Depart it to the professionals: The members of Platinum say that it doesn’t matter what or the place they play, they’re bringing a celebration

A “skilled” musician can merely imply a musician who will get paid. It’s a well-liked notion—that when you’ve been compensated (and never in “publicity bucks,” as some venues choose), you could have formally transcended the divide that separates novice {and professional} gamers.

However to Allen Palmer, director and guitarist of the genre-spanning cowl group Platinum, being knowledgeable has different necessities.

“There’s no ‘expertise,’” stated Palmer, “There’s just about simply work, and wherever you may create it.”

Palmer grew up immersed within the music business round Compton, Calif. A multi-instrumentalist since childhood, he discovered regular work as a backing musician with Capitol Data, working with soul and R&B artists like Tracie Spencer, Calloway and Tara Kemp. He additionally discovered his manner onto TV phases, enjoying stay on The Tonight Present With Jay Leno and The Arsenio Corridor Present.

“We backed artists who had been on a specific label and did promotional excursions, excellent in L.A., for a very long time, “ Palmer stated. “The massive factor that we prided ourselves on again then is that we had been, like, Johnny-on-the-spot. I imply, we knew all people’s music … in order that allowed us to be thought of for conditions, attributable to us being up on what was scorching.”

Palmer additionally had a knack for constructing relationships with different gamers. For a number of years, he toured with varied bands, enjoying covers in showrooms, lounges and cruise ships all around the West Coast. He got here as near Reno as South Lake Tahoe—however by no means really entered the town. That modified round 1999.

“I ended up enjoying with this band known as Hollywood, which ended up coming to Reno for 2 weeks,” Palmer stated. “An agent approached me right here on the town on the Silver Membership. They had been asking, ‘Effectively, the place do you come from? What do you do?’ … They requested me, in the event that they gave us one other room to play, would I come up from L.A. to play the room?”

He stated sure, and for a number of years, Palmer commuted from Los Angeles to Reno to play rooms round city—till he met and married his spouse within the early 2000s, and relocated to Northern Nevada full-time. Unbeknownst to Palmer, different musicians with comparable skilled backgrounds had made strikes to Reno across the similar time. When he began auditioning gamers to affix his new group, Platinum, in 2014, he acknowledged a number of faces.

“The blokes grew up in L.A., form of doing a little comparable issues,” Palmer stated. “We didn’t know one another in L.A., although. However the humorous factor is, we had been enjoying a few of the similar golf equipment, and that’s how I remembered them up right here. … I used to go see them, and—really, that is the important thing to all of it—the Grand Sierra was the place all of us met once more.”

It was within the Grand Sierra showroom, the venue Palmer needed to play most upon his arrival in Reno, the place he related with Platinum’s keyboardist and bassist, Terry “TC” Caldwell, and drummer, Deemonier Harris. After a number of lineup adjustments over time, vocalist Erika Malone—initially from Dallas—joined 4 years in the past, cementing the present lineup.

For the previous almost-decade, Platinum has had a gradual collection of native and regional gigs, bringing their mashup of genres and types to a devoted fanbase—a lot of whom comply with the band from membership to barroom to cabaret, on the lookout for a superb time.

“We’re distinctive within the sense of the standard in our sound,” Palmer stated. “We delight ourselves on having a sure really feel, . We’re an enormous dance band. We’re an enormous get together band, and so our music record is loads of get together music and loads of glad music.”

Palmer and his bandmates grew up steeped in quite a lot of sounds. He lists influences just like the early Motown greats, Elton John, Led Zeppelin, Wes Montgomery and, particularly, Prince. Platinum largely sticks to funk, R&B, pop and neosoul, however Palmer takes care to say that simply because they play covers, that doesn’t imply they’re a jukebox. Showgoers will hear songs they acknowledge (the whole lot from Ben E. King to Woman Gaga), however Platinum’s “act” is all about superior musicality and placing their very own spin on hit songs.

“We don’t simply play the music just like the music,” Palmer stated. “What we usually do is pace the music up simply barely, simply to have a sure swing. … When somebody yells out a music, a request, typically you possibly can oblige them … and we usually pull it off, as a result of we put it in our vein. We go, ‘OK, you desire a nation music? You wish to hear “Neon Moon”?’ We’re gonna do ‘Neon Moon’ meets The Temptations.”

Palmer credit the band’s skilled expertise for what he calls their “pure attraction”—a fluid mixture of method, stamina and stage presence that enables them to adapt to the room and seize the viewers’s consideration, regardless of the place (or what) they’re enjoying.

“It doesn’t matter if we play rock, nation, reggae, pop—it’s going to really feel a sure manner,” he stated. “And that’s why folks come hang around with us. Earlier than you even play a word or sing something, your band simply walks to the stage, and other people begin crowding round. That’s a pure attraction.”

In 2019, Platinum’s attraction was simple, with exhibits booked virtually each weekend—momentum that was slowed throughout the pandemic. Over the previous yr, the band has been getting again on observe. Their subsequent exhibits are scheduled for Feb. 3 and 4 on the Circus Circus; Feb. 10 and 11 on the Legends Bay On line casino; Feb. 17 on the Polo Lounge; and Feb. 24 and 25 on the Silver Legacy. Palmer additionally hopes to get an EP that includes authentic tracks recorded this summer time.

Till then, Platinum is aware of their Reno viewers properly—and so they plan to maintain making them really feel that sure manner.

Be taught extra about Platinum on their Fb web page.

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