The First Friday Art Walk in March will feature Retro Sounds, a music and art event in downtown Ocala.
The event will be held Friday, March 5 from 6 to 9 p.m. and will celebrate the disco era of the 1970s with a performance by Bee Gees tribute artists Bee Gees Now.
A band fueled by a moment in time during the disco era, the Bee Gees have become a timeless classic brand of American pop music. The Bee Gees were formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb.
The movie “Saturday Night Fever” starring John Travolta brought the band to the musical forefront in the 1970s with hits like “You Should Be Dancing,” “Stayin Alive” and “Night Fever.” Playing those hits and more, the tribute band Bee Gees Now brings that ’70s dance fever to downtown Ocala.
The Bee Gees Now consists of:
- Aaron Solomon (performing as Barry Gibb): Solomon is a world-class musician and performer. He has been wowing audiences as an energetic singer, actor, and multi-instrumentalist performing on violin, mandolin, guitar, bass, drums, percussion and banjo.
- Billy Caloyer (performing as Maurice Gibb): Caloyer is a classically-trained musician who plays piano, keys, violin, drums, bass and guitar. He’s been a working musician since high school, playing almost every style of music and has worked behind such stars as Buju Banton, Third World and The Zap band.
- Dave Lafame (performing as Robin Gibb): Lafame has been entertaining, playing bass and singing since the age of 13. His professional career started with roles in live theatre, film and television. Eventually he moved into corporate entertainment with a self-produced Danny Ganz style impressionist show. The success of that show led to Lafame becoming an award-winning Las Vegas Tom Jones impersonator.
Guitar and additional vocals are performed by Donavon Christenson, an amazingly versatile guitarist, who has performed for 10 years with traveling tribute artists. Drums are performed by Dave Radford, who has played the drums behind some of the most iconic names in music: Stevie Wonder, Spencer David, Jimmy Buffet, Jeff Walker and Danny & The Juniors.
Attendees will enjoy activities with a 1970s twist such as local arts organizations providing free, hands-on art activities; visual artists working live throughout downtown; special sales at participating restaurants and extended business hours at local shops. In addition, a vintage car exhibit by the Ocala Street Cruisers will be displayed on the east side of the downtown square.
The event is free and open to the public. Guests are encouraged to bring their own chairs. Participating artists, organizations and attendees are encouraged to wear face coverings, sanitize their booth frequently, provide hand sanitizer, provide cashless transactions (i.e. Venmo, Square, etc.) and practice social distancing at their booths.
For more information, contact the City of Ocala Cultural Arts Department at (352) 629-8447 or artwalk@ocalafl.org. You also can visit www.ocalafl.org/artwalk.