Music & Movies
West Side Story Dance- & Sing-Along
Thursday, July 21 / 8:00pm / gates 7:00pm
When director Robert Wise, choreographer Jerome Robbins, and composer Leonard Bernstein transposed Romeo & Juliet to the gang-ruled streets of NYC, one of Hollywood’s greatest musicals was born. WEST SIDE STORY won 10 Oscars in 1962, including Best Picture, and spawned generations of finger-snapping, Maria-belting dreamers. Now’s your chance to live the dream. Officer Krupke (played by the choreographer Lawrence Goldhuber) will teach you some of the famous steps, and we’ll have the lyrics up on NYC’s largest outdoor screen. Sharks enter at 11th Street, Jets at 9th. The evening begins with a pre-performance artists discussion.
Seun Kuti & Egypt 80
Faaji Agba
Friday, July 22 / 7:00pm / gates 6:00pm
The year-long celebration of Nigeria’s 50th anniversary of independence that began last October continues here with a generation-bridging concert. Fronting his father Fela’s legendary band, SEUN KUTI is the living embodiment of afro-pop. FAAJI AGBA, whose lineup includes former members of the Afro-Skittles Band Fatai Rolling Dollar, Chief Seni Tejuoso, and Prince ‘Eji’ Oyewole, is Nigeria’s answer to the Buena Vista Social Club: a supergroup of veteran musicians who are re-popularizing faaji grooves, agidigbo blues, juju and other styles of Nigerian roots. Travel support provided by Arik Air.
The Feelies
Real Estate
Times New Viking
Saturday, July 23 / 7:00pm / gates 6:00pm
The influence of NJ’s THE FEELIES, “a garage band reimagined by mathematicians, a psychedelic band with no illusions, a folk-rock band hypnotized by repetition, a punk band for introverts,” (Jon Pareles, The New York Times) can’t be overstated: they represent a direct link between the Velvet Underground and just about all of current indie rock. Here Before, their first album of new material in 19 years, came out in April and the band is in a celebratory mood. Opening honors go to REAL ESTATE, who “share tones with North Jersey indie rock titans Yo La Tengo and the Feelies, pouring those influences through warm impressions of oldies radio,” (Pitchfork) and the Columbus, OH lo-fi heroes TIMES NEW VIKING.