An evening at Cal Poly with the Temptations

February 21, 2014

By ERICA EVANS

Seeing the Temptations, or as they like to call themselves, The Temps, at the Christopher Cohan Center on Cal Poly’s campus couldn’t have been more perfect. When the Temptations took the stage on Valentine’s Day, Otis Williams said, “as of a month ago, this is 54 years of the Temptations together.”

The Temptations’ started playing music from off the stage and in a high pitched voice an audience member sang, “after all these years, they’re still here,” which got a lot of laughs from the crowd. Two minutes later, the band came marching in, single-file, in matching flashy red outfits.

I was immediately transported back to the 1960’s.

The band didn’t miss a beat as they performed “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone,” with guitar player, nephew of original Temptation Paul Williams, giving an outstanding performance.

Bruce Williamson, the baritone, told everyone to get their mobile phones out and to put them in the air. The room was immediately filled with the illuminating glow of hundreds of smartphones as the band sang “Get Ready.”

Williams then announced, “this is the Temptations anthem,” and the band played “My Girl.” It was riveting with the audience singing along.

And although there was only one original member of the Temptations left singing on stage, I still felt like I was able to see the history of what influenced today’s music come to life.