Ball State University | Muncie IN
The Magic of Marvin Gaye Lives On
Sometimes the best nights are the ones you don’t plan…
Over the weekend, I took an unexpected little road trip, about a two-hour drive from Dayton to Muncie, Indiana (a city I’d never been to before) to see a tribute concert called “Trouble Man: A Tribute to Marvin Gaye.” Let me tell you, it was so worth it.
Now, let me back up a bit because this drive was a drive.
When I saw “two hours,” I figured it would be the usual: mostly interstate, smooth sailing. But nooo, this trip had me rolling through country roads for nearly half of the drive! Luckily, it was still daylight on the way there, so I just cranked up the music and rolled with it.
I got to Ball State University with about 20 minutes to spare before showtime… or so I thought. I still had to find parking, which turned out to be a block away. I start walking toward the auditorium, only to see… darkness beyond the door. My stomach dropped for a second. Don’t tell me this show got canceled.
Thankfully, a couple of students nearby asked if I was there for the concert; turns out, it had been moved to another hall. Whew! The only catch? I had to walk another block to get there. And wouldn’t you know, there was parking right by the new location. (Of course, there was. 😅)
Because of the change, my front row center seat was no longer a thing, it became open seating. Oh well. I found a good spot just as the clock hit 7:35, and thankfully, the show hadn’t started yet. It turned out to be an intimate auditorium with great acoustics and no bad seats in the house, but still… I won’t lie, I missed my prime view.
Now onto the good part, the music!
The star of the night was L. Young, portraying Marvin Gaye. If you’ve seen his viral a cappella videos all over social media, then you already know this man’s vocals are something special, pure, soulful, and smooth as silk.
And what’s Marvin without Tammi? Enter Crystal Starr, who absolutely embodied Tammi Terrell with her charm and powerhouse vocals. The two of them together? Magic. They played off each other so beautifully, and when they launched into “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” the audience came alive.
The live band was phenomenal, that tight, rich Motown sound that just moves through you. The crowd was feeling it, I was feeling it… the whole place radiated good energy.
After the show, I took the short (now two-block) walk back to my car and braced myself for the nighttime drive home. My GPS made it seem like the highway wasn’t far… ha! Under normal circumstances…maybe! But not even 10 minutes to the interstate, I ran into a “road closed” sign and a detour that sent me right back through those dark country roads. Over the river and through the woods, literally!
But I made it home safely, smiling the whole way. Because honestly? Even with all the detours, it was worth every mile.
This was my first time seeing L. Young and Crystal Starr perform, but it definitely was not my last. Growing up on Motown, I knew I couldn’t pass up a tribute to one of the greats, and now, I’m so glad I didn’t second-guess it.
Sometimes the universe knows what your soul needs… a road trip, a little unpredictability, and a night of music that reminds you why you love it all so much. 🎶✨
