OK Theater Presents: Ural Thomas & The Pain

Ural Thomas is, and forever will be Portland's pillar of soul.
He started singing beneath his mother’s knee in church at the age of 3. By high school he led the doo-wop group the Mono Rays, breaking hearts and taking names at Jefferson High and Irvington Park along the way. Ural's voice and songwriting soon gained national attention and he found himself sharing the stage with the likes of James Brown, Otis Redding, Johnny Guitar Watson and "Little" Stevie Wonder. He played the Apollo 44 times. He backed the Northwest's biggest soul and garage outfits of the1960s (The Kingsmen, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Cavaliers Unlimited) and he never for a moment stopped teaching, singing and loving soul music.

Now Ural is poised to represent Portland on equal ground with contemporaries like Lee Fields, Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley, all of whom ultimately gained their dues in their golden years. To ensure the legacy he's backed by a 9 piece band comprised of the some of the most recognizable session and solo players in town. Band leader/drummer Scott Magee (aka DJ Cooky Parker) has arranged a setlist compiled from the gilded age of soul and R&B and Ural originals, all with a sharp focus on moving the dance floor. The foot stomping days of Jump Town, USA have returned and Ural Thomas & the Pain are here to lead the way.