If you are a fan of Prince or Tina Turner, chances are you spent Friday night at Rose Bowl Tavern to see Ther’Up.Y take the stage.
The local band, led by drummer Aaron Wilson, continued its stretch of tribute performances honoring music legends. Ther’Up.Y began as a house band for the Champaign-Urbana music series Soul on Sunday, where they provide opportunities for local musicians, singers and poets to join them. The group plays music of all genres, including soul, funk, gospel and jazz.
Friday’s show continued that tradition, pairing a rotating lineup of singers with a full band to celebrate the discographies of Prince and Tina Turner. The performance began at 8:30 p.m. and lasted until midnight, with every table filled well before the first song.
“It’s a special occasion when Ther’Up.Y does tribute shows,” said Teri McCarthy, a Rose Bowl regular who was seen dancing and singing all night with her friends. “I’ve seen a lot of them in the past couple years, and they always bring their A-game.”
Ther’Up.Y’s past tribute shows have honored music legends like Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan.
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MC Sheena Huntt kept the crowd engaged between sets, trading jokes with the musicians and urging people toward the dance floor.
“When you hear Prince or a Tina Turner song, sitting in your seat tapping your foot will not suffice,” Huntt said, calling the space a “judgment free zone.”
Guitarist Paul Mock set the tone early with a powerful take on “Purple Rain,” only the second song of the night. He pushed into high falsetto notes that drew loud cheers, channeling Prince’s dramatic vocal style as audience members raised their hands and swayed along.
Lisa Castang followed in a shimmering gold top in true Turner fashion, opening with “Nutbush City Limits.” The audience moved as horns, guitars, bass and drums filled the room, then shifted gears with a slower rendition of “Private Dancer.”
Throughout the night, performers exchanged smiles and encouragement as they took the stage. The crowd responded in kind, calling out to the stage and gradually packing the center of Rose Bowl as more people left their seats to dance together.
Anthony Pearson’s version of “Little Red Corvette” marked a turning point, drawing a large group into the middle of the venue and lifting the room’s energy even higher.
Nancy Yeagle and her husband Harold Allston are longtime Prince fans who saw him perform multiple times before his death in 2016. The two were seen completely immersed in the music, often singing Prince’s hit songs to each other and dancing throughout the night.
“His music will never die,” Yeagle said. “His spirit will never die, and so we just keep on singing and dancing to it.”
Maintaining that momentum, Elisa “Carmale” Ransom and LaJason delivered crowd favorites including “A Fool In Love,” “1999” and “When Doves Cry.” During “I Would Die 4 U,” LeJason prompted a call-and-response that had friends shouting lyrics to each other and pulling one another up to dance. Amy Mitchell-Esteves also brought commanding vocals to the upbeat Turner song, “River Deep – Mountain High.”
Later, Brandon T. Washington put on a theatrical performance honoring Prince. Wearing bright red pants, he danced across the stage with confidence before dropping to the ground and slithering across the stage, prompting several audience members to hold up their phones and capture the moment.
LaQuisha Burries-Finn closed the night with “Proud Mary,” delivering the high-energy finale that many had been waiting for. She incorporated some of Turner’s signature choreography, and much of the crowd followed her lead.
“Now I know why she was at the end, (Finn) killed it,” said Erika Richard, a resident of Urbana.
When the performance’s final notes rang out at midnight, the room was still full of sweaty, smiling fans who had just spent the evening celebrating two musical legends.
