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GallowayCollensTOPsunsetREVISEDAaron Vaughn Band Rocks POWELLad_01Robina Rhapsody, Says Farewell to Berkley
(Crystal A. Proxmire, July 16, 2015)
As the members of The Aaron Vaughn Band prepare to “ride off into the sunset, graying and sweating, hopefully leaving people with a lot of fond memories, blasted ear drums, swollen livers and the best night out they’ve had in a long time,” they did their final Berkley gig Thursday night.
Robina Rhapsody is a summertime tradition where the street – Robina – gets blocked off so people can dance and play while a local band jams right in the middle of Berkley’s eclectic Pledge_side_bluedowntown.
The street also turns into a temporary canvas for the dozens of kids who come and color on the pavement with chalk. Hula Hoops and a bubble-making machine were also popular.
The cozy pocket of community provided the perfect venue for The Aaron Vaughn Band to play their last hometown show. Most of the band hails from Berkley, and indeed it was the city that gave them their start and their most loyal audiences.
“Even though I’m from Holly, Berkley has always been the AVB’s hometown and they’ve adopted me as one of their own from the beginning,” said Aaron Vaughn. “It was so great to have Robina Rhapsody as our last show in town. Love having all the kids out on the street dancing around! CFSEM-123-OaklandCounty115-digital-ad_v2Thank you everyone for 15 amazing years as a band. Hope we always left you with a little more than you were expecting. We will miss you!”
Vaughn (guitar) and band-mates Gary Sussman (bass) and Moike O’Brien (drums) have had a fun 15-years of rocking all around Michigan. Among the memories was opening for Cheap Trick and being the first local band to play in Hard Rock Café Detroit. In 2013 they released their CD “Nonsense on the Mainland.”
“For only three guys, they’re very versatile,” said Huntington Woods resident Martha Spear. “I like hearing them. Just good old fashioned rock and roll. I had to come tonight because this is their last show in Berkley.”
Spear used to live in Berkley, and said events like the Robina Rhapsody “get people out and dinos02sidelogo3about. It reminds me of what makes Berkley a community.”
John Hanna, owner of Berkley Shoe Repair on Robina, stood in front of his shop listening to the music and chatting. “I gain a lot of customers from this event,” he said. “It’s only a few times during the year though. I wish the city would do more.” Hanna is in his fourth year of business at that location.
The Berkley Junior Women’s Club helps coordinate the event. For more information on their club go to their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BerkleyJuniorWomensClub?fref=ts.
For more on the Aaron Vaughn Band go to http://www.theaaronvaughnband.net. Their last public show is Sept. 12 in Milford.
The Aspersions are next up to play Robina Rhapsody. Their show will be Aug. 20 on Robina beginning at 6pm.
For a variety of Oakland County event listings go to http://oaklandcounty115.com/events/
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