At that point, you’d think I’d have a pretty good answer, right? Well, I did not. Not because Columbus isn’t a great place to visit… heck, I was about to spend my hard earned recession-shaken greenbacks on this trip, so I had to see something in this curious Midwest locale. If nothing else, I was set to explore a city named for an explorer extraordinaire.
Although I had booked this trip only 24 hours earlier via the Continental.com specials, let's just say thank goodness for the "Experience Columbus" website. Between the time I left Newark airport (on time, thank goodness) and I touched down Ohio’s capitol city, I had a planner’s page full of ideas, both grand and small to experience during my 48 hour stay.
First up, a visit to the Lincoln Theatre for a concert headlined by the legendary Motown Miracles. I had no idea when I crossed the theatre's threshold that I was walking into a living history lesson. As the historic marker registers, they were all there at one point… Sarah Vaughn, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker.
Showtime with the Miracles was awesome. As with any group celebrating a half century in the business, Father Time has taken his toll on the group. While some members were only on stage in spirit, those that were left behind, including original member Bobby Rogers, surely put on a show.
As if the chords in the first familiar tune were not enough to send me back to my living room sitting at my dad’s feet listening to Smokey sing, “Tears of a Clown”, my heart melted like a teenage girl’s when Smokey’s “heir” wailed in a perfectly mimicked pitch on “Ooh, Baby, Baby”.
After a solid set of upbeat hits (think, “I Second that Emotion” and “Love Machine”... ooOOYEAH!) and love ballads, and a well placed tribute to Michael Jackson, as with any fairy tale evening, the clock signaled a return to the real world. As the curtain closed, I left with a song in my heart and a memory to last a lifetime.
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