The Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival, a production of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, is a celebration of the arts in downtown Pittsburgh unlike any other in the nation. Each of its world-class, multi-disciplinary performing and visual arts attractions is free to attend and open to everyone.

Schedule:

Friday, May 31, 2024

07:30pm - 09:00pm: Pokey LaFarge

After crisscrossing the nation for the last half-decade looking for a home, Pokey LaFarge found himself in Mid-Coast Maine. Upon arriving, the Illinois-born singer/songwriter/actor pursued a major life change, working 12-hour days on a local farm—a turn of events that catalyzed an extraordinary burst of creativity and redefined his sense of purpose as an artist. On his new album Rhumba Country, LaFarge reveals his newly heightened devotion to making music that channels pure joy. “There was a time when I glorified sadness because I lost sight of who I was, but now I understand that creating and expressing joy is my gift, and gifts are meant to be shared,” he says. Reclaiming his voice, LaFarge has recorded his boldest album yet. Rhumba Country was initially shaped from material that emerged while LaFarge was deep in work on the farm. “I’d be pushing a plow or scattering seeds, and the songs would just come to me,” he recalls. “It was tremendously inspirational and made me realize that apart from singing, farming is perhaps the oldest human art form.” But as he moved forward with his songwriting, something felt undeniably amiss. LaFarge then spoke with fellow Midwestern transplant Elliot Bergman (Wild Belle), who suggested he return to city life in Los Angeles for a season so that the two musicians could work together—a collaboration that soon brought the rhumba to LaFarge’s country. As he immersed himself in the album’s creation, LaFarge began dreaming up a kaleidoscopic sound informed by his love of music from far-ranging eras and corners of the globe, including mambo, tropicália, rocksteady, and mid-century American rock-and-roll. Co-produced along with Chris Seefried and Bergman and recorded in L.A., the resulting Rhumba Country is an invitation to come together to celebrate life and love. “The songs that naturally come to me are upbeat and make you wanna dance or at least bop your head—they’re all very colorful,” says LaFarge. “I used to think of my music in dark blue, but now I see it in technicolor.” Reflecting on the origins of Rhumba Country, LaFarge points to one of the most crucial revelations he experienced while farming: a newfound understanding of the uniquely human potential to be “conduits of continuous creation.” To that end, his effort to provide listeners with “medicine for the soul” has led LaFarge toward a deeper level of dedication when it comes to nurturing his own spirit. “You have to live the life you’re singing in your songs—no matter what you’re going through,” he says. “Everything will come out in your music whether you want it to or not. I’ve realized that the more I can pursue goodness and live in peace, the more I can make the music I was put here to make.” And by living with intention and fully connecting with his truest purpose, LaFarge might finally be ready to lay his head in a place he calls home.

Saturday, June 01, 2024

06:00pm - 06:40pm: Thee Sinseers

Thee Sinseers are a powerhouse of soul and R&B; evocative of their hometown of East L.A.'s Friday evening cruises, Saturday night backyard boogies, and Sunday afternoon barbecues that helped shape a resurgence and interest in this modern wave of soul music. Led by multi-instrumentalist, producer, and singer-songwriter Joseph Quiñones, Thee Sinseers features a full band that includes a 3 piece horn section (Eric Johnson [Tenor Sax] Steve Surman [Baritone Sax] and Joseluis Jimenez [Trombone]),sweet vocal harmonies (Adriana Flores, Bryan Ponce, Luis Carpio), and a tight rhythm section (Christopher Manjarrez [bass], Francisco Flores [guitar], Bryan Ponce [guitar], and Luis Carpio [drums]). Thee Sinseers worked with Colemine Records in 2019 to release a 7" single (It Was Only a Dream/I Don't Mind) and are currently working with the label on a full length LP, expected in 2023. The band also released a 7" single of their viral hit "Seems Like'' with the renowned Brooklyn based label, Daptone records, under their Penrose Records imprint. The single was later included on the "Penrose Records Vol. 1" compilation released in early 2022.

