MANSFIELD — When is a music concert not a concert?
When it’s the Norman Brown Experience.
That’s what promoter David Kirst said is planned for the Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center on Saturday night.
The “experience” offered by Kirst’s film company Rominus James Productions is headlined by Brown, the Grammy-award winning jazz artist.
But Kirst, a Mansfield resident, said those in attendance will enjoy far more than just music with food, drink, giveaways and raffles — including a guitar signed by Brown.
“We want to provide a good, classy event in Mansfield for people to come and enjoy,” Kirst said Thursday.
“Everyone says there’s nothing to do in Mansfield, they have to go elsewhere to see such shows. We wanted to do it here and let people in Cleveland and Columbus come to Mansfield,” he said.
“Promoting this has been nothing but fun for me. It’s a lot of work, but a lot of fun, as well.”
Norman Brown Experience
Doors at the Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center open Saturday at 5:30 p.m. The event begins at 6 p.m.
General admission tickets are $50. VIP tickets for $100 and include upgraded seating, swag bags and unlimited hors d’oeuvres throughout the evening.
Tickets are on sale now on Eventbrite and will also be available at the door.
The MOESC is located at 890 W. Fourth St. in Mansfield.
The centerpiece of the evening is Brown, the award-winning, multi-platinum artist with 14 albums to his credit during a career that spans more than four decades.
When his latest album, “It Hits Different” was released in 2024, Brown told The Urban Music Scene that, “Music is a language, it speaks to the invisible part of us that moves the physical part of us.
“I’ve put a great amount of time, energy and focus into developing my gift of channeling a heavenly sound that strikes the spirit, moves emotion and makes you feel good.”
The guitarist and singer has collaborated with Stevie Wonder, Gerald Albright, George Benson, Chanté Moore, among others.
JazzTimes Magazine described his style as “A culmination of Jimi Hendrix and George Benson with some of Wes Montgomery thrown in.”
Benson has called Brown, “one of the greatest and most articulate guitarists out there.”
But the evening will offer more than just Brown.
It will also include Eliot Sloan, the lead singer from the band “Blessid Union of Souls,” a band which 30 years ago produced the hit song, “I Believe.”
Norman and Sloan have collaborated to rewrite that song and will perform the new version together live for the first time in Mansfield, according to Kirst.
Opening the evening will be two groups from Mansfield, The Conne Band and “G and Friends,” led by Garland McCruter.
Kirst said advance ticket sales have gone well, but added he understands it’s a holiday weekend and that people will purchase tickets at the door.
“A lot of people are traveling and whatnot, so we wanted to do a good thing for Mansfield and bring in a classy evening for people,” he said.
Mansfield police will provide security during the evening.
Kirst said $100 cash prizes will be awarded to the best-dressed man and $100 to the best-dressed woman.
“This will be a classy event, so we wanted to offer an incentive to dress to impress,” he said.
He said event sponsors include ABC Warehouse, Swavory, Metronome Music, Two Cousins Pizza, iHeart, YMCA of North Central Ohio, Mid-Ohio Limousine, Martini’s on Main and Tara’s Floral Expressions.
A portion of the evening’s proceeds will benefit The Domestic Violence Shelter in Richland County, Kirst said.