The Spinners Play South Park; Gordon Lightfoot at Palace (Postponed), Millvale Music Fest Begins (Fri., 8/6/21)

1) The Spinners, a male vocal and dance group who originated in the suburbs of Detroit, enjoyed considerable success in the ’70s with top 10 hits including “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love,” “The Rubber Band Man,” (If they were from Pittsburgh it would be “The Gum Band Man”) and “I’ll Be Around.” In ’74, they teamed up with Dionne Warwick to produce the number one smash hit “Then Came You.” During the 1960s The Spinners were with Motown before switching to the Atlantic label in the ’70s. The Spinners still tour regularly and have one original Spinner remaining—Henry Fambrough, who has been in the band since its formation in 1954. That’s a lot of R&B. The group will soon be releasing a new album, Round the Block and Back Again. The beat goes on in a show at South Park Amphitheater. Special guest is sax man extraordinaire Kenny Blake. 7:30 p.m. 3700 Farmshow Drive, South Park Township. (M.V.)

**The Gordon Lightfoot concert has been postponed due to Lightfoot fracturing his hand.**

2) Bob Dylan once said of listening to a Gordon Lightfoot song, “I wish it would last forever.” The man widely thought of as America’s greatest songwriter was paying homage to the man who is almost universally acknowledged as Canada’s best. Lightfoot is credited as a major influence in the folk-pop sound of the ’60s and ’70s. He’s had multiple singles cracking the top five on the US charts, one of his most memorable being “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,”a memorial to a freighter that went down in Lake Superior in 1975. Another is 1970’s “If You Could read My Mind” which reached No. 5 on the U.S. Charts. Loved by the public and fellow musicians alike, his songs have been covered by everyone from Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash to Sarah McLachlan and Toby Keith. His latest album is Solo, released last year. Lightfoot will be at The Palace Theatre for an 8 p.m. show. 21 West Otterman St., Greensburg. (R.H.)

Friday, August 6 and Saturday, August 7

3) The Millvale Music Festival returns after the pandemic postponed all music festivals last year. This free, two-day event spotlights local musicians, comedians, spoken-word artists, and visual artists at multiple indoor and outdoor venues in Millvale—a residential, riverside borough with an eclectic business district. The venues include bars, craft breweries, restaurants, street stages, the community center, the community garden, the library, and even Lumberjaxes Axe Throwing. Oh, and of course Mr. Smalls Theatre, Funhouse, and Café. One local mainstay, punk-rock group Murder for Girls, will perform at both the Whisper Nest bar and at a Mr. Smalls Funhouse afterparty, which will also feature Smalls co-owner Liz Berlin (of Rusted Root). However, that’s just a small portion of the festival. There’s over 100 acts, so check the festival’s social media for line-ups, times, and venues. Millvale. (C.M.)

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