NJPAC Presents Free Concerts, Horizon Foundation Sounds Of The City

Get your groove on under the stars this summer as one of the hottest lineups of hip-hop, soul, funk and R&B artists is showcased at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) for two months of electrifying, free Thursday night concerts.

The Horizon Foundation Sounds of the City concerts, held at NJPAC's outdoor Chambers Plaza, have entertained hundreds of thousands of music lovers from the greater Newark area. The series celebrates Newark's cultural diversity by bringing together those who work, live and play in the city and beyond for memorable evenings of great music, food and fun.

The weekly events begin on July 12 with WBGO-FM DJ Felix Hernandez's "Rhythm Revue Dance Party" and conclude on Aug. 30 with Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter Jon B. Horizon Foundation Sounds of the City takes place on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

By connecting the Greater Newark community to the summer's most energetic dance concerts, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey and NJPAC provide an ideal opportunity to promote the city's rapidly expanding arts and entertainment district and acquaint audiences with local merchants and businesses.

We are excited to kick-off another summer of free outdoor concerts that will attract a large and diverse audience of music enthusiasts from Newark and the surrounding communities," said Jonathan R. Pearson, Executive Director of The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey. The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey is the charitable arm of Newark-based Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. "As a proud corporate citizen of Newark, Horizon is delighted to support NJPAC and their arts and cultural programs, with the added benefit of spotlighting superb performances by world-class musicians in heart of the city's downtown."

"We're pleased to again partner with The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey in bringing top-name musicians to our outdoor stage for what has become one of the most anticipated summer scenes in New Jersey," said NJPAC Executive Producer and Executive Vice President David Rodriguez. "The music programming reflects our richly diverse audiences, so during the course of two months concert-goers will hear everything from classic soul and hip-hop to funk, Afrobeat, Latin, romantic R&B and more."

The eight-concert series also offers bites and beverages from popular food trucks on the plaza and an open-air bar. NJPAC's acclaimed restaurant, NICO Kitchen + Bar, will be open during performances.

In the event of inclement weather, scheduling advisories may be found at njpac.org.

The Horizon Foundation Sounds of the City concert series is made possible through a special collaboration between NJPAC, Horizon Foundation for New Jersey and generous sponsors BD, RWJ Barnabas Health, Tito's Homemade Vodka, Newark Downtown District, New Jersey State Council on the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts and the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University-Newark.

Horizon Foundation Sounds of the City 2018
All concerts take place on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

---

Felix Hernandez's Rhythm Revue Dance Party
Thursday, July 12, 2018 5:00 PM
FREE
Chambers Plaza

Kick off the summer when we welcome back the popular live version of the metro area's first and longest-running radio show dedicated to spinning classic soul and R&B. DJ Felix Hernandez and his Rhythm Revue have been broadcast by WBGO Jazz 88.3FM, WBLS-FM, 98.7 KISS-FM, and SiriusXM.

Event Link: http://www.njpac.org/events/detail/horizon-foundation-sounds-of-the-city-felix-hernandezs-rhythm-revue-dance-party

---

EPMD & Universal Hip Hop Museum
Thursday, July 19, 2018 5:00 PM
FREE
Chambers Plaza

The rap duo of Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith - commonly known as EPMD - has been one of the most durable acts in hip hop since the release of their 1988 debut album, Strictly Business, which went gold. Their relentless, funk-based grooves and laid-back rhyming had a major huge influence on the "hardcore" hip hop scene and followed them through six additional gold albums as well as their brand-new release, 2018's Big Business.

This evening will also feature performers from the Universal Hip Hop Museum, an institution founded in the Bronx, created to preserve, showcase and celebrate the past, present and future of hip hop culture. The concert will also showcase outstanding students from NJPAC's Arts Education hip hop programs

Event Link: http://www.njpac.org/events/detail/horizon-foundation-sounds-of-the-city-epmd-universal-hip-hop-museum

---

Tank and the Bangas
Thursday, July 26, 2018 5:00 PM
FREE
Chambers Plaza

One of the most distinctive groups to come out of New Orleans in years, Tank and the Bangas have quilted together a unique sound that blends soul and spoken word with touches of other genres like rock, gospel, funk and folk. The group recently won "Band of the Year" honors at the New Orleans Big Easy Awards, and also came out on top at the 2017 NPR Tiny Desk Contest.

"The way Tank and the Bangas blend hip-hop, R&B, poetry, jazz and rock is unlike anything we've seen before," says NPR. "This band's brassily kinetic, genre-smashing energy absolutely must be witnessed live."

Event Link: http://www.njpac.org/events/detail/horizon-foundation-sounds-of-the-city-tank-and-the-bangas

---

Antibalas
Thursday, August 2, 2018 5:00 PM
FREE
Chambers Plaza

Antibalas was modeled after Fela Kuti's Africa 70 band and Eddie Palmieri's Harlem River Drive Orchestra. Although their music generally follows the architecture and language of Afrobeat, Antibalas incorporates elements of jazz, funk, dub, improvised music, and traditional drumming from Cuba and West Africa. The group has performed at the prestigious Montreux and Newport Jazz Festivals, has toured heavily throughout the U.S. and Europe, and has made appearances on NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live. Their most recent studio album is 2017's Where the Gods Are in Peace.

"Antibalas proves you don't have to live in Nigeria to play the style of music created by Fela Kuti," says The Guardian. "They have mastered the insistent, distinctive rhythms and musical changes crucial to this music." Allmusic.com calls them "a sophisticated ensemble (that is) expanding the Afrobeat sound in the 21st century without sacrificing its heart."

Event Link:
http://www.njpac.org/events/detail/horizon-foundation-sounds-of-the-city-antibalas

---

Maceo Parker
Thursday, August 9, 2018 5:00 PM
FREE
Chambers Plaza

Maceo Parker embodies the legacy of soul and funk music like few musicians can. He helped to create the sound of the genre, working alongside icons like James Brown, George Clinton and Prince. Working with his current band, Parker continues to transport audiences to that golden age when the liveliest pop music was all about the groove.

"Parker knows that the groove is the thing, and working the groove to death is his main goal," says Allmusic.com. "He's a musical antidepressant, an antidote to dark days," says The San Diego Reader. "Parker firms our belief that the world would be a better place if we all funked together."

Event Link: http://www.njpac.org/events/detail/horizon-foundation-sounds-of-the-city-maceo-parker

---

Frankie Negrón
Thursday, August 16, 2018 5:00 PM
FREE
Chambers Plaza

GRAMMY-nominated, Newark-born sonero Frankie Negrón, one of today's leading tropical vocalists, weaves elements of pop, rock, gospel, R&B, hip-hop and reggaetón into his distinctive salsa sound. His first studio album, Con Amor Se Gana, went gold, as did his follow-up, No Me Compares. In total, Negrón has earned nine Billboard Top 40 Hot Latin Tracks for his best-selling recordings.

Also performing at this edition of Horizon Foundation Sounds of the City is the high-energy, New York-based Latin band, Funk Salsa Urban, an ensemble that fuses basic salsa rhythms with touches of funk and urban music to create a unique inner-city sound.

Event Link: http://www.njpac.org/events/detail/horizon-foundation-sounds-of-the-city-frankie-negron

To post a comment, you must register and login.