound with a
jazzy finesse. Vincent Stoffer is a
classically trained pianist, but he
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Groove Juice Special is the headliner for ‘Late Night Friday Funk’ at John Henry’s.
applies his skill to various key
boards for the band.
The rhythm section that gener
ates the backbeat for Groove Juice
Special’s hip-shaking arrange
ments includes drummer John
Foord and bassist Sean Potts.
Mike Thompson on saxophone
and John Polese on trumpet
round out the ensemble.
Except for Polese and Thomp
son, who is a graduate student, the
band members are all seniors at the
University. Thomas, Beebe and
Potts started out in the school’s
gospel choir, before Beebe ap
proached Thomas with the idea of
forming an orchestrated band. The
group’s meager beginnings in
Potts’ basement set the foundation
for the goal’s realization.
“Music became our hobby, and
we practiced all the time,” Potts
says. “We just have fun affecting
and moving people. Our goal is to
inspire people to enjoy each other’s
company and build a community.”
The band’s stage show spread
quickly by word of mouth.
“Everyone goes to see the Groove
Juice Special to have a good time,”
fan Jessica Langer says. “They have
a great reputation. ”
The ingenious musical works
of Stevie Wonder, James Brown
and The Beatles have served as in
spiration for Groove Juice Special,
and the band has in turn devel
oped its own distinctive and cre
ative style.
“We love the direct interaction
between the band and the
crowd,” Potts says. He adds that
Friday’s environment will be set
up to further the audience.
Adding to the funky elixir of
music, the promotion team of Sil
ver People Presents will highlight
the show with Valentine’s Day
decorations, lights, face paint, ta
pestry and the utilization of a new
sound system.
“We are a family that desires to
give back to the community what
we have received for so many in
credible years of partaking in the
live music experience,” says
Stephen Vogt of SPP. The promot
ers say they are expecting more
than 300 people to be in atten
dance for the show.
Freedom Funk Ensemble de
scribes their music as a combina
tion of fusion, funk, jazz and Latin
to create an instrumental, jungle
gypsy groove.
As the lyrics to one of Groove
Juice Special’s songs, “Funky Par
adise,” describe, sweethearts and
singles alike will want to “join the
party, feel the groove all over your
body and let the music set your
mind and spirit free.”
Tickets for the show are $10 and
available at The Record Exchange
and the EMU Ticket Office.
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How to protect and care
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Saturday, Feb. 12th
Ham-noon or 2-3 pm
10% of total sales
donated to Food for
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Bring in food to
donate, Feb. 5-13
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181 E Broadway
342-6107
Mon-Sat: 10-6
Sun: 11-5