Posted October 15, 2021
Concert To Be Performed in Partnership with The Funk Music Hall of Fame & Exhibition Center (aka “The Funk Center”) and in Conjunction with the University of Dayton’s Funk Symposium
DAYTON, OH (October 15, 2021) – On Saturday, November 6, 2021 at 8:00 pm in the Mead Theatre of the Schuster Center, Artistic Director and Conductor Neal Gittleman and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra (DPO) are bringing the funk as they kick off the 2021‒2022 Dayton Philharmonic Rockin’ Orchestra Series with Dayton Funk: A Tribute to Dayton’s Funk Legacy. The DPO welcomes to the stage the Dayton Funk All-Stars and other special guest to celebrate a definitive era of music that electrified the Gem City in the 1970s and 1980s.
The DPO is honored to perform this concert in partnership with The Funk Music Hall of Fame & Exhibition Center (aka “TheFunkCenter”) and in conjunction with the University of Dayton’s Funk Symposium. The Dayton Funk Symposium returns to the University of Dayton on November 3-6, 2021, with a lineup of academic, cultural and community events celebrating the rhythmic groove-based genre that put Dayton on the musical map in the 1970s and early 1980s.
On the evening of Saturday, November 6, the Dayton Philharmonic travels back in time to when Dayton emerged as the “World Capital of Funk.” The R&B charts of these two decades topped out with more hits from Dayton artists than from almost any other American city. Often these hits leapt right off the R&B charts and straight up the pop charts! Celebrate this era of Dayton with us as symphony fuses with jazz, blues, and rock, and we relive the history of music in our funky town.
Audiences will groove to the sounds of Dayton funk groups, including Faze-O, Dayton, Sun, Platypus, the Ohio Players, and others who were pioneers on the scene as this new genre of music emerged nearly 50 years ago. The DPO, the Dayton Funk All-Stars, and guest artists will perform such iconic jams as “More Bounce to the Ounce,” “Your Thing is Your Thing,” “Love Rollercoaster,” “Boogie Nights,” and “Fantastic Voyage,” among other R&B chart-topping hits.
The University of Dayton Graul Chair’s second Dayton Funk Symposium will begin Wednesday, November 3, at the Neon Theatre with a 7 p.m. showing of the documentary “Summer of Soul” and will run through this Saturday, November 6, performance at the Schuster Center. For more information on the Dayton Funk Symposium, visit https://udayton.edu/artssciences/endowedchair/graul/funk-symposium/index.php.
A reception benefitting TheFunkCenter will be held before the concert in the Mathile Theater from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/funk-box-reception-tickets-178201173507.
Safety Protocols
The DPAA is excited to welcome audiences back to the 2021–2022 Season. The health and safety of patrons, performers, staff, and volunteers is our top priority. Beginning October 1, 2021, in partnership with DPAA’s venue partner Dayton Live, the following new health and safety protocols will be in place at all performances and events until further notice:
- Vaccination – Proof of vaccination (vaccination card or a photo of card on phone), along with a valid ID, must be presented by all attendees.
- Testing – If you have not been fully vaccinated for any reason, you must provide proof of a negative PCR COVID-19 test (within 72 hours) or a negative rapid antigen test (within 24 hours) of performance.
- Masks – Masks will be required for all patrons over the age of 2 during entire visit while attending a DPAA performance or event. Mask must cover both nose and mouth.
- Age Restrictions – Children under the age of 12 are exempt from providing proof of a COVID test in order to attend.
Tickets for Dayton Funk: A Tribute to Dayton’s Funk Legacy start at $5 and are available at the box office by calling (937) 228-3630 or online at www.daytonperformingarts.org. Senior, teacher and student discounts are available at the box office. For more information or to order subscriptions, including flexible subscription types that include performances by Dayton Philharmonic, Dayton Opera and Dayton Ballet, visit www.daytonperformingarts.org.
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About the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance
The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance (DPAA) was formed in July 2012 as the result of a groundbreaking and innovative merger between the Dayton Ballet, the Dayton Opera, and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. Together, they are the largest performing arts organization in the greater Dayton community, with a mission to be the community’s indispensable source for traditional, diverse and innovative experiences in ballet, opera, and orchestral music. The vision of the DPAA is to transform lives through the power of music and dance. The DPAA offers a wide variety of performance and education programs, setting a new standard for artistic excellence. DPAA performances reach an audience of more than 90,000 people annually, and their rich arts education programming serves over 60,000 schoolchildren in 150 schools in the Miami Valley. These performances and education initiatives are made possible in part through major support provided by the Ohio Arts Council, Culture Works, the City of Dayton, Montgomery County and the National Endowment for the Arts.