Executive Producers Of Love Rocks NYC Will Host Hamptons Concert Series

Greg Williamson and Nicole Rechter, part of the executive production team behind the Love Rocks NYC concert series and the CBS TV special Play On, have announced the launch of a summer concert series in the Hamptons, which will kick off at legendary venue Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett on August 31st. The first installment in the series will feature Grammy-nominated guitarist and innovative songwriter Marcus King. New Orleans multi-instrumentalist Ivan Neville, "badass and beautiful" vocalist and songwriter Lisa Fischer, and Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist Louis Cato will join King as special guests.

Known for his soulful vocals and the wisdom of his lyrics, Marcus King has earned rave reviews for his kinetic musicianship with The Washington Post describing him as a "guitar phenom." His debut solo album, El Dorado, topped the Americana radio charts and has received critical acclaim from the likes of NPR, American Songwriter, and Rolling Stone, who described him as an "electrifying rock performer." King is playing a string of headline shows this year with his band, alongside select festivals and support dates with Chris Stapleton - performing in arenas such as Madison Square Garden.

Son of the great soul singer Aaron Neville, Ivan Neville is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and singer. He has released four solo albums and had a Top 30 Billboard hit with the first single "Not Just Another Girl" from his debut solo album If My Ancestors Could See Me Now. His second single, "Falling Out of Love," was a duet with singer Bonnie Raitt that reached 91 on the Billboard charts.

After four decades of featured background singing with icons like Luther Vandross, The Rolling Stones, Chaka Khan, Tina Turner, and Nine Inch Nails, Lisa Fischer was featured in the 2013 Best Documentary Oscar-winning film Twenty Feet from Stardom, with clips of her legendary duets with Sting and with Mick Jagger on "Gimme Shelter." Since then, Lisa has set out on her own - reinventing classic songs with her co-conspirators JC Maillard and Grand Baton in an organic fusion of Caribbean psychedelic soul and jazzy progressive rock.

Portuguese-born, Carolina-bred, and current Brooklyn, NY resident Louis Cato is a Grammy-nominated and internationally acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, producer, and songwriter. He has recorded with Beyonce, Q-tip, John Legend and Mariah Carey, among other household names. He has toured with some of the most influential acts in music, such as Bobby McFerrin, Snarky Puppy, Marcus Miller, John Scofield, David Sanborn, and George Duke and is currently featured nightly on CBS's The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as a member of Jon Batiste and Stay Human.

Hosting an event at the Talkhouse is particularly meaningful to Williamson, who grew up on Hand Lane, just a few blocks from the venue. During his youth, he saw scores of local and globally-renowned artists play the storied venue. The concert series also marks another opportunity for Williamson & Rechter to highlight independent music venues that continue to need more support than ever as the world emerges from the global pandemic.

As with all projects produced by Williamson and Rechter, the Talkhouse concert series will feature a charitable element. A portion of the proceeds from the shows will go to benefit USA Warrior Stories, a not-for-profit organization designed to record, archive and share videos of veteran stories online to help veterans make a connection with one another and to help us all better understand their sacrifices for our freedom. USA Warrior Stories can be found on Amazon Prime with 2 seasons completed and a third coming soon; the veterans' stories can also be found on YouTube.

Along with their frequent collaborator and partner John Varvatos, Williamson and Rechter were the first to bring music with a live audience back to New York City after the coronavirus pandemic shut down live entertainment around the world. The show, which featured an array of world-class artists including Jon Bon Jovi, Sara Bareilles, Gary Clark Jr., Yola, and many more, truly brought the city full-circle, as the team's Love Rocks NYC show in 2020 was the last concert in NYC before the shutdown. In December 2020, the two also worked with Varvatos, rapper and Rock the Bells founder/CEO LL Cool J, actor Kevin Bacon and CBS This Morning anchor Anthony Mason to produce Play On, an extraordinary benefit concert that raised millions of dollars for transformational racial, social, and food justice.

Williamson and Rechter will be announcing their new company this fall, and have several projects in the works that will focus on the arts, live music, and giving back in order to support the communities and people that need it most. "We believe in using the power of music and the arts to create magical moments which enrich people's lives, elevate our communities, and support our various charitable partners," said Williamson. And Marcus King - who is so generous with his time and always wants to give back - is the perfect artist to kick off our summer concert series."