Upside Downtown ended the season on a toe tapping note, Thursday, Aug. 31, with local R and B and funk band Hippodrome, who got a good sized crowd moving with a familiar and comforting set of popular ’60s, ’70s R and B and disco music.
It was a fitting way to bring Upside Downtown to a close for the year and what you’d expect from a Hippodrome set— plenty of blasting horns, a whole lot of groove from crack rhythm section of bassist Paul Holden, drummer Brad Brouwer and percussionist Kyle Harmon. And plenty of smiles that could almost outshine the sun.
I arrived in time for their last set of their usual blissful, joyous collection of familiar hits.
Shawna Romolliwa, Erica Hunt and Juran Greene alternated on lead vocals.
They all showed their best moves on “Land of 1,000 Dances.”
Romolliwa lead the way on a hot version of “ Signed , Sealed and Delivered.”
“ Brick House,” always stands out as does their version of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstitious.”
Erica Hunt belted out “ Son of A Preacher Man,” and Romolliwa returned with a sizzling version of “ I Thank You.”
Hunt took the band to e the end of the set with crowd favourite “ Proud Mary,” and “ I Will Survive.”
Juran Greene Lead the hot band through an encore of“ Mustang Sally.”
— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