06:45pm - 07:30pm: The Altons

How would you characterize the sound of Southeast LA? The Altons, natives of the region, combine dust kicked up from backyard parties with evening Art Laboe listening sessions, evoking a sound that veers far from the shadows. The Altons curate a ballad of retro-indie-soul that has captivated local audiences for several years, quickly driving them to become a staple of the scene. Their distinct sound caught the attention of Daptone Records Co-founder Gabe Roth, who was in the process of starting Penrose Records. Penrose became a subsidiary label to Daptone to highlight the emerging soul-scene growing in Southern California, where The Altons fit perfectly. Their Penrose debut "When You Go (That's When You'll Know)" was KCRW's Today's Top Tune, and their most recent single "Tangled Up In You" has been featured on "Soulection Radio.”

07:30pm - 09:00pm: Los Lonely Boys

Family has always been at the center of things for Los Lonely Boys. Henry, Jojo, and Ringo Garza have been playing and touring together since they were teenagers. Three years ago, they decided to take a break to focus on their own growing families. But Summer 2022 saw them back at it again, returning to life on the road alongside The Who. The Boys have been making music together for seventeen years now, and they show no signs of slowing down or losing inspiration. Today, you’ll find them in the studio, working on their newest album.

The story of how the Garza brothers rode their bluesy “Texican rock & roll” sound from San Angelo, Texas, to worldwide fame is one of rock’s great Cinderella tales. The three young brothers formed a band, got signed to a major label, and had a hit single that propelled them to stardom. They sold 2.5 million records, won a Grammy, and received five more Grammy nominations in the span of their career.

The sons of Enrique “Ringo” Garza Sr. are a second-generation sibling band; their dad and his brothers played conjunto as the Falcones before the elder Garza formed a band with his sons. They were still teens when he moved them to Nashville, hoping to hit career paydirt. But their big break came after they returned to Texas and began playing Austin clubs in the early 2000s. One day, Willie Nelson’s nephew heard some demos. Next thing they knew, Willie showed up at a gig. Then he showcased them at Farm Aid, fronted recording time at his famed Pedernales Studio, and guested on their album.

Released in 2003 on startup label Or Records, Los Lonely Boys got picked up by Epic and re-released. Propelled by the No. 1 single, “Heaven,” it wound up selling over 2 million copies, spending 76 weeks on the Billboard Top 200 album chart, and earning them a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group.

Their dream-come-true rise was chronicled in the documentary Los Lonely Boys: Cottonfields and Crossroads, directed by fellow San Angelo native Hector Galán. Another dream came true for the Boys when Carlos Santana invited them to guest on his 2005 album, All That I Am. They also released Live at the Fillmore that year. Their father and Willie Nelson joined them on 2006’s Sacred, and in 2007, their cover of John Lennon’s “Whatever Gets You Through the Night” became the second single from the album Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur.

Their rise to stardom was certainly something to behold. But the story of how they’ve persevered in the face of subsequent challenges is just as compelling. In 2013, they canceled 43 shows and paused work on their last album, Revelation, after Henry was seriously hurt when he fell from a stage in Los Angeles. The scare caused all three brothers to re-examine not only how they make music, but how they conduct their lives.

“The whole experience was a wake-up call,” Jojo admits. “It reminded us of what’s really important.”

Once again, they affirmed that’s family. And music. For this trio, the two are inseparable.

The downtime of their hiatus served their hearts and their families well, but it also served to plant new seeds of creativity. “We grew as husbands and fathers during our time off. We wanted to be there for our families,” says Henry. Now in the studio working on their newest record, they are finding that inspiration comes from time at home as much as from time on the road. “Our new songs are about what is happening in everyone’s lives; topics of separation, the need for more love, and relating to one another.”

