The last time the Fabulous Equinox Orchestra played at the University of South Carolina Aiken was a unique experience.
Instead of performing inside the university’s Etherredge Center, the band played to a drive-in audience. On Sept. 18, the big band returns to play inside.
“We love Aiken,” said Jeremy Davis, who along with his best friend, Clay Johnson, lead the band. “The crowd was great.”
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The concert was held in the theater’s parking lot because of COVID-19 restrictions. About 400 people sat in their cars while the band played on an outdoor stage with a projector screen to amplify the experience, according to Paul Crook executive director of the Etherredge Center.
And Davis said they are excited to be back in the theater for this year’s concert.
“Being in the theater with the lights and the band on stage is an experience,” he said.
While most of the music the band plays is from “The Great American Songbook,” Davis, who is the band director and saxophonist, tries to bring in a diverse sound adding gospel, Texas swing and Broadway into the mix.
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The musicians in the band come from jazz backgrounds, but they can play all styles, he said.
He and Johnson are originally from Louisiana, but Hurricane Katrina pushed them east, and they settled in Savannah. When they first started playing music together, it was in a rhythm and blues band. Eventually, they found their sound in the style of the big band.
“We loved how it sounded and how it looked,” he said.
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While theaters were shutdown because of COVID-19, Davis and Johnson worked on three new recordings, “Charade,” “Victory” and “Bridge.” CDs are available on the band’s website, equinoxorchestra.com.
The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $40-$50 and are available at usca.edu/etherredge-center or by calling the box office at (803) 641-3305.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com
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