The People Brothers Band at Johnsonville Summerville Stage

With a sound that draws from R&B, jam band and soul music, the Madison band offered uplifting messages, deep grooves and tight riffs.

Concert Reviews

Tucked away, the Johnsonville Summerville Stage often feels wonderfully out of synch with the volume and visuals that most Summerfest stages rely on. On Thursday, Madison’s nine-piece The People Brothers Band had the intimate space feeling like a block party.

With a sound that draws from R&B, jam band and soul music echoing Muscle Shoals and Golden Gate Park, the band offered uplifting messages, deep grooves and tight riffs. The area in front of the stage was packed with dancers.

People Brothers Band vocalist Teresa Marie was surrounded by a pair of guitarists, a pair of keyboard players and Maxaphone on sax—all of whom intuitively became part of the leviathan rhythm section or generous shared moments in the spotlight. Well, actually this stage was so down-home it did have, or even need spotlights.