On March 5, the William J. Brennan Courthouse will trade courtrooms for classic Motown and soul during “Live at Brennan’s – Motown & Soul Experience.” For one evening, the historic building will host a live, in-person concert filled with well-known hits, smooth vocals, and a relaxed community feel. Guests can enjoy light fare and refreshments while listening to music that defined the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s.
The Palovations will take the stage with their Motown-inspired sound, shaped by the legends of the 1960s and 1970s and R&B artists from the following decades. Joining them is the A.C.D.S. Life Band, made up of experienced musicians with impressive careers. Guitarist Sandro Albert has played or recorded with artists such as Milton Nascimento, Ruben Blades, Raphael Saadiq, Dionne Warwick, Leon Ware, Group War, Airto & Flora Purim, Dr. Dre, Brenda Russell, and James Ingram. Monte Croft, on keys, vocals, guitar, and harmonica, has worked with Jimmy Heath, Branford Marsalis, Average White Band, Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight, James Spaulding, and Brian Blade. He has released two CDs, A Higher Fire and Survival of the Spirit, and is currently a professor at Berklee in Boston. Drummer Bernard “Pocket” Davis has performed or recorded with Steve Winwood, Najee, Anita Baker, Darryl Hall, Phylis Hyman, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Alex Bugnon, Will Downing, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and Roy Ayers, and is currently working with Dheepa and Valerie Simpson. On bass, Tony Stevenson has played with Sam & Dave, Patti Austin, Force MDs, Ashford & Simpson, S.W.V., Brownstone, Carl Thomas, and Ryan Shaw. The concert runs about 2 hours and 30 minutes.
The event takes place at the William J. Brennan Courthouse, 583 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, saved from demolition, and fully restored before reopening in 1985. It now houses the county’s civil courts and regularly hosts arts and music events in its rotunda. The Journal Square PATH station is a short walk away. Free parking is available next to the courthouse starting at 6:30 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis until full.
Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. General admission is $30. Hudson County employees and Hudson County seniors can ask about discount pricing. Admission includes light fare and refreshments. For more information, contact James Rangel at 201-459-2070 ext. 6441 or JRangel@hcnj.us. For Spanish information, contact Cristian Hurtado at 201-459-2070 ext. 6416 or churtado@hcnj.us.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the music runs from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. EST on March 5.
