Tallahassee Nights Live honors the past, nurtures the future with Soul Heaven concert
It’s the second coming of Motown, and it lives in Tallahassee. Vocalist and longtime member of Tallahassee Nights Live, Kami Hayes describes the company as, “a live entertainment machine...There are people from all walks of life here… It’s like the second coming of Motown.”
Tallahassee Nights Live (TNL) is a touring live music production best known for its spoken word, hilarious comedy, and high-energy jazz, soul, and R&B.
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Their performance scope has expanded beyond Tallahassee to include multiple cities throughout Florida and are known globally through their musical troupe Soulful Escape on Carnival Cruise lines.
Tallahassee Nights Live will honor musical legends with its Soul Heaven concert at The Moon on Aug. 28.
Developing new talent
The company prides itself on the role it has played in developing and uplifting new artists in the industry.
Having grown up singing in the church, Hayes understands the value of communal support. The self-declared epitome of an MTV '80s child, she relies heavily on her large musical knowledge and experiences with many genres of music to educate and mold the next wave of Tallahassee artists.
She admits raw talent is the foundation of a talented artist but builds upon that to add the need for heart in this business, as well as dedication. Hayes invites talented, passionate musicians that are willing to work hard to join TNL and develop their talents and gifts.
Hayes recalls asking the question, “How do I make my talent work for me? How do I do the work so that my gift makes room for me? How do I do that?”
The answer became clear to her, “I think TNL is a great vehicle for learning that. For learning ‘how to’ definitely sharpen your skills … You are surrounded by excellence. That pushes you to be better and pushes you to work harder, and everybody wins.”
She credits Darius Baker, aka “Doc,” founder of Tallahassee Nights Live for the atmosphere of excellence. “Doc lights a fire under us,” says Hayes, “(He) is a mentor that you can touch in town that can help steer you where you want to go, musically.”
“I came in (to TNL) in 2011,” says Hayes, “To see how I have grown as an artist from then until now is absolutely astronomical, like leaps and bounds. So, a person who is interested in music and loves music — who's a singer, who's a dancer, a producer, who's a writer- in whatever capacity they are a lover of music, Tallahassee Nights Live can help them perfect that craft … and work that musical muscle.”
Theatrical productions
And Kami Hayes knows how to flex! As one of the foundational members, Kami has produced major events, such as the TNL Western edition in April of 2022.
“That was a real interesting turn for us, because a lot of times when you think Western, you don’t think Black music. But there are lots of Black country singers.”
Hayes continues to describe their productions as almost theatrical, “We filmed a scene down at Potbellies because they have the saloon-type feel. A card game gone awry and our bandit had to get outta town quickly. We try to do things like that, where we bring not just a musical component to the show … We want it to kind of be like an award show level.”
There is no doubt their upcoming show will prove to be of that level and beyond, as they soar into the heavens with their musical tribute to artists who have passed away.
Tallahassee Nights Live’s Soul Heaven event will cover music from all eras and genres to feature artists like Aretha Franklin, Luther Vandross, Natalie Cole, and any '90s hip hop fan’s favorite, Biggie Smalls.
Though those legends may rest in power, Tallahassee Nights Live shows no signs of slowing down. They are dedicated to sharing high-energy music and creating yet another epic event for Tallahassee.
If you go
What: Soul Heaven (or A Concert in Soul Heaven — An All White Affair)
When: Doors open at 6 p.m., show at 7 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 28
Where: The Moon - 1105 E Lafayette St Tallahassee, FL 32301
Cost: $15 general admission, $40 VIP floor seats
Contact: 850-321-5765 | dreelproductions@gmail.com
Tickets: moonevents.com
Christy Rodriguez de Conte is the feature writer for the Council on Culture & Arts. Council on Culture & Arts (COCA) is the capital area’s umbrella agency for arts and culture (www.tallahasseearts.org).
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee Nights Live honors the past, nurtures the future concert
