The lights dim and the loud, chattering crowd slowly begins to whisper. The hot spotlight shines on senior Ghable Bell and the local band K’ Mo Soul. The piano begins to play, the guitars and bass strum, and the back up singers try and keep up with Bell. The crowd immediately begins to cheer and sing along with the rest of the band. The enthusiasm and excitement of the music stays as a constant through the rest of the concert.

Mercy’s Motown Concert was held on January 12 in the auditorium where Mercy girls Ghable Bell (senior) and Maddy Surrowicc (sophomore) performed beside K’ Mo Soul for an Aretha Franklin tribute. Also, Chef Mike and his band opened for K’Mo Soul. The proceeds of the concert went to the renovation of the Marlin Shop. Bell and Surrowicc each preformed and took the show away. Bell sang “Ain’t No Way” by Aretha Franklin which showed her contribution to her.

Bell grew up listening to jazz and now her favorite genres are R&B and soul, which brought her to Motown. After she auditioned to perform with K’Mo Soul, she was ecstatic to be performing with a live band.

“Performing with K’Mo Soul was an amazing experience,” said Bell. “It gave the performance a totally different and new vibe.”

K’ Mo Soul is a band that plays jazz, R&B, Motown, and even original compositions. Keir Ward, keyboardist, musical director, and founder of the band, loves Motown as much as he loves performing. He said the best part about performing is performing Motown. Motown started in 1959 in Detroit, and has been popular ever since. Ward performs with his family and his wife is the manager. Motown has been a part of Ward’s life since he was a little boy.

“I never ‘got in’ to music. Music was always in me. I was singing before I could talk and playing piano since I was six so there was never a time music wasn’t a part of my life.

“I loved the way performing Motown made the whole auditorium get out of their seats and dance with the strangers around them,” Ward added. “Being on stage singing and playing your heart out to a receptive audience is the best feeling in the world.”