The audience dances during the "Let’s Groove Tonight: Motown and the Philly Sound!" concert by the No Name Pops at the Kimmel Center, Sat. Oct. 28, 2023.But even after all of the arts turmoil of the past year or so, Saturday afternoon’s Kimmel Center debut of a new musical group in town was affirmation that Philadelphia loves its pops and knows how to show it.
Such veins run deep. Jumping up from their seats to the music of Motown and the Philly Sound seemed almost like involuntary muscle movement for many in the audience. My own reaction was less visceral; I spent that era more interested in music from the 1870s than the 1970s, though hearing the soundscape again brought back memories of a certain Panasonic globe radio .
The orchestra’s sound in this repertoire was an important element in the overall atmosphere, though given the prominence of the vocals the ensemble wasn’t always front and center. Still, there were occasional instrumental solos spotlighting the talent, and in “Ball of Confusion” the brass wailed beautifully.had the strange effect after all these years of seeming like a classic in itself — not merely tongue-in-cheek, but valuable for containing a couple of novel harmonic moves.