The Brothers Harrington are musical time travelers.
The Ann Arbor, Michigan, musicians and siblings are building a metaphorical portal to 1971, a year that featured era-defining music from iconic artists like Led Zeppelin, The Who, Carole King, Marvin Gaye, and David Bowie.
That portal is in the form of a live revue-style show called Experience the Music of 1971. After debuting at the Canton Village Theater last fall, the show is back for a two-night run—October 1-2—at the same venue.
“It will be a completely organic performance, and that’s in the spirit of the music,” said Billy Harrington, a drummer who’s co-producing the show with his younger brother, guitarist Michael Harrington.
“We’re doing it the way that people did in the early ‘70s, given the tech that we have. It’s live instruments and live music in a room, and hopefully, we’re connecting with the audience and reminding them, or introducing them to this music.”
The Brothers Harrington developed the concept for the show after discussing a shared love of songs and albums from that transformative year with friend Mark Jay, owner-engineer of Immersifi Recording Services in Ann Arbor, and a sponsor of Experience the Music of 1971. (Immersifi Recording Services specializes in live recording, audio preservation and restoration, and noise and vibration consultancy services.)
“It kept coming up, and Mark was one of the inspirations to push it into the show world,” said Billy Harrington, who’s also performed and toured nationally with different tribute shows.
Last year’s inaugural show sold out and featured a roster of Michigan musicians performing songs like “Stairway to Heaven,” “What’s Going On,” “Roundabout,” and “Baba O’Riley.”
“It’s a lot of really challenging music, and it’s on our shoulders [again] to perform and do it right,” said Michael Harrington. “I think it will be fun, but it will be a lot of hard work and really rewarding.”