Now, with plans to release a new record in 2023, the Boys are entering a new era of their career. “Walking off the stage after our first performance this year, we cried together, hugged, and knew we would continue,” says Henry. “After a three-year hiatus, we are songwriting, recording, and touring together. It is a blessing to share the stage with my brothers. We lift each other musically and spiritually. We consider this Los Lonely Boys’ resurrection.”

Sunday, June 02, 2024

06:00pm - 07:00pm: Jon Muq

For Jon Muq, a singer-songwriter born in Uganda and now living in Austin, Texas, music is part of a larger conversation he’s having with the world and everybody in it. Drawing from African as well as western musical trends and traditions, he devises songs as small gifts, designed to settle into everyday life and provoke reflection and resilience. “These days the world is sad,” he explains, “so I wanted to make happy songs. I wanted to write songs that connected with the listener in a very personal way. When someone listens to my music, it’s not just about me and what I’m singing. It’s about how they understand the songs individually. I think these songs can speak many languages, depending on what you want from them.” Muq’s experiences as a child in Uganda and as a man in America give him a unique perspective on the world he’s addressing. “I grew up in a very different life, where so many people pass through hard times just because they don’t have much. Our biggest issue was food scarcity. Then I came to a different world, which gave me a picture of how to write a song that can find balance with everyone wherever they are, whether they have a lot or not much.” With his May 31st debut album with producer Dan Auerbach and tours with Billy Joel, Norah Jones, Mavis Staples, Amythyst Kiah, Corinne Bailey Rae, and others, Muq is expanding the scope of his music to speak to more and more people.

07:30pm - 09:00pm: Martha Redbone

Roots Project

Martha Redbone is a vocalist, songwriter, composer, music educator, celebrated for her tasty gumbo of roots music embodying the folk and mountain blues sounds of her childhood in the Appalachian hills of Kentucky, mixed with the eclectic grit of her teenage years in pre-gentrified Brooklyn.

Inheriting her powerful gospel-singing father’s voice and the resilient spirit of her mother’s Southeastern Indigenous culture, Redbone broadens the boundaries of American Roots music with songs and storytelling that share her life experience as an Afro-Indigenous woman and mother navigating in the new millennium. Martha also works in partnership with longtime collaborator/husband Aaron Whitby. Their works give voice to issues of social justice, connecting cultures and celebrating the human spirit. Her album The Garden of Love: Songs of William Blake (produced by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band founder and Grammy-winner John McEuen), is “a brilliant collision of cultures” (New Yorker).

Redbone and Whitby are the composers, arrangers and orchestrators of original music and score for the 2022 Broadway revival of “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuff, the 1976 classic choreopoem by the late Ntozake Shange, premiering at the Booth Theater, garnering seven Tony Award nominations and critical acclaim. Redbone and Whitby are the 2020 Drama Desk Award recipients for Outstanding Music in a Play and the 2020 Audelco Award recipient for Outstanding Composer of Original Music and Score for the Off-Broadway revival. Redbone is a 2021 United States Artist Fellow.

This engagement of Martha Redbone is made possible in part through the Mid Atlantic Tours program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Monday, June 03, 2024

06:00pm - 07:00pm: Yasmin Williams

Yasmin Williams is a guitarist for the new century. With her album Urban Driftwood she's been praised by publications such as Pitchfork and Rolling Stone.

07:30pm - 09:00pm: Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

About Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Now in its 128th season, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is credited with a rich history of engaging the world’s finest conductors and musicians and demonstrates a genuine commitment to the Pittsburgh region and its citizens. Known for its artistic excellence for more than a century, the Pittsburgh Symphony has been led by its worldwide acclaimed Music Director Manfred Honeck since 2008; past music directors have included Fritz Reiner (1938- 1948), William Steinberg (1952-1976), André Previn (1976-1984), Lorin Maazel (1984-1996) and Mariss Jansons (1997-2004). The Orchestra has always