"On the one!" James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, used to cue all of his concerts with this rallying cry. This Saturday, fans of funk will gather at Starr Hill to wait for this same cue. The Big Payback, a James Brown tribute band, will take the stage with its two drummers, two guitar players, three-piece horn section and "dynamic" frontman, who "has been known to do the splits," according todrummer Dusty Ray.
Since James Brown's death in December 2006, public interest in his music has increased. "Some people think we are trying to capitalize on his death, but our band was formed a year before he died," Ray said. Ray's idea to start a James Brown tribute band evolved during sound checks at the rehearsal of another band. Though the Big Payback began because of Ray, it seems that other members, who were hand-picked, are just as enthusiastic as Ray. Charles Arthur, the newest member of the group, has wanted to start a James Brown tribute band for 25 years.
The members of the Big Payback were brought together by a shared love of James Brown music but represent a variety of musical backgrounds. Each member of the Big Payback is also part of another band; their individual sounds range from street-skeet brass to ragtime to folk-rock.
"Everyone in the band loves pop music and grew up listening to Motown," said Ray.
The band has tried to stay true to James Brown's performances. They have included in their "painstakingly researched" show an authentic cape routine and era-specific tunes played to the same tempo James Brown would have kept in the late '60s to early '70s, according to Ray.
This authenticity has paid off. At the Big Payback's debut, the audience was waiting at the foot of the stage 10 minutes before the show started.
"Normally, the bar scene doesn't always have the best audience, but we put on a real show," says Ray. Audience members range from 18 to 65, "bikers to businessmen."
The Big Payback hopes to attract an equally enthusiastic and diverse audience for its show at Starr Hill. Doors open Saturday at 8 p.m. and tickets can be purchased online for $6 or at the door for $8.
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