EVENTS
They’ve Got the ‘Beat’
Billy Marovich and Mark Long play the hits at Anthem Days By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Billy Marovich moved to Arizona when he was 19 to attend ASU. It wasn’t long before he discovered the magic of music. “I heard the siren call of music,” says Marovich, who attended Purdue and Arizona State universities. “That’s what I wanted to do. I’ve never had a job. When I get up and I know I have to play a gig, I’m in a good mood. I’m happy to go to work.” Marovich and his musical partner, Mark Long of Ahwatukee, team up for Otis & the Beat, who will perform at Anthem Days on Saturday, March 28. “We’ll have a four-piece band there,” Marovich says from his remote cabin 40 miles northwest of Payson in the Mogollon Rim foothills. “Mark is also the lead singer of the Groove Merchants.” During Anthem Days, Otis & the Beat will perform classic rock songs from the 1960s onward, with a little country thrown in.
“We try to keep the music recognizable so people can relate,” he says. “I think what differentiates us from a normal band is we don’t just play music. We engage the audience. We don’t write out setlists. When we set up on stage, we don’t have anything planned out. “At most of my gigs, people are throwing songs at me left and right. As a musician, you learn songs and hopefully retain them. I probably know—just with my solo show—1,000 songs.” Marovich and Long know how to read the crowd. When audience members aren’t requesting songs, the duo figures out Anthem Community Park will be abuzz with what to play. residents and visitors for Anthem Days. “When they’re tapping t heir feet and singing along, we know we connected with them,” Ma- Billy Marovich and his musical partner, Mark Long, will perform as Otis & the Beat at Anthem Days on Saturday, March 28. (Photo courtesy Billy Marovich) rovich says. The musician grew up in Indi- ized he was “pretty good at it.” He cites The Eagles, Tom Petty and the Zac ana but moved to Arizona at age 19 to be near his brother. Soon there- Brown Band as his favorites. Marovich also after, he discovered the Valley had listens to bluegrass music and plays a few a wealth of clubs that featured live songs from the film “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”—“I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow” music. “I played little clubs to work my and “Copperhead Road.” “I get up there and have fun and people noway through college and never tice that,” says Marovich, who plays Dvine in quit,” he says. He co-owned and played lead Mesa from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturdays. “There guitar for Chuck E. Baby & the All are nights I don’t feel well and I’m not always Stars until seven years ago, when 100%, but most of the time I’m really happy. I he left to pursue a solo career. He could be having the worst day ever, but when reluctantly began singing and real- I step up on stage, everything’s OK.”
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