By John D. Gonzalez
WKTV Contributing Writer
The Wyoming Concerts in the Park kicks off with Soul Syndicate, which is one of the most recognizable bands in the area known for its horn section that cranks out classic soul, R&B and funk tunes meant to keep those toes tapping and the young at heart dancing.
“It’s a party!,” said founder and guitarist Mike Coon, who leads a 10-piece band through a long list of songs everyone knows and loves. “It’s a fun band. You don’t sit in chairs and watch us.”
Soul Syndicate opens the Wyoming weekly concert series at 7 p.m. June 7 at Lamar Park. Admission is free.
The Tuesday night series continues through Aug. 2. See the list of shows below. All will be recorded and aired on WKTV.
Coon said performing in front of fans at outdoor concerts like Wyoming, Meijer Gardens (June 28) and Kentwood (June 30) really brings out a wide range of ages. That’s the great thing about these classic songs by Aretha Franklin, Sam and Dave, KC and Sunshine Band and Chicago, he said, everyone knows them.
“These songs seem to transcend over a lot of ages, particularly in the outdoor shows like Kentwood and Wyoming where you got, literally, all ages,” Coon said.
Younger people know these songs from parents and grandparents or they’ve heard them in advertisements.
“The younger people are like ‘Yeah, I know that song,” he said. “And the older people remember it when it was on the charts.”
“These songs just sort of resonate…. Nobody is hearing that old classic rock song that’s been in their head for 30 years. (Our show) is different. It’s refreshing.”
That was the goal when the band started in 2013. Even though the beginnings of the band had started, it was the urging of friend Juliet Dragos of WZZM-TV (Channel 13) who reached out to Coon, asking if he could put a group together for a Special Olympics event.
From there they started doing special events, corporate shows, outdoor festivals and casinos.
The premise has always been the same: To entertain crowds with music they know and love and keep them dancing and clapping along.
Their popularity took off because not a lot of bands had horn sections playing these classic songs, he said.
“I couldn’t think of anybody that really did that,” Coon said. “A lot of other bands had one Stevie Wonder song in their set. We had four of them. It set us apart, and the horns made it snap.”
The group consists of: Mike Coon, guitar; Tom Taylor, drums; Katie Sarb, vocals and backup; Matt Fouts, bass; John Neil, keyboards; Tim DenBesten, trumpet (horn leader); Nate Hansen, sax; Jeff Carroll, trombone; and Colin Tobin, lead vocalist.
They also have a couple other musicians who play sax and rotate through the band, Coon said.
They perform about 50 shows a year, which might not seem like a lot, but Coon emphasized that they’re not a “tavern band.”
“We’re all pros.” he said. “No matter the venue we’re given we seem to be able to adapt quickly and make it work.”
But it’s the horn section that really distinguishes the band from others.
“When they’re all in sync it adds that energy to the show, and the audience really responds to them,” Coon said.
“Everybody in the band is an accomplished soloist. Anybody, whether keyboards, bass, drums, anybody in the section can step up and rip your head off on a solo….When the horns are on and in sync, it just blows your hair back. It’s cool.”
Learn more about Soul Syndicate and see a list of shows at https://www.thesoulsyndicate.com/shows.
Wyoming Concerts in Park 2022 are all at 7 p.m. at Lamar Park. Admission is free. More info: Wyoming Concerts in the Park Facebook page.
Concerts Lineup
June 7 – Soul Syndicate – Covers – Rock
June 14 – Serita’s Black Rose – Funk, Rock, Blues
June 21 – Nathan Walton Band – Soul, Rock
June 28 – Jordan Hamilton – Cellist
July 12 – Randy McAllister – Blues and Soul
July 19 – Monty Pride – Folk
July 26 – Bernadette Kathryn – Country
August 2 – Grupo Latin – Latin Soul (13 piece band)
John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.
