Downtown Live Concert Series this Thursday: The Maxx Band

July 9, 2024

Statesboro’s Downtown Live Concert Series features the Maxx Band performing this Thursday, July 11, at 7 p.m. on East Main Street in front of the courthouse. This is a free event and is suitable for families of all ages. Food trucks and concession stands open at 6 p.m.

About Downtown Live: Downtown Live is a concert series in Statesboro, Georgia, organized by the City of Statesboro. The series runs from April through September and features concerts on select Thursday evenings at 7:00 p.m.

About The Maxx Band: The Maxx don’t study soul music, they live it. Since their beginnings in Atlanta in 1980, founding members Rod Whittaker (bass/keyboards/vocals), Leroy “Roc” Lovelace (saxophone/vocals) and Steven Rollins (guitar) have embarked on a journey of absorbing the high-energy choreography and musical precision of the soul and funk legends they raised. Since then, The Maxx have enlisted fiery vocalist Rainy Middleton, as well as Dwight Smith (drums), Andre Bernard (trombone/keyboards/vocals) and Menes Ray (trumpet/vocals). The group has honed their live presence while performing over 125 days a year with personalized set lists for conventions, corporate events and festivals. All of this culminated in their latest six-song EP, which brings the stage to the studio.

To produce their EP, The Maxx enlisted the help of a member of their extended family, The Soul of John Black. The former Fishbone member and Miles Davis percussionist was responsible for most of the EP’s writing and production. “We’ve had a personal relationship with him for years, he used to be part of the band. It just made sense to have him on board as the main writer and producer,” says Whittaker. The Soul of John Black also contributes vocals to the bluesy “Love Is Gonna Get Ya” and the upbeat funk track “Rock With You.”

As seen on their EP and throughout their nearly four decades as a band, The Maxx have never strayed from the dreams they had as high school students, perfecting their craft in garages and band rooms. “Ironically, we’re doing what we’ve always done, but because trends are changing, what we’re doing now is new,” says Whittaker. “We’re bringing back that classic soul funk that’s perfect for us. We didn’t have to study it, we could basically do what we felt comfortable doing.” Visit the website HERE.

Upcoming live shows downtown: