European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 31, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Ramp a show is experience by Kevin Robinson staff writer. O be would t figure the army s Mode Naire club near Hanau Germany As the launch pad for a religious revival meeting. But that s just what men at targe did when they pulled the plug on their soulful crooning. Many in the audience at Fliege Horst Cavern were a bit Shell shocked dec. 22 when the rhythm and blues singers decided to take everyone to Church. Leading into their slow song so atone men at Large talked about the importance of sharing the holidays with loved ones. Then they went a bit deeper. Quot How Many of you out there thank cod every morning for seeing a new Day Quot said Jason l. Champion group member. Quot do you fee blessed to have a Job and a roof Over your head Quot added David Tolliver the another member. A Quot you ought to thank cod for your . On a night full of parading hairdos and blinding smoke machines men at Large s religious interlude brought us All Down to Earth with a heavenly thud. The myriad other entertainment sharing the Bill ranged from the raw raps of Redbone and 2 shades of blackness to the High Energy of the three local Sisters of . And the Rich vocals of the female Trio 1 of the Girts the Mode Naire show had its drawbacks such As too much time Between performances and glitches with the prerecorded instrumental soundtracks. 1 but Tolliver Champion and Skinny new member Fred craves still gave the audience a Sample of the raw soul that aside from their wide Girth has marked their big Intro into the music business. Before the men 1 of the girls emerged from a Cloud of smoke to fire is a a Van Robinson from left marvelous mites and Nina Creque of i of the Girts emerge from the smoke to perform up a listless audience. They performed the Rife cuts from their self titled debut cd a most not Blythe message of Safe sex or abstinence in no can do. However the biggest Roar from the crowd May have come when each soloed in a Medley of covers. Marvelous Miles started it off with her throaty rendition of Chaka Khan s Sweet thing Nina Creque with perhaps the most powerful voice of the three rocked the House on an old o jays tune let me make love to you and radon Kirkland with a High pitched Michele Soundis voice finished with her version of without you. When these Riddern Day fat boys finally took the stage men at Large weren t shy about poking fun at themselves. Their Intro established that tone Quot anybody got any Chicken or collard greens out there. Once they started to sing a albeit muddled sound that was far from Crisp a the crowd let Loose. Be it the fast track and their biggest hit use me or the love song stay the night this singing tag team proved its versatility. The Only disappointment Japay have been the quickie encore and glossed Over version of silent night. With the temptations version of that Holiday song As the ramp a Standard men at Large could have delivered a knockout blow with an extended play Oil that tune. As it was they still left a huge impression on the ears that matches the imprint they must leave on a weight scale. Texas concert listings a see pages 18 amp 19 the scots with the uncommonly texan scorch and twang play Germany in february. Closer look homeboys want to put Ohio on music map there was a time when Ohio was considered the unofficial Headquarters for a lot of 70s-and bos Era rhythm end blues. The Roll Call was endless the of jays the Quot Isley Brothers Lakeside slave Roger Troutman and Zapp heatwave Midnight Star the Ohio players the daz2 band the late Phillips Wynne of the spinners and Many members of the parliament Funk Adelic mob. In the 90s, Thoj gho connection has faded. But there maybe a Renaissance for the Buckeye state if men at Large s David Tolliver has anything to say about it. Quot the problem that we have today at least As far As their Hometown of Cleveland is concerned is that a Tot of the artists Don t stick together Quot said the 23-year-old Tolliver. Quot if you had the Unity of cities such As new York and l.a., As far As camaraderie with the groups and stuff you a see a Tot More people blowing it up. Quot if you make it As a musician then you should come Back and help someone else make it and they can help Tot Tiver someone a he continued. Quot that s our men at Large s plan Quot Tolliver and his singing partners Jason l. Champion and Fred Graves talked with the stars and stripes a few hours prior to headlining a show at the Mode Naire club in Fliege Horst Cavern near Hanau Germany. They were joined at the Mode Naire by the teen age female Trio 1 of the girls also from Cleveland. Both groups were discovered and Are currently produced by Gerald Levert  Singer of the group Levert. Levert s ties to the old Ohio connection Are Strong. He is the son of of jays  Singer Eddie  ties Are Strong too Between Champion and Tolliver their mothers were close friends for 30 years. The singing duo found its motivation to Rise by observing what was going on musically around them. They watched other groups perform around the Cleveland area and figured they could do it better Tolliver said. Before hitting it big the two performed at school functions and Talent shows in the Cleveland area. Then Levert who had an idea for three big Guys who could sing and dance found Champion and Tolliver. Graves who is expected to release his own Solo album was recently added to the group. Quot we used to be called boys from the Hood Quot Tolliver  we did no to want to come out on stage one Day like the o jays or the Isley Brothers being in the business 30 or 40 years being stereotyped As a  after leaving Hanau men at Large performed a Shovkat Pitburg a Germany and another in Amsterdam the Netherlands. Upon returning to the states they will go Back to Levert s recording studio in Cleveland Champion said. There they will select about 10 songs from 18 tracks for a 1994 follow up to their �?T93 debut cd men at Large. Quot our first album sold about 400,000 copies so we decided to come Back while we still had the momentum Quot Champion said. A Kevin Robinson Friday december 31, 1993 the stars and stripes 15