Black Pearl will be playing next Tuesday as part of the Concerts in the Park series at Munising’s Bayshore Park. And with Black Pearl, you never know what you might get.
“We’re not your traditional music,” said Vicki Tikkanen, vocalist for the band. “You might hear Cher, you might hear a showtune or some swing music by The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies.”
Black Pearl has been a group for over 20 years, though some of the members have changed.
The current lineup has been together for around seven years with Tikkanen on vocals, Deborah Bengry on piano and vocals, Warren Hantz on guitar, vocals and fiddle, Rex Havoc on bass and Dan Lindblom on drums.
The group is made up of several musicians who play in other bands. It’s the curse of being a good musician in a small area.
“I play in an acoustic duet,” Tikkanen said, “and I know that Rex and Warren play in several other groups.”
Tikkanen has a love for jazz, which comes through in Black Pearl’s song choices.
“I’ve always been a big swing fan, jazz and R&B,” Tikkanen said. “I used to play in a group with a sax player and a guitar player. The passion for jazz is still there.” She said that if she were to choose a singer to emulate, it would be Etta James.
The group’s collective musical experience is important, because they only play together for the summer season, which allows them only a few practices to get in shape.
“It’s difficult to only have four or five practices before a gig,” Tikkanen said, “but we pull it off every time.”
A Black Pearl show will get you all manner of music because of their talent and longevity. They have a deep songbook. The piles of known music comes from a long career doing all manner of gigs.
“We probably had 500 songs,” Tikkanen said. “We used to play theme parties. If someone wanted disco, we had to know it. Or a Vegas-themed party. It makes for a strange repertoire.”
The current songbook will get listeners a range of music.
“We do a little swing, a little jazz, light classic rock,” Tikkanen said. “It’s a variety.”
That’s also what will make any show fun and easy for a band like Black Pearl to pull off. This is also the time to see them as they don’t gig in the winter.
“We just aren’t that band anymore,” Tikkanen said. “We used to book 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. shows, but now we’re relegated mostly to outside gigs. Playing at Peter White Library or other similar outside concerts is more our style now.”
Also falling into this category is the Concerts in the Park series, which is free to the public because of the generous donations of local sponsors. It is hosted by the Munising Visitors Bureau and the Alger County Parks and Recreation Department.
“It’s a good chance for the community to get out and see some bands and enjoy the beautiful park we have,” said Bob Wilkinson, president of APRD.
Wilkinson also said there are very few problems during the concerts, and most of this is due to the fact that the residents appreciate the series so much.
“I haven’t seen any problems down there. People tend to police themselves,” Wilkinson said. “I enjoy going down and seeing people and gabbing a little bit.”
Tikkanen added, “I absolutely adore coming to the community of Munising. They have a great program and huge support for the series. The people are always positive.”
That sentiment is echoed by Wilkinson, who said the concerts are a boon to the community.
“It’s good not only for the town, but it gives the tourists a little something extra,” Wilkinson said. “It’s a beautiful park, and it’s a terrific time to go down for a couple of hours to enjoy the hospitality. The people of Munising are really good people.”
Make your way down to Bayshore Park at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday for the free concert. Black Pearl will make sure that you enjoy yourself.
“It’s a family-friendly show,” Tikkanen said. “I like to include the kids if they’re there, maybe bring a little shaker egg or something like that so they can play along. … “I always hope that we play something that everyone can relate to. I just want everyone to have fun.”
