The UNLV Performing Arts Center Season Finale presents the incomparable gospel group The Blind Boys of Alabama at 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 19. Joey Williams, Ricky McKinnie, Bobby Butler, and Tracy Pierce join founding members Clarence Fountain and Jimmy Carter to spread the spirit and energy of pure gospel soul.
Formed in 1939 at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind, The Blind Boys of Alabama are the Iron Men of the music industry. They predate Elvis, Little Richard and Al Green yet even in their 70s they are still at the top of the gospel charts and have won an impressive four consecutive Grammy Awards over the past four years.
In recent years, The Blind Boys have proven themselves masters of bringing out the most spiritual aspects of mainstream music, while at the same time bringing the music of the church straight to the roadhouse. In the past five years, they've recorded moving renditions of songs by everyone from Tom Waits to Prince along with their traditional material, and appeared as guests on record and on stage with an equally diverse array of artists, from Peter Gabriel to Ben Harper. During this amazing run, the cover tunes and collaborations have been consistently tasty and organic, seasoned with a time-tested understanding of the sounds that move Man's soul.
Tickets to The Blind Boys of Alabama are $45, $60, and $90 and can be purchased at the Performing Arts Center Box Office at 895-ARTS (2787) or by visiting pac.unlv.edu. Student rush tickets are $13.50 each and available one hour prior to each event, based on availability and with valid student I.D. UNLV faculty and staff discounts also are available. A $1 facilities fee, in addition to the ticket price, is charged on all Performing Arts Center tickets. The box office is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Information about all of the season's performances can be found on the Performing Arts Center website, located at pac.unlv.edu.
Founded in 1976, the Performing Arts Center at UNLV continues to be Southern Nevada's premier performing arts venue. Located on the north end of the UNLV campus, the PAC hosts a variety of performances each year in three distinct series - the Charles Vanda Master Series, New York Stage & Beyond Series, and the Classical Guitar Series. UNLV and KLVX Channel 10 are graciously sponsoring the season.
