By DAN ARMONAITIS
As Randy Foster left the stage following his “There Goes the Neighborhood” album release concert at the Chapman Cultural Center in Spartanburg last February, he did so in a typically unassuming manner.
“When it was over, I was just focused on packing up my gear,” the Hub City-based singer-songwriter said in a recent conversation.
It wasn’t until later that Foster fully realized the magnitude of what he had accomplished with the community-oriented show, which drew a sold-out crowd and garnered plenty of accolades for the 2-CD, 24-track collection that featured songs performed by different combinations of around 70 local musicians and 40 choir members.
“I was confident enough to think that people would like it, and obviously I heard people clapping at the end of the show, but I had no idea that it would resonate to the extent that it did,” Foster said. “I got probably 12 to 14 letters — tearful letters — over the next couple of days dropped off at my door or sent through the mail, and just people coming up to me afterward who I didn’t really know that well but who wanted to give me a hug.”
The “There Goes the Neighborhood” concert was such a rousing success that it’s being brought back this year for a second edition. “There Goes the Neighborhood … Again” will be presented on Thursday, Feb. 6 at the Chapman Cultural Center.
“I felt like last year’s show would be great, but I wasn’t expecting the reaction and appreciation from the audience that they showed,” said Spartanburg-based drummer Bill Fletcher, who is one of the participating musicians. “I don’t think a lot of people who attended expected quite the depth, variety and quality of both the music and the performance. It was pretty special, and you could feel it.”
The format of the show will be basically the same as last year with numerous area musicians taking the stage in various configurations to perform Foster-penned songs spanning a wide range of music genres, including everything from folk, pop and R&B to rock ‘n’ roll and country.
Most of the material will be taken from last year’s 2-CD set, but Foster has also written and recorded five new songs that will be performed. A CD that features the new songs will be available for purchase at the show.
One of Foster’s new songs, the soul-driven “Where Are All the Marvin Gaye’s?” features project newcomer Devon Scott on lead vocals accompanied by the Michael A. Young Singers along with a rap performed by Aaron Donaldson.
“I think people are really going to respond to that song,” Foster said.
Maddy Walsh, an up-and-coming singer-songwriter who sang lead on the previously-released song, “No Cry for Simon,” said being involved in the “There Goes the Neighborhood” project has been a rewarding experience.
“Working with Randy is just plain fun,” she said. “When in the studio, he created an inviting environment and encouraged the musicians to make his songs our own. And during last year’s concert, he did such an amazing job bringing so many local musicians to light. … I hadn’t realized the sheer number of how many local musicians — all wonderful, of course — he incorporated on the album. I am so honored to be included.”
Foster’s music experience dates back to the 1960s when, as a teenager, he was a member of the New Generation, a psychedelic pop-rock group that notably included future Marshall Tucker Band members Tommy Caldwell and Doug Gray. Foster was also a longtime member of renowned beach music outfit Grand Strand.
“Randy has been a good friend for many years,” Fletcher said, “and though we’ve both always loved playing, listening and talking about music, I’ve seen him more passionate about what he’s been doing with this (project) over the last few years.
“It seems a little overwhelming to him at times, but he’s doing it because he loves to write, craft the songs and share them with everyone. He’s written some great songs and should take a minute and take pride in what he’s done with it all. As for me, I’m very happy to be a part of it again.”
Sadly, three participants from last year’s concert — Howard Childress of The Sparkletones, Ralph Rivera and John Cook — passed away in 2019, as did Scotty Hawkins and Tony Kennedy, who were not involved in the show but played on the “There Goes the Neighborhood” recording sessions.
Foster said there’ll be a brief moment during this year’s concert in which those musicians will be remembered, along with influential Spartanburg musician David Haddox, who died in December, and Steve Keeter, a musician who recorded for the “There Goes the Neighborhood” project before his death in 2015.
“I’ve always found music to be the most convincing medium for affecting people’s lives,” said Foster, who put his recording project into high gear after retiring from a longtime career as a psychology teacher at Spartanburg High School. “You can talk with someone or debate with someone on a cerebral level or an intellectual level, and you may come up with a good argument, but if you can put that point in a song, it picks up the visceral part of the brain. And that’s going to be more convincing than a verbal exchange.”
While Foster spearheaded “There Goes the Neighborhood” by writing all of the songs, he said he never intended for the project to be solely about himself.
“My vision all along has been to highlight the Spartanburg music community,” Foster said. “I would like to make this concert an annual event and showcase some of our other other songwriters as well. Eventually, I want to pass it on to younger writers and have it be something that’s anticipated each year.
“It can morph into whatever, but I would just like to keep the theme focused on community and helping one another and providing a showcase for the remarkable music talent that we have here, which is disproportionate to the population.”