Free concert exclusively for members of Husson ’s campus community and their families
BANGOR — Stevie Wonder’s “Songs in the Key of Life” is considered by many to be one of the most innovative albums in music history. On Saturday, Sept. 19 at 5 p.m., members of Husson University’s Bangor campus community will be able to experience songs from this album along with a variety of Wonder’s inspiring and innovative contributions to pop, rhythm and blues, rock and more, at an exclusive free concert. The concert will be in the grass and parking lot along the east side of Husson University’s Gracie Theatre.
“While this concert was originally scheduled to take place in March, the pandemic made that impossible. So instead of having an indoor concert open to the public, we decided to hold an outdoor concert for our campus community in September,” says Jeri Misler, managing director of Husson’s Gracie Theatre. “Events like this help keep students on campus and reduce the possibility that they might contract COVID-19 at an off-campus event. So in addition to first-rate entertainment, this event is helping to keep our campus community healthy.”
The event will also be an exceptional learning opportunity for students from Husson University’s New England School of Communications. These students will be serving as the sound operators, light designer/operators, stage managers and crew or this performance. Ordinarily, these students get this opportunity to work in the Gracie Theatre as part of a professional indoor working theatre. For this performance, they will get the experience of working at an outdoor performance venue. Outdoor concerts have become a staple for many professional recording artists.
“Natural Wonder, the Ultimate Stevie Wonder Experience,” features a full-band, complete with a crack rhythm section, a full-fledged horn ensemble, and celebrated artist Gabriel Bello. Brian Nadeau, a local Bangor-based trumpeter and teacher will be joining the band tomorrow as a horn player. Nadeau is a member of the band that performs on the “Nite Show with Danny Cashman.”
Audience members will be able to groove to Motown-era hits like “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” and “My Cherie Amour.” Natural Wonder will also perform the fusion-flavored 70’s platters like “Master Blaster” and “Do I Do,” the genius of “Songs in the Key of Life,” and the signature harmonica solo of “Isn’t She Lovely.” Finally, no tribute performance to Stevie Wonder would be complete without Stevie’s modern masterpieces like “My Love is on Fire.”
Gabriel Bello and the industry veterans who comprise Natural Wonder recreate the look, feel, and sound of a Stevie set with all the musicianship necessary to blow audiences away with the seemingly unending string of hit songs that span Stevie Wonder’s musical career.