The celebrated vocal group, formed in the 1960s, The Temptations brought their classic Motown sound to fans in Austin, TX.
The Temptations brought their sunshine to Moody Theater’s cloudy Thursday. Over the course of their career, the group released four Billboard Hot 100 #1 singles and won four Grammys, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013. The group was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. Today, The Temptations comprises Otis Williams, Ron Tyson, Terry Weeks, Tony Grant, and Jawan M. Jackson. The Detroit band has sold tens of millions of albums and remains among the most successful groups in pop music.
Opening for The Temptations was the quartet Four Tops. The commercially successful Motown group, also from Detroit, took to the stage at about 8:10 PM. The four-member group consists of Ronnie McNeir, Lawrence Payton Jr., Theo Peoples, and Michael Brock. Lawrence Payton Jr. is the son of the late Lawrence Payton, a founding member of The Temptations. In memory of his father, Lawrence Payton Jr. sang a cover of Luther Vandross’ “Dance With My Father.” Throughout the night, the group performed choreography for each song. During the intro of “Still Water,” a track from their 1970 album Still Waters Run Deep, Payton Jr. danced with a fan at the edge of the stage. The lady was iconically wearing a 60s-inspired red dress and a black headband.
During their set, they told the story of how Four Tops was founded. The group formed in 1954 and jumped around labels for almost 10 years before signing with Motown in 1963. They were paid a mighty $100 each to sign. Soon after, the group blew up and made a name for themselves in the R&B genre. They performed other hits such as “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)” and closed with “Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch).”
The Temptations started at about 9:30 PM. As they took the stage, smiles immediately crept onto long-time fans’ happy faces. They performed songs such as “I Wish It Would Rain” and “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me).” In 1971, the band also earned their first platinum record. Otis Williams, the only remaining founding member, told stories of how the group started. He revealed funny accounts of how they had to be mathematicians to learn the choreography they taught them. And they still perform some of those same steps to this day.For their 60th anniversary in 2022, the group released Temptations 60. The album features a track titled “Is It Gonna Be Yes Or No” featuring Smokey Robinson, who also produced the song. During their set, they dedicated the song to all the ladies in the audience.
As the set inched closer to the end, they introduced the band and followed by introducing the five members. Each performed a mini solo after their introduction. During Grant’s introduction, he sang a snippet of James Brown’s “Get On Up.” While introducing Jackson, Tyson explained that before joining The Temptations Jackson was a Broadway star and had performed in the musical Ain’t Too Proud which follows the journey of The Temptations beginnings.
They played a couple more songs before getting to the classic “My Girl” from their album The Temptations Sing Smokey. After singing through the song one time, they asked four fans to come onto the stage to sing the chorus. Each fan gave their all and sang their little hearts out for everyone. After the crowd members left the stage, The Temptations closed with “I Know I’m Losing You.”
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