Round Three of The Henry County Summer Concert Series features Tad Robinson and Miles Mann
By: Kevin Vickery
New York City native, Tad Robinson was the headline attraction on Friday, August 15th for the third installment of The Henry County Concert Series at The Arts Park Pavilion. The evening was warm and the crowd was excited to see this performance from a soulful blues artist whose career has spanned over four decades.
From his NYC roots and his Indiana and Chicago musical upbringing, his singing and harmonica playing has caught the attention of the scene with his 10 Blues Music Award nominations since 2006. The newest of his 8 solo-albums, “Soul In Blue”, is currently near the top of all of the major blues charts. He has a lifetime of touring under his belt not only in the U.S. but has also played in over 20 countries worldwide. Tad has also had his music featured in some major motion pictures including: “Under Siege” from 1992, “A Perfect Murder” from 1998, and, “The Guardian” from 2006.
I enjoyed his set very much and could hear his vocal style influences of Otis Redding, Sly Johnson, and Al Green, as well as his harmonica influences of Sonny Boy Williamson and Junior Parker.
Tad’s band consists of some high profile, and versatile, Central Indiana musicians including Travis Feaster on guitar and vocals, Kevin Anker on Hammond organ, and drummer Brian Yarde. They’re obviously well seasoned professionals who come together to provide the exact mix of soul and blues vibes to create the perfect backdrop for Tads voice and harmonica.
I was able to speak with Tad and get a few of his thoughts on his career in music and his performance at the Arts Park Pavilion.
On making a living playing blues music he added, “I am what I call a journey-man and I always keep in mind whose music it is that I’m playing. – I am not a blues-man. – I am a visitor to the music and I continue to be a student. – This music has a very rich and deep impact and we have to keep in mind where it came from.”
On longevity as a musician Tad said, “I’ve been playing out since the 70’s. – It’s been a long, long road. – Playing this music is great and it’s taken me all over the place.”
Local talent, Miles Mann opened the show with a great acoustic set of original material from his albums, “Daydreams & Nightmates“, which Miles describes as, “More of a hip-hop, R & B type thing.” and his newest release, “ME”. Miles says, “That album took a lot more effort. It’s more authentic and means a lot more to myself – every song has its purpose and was planned beforehand- It felt complete.” He also treated the audience to a cover of John Lennon’s, “How Do You Sleep” which was a real crowd pleaser.
I’ve known this kid since before he was born as our families go back for decades before I was even born. I was proud to see how far he’s come with his singing, songwriting, and guitar playing. I particularly enjoyed his song, “Dead or Alive” which he dedicated to a close friend who had recently passed.
I was also able to talk to Miles and get some of his thoughts. I asked him if he’s ever played a show with a full band rather than as a solo acoustic act and he said, “I’ve always wanted to – I think the energy between full band gigs and acoustic shows is vastly different and I’ve always wanted to have a lot higher energy when I’m performing”.
On playing at The Arts Park Pavilion for the first time he said, “I’m really excited to do it – I love playing outside because I think the sound travels a lot better – I think it will be great!”
I discussed his musical goals in life and he explained, “When I first started playing back in high school I thought this was going to be my life – my everything – now that I’m a little older, I feel like if any opportunity arises I’m going to always take it.” He continued, “I’ve always approached it as a hobby – I’d love to make music full time but it’s an over-saturated market and the chances to do that aren’t big.”
On songwriting Miles said, “I enjoy the natural yet fascinating balance of writing a song – A song plays through in 2-4 minutes and it’s over but there’s a lot more that goes into it than that.” He added, “Sometimes when you write a song it comes out natural and easy but other times it’s a slow process and takes a lot of work – It feels the most rewarding knowing that I’ve spent so much time writing and recording a song and got it to a place where I’m really happy with it – I think that’s the best part.”
I thought Miles did a great job, had a killer acoustic set, and was the perfect opening act for Tad Robinson. If you get the chance, check out his music on all streaming services including Spotify where his latest self-produced album, “ME” is performing quite well.
The Henry County Concert Series continues featuring Mike Milligan & Steam Shovel along with Dave Ellison on September 19th. All shows are at the Arts Park Pavilion with a 6:30 PM show time.
As I’ve said before, it takes a great deal of work and planning to bring a series of events like this to fruition and part of what makes that possible are the corporate sponsors. The Henry County Concert Series thanks Modern Fold, Henry County Community Foundation, Edward Jones, New Castle – Henry County Chamber of Commerce, and Art Association of Henry County for their support.
For more information about Tad Robinson find him on social media or his official website at tadrobinson.com
To keep up with Miles Mann, you can find him on all social media outlets and his music is available on all major streaming platforms.
To find out about events at The Henry County Arts Park Pavilion visit the Art Association of Henry County’s website at henrycountyarts.org
Make Some Noise 