The inaugural Hip-Hop & R&B in the Park festival takes place Saturday, July 2 from noon to 6 p.m. at Marshall Park (800 East 3rd St.). With Charlotte and NC-based performers Sunshine Anderson, Elu, Ida Divine, Nadia Sade', J Hut, Olivia, Royal Tee, S Dub , and Grammer performing. This looks like a great way to sample some of the city's rising hip-hop and R&B. DJ Chuck T will host the event and Stretch-O-Matic will provide music.
The event includes free food and beverages and children's activities.
Grammy winning soul singer and actress Jill Scott will headline the Budweiser Superfest Summer Block Party at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre August 24. Also performing are Charlotte's own Anthony Hamilton and Minneapolis' Mint Condition (Carolinians recently saw both acts opening for Prince in March). Hamilton also appears on Scott's recent single "So In Love." DJ Jazzy Jeff will provide music during the show and Doug E. Fresh will serve as host.
The same lineup hits Raleigh's Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion August 23. Tickets for both dates go on sale Saturday, July 9 at 10 a.m. at www.livenation.com.
The 4th Annual Music on the Mountaintop Festival announced its lineup this week. The two-day festival, which takes place August 26 and 27 at Grandfather Campgrounds in Foscoe, NC outside of Boone this year, includes performances by a bevy of regional and national bluegrass, jam, funk, and acoustic acts.
Artists include Sam Bush, Railroad Earth, Greensky Bluegrass, Acoustic Syndicate, Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band, Frontier Ruckus, Town Mountain, Do It to Julia, Naked Gods, the Mantras, the New Familiars, the Lazybirds, the Native Sway, Bafoodus, Simplified, Uncle Mountain and Secret B-Sides. Bush (pictured at Merlefest 2011) has headlined the festival since its 2008 inception. More acts will be announced shortly.
Discounted early bird tickets are now available at www.musiconthemountaintop.com for $35 for single day passes and $70 for two day passes. Camping passes are also available. Those are $12 for primitive camping and $15 for standard camping.
The new location, which is 10 miles from Boone, offers potable water throughout, public restrooms, bathhouses, a public store and over 200 shaded campsites. In addition to music the festival promotes ecological and environmental awareness working closely with Mountain Alliance and Appalachian Voices.
Grammy winning Mexican alternative rockers Molotov, who draw equally from hip-hop and punk rock, are heading back to Charlotte. The musically versatile group, who I think of as a sort of Spanish language Beastie Boys, is set to play The Fillmore September 21. Tickets go on sale Friday, July 8. (The above video is old, by the way, but I included it because its my favorite Molotov track).
Molotov isn't the only Latin artist heading our way. Mexican rock act Zoe plays The Neighborhood Theatre August 21. French-born world music artist Manu Chao (who sometimes sings in Spanish) plays The Fillmore September 7.
The Latin American Coalition also announced its lineup for The 21st Annual Latin American Festival Monday. The lineup includes Colombia's Aterciopelados, Grammy winners Xperimento (who blend Merengue, ska, Kuduru and jazz), New York-based Jose Conde (who combines the singer-songwriter genre with a funky Afro-Cuban ensemble), and New York's Gersey Nicolas (playing Bachata from the Dominican Republic), as well as Charlotte's own Los Tarascos de Michoacan and Fusion Latina.
From what I remember about Aterciopelados, their inclusion on the bill is quite a coup. La Rua, a local Latin rock band that broke up several years ago, use to play some of its songs in concert and the crowds would go wild. The reaction to the real thing will undoubtedly be even better.
The Latin American Festival takes place at South Park's Symphony Park Sunday, Oct. 9 from noon until 7 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 9 to 12, and free for younger children and Mint Museum members. For more information: www.festivallatinoamericano.org
Just a few months after Lady Gaga released her "Born this Way" video, Weird Al Yankovic follows it with the spot on "Perform This Way" video. Its funny that Yankovic remains relevant long after some of the pop stars he's parodied. And just when you forget about him, there he is with another unexpected track like "Amish Paradise" or "White & Nerdy."
The Gaga parody isn't that unexpected, of course. Anyone that wears a meat dress can expect to be the butt of a few jokes. The video is really well done. Check out "Peform This Way" here. "Entertainment Weekly" also spoke to Al earlier this week about the track and his new album "Alpocalypse," which is out this week. He also takes on Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, and Miley Cyrus. I'm particularly curious about his take on T.I.'s "Whatever You Like."
8:30 p.m. Friday, Fillmore, 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheatre, both venues located at 1000 Seaboard St. $50.50-$66 Friday, $43.35-$72.40 Saturday. www.livenation.com
The second annual Uptown Jazz Fest includes performances by Michael Franks, Marcus Johnson, Shableek, and Uncommon Jazz Friday and Gerald Albright, Jeff Lorber Fusion, and George Duke, Marcus Miller and David Sanborn performing as DMS Saturday.
Morris Day & the Time
8 p.m. Saturday, June 25, Knight Theater, 430 S. Tryon St. $34.50-$64.50. 704-372-1000.
Prince reminded fans of his cohort’s funk-pop playing the Time’s “Cool” at recent concerts. Day and his group remain nothing less with a catalog that includes “Jungle Love,” “The Bird,” “Jerk Out” and more.
TV hunk Mark McGrath reunites with the Southern California band that kickstarted his career with “Fly” and “When It’s Over.” The group brings a its sunny pop to the EpiCentre rooftop stage.
Jennifer Holliday
8 p.m. Saturday, June 25, Belk Theater, 130 N. Tryon St.,$36-$58. 704-372-1000.
The Tony winning original Dream Girl, who recently released her first new album in 17 years, joins the Charlotte Symphony during this fundraiser for the United Negro College Fund.
Jonathan Scales Fourchestra
10:30 p.m. Saturday, June 25, Evening Muse, 3227 N. Davidson St. $10-$12. 704-376-3737.
After years as a beachside staple the steel pan is the centerpiece of this classically-trained band leader that’s making waves in world music and jam circle. With fellow Ashevillean Stephanie’s Id.
Best known as a producer and for his work with Maroon 5, this singer/writer/producer makes his own blend of R&B and pop with a smooth sound and a unique jazzy catch to his voice that recalls Lenny Kravitz crossed with Terence Trent D’Arby at times.
Das EFX
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 29, Tremont, 400 W. Tremont Ave. $10-$12. www.etix.com
This rap duo hit hard in the early `90s with the influential quick lyrical style and childlike wordplay of “They Want EFX” and “Mic Checka” (and is credited with the “iggity” craze). It aims to remind fans of its influence on the road.
Apparently Phish's Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon attended the David Mayfield Parade show at Evening Muse in Charlotte last Thursday. I was sitting in the third row and didn't notice them. I did notice Mayfield tweeted the above photo of Gordon and Anastasio wearing his silhouette t-shirts last weekend. They wore them on stage at the Charlotte show Friday and mentioned their NoDa outing at Friday's Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre show. Phish even used Mayfield's image during the set humorously declaring him their "Icculus." If you don't know what that means follow the links below.
Mayfield's website recounts his unlikely brush with "fame" here. Jambase reviews the Phish show here. And there's a fuzzy YouTube clip from the Charlotte show here. Now I wish I'd picked up one of these t-shirts.
Courtney Devores has been writing about music and entertainment in Charlotte for 16 years and has been a regular contributor to The Charlotte Observer since 2003.
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