Dwight Blake, an international touring and recording artist born in Montego Bay, Jamaica, has put together one of the most polished and professional Motown tribute shows to date. He calls it Memories of Motown, and Blake is bringing it to San Miguel for three nights only, Thursday, March 28 to Saturday, March 30, at the San Miguel Playhouse, Avenida Independencia 82. All three shows start at 7pm. He’ll be appearing with his chosen backing band, the Groove Brothers. Reserved-seat e-tickets for Memories of Motown are 400 pesos for center section seats, and 350 pesos for the sides sections. There is a small additional fee for online purchases.
If you prefer not to purchase online, printed tickets are on sale at Boleto City, on the second floor of the Mercado Sano, Ancha de San Antonio 123, Monday through Saturday, 11am to 5pm.
Blake has a silky and soulful voice that can extend from a Barry White baritone to a Philip Bailey soprano. A music critic for the Vallarta Daily News, in Puerto Vallarta, where his show has been a recurring success, wrote, “Dwight Blake’s fun, high-energy performances are always a hit, and audiences can’t help but get up and dance!” His fellow musicians describe his shows as “tight,” a sincere tribute in a field too often beset with laziness and inattention to detail. Blake’s vocal style was honed in the church, but his finishing school was a rigorous succession of bookings on luxury cruise ships and Las Vegas venues such as the Golden Nugget and the Mirage.
Blake has nothing but the highest praise for his backup band, The Groove Brothers: Andrés Piedras on keyboards, Gary Flores on drums, Danny López on bass, and guest guitarist David Rodríguez. Blake met the band last season in Puerto Vallarta. “I was away on tour,” he recalls, “and I sent them a list of songs for my Motown show. From the first rehearsal, they were killer.”
Memories of Motown will include songs by iconic Motown artists such as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and the Temptations, but also by a few artists from other R&B labels, such as Al Green and Ben E. King.