An Electrifying Night of Great Soul and R&B
Urban Classic, Minneapolis’ latest funk, soul, and R&B band, returns to Crooners to present once again an evening of hit songs by one of the greatest bands in history: Earth, Wind & Fire. Under the musical direction of Michael Bland (drummer for Prince and The New Power Generation, Soul Asylum, Maxwell, Chaka Khan) along with longtime associate and collaborator Tommy Barbarella and featuring a four piece horn section, this band delivers a level of excellence and musicality rarely seen in the Twin Cities. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear some of the best music ever written, and performed by the best band anywhere: Urban Classic.
Michael Bland: Drums, Music Director
Tommy Barbarella: Keys
Geoff Lecrone: Guitar
Ron Long: Bass
Scott Agster: Trombone
John Bertsch: Sax
Josh May: Trumpet
Riley Helgeson: Trumpet
Jay Bee: Vocals
G - Sharp: Vocals
Mark Lickteig: Vocals
Michael Bland – is an American musician best known as a drummer for Prince starting in 1989. He was with Prince during The New Power Generation era and played with him live and on albums for seven years. From 1995 to 1997, Bland, along with Sonny Thompson, recorded and played live with French pop star France Gall—they appear on one studio album and two live albums. In 2010, Bland became a member of Nick Jonas & the Administration (a side project of Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers) along with other former members of The New Power Generation and keyboardist Tommy Barbarella. He worked with Vulfpeck playing drums on “Hero Town,” which was released October 2017. Michael is also the current Drummer for Soul Asylum
Tommy Barbarella – is an American keyboardist he was a member of The New Power Generation, Prince’s recording and stage band, from 1991 to 1996. Barbarella also played on Miley Cyrus’s album Breakout. In 2010, Tommy became a member of Nick Jonas & the Administration. As a frequent arranger his “Symphony of the North” collaboration with the Minnesota Orchestra and The Minnesota Vikings won BEST SHOW OPEN at the annual Golden Matrix Awards 2022. His keyboard work can be heard on recordings by artists as diverse as Demi Lovato, Switchfoot, Backstreet Boys, Ziggy Marley, Miley Cyrus, Mandy Moore and many more.
