It’s a jam-packed weekend for entertainment, but if you’re looking for something to do in Columbus tonight, the place to be is the Riverwalk for the second annual Legends concert, which features four bands this year.
The evening will kick off at 5:30 p.m. with local favorite The Flames performing everything from Motown to Tina Turner to Aretha Franklin to Michael Jackson hits.
After working together from 1972 to 1978, the group briefly disbanded and reconvened in 1997. The rest is history. They can often be found at Rick’s Cafe, Dave’s Dark Horse Tavern and The Veranda in Starkville.
Their set list will include “Mustang Sally,” “Electric Slide,” “The Thrill is Gone” and “Proud Mary.”
The Flames will be followed at 6:30 p.m. by Southern rocker Artimus Pyle, the former drummer for Lynyrd Skynyrd who survived the 1977 plane crash that killed bandmates Ronnie Van Zant, Cassie Gaines and Steve Gaines. Since that time, he has participated in a number of Skynyrd tribute bands, as well as with former bandmates and with his current bands, The Floyd County Rangers and Artimus Venomous.
So will Pyle play “Sweet Home Alabama” for the Mississippi crowd? It’s not on his play list, but one thing is certain — someone in the crowd will most assuredly yell for him to play “Freebird.”
At 7:45 p.m., 1970s Motown band Rare Earth will take the stage.
Remember the name but can’t link them to their hits? They were known for their cover of The Temptations’ classic, “Get Ready,” which earned them a No. 4 slot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, as well as a Gold Record from the Recording Industry Association of America. (As the band’s first recording, “Get Ready” was an unheard of at the time 21 minutes long and stayed on the charts for nearly three years.)
Another Rare Earth crowd-pleaser, “I Just Wanna Celebrate,” has received heavy play in a number of national advertising campaigns, including those of Ford Motor Co. and AT&T. It has also appeared in several movies and television shows.
Finally, at 9 p.m., The Temptations featuring Dennis Edwards will perform.
Edwards, a Birmingham native, joined The Temptations in 1968 as the replacement for lead singer David Ruffin. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Alabama Hall of Fame in 1999.
The band’s set list will include favorites like “My Girl,” “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone.”
General admission tickets for the event are $25 and will be available until 5 p.m. today at the Columbus Arts Council’s Rosenzweig Arts Center at 501 Main St. Tickets will also be available at the Riverwalk gate.
VIP tickets were in short supply Friday afternoon, but some were still available at a cost of $60 per ticket. These tickets include food, drinks, a chance to meet the bands, on-site television for football viewing and reserved seating.
Carmen K. Sisson is the former news editor at The Dispatch.
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