The official 2016-2017 season opener for The Panama City POPS Orchestra will take place on Saturday, October 15 at the Marina Civic Center, but POPS fans will get a sneak peek at what’s in store for the new season when the orchestra performs Windborne’s The Music of Journey this Saturday during the Chasin’ the Sun Music Festival at Aaron Bessant Park.
Admission to the concert is free. Gates will open at 5:00pm.
It’s a full night of Journey’s greatest hits and maybe one or two that are just for the die-hard fans of one of the greatest rock bands of all time. A band that came together in San Francisco in 1973, Journey rocketed to the top of the charts and stayed there for nearly a decade. With eight multi-platinum albums, two gold, one diamond and 18 top 40 singles, they are one of the top selling rock groups, worldwide, of all time.
Delivering the vocals out front is Panama City artist Terry Brock, returning to the POPS/Windborne stage and acting as a window between the audience and reworked material. “The music itself is one thing, but Terry, along with the background singers, more than captures the spirit of the original songs,” says creator Brent Havens.
The two-hour concert features at least 15 Journey tunes, including Don’t Stop Believin’, Faithfully and Any Way You Want It. Windborne conductor Martin Herman will be on the rostrum for the evening.
Opening the evening and making his Panama City POPS debut, however, will be The POPS’ new Conductor and Music Director, David Ott, leading the orchestra in a medley of Michael Jackson hits. “The POPS is thrilled to be playing the music of Michael Jackson,” punned Ott with a smile, “and we thank the TDC for the opportunity to perform at the Chasin’ the Sun Music Festival. Windborne’s exceptional musicians and our outstanding, full local orchestra combine to present some of rock’s most iconic music with a richness and depth that gives popular tunes a whole different feel.”
For the past ten years the Panama City POPS Orchestra has been well known for its dynamic performances of classical and popular music. “The POPS had fantastic experiences with Windborne’s The Music of The Eagles in September 2013 and February of 2015,” states POPS Board of Directors President Tammala Spencer. “We are really looking forward to collaborating with Windborne again and showing the community a completely different side of The POPS.”
Concert dates for the regular 2016-2017 POPS season are October 15, 2016; January 14, March 11 and April 29, 2017. All regular season concerts will be performed at the Marina Civic Center and will start at 7:30 pm. POPS season tickets are available at www.panamacitypops.org/tickets. Individual tickets are available at the Marina Civic Center box office, 850-763-4696, or at www.marinaciviccenter.com. Single ticket prices: $29.50 for Adults; $20 for Seniors 65+ and Active Military; $10 for Children.
An additional concert, “Beach Home for the Holidays” is planned for the evening of Friday, November 25 at Aaron Bessant Park, Panama City Beach. Admission is free.