2017 Madison Square Music: ABOVE GROUND and SUMMER NIGHTS Lineups Announced

Madison Square Park Conservancy today announced the 2017 Mad. Sq. Music: Above Ground and Summer Nights lineups on Wednesdays, July 12 through August 16.

Above Ground, featuring an array of up-and-coming and established performers from your local subway stops, takes place on Wednesdays at 12pm. The series begins on July 12 with The People vs. Larsen. On July 19, the Park welcomes Natalie Gelman, and Tipsy Oxcart on July 26. Brown Rice Family performs on August 2 followed by Affinity Brass Quintet on August 9. The series ends August 16 with The Wali Sanga.

Mad. Sq. Music: Summer Nights runs on Wednesdays at 7pm and will feature nationally touring acts beginning on July 12 with Chris Bergson. On July 19 at 6pm, the Park welcomes "Portland's pillar of soul" UrAl Thomas & The Pain and a DJ dance party in celebration of the 10th anniversary of Jonathan Toubin's Soul Clap. Tribu Baharú performs July 26, and The Wild Reeds will play on August 2. Saxophonist Kenny Garrett will hit the stage on August 9 followed by the series' closer Davina and the Vagabonds, on August 16.

Mad. Sq. Music: Above Ground and Summer Nights will be held on the Park's west gravel at 24th Street and Madison Avenue. Madison Square Park is located between Fifth and Madison Avenues, from 23rd St to 26th St.

Thanks to Mad. Sq. Music sponsors: New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, NYSCA, Kew Management, WFUV 90.7FM, Ace Hotel New York, Todd Snyder, and New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

Full lineups of Above Ground and Summer Nights:

2017 Above Ground Performers

The Lineup:

July 12 - People vs. Larsen
July 19 - Natalie Gelman
July 26 - Tipsy Oxcart
August 2 - Brown Rice Family
August 9 - Affinity Brass Quintet
August 16 - The Wali Sanga

7/12 People vs. Larsen

People vs. Larsen has offered an innovative voice in the indie/blues music scenes in New York since 2012 and have established themselves as a highly regarded live band within New York City. Tom Larsen (vocals, guitar), Spencer Murphy (electric bass), Todd Caldwell (organ), and Dave Tedeschi (drums) emanate from a wide breadth of influence centered around the blues, and together create a powerful, soulful and uplifting experience.

7/19 Natalie Gelman

This NYC native has taken her performance from a subway platform to many premier stages across the country. Called "Simply Terrific" by the NY Post, Natalie Gelman tours across the country tirelessly. She writes honest, heartfelt songs - responding to current affairs and revealing parts of her inner self to the world.

7/26 Tipsy Oxcart

Tipsy Oxcart plays electric, pounding, Balkan music, channeling the spirit of 36-hour weddings that keep crowds dancing until the sun comes up. Serving up originals and fresh, upbeat arrangements of urban dance tunes, the band deviously infuses the sounds of South-Eastern Europe with elements of jazz, funk, and more!

8/2 Brown Rice Family

Brown Rice Family is a high-energy ensemble that combines an eclectic mix of musical influences from reggae to funk. With its members hailing from all over the world, Brown Rice Family draws on its diverse backgrounds to set the stage for their unique, rhythm-driven, and highly dance-able sound.

8/9 Affinity Brass Quintet

A fresh face for chamber music in New York, Affinity Brass aims to provide performances of the highest artistic caliber that both inspire and entertain. Presenting a wide array of music from arrangements of the classics to popular jazz, from pop music to the standards of brass quintet literature, Affinity, calls upon the diverse background of each of its members to provide an eclectic mix of music and styles.

8/16 The Wali Sanga

The Wali Sanga are a collective out of Brooklyn, NY with a sweetly concocted blend of original pop-funk, world-beat, and indie-soul. The bands revolving door of collaborators boasts names like Chance The Rapper and Rihanna. At their core the band stands for groove and positivity, with personal lyrics pulling from young love, adult angst and surreal commentary on life in New York City.

