Mel Mounds and the Get Down Sounds might be a lot of things, but your grandmother’s disco band they’re not.
The groove-inducing, dance-provoking ensemble will make a splash on the local music scene Friday when they set sail on the Hiawatha Paddlewheel Riverboat for a concert cruise that will definitely get the boat rocking.
“Earlier in the summer we did a Hiawatha cruise, which went over really well,” said Shun Gilmour, an area drummer who takes on the persona of the suave Mel Mounds.
“I think the Hiawatha staff has a soft spot for booty shaking, if you know what I mean. So they wanted us back.”
The Get Down Sounds has been creating a musical party for the past two years, performing at area clubs and bars where the music gets people moving to their groove-saturated sounds.
In addition to Mounds, who often serves as ring leader for the crew, the band consists of vocalist Maxine Hooper, Roscoe Gibson, Lord Chesterfield, Duke Chocula (who pounds out on mean organ tune), Yvonne Curtis on trumpet and Montrane White on tenor sax.
“We are full on funk and soul. We’re not your grandmother’s disco band, which is what most people think of when you mention the word funk. We do the original-style funk,” Mounds said. “Artists like James Brown, Curtis Mayfield, The Meters, Betty Wright, Parliament Funkadelic influence our style.”
While any band can play decent dance music, Mounds and his crew bring a strong dose of laid-back groove mixed with an undercurrent of funk. The result is a band that has fun, yet be able to bang out a dance number.
“We sound like no other band around. There’s simply a huge lack of true funk and soul in this area. Real funk, not hippie funk and we’re happy to fill that void for the fans,” he said. “Music is everything to us. Music is the soundtrack to our lives. It’s what inspires me. It’s what makes me get up in the morning. It sets the mood for good times or having some fun.”
Friday’s cruise on the Susquehanna River will provide guests with a good, relaxing time and a full bar onboard as the Hiawatha sails from the Newberry section of Williamsport several miles up river before returning to the Susquehanna State Park.
“Our sounds are like spicy Thai massamum chicken and sweet potato pie for dessert,” Mounds said. “We’re totally hot and spicy, creamy and funky, with room for a killer, soul-food dessert.”
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If you go
What: Mel Mounds and the Get Down Sounds Hiawatha cruise
When: Friday. Boarding begins at 8:30 p.m. and the cruise is from 9-11 p.m.
Where: The Hiawatha, Susquehanna State Park, 1 Hiawatha Boulevard, just off Arch Street in the Newberry section of Williamsport
Tickets: $12
Check them out: www.facebook.com/melmounds
For more information or tickets: Call the Hiawatha at 326-2500.
