Maze featuring Frankie Beverly serves up a distinctive brand of crisp rhythm and blues.
Beverly and company have 8 p.m. shows Friday and Saturday at The Venue in Hammond’s Horseshoe Casino. The opening act both nights will be the Chi-Lites, with hits including “Have You Seen Her” and “Oh Girl.”
With a loyal audience that started to form in the last half of the 1970s, Beverly knows his concerts must deliver tried-and-true fare.
“There are songs that people want to hear,” Beverly said in a phone interview this month.
One of those must-do selections is the buoyant, and slightly funky, “Happy Feelin’s” — written by Beverly.
Another fan favorite is “Joy and Pain.”
Any thoughts of shaking up a concert’s repertoire must be balanced with the realization that songs such as those have staying power for a reason.
“It’s hard to take them out of the show,” said Beverly, a northern California resident.
The roots of Beverly’s group are found in Beverly’s inaugural album, 1977’s “Maze featuring Frankie Beverly,” which included the single “Lady of Magic.”
The 1983 release of “We Are One” solidified the international standing of Beverly and Maze on the strength of the title track and songs such as “Never Let You Down” and “I Love You Too Much,” according to the group’s website.
Beverly, who handles lead vocals, points to focused authenticity when explaining the longevity enjoyed by him and his comrades.
“We keep it real; we’re a pretty solid band,” Beverly, 70, said. “We come from that old school. We don’t play around with the music.”
The singer and his band don’t frivolously follow trends.
“We don’t play around like that; we do what we do,” he said. “We try not to stray off of that. People love us.”
Maze featuring Frankie Beverly is not impervious to music trends, but the band has a strong understanding of its foundation.
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“We try to keep up with the times,” Beverly said. “You kind of keep up with stuff, but you got to be who you are.”
As demonstrated by the street-vibe funk of “Back in Stride,” Beverly and his band are at home with urban-soul grooves.
The track is off of the group’s 1985 album “Can’t Stop the Love,” released on the formidable Capitol Records label.
While there has been prolific recording success, taking the stage has offered a special kind of pleasure for Beverly, who also plays piano and guitar.
“There’s nothing like being in front of the people,” said Beverly, pointing to the “real-time” aspect of the concert realm.
“The people start singing along with the songs,” he noted. “It’s real-life stuff. Each night it’s different.”
On a different front, Beverly hinted that some fresh recording may be in the works.
“I’ve been writing quite a bit, and I’ve been talking to the band members about soon getting back in the studio,” he noted.
Bob Kostanczuk is a freelance writer for the Post-Tribune.
Maze featuring Frankie Beverly
Where: The Venue at Horseshoe Casino, 777 Casino Center Drive, Hammond
When: 8 p.m. June 16 and 17
Tickets: $55 to $110; 21 and older only
Information: 219-473-7000, www.horseshoehammond.com