The long-running Tuesday series that spotlights local and regional acts attracted a capacity crowd under sunny skies. The recap and photos at Local Spins.
The Supremes Redux: Motown Sound covered the gamut, including The Temptations, Marvin Gaye and more on Tuesday. (Photo/Eric Stoike)
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The Motown Sound, the new show presented by The Music That Raised Us, appears more like a theatre performance than a traditional concert with its carefully choreographed dance numbers, era-appropriate costumes and the storytelling narrative that guides the audience through a tidy, two-hour crash course on the history of Motown and its iconic artists.
The Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park amphitheater was nearly packed to capacity on this sunny Tuesday evening for the first installment of the 2026 Tuesday Evening Music Club, which features local and regional acts all summer long.
A show that is not only packed with local talent, but also focuses on the rich musical history from our state made for a fitting choice to kick off the 2026 series.
Packed House: The crowd for Tuesday’s opener. (Photo/Eric Stoike)
Throughout the carefully planned show, vocalists entered and exited the stage for different segments without missing a beat. Featured vocalists throughout the night who took on roles that represented The Supremes, The Temptations, The Jackson 5 and countless others were Joseph Barnes, Clarence Xavier Davis, Jaleeyna Dooley, Larry Manley Jr., Brian Freeman, James Jones, Hanna Henderson, Avalon Cutts-Jones and music director Sarena Rae Ciejka.
Each segment was introduced with a radio host-style narration that gave the audience background information about the artists and sometimes placed the songs in context with what was happening politically and socially in the country at that time. There were even moments when the narrator quizzed the audience and invited them to shout out their answers.
A segment about protest songs and the ways music was used to fight for social justice was especially powerful with performances of Edwin Starr’s “War” and Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On.” The crowd also particularly enjoyed getting up to dance during covers of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition,” The Commodores’ “Brick House” and The Supremes’ “You Keep Me Hangin’ On.”
The show also paid homage to The Funk Brothers, a band of session musicians who played on numerous Motown records throughout the 60s and 70s. The Motown Sound’s version of The Funk Brothers included instrumentalists Debra Perry, Tom Cutts, Mark Weymouth, Robert Pace, Terrence Massey, and John Gist.
The Meijer Gardens Tuesday Evening Music Club series continues next June 9 with Chris Cranick and Phabies. Tickets to the show are free for Meijer Gardens members or the cost of a general admission ticket to the gardens for non-members. View the full series here.
PHOTO GALLERY: Motown Sound at Meijer Gardens
Photos by Eric Stoike
