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The Walkervilles channel Motown

You can’t ignore the past when you’re living in Al Capone’s rum-running haunt of Walkerville, a historic district of Windsor, Ont., across from Detroit.
WEB-The-Walkervilles
The Walkervilles perform on Thursday at the International Beer Haus and Stage in Red Deer.

You can’t ignore the past when you’re living in Al Capone’s rum-running haunt of Walkerville, a historic district of Windsor, Ont., across from Detroit.

You also can’t escape Motown.

The infectious music of Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and The Supremes was absorbed by musicians Pat Robitaille, Michael Hargreaves, and Stefan Cvetkovich pretty much by osmosis while they were growing up in Windsor.

After all, the Motown record company was founded in 1960 by Berry Gordy, Jr. on the opposite bank of the Detroit River, in Detroit, Michigan.

“When you live in Windsor, you’re constantly exposed to it,” said Robitaille, who performs as part of The Walkervilles on Thursday at the International Beer Haus and Stage in Red Deer.

It was only natural that when the three formed a band in 2012, they drew inspiration from the soul-stirring, toe-tapping R&B performed by The Miracles, Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross.

Motown music “makes you move and feel good,” no matter what heartache is in the songs, added Robitaille, the lead singer and guitarist.

“You read the lyrics for something like I Heard It Through the Grapevine, and you think, man, this guy’s had his heart ripped out! Then you start listening to the music and suddenly you’re snapping your fingers and you’re moving ...

“You feel it all,” added Robitaille. “It can be a really heavy sound and yet leave you feeling good, or it can be light and fluffy... It takes all your emotions and lets them out.”

Since the band was looking to make original, harmonic R&B music influenced by Motown’s heyday in the 1960s and early ’70s — it also seemed like a good idea to name their group The Walkervilles, in celebration of their hometown’s colourful history.

American entrepreneur Hiram Walker built a model town called Walkerville in the 19th century to house employees of his burgeoning distillery. It was frequently visited by gangsters such as Capone during the prohibition era, and continues producing Canadian Club whiskey to this day.

Although Windsor’s economy has taken a major hit from automotive plant closures, Robitaille is optimistic about a gradual economic upturn in the area. He noted Detroit has started transforming from being an urban wasteland of empty buildings to a viable centre for artists, musicians and new business, due to its beautiful architecture and highly affordable property prices.

You could say that Detroit’s future is looking as upbeat as its Motown music.

The Walkervilles — including bassist and main songwriter Hargreaves and drummer Svetkovich — are also optimistic about their third album, due out in 2016.

It’s being produced by multiple Grammy Award-winning producer/ engineer, “Commissioner” Gordon Williams, and the first single, What You Do, is being released to radio this month.

Although making pop-y R&B at a time when folk-and county-pop is more the rage is like swimming against the current, Robitaille is “proud of what we’ve got goin’ on.”

The nattily dressed Walkervilles have already toured Canada with the Tedeschi-Trucks Band and opened for Stanley Clarke and Bettye LaVette at the Highline Ballroom in New York City. The group’s video for Please Baby Stay was also in heavy MuchMusic rotation.

Although the band has toured through Alberta a couple of times already, Robitaille said he looks forward to playing in Red Deer for the first time.

“People like to have a good time in Alberta. You cowboys know how to get down!”’

Tickets for the show are $10 from the venue or Ticketfly. Doors open at 7 p.m.

lmichelin@www.reddeeradvocate.com