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Music: The Temptations pack the house at Hot Tin Roof
August 25, 2005
By Karla Araujo
Thanking the enthusiastic crowd, the Temptations take a bow at last Friday night’s show.
Photos by Ralph Stewart
Tuxedos and tight harmony, two hallmarks of the
Temptations.
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“From Motown to our town – The Temptations!” They took the stage, resplendent in white tails, light blue shirts and matching blue belts, and held the audience at the Hot Tin Roof in the palms of their outstretched hands for more than an hour on Friday night.
A benefit for the Vineyard Nursing Association (VNA), two legends, The Temptations and the Hot Tin Roof, came together on August 19 to help the non-profit home-health-care provider raise the funds necessary to offer high quality services for Island patients and their families.
“We couldn’t have pulled it off without the support and generosity of the Hot Tin Roof,” said Barbara Welsh, Director of Development and Communications for the VNA.
The concert, featuring one of Motown’s most celebrated vocal groups, was the first fundraiser of its type ever hosted by the organization. Judging from the turnout (a full house) and the reception from the crowd (non-stop smiling, singing and clapping), it may be the first of many.
From “The Way You Do the Things You Do” and “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” to “My Girl” and “Papa Was A Rolling Stone,” The Temptations proved the ensemble still has the sound and the moves to keep the house swaying and singing along. Smooth and polished, their choreography, harmonies, and charisma appeared both timeless and effortless. Throughout the evening on Friday night, their background refrain, “Chic-A-Boom,” sounded almost contemporary.
With every seat taken and the dance floor packed, the audience gave The Temptations a warm and enthusiastic reception.
“It was a great night for everybody,” Ms. Welsh said. “The performance was phenomenal, and people seemed very happy. At the end of the day, a fundraiser is about raising money, but making people happy about the work we do is also very important.”
The Temptations’ relaxed pleasure with their work and the audience’s reaction to it proved that, for at least one summer night on the Vineyard, what is old can magically appear new again.
Karla Araujo is a freelance writer and tennis instructor.
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