PONTIAC, MI — A popular southern rock band is playing in Oakland County this week.
Atlanta Rhythm Section, one of the most prolific bands of the 70s, is playing at the Flagstar Strand Theatre in Pontiac. The show starts at 8 p.m. You can buy tickets here.
The band, founded in 1971, is best-known for their smooth, soulful sound that’s filled with catchy hooks and memorable melodies. They can also mix it up and feature an inimitable Southern-fried style, while also phasing in jazz and blues licks.
Find out what's happening in Rochester-Rochester Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Patch spoke to the band’s longtime and original lead singer Rodney Justo.
“We’re definitely old-school, but we don’t play like we’re old school,” Justo told Patch in a phone interview. “We have a good time, we have energy.”
Find out what's happening in Rochester-Rochester Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Justo said the band likes to change things up night-to-night to keep things feeling fresh, but fans can expect the band to play seven of their more well-known songs, including “So in to You,” “I’m Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight,” “Spooky,” “Champagne Jam,” “Imaginary Lover,” “do it or die” and “Dog Days.”
“They’re going to hear all the hits, and they’re going to hear them played, let’s say respectfully…like what they expected to hear,” Justo said. “We do what we think the fans what us to do.”
Some fans have told Justo that the show feels like they were ‘reliving my whole college experience.’
“We want the audience to have a good time,” Justo said.
The original lineup of Atlanta Rhythm Section featured Justo on vocals, guitarist Barry Bailey, bassist Paul Goddard, keyboardist Dean Daughtry, drummer Robert Nix and guitarist J.R. Cobb.
The band’s best-selling album was “Champagne Jam,” which was released in 1978 and features “Imaginary Lover,” which reached No.7 on the charts. The album also features the song “Large Time,” which is a tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd, who lost some of its members in a plane crash the previous October.
Later that year, the band played before more than 80,000 at “Texxas Jam” at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Other artists at the show, included Walter Egan, Van Halen, Eddie Money, Head East, Journey, Heart, Ted Nugent and Aerosmith.
The current Atlanta Rhythm Section features Justo on vocals, Steve Stone on bass, Justin Senker on bass, David Anderson on guitar, Rodger Stephan on drums and Lee Shealy on keyboards.
Atlanta Rhythm Section’s last studio album was Eufaula, which was released in 1999.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
Click Here: Germany football tracksuit