Community Performance Night starts fall series

The Lopez Center for Community and the Arts is kicking of its fall Community Performance Night series this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and will feature Super Wide Groove and the Magmatics. These nights were started last year as a way to showcase local talent on Lopez and are by donation.

October 11, 2012 5:52 pm
Doug Cram
Doug Cram

The Lopez Center for Community and the Arts is kicking of its fall Community Performance Night series this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and will feature Super Wide Groove and the Magmatics. These nights were started last year as a way to showcase local talent on Lopez and are by donation.

“We wanted to run a series of events that would provide a venue for local musicians to perform and be accessible to our entire community,” said LCCA Assistant Director Robert Harrison. The fall series will have three shows, Oct. 20, Nov. 17 and Dec. 15.

First up is Super Wide Groove, a new soul and funk band featuring: Bill Johnson, Colin Doherty, Todd Goldsmith, Beth Geever, Nick Teague, Susie Teague, Kenny Ferrugiaro and Anna Haefele.

“I had this idea for a fun band that played dance music by The Temptations, The Spinners, Sly and the Family Stone and others. I love the vocal harmonies, dance moves and the joy of Soul and Funk music that I grew up with,” said Bill Johnson. “I talked to friends of mine and we started Super Wide Groove with the spirit of mutual respect and a love of sharing this music. We appreciate the opportunity to play for the first time in public at the Lopez Community Center at one of their Community Performance Nights.”

Headlining the evening will be the Magmatics, which is a trio featuring Doug Cram, Jeff Nichols and John Polstra. The Magmatics are one of the longer-lived bands on Lopez, having played together for more than three and a half years.

“We cover some of the best rock and roll tunes from the ’60s and ’70s, but our main focus is on our original material.  Both Doug and Jeff have come up with some great songs that surely must be smash hits in a parallel universe somewhere” John Polstra said. “Our power trio format means that each one of us plays an essential role.  There is no slacking off when we are playing, and that makes it extra rewarding. We’re excited to be paired with Super Wide Groove for their debut performance.  They have some of the island’s most talented musicians, and we can’t wait to see what they’ve put together.”