2017 Summer Nights Performers

The Lineup:

July 12 - Chris Bergson
July 19 - Ural & The Pain / Jonathan Toubin's Soul Clap
July 26 - Tribu Baharuì
August 2 - The Wild Reeds
August 9 - Kenny Garrett
August 16 - Davina and the Vagabonds

7/12 Chris Bergson

New York City-born Chris Bergson will bring his unique blend of blues, pop, and soul to audiences this summer. As a veteran songwriter, he was appointed a Jazz Ambassador of the USA by The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and was inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame in February 2015. His album, Fall Changes (2007), was named #1 Blues Album of 2008 by MOJO. This led to Bergson being personally invited to perform at the famed drummer's Midnight Rambles while opening the way for more stateside festivals and subsequent tours of Europe. He has shared the stage with notable acts, including Norah Jones, B.B. King, and Hubert Sumlin.

7/19 UrAl Thomas & The Pain

UrAl Thomas is a singer and musician with roots in the gilded age of soul and R&B. His voice and songwriting has allowed him to share the stage with legendary acts, including James Brown, Otis Redding, Johnny guitar Watson, and "Little" Stevie Wonder. In the 1960's, he backed soul and garage outfits The Kingsmen, Paul Revere and the Raiders, as well as the Cavaliers Unlimited. Now backed by a 9-piece band of influential session and solo musicians, UrAl Thomas & The Pain will bring back the foot stomping days of Jump Town, USA to the Park.

Jonathan Toubin's Soul Clap

The critically acclaimed DJ and purveyor of Soul Clap-the all-night party sessions set to soul records-Jonathan Toubin has set a standard for how to get a party going. Considered by Vice Magazine as "the olny Dj we actually like, and by Rolling Stones as "the most liked man in the soul music scene," Toubin is one of the only DJs to have his compilations on legendary Norton Records. He was named 2015's "Best DJ" in the 60th anniversary Village Voice "Best of NYC" issue. Jonathan Toubin has influenced scores of DJs and parties everywhere by cutting together raw, wild, and uncommon original 45rpm sides by unsung artists for the dance floor's of today.

7/26 Tribu Baharuì

Tribu Baharuì is an afro-champetúo ensemble of musicians from the Colombian Caribbean. Their live performances stay true to the particularity of the traditional Colombian dances of "Verbena," which generate an emotional state in the dancers. The band formed in 2009, when a group of friends with an affinity for afro-caribean music began to meet with the intention of making people dance. Tribu Baharuì is currently the #1 Afro-Champeta dance band from Colombia's Atlantic coast, and is making waves on the World Music circuit.

8/2 The Wild Reeds

The Wild Reeds' sound is highlighted by the interweaving vocal harmonies of three phenomenally talented front-women: Kinsey Lee, Sharon Silva, and Mackenzie Howe. With the upcoming release of their album, The World We Built, on April 7, the Los Angeles-based quintet continues to make their mark on the music scene. NPR Music critic Bob Boilen championed the band, saying "great singers aren't easy to come by, so finding three in one band is something special," while The New York Times praised their live show, saying: "the communal experience was amazing." The first single from their new album, "Only Songs," is already catching the attention of radio programmers around the country, like John Richards of KEXP (Seattle), who after listening to the track declared, "we just decided this is the best song ever."

8/9 Kenny Garrett

Over the course of a stellar career that has spanned more than 30 years, saxophonist Kenny Garrett has become the preeminent alto saxophonist of his generation. From his first gig with the Duke Ellington Orchestra through his time spent with musicians such as Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw, Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, and MiLes Davis, Garrett has always brought a vigorous yet melodic alto saxophone to each musical situation. With his latest recording, Seeds From The Underground, Garrett has given notice to his experiences as a composer, which makes his latest album a powerful showcase of Garrett's musical abilities.

8/16 Davina and the Vagabonds

Davina and the Vagabonds have created a stir on the national music scene with their high-energy live shows, sharp-dressed professionalism, and Sowers' commanding stage presence. With influences ranging from Fats Domino and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band to Aretha Franklin and Tom Waits, the band is converting audiences one show at a time. In 2011 Davina released her first full-length album, Black Cloud, which was named one of the 10 best releases of the year by the Minneapolis Star & Tribune and awarded 4 ½ stars from Downbeat Magazine. Catch this one-of-a-kind live show while they are in town!