Springer Gets on the Good Foot for Juneteenth

I Feel Good: An Homage to James Brown brings soul, swagger, and Southern music history to the Springer stage

By Monica Jones

The Springer Opera House is bringing the funk to Juneteenth.

This year, the theater’s annual Juneteenth celebration turns its spotlight toward one of the most electrifying performers American music has ever produced with I Feel Good: An Homage to James Brown, a high-energy tribute to the Godfather of Soul.

For audiences who moved through Men of Motown in 2024 and sang along with Sistas of Soul last year, this next chapter keeps the celebration rooted in the music, artists, and cultural legacy that helped shape generations. This time, the groove belongs to James Brown.

Born in South Carolina and raised in Augusta, Brown’s influence reaches far beyond any one stage, city, or genre. His sound helped build the foundation for funk, soul, R&B, hip-hop, and modern popular music. His performances were sharp, physical, commanding, and unmistakable.

That energy is at the center of the Springer’s tribute.

Leading the show is Sterling Baker-McClary, recently seen on the Springer stage as the Tin Man in The Wiz and Seaweed J. Stubbs in Hairspray. With powerhouse vocals, magnetic stage presence, and a live band behind him, Baker steps into a performance built for movement, rhythm, and full-body joy.

Capturing James Brown, however, requires far more than learning the songs.

“I think the biggest challenge in embodying James Brown is just keeping it consistent,” Baker said. “Whether he’s singing, dancing, interacting with the band, or talking to the audience, it’s always a matter of having the audience in the palm of his hand.”

That relentless energy became Brown’s trademark, and Baker said honoring that legacy means maintaining it from the opening curtain to the final encore.

“From the moment the curtain goes up to the moment the curtain goes down, and then comes back up again, we’re trying to keep everybody entertained, energetic, and out of their seats.”

As Baker prepared for the role, he found himself increasingly inspired not only by Brown’s performance style, but by the way he approached his craft.

“The biggest attribute of James Brown that I really love is how hands-on he was in every aspect of his artistry,” Baker said. “James Brown didn’t really play any instruments, but he composed and arranged all of his songs. He wrote for himself and other people. He was involved in everything. I just want to be that hands-on and leave my own funk print on the art like James Brown did.”

The performance will feature some of Brown’s most recognizable hits, including “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag,” “Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine,” “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World,” “Make It Funky,” “Get on the Good Foot,” “Get Up Offa That Thing,” and, naturally, “I Feel Good.”

In past years, Springer Associate Artistic Director Keith McCoy described the theater’s Juneteenth celebration as honoring “the achievements and resilience of African American artists who have shaped the music industry.” That spirit continues here, with Brown’s catalog serving as both celebration and reminder.

Juneteenth marks freedom, but it also asks us to pay attention to the art, labor, brilliance, and cultural force that grew in spite of everything meant to silence it. Music has always carried part of that story. Sometimes it comes through gospel. Sometimes through blues. Sometimes through Motown harmonies, soul anthems, or a funk band so tight it practically dares you to sit still.

With James Brown, it comes through sweat, rhythm, precision, and fire.

After the success of the Springer’s past Juneteenth performances, I Feel Good raises the volume again. It is a tribute, yes, but it is also a celebration of Southern music history, Black artistry, and the kind of live performance that reminds people what a room can feel like when everybody is locked in together.

For Baker, the goal is ultimately much simpler than that.

“I would love for audiences to simply have a good time,” he said. “We’re living in a day and age where everybody’s worried about gas, groceries, and everything else. For an hour and a half or two hours, I just want people to come to the Springer, dance with me, sing with me, and enjoy themselves. We can worry about everything else later.”

McCoy agrees.

“You do not want to miss it,” he said. “It’s going to be a good time for everybody from ages one to one hundred and one.”

I Feel Good: An Homage to James Brown will be performed Friday, June 20 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, June 21 at 2 p.m. on the Springer’s Emily Woodruff Hall main stage.

Tickets are expected to move quickly, because Columbus knows what to do when the funk shows up at the front door.

To guarantee your seat, purchase tickets directly through the Springer Opera House Box Office or online at springeroperahouse.org. The Springer Opera House is located at 103 10th Street in downtown Columbus. For tickets and information, visit the Springer Opera House website or call the box office at (706) 327-3688.