SummerStage to Present TWO BOOTS 25th ANNIVERSARY CONCERT, 8/23

On Thursday, August 23rd, City Parks Foundation's SummerStage Presented by AT&T presents the Two Boots 25th Anniversary Concert featuring the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars. Two Boots, born on the Lower East Side in 1987, is co-presenting this FREE concert as the centerpiece of its yearlong celebration of a quarter century as NYC's pizza pioneers. The event kicks off at 5:00 PM in the East River Park Amphitheatre for a full evening of food, music, art, aerialists and poetry.

With a headline performance from the highly energetic African pop band Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars and supporting sets from emerging talents Mamarazzi, Odetta Hartman, Himalayas and The Wiskheyhickon Boys, the show is an integral part of the SummerStage season. With performance groups including Lady Circus and the Magic Beans, live painting by Free Art Society and 4Heads Art Collective, poetry from the Nuyorican Poet's Café and the City Lore/Bowery Poetry Club's POEMmobile, along with the Homespun Mini-Merry-Go-Round, the evening is bound to be a fun filled extravaganza with something to suit everyone's taste.

Since its inception in 1987, Two Boots has worked to support its local Lower East Side community, and the neighborhood will be well represented by the Lower Eastside Girls Club, the Lower East Side Ecology Center and Time's Up. Free samples of Two Boots' two most popular pizzas for the last 25 years will be available -- The Newman and Larry Tate, plus beer from Smutty Nose & Louisiana's Abita Brewery, and Two Boots' favorite sparkling drink, Fizzy Lizzy.

For the most up-to-date scheduling and line-up for all SummerStageprogramming, follow SummerStage via the below links and visit www.SummerStage.org for festival information.

About Two Boots
Two Boots was created by two indie filmmakers who loved pizza, beer and all things New Orleans (the two "boots" refer to the geographical shapes of Italy and Louisiana). Still owned and operated by co-founder Phil Hartman, and with locations in NYC, LA, Bridgeport, Bard College, Jersey City, Baltimore and soon Nashville, Two Boots brings its unique Cajun-Italian cooking, funky folk art and deep commitment to the community wherever they go.For more information, stay tuned to Two Boots on Facebook.com/TwoBootsPizza and Twitter.com/TwoBootsHQ as well as the new website, www.TwoBoots.com launching in August.

About City Parks Foundation
City Parks Foundation (CPF) is the only independent, nonprofit organization to offer park programs throughout the five boroughs of New York City. We work in over 750 parks citywide, presenting a broad range of free arts, sports, and education programs, and empowering citizens to support their parks on a local level. Our programs and community building initiatives reach more than 600,000 people each year, contributing to the revitalization of neighborhoods throughout New York City.

Artist Information

Thursday, August 23 at East River Park in Manhattan
Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars
Mamarazzi
Odetta Hartman
Himalayas
The Wiskheyhickon Boys
Poets: Nuyorican Poet's Café / City Lore / Bowery Poetry Club's POEMmobile
Performance Artists: Lady Circus and the Magic Beans / Free Art Society / 4Heads Art Collective
5:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars have risen like a phoenix out of the ashes of war and enflamed the passions of fans across the globe with their uplifting songs of hope, faith and joy. The band is a potent example of the redeeming power of music and the ability of the human spirit to persevere through unimaginable hardship and emerge with optimism intact. From their humble beginnings in West African refugee camps Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars have performed on some of the world's most prestigious stages and matured into one of Africa's top touring and recording bands.

Like a ripe grapefruit, Mamarazzi is that sweet, jarring and just-right combo of unlikely elements: tart funk, acidic groove and nectar of ancient lullaby. Spanning hip-hop and African grooves, Mamarazzi's unique sound has been described as mathro-beat and underwater gypsy funk. Dance. Sweat. Love.

Odetta Hartman writes songs of greek myths and traveling; of pride, Pynchon, and fairy tales; of animals and body parts and made-up words. Classically trained on the violin for 18 years at Third Street Music School, her musical education was further supplemented with courses at Bard College in jazz voice and improvisation, composition, electronic music, and traditional folk songs. Currently back at home in New York City, her time is devoted to studio work, performance art, curating events, cultivating the Dalton School's rooftop garden, and preparing for the release of her first solo EP (due out this summer).

HIMALAYAS is a marching band experience like no other. Although preferring to play on the street and have its audience participate in the show, they will play anywhere & anytime and have been known to play on bridges, mountain tops, beaches, in elevators, on GRAMMY nominated records, on uptown stages and in downtown clubs. With an ever-changing cast of characters, a songbook of today's freshest composers and a penchant for smashing genres--HIMALAYAS is a spontaneous, organic, ephemeral pleasure-filled situation!

The WhiskeyHickon Boys are ex-folkies who have picked up a combo of acoustic and electric instruments to produce an improvised Bluesy/Skiffle interpretation of traditional Blues, Jazz and Roots sounds. They have introduced their audiences to the ringing, circular guitar riff sound that has become the centerpiece of their musical trademark.

The 2012 SummerStage festival is presented by AT&T.
This schedule of events and performers is subject to change without notice.
Admission to all free performances is based on a first come/first served basis.
No tickets required unless otherwise noted. Paid tickets are required for all Benefit Concerts.

All SummerStage shows go on RAIN OR SHINE
Shows will be canceled only in the event of dangerous lightning during a performance.
No professional camera gear, telephoto lenses or flash photography is allowed unless expressly arranged in advance through representatives of City Parks Foundation or GreenHouse Publicity.
No video taping of any shows will be allowed.

Food and alcoholic/non-alcoholic beverages are available for purchase at all shows. Beer and wine are for on-site consumption only and may not be removed from the venue. Please do not bring alcoholic beverages, glass, bottles, coolers, pets, bicycles, roller blades, folding chairs, beach umbrellas, video cameras or tape recorders to SummerStage shows. Patrons will not be allowed into venues with these materials.

All bags are subject to search.

The distribution or sale of unauthorized promotional materials is not permitted in the park or in SummerStage staging areas.

For the most up-to-date scheduling, directions to the stages for all SummerStage programming, visit us on the web at http://www.SummerStage.org

Central Park SummerStage is accessible to the mobility-impaired. For additional information please call 212.360.2756 and ask to speak with our Volunteer Coordinator. To obtain the Parks Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD), please call 800.281.5722.
City Parks Foundation (CPF) is the only independent, nonprofit organization to offer park programs throughout the five boroughs of New York City. We work in over 750 parks citywide, presenting a broad range of free arts, sports, and education programs, and empowering citizens to support their parks on a local level. Our programs and community building initiatives reach more than 600,000 people each year, contributing to the revitalization of neighborhoods throughout New York City.

Time Warner; Blue Point; Ommegang; Six Point;JWT; Disney; Bloomberg; ConEdison; JPMorgan Chase; City Winery; Forest City Ratner are also official SummerStage Sponsors.

Additional support is generously provided by The Arthur Ross Foundation; The Harkness Foundation for Dance; The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; New York Community Trust Program for Performing Arts Groups; Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour;The Shubert Foundation; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council; New York State Council on the Arts; National Endowment for the Arts through the Access to Artistic Excellence program; NYC CouncilMemberRosie Mendez; NYC Council Member Joel Rivera.

Media sponsors include: Time Out New York, Metro, Relix, El Especial & El Especialito, Zoom Media & Marketing, WNYC, WFUV, WBGO, NBC New York, NY Moves, Big Screen Project, Flavorpill, Fusicology, and Globe Star Media and Entertainment.

In all of its programming and activities, City Parks Foundation partners with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation to improve neighborhood parks and the communities they serve.

The 2012 SummerStage festival is presented by AT&T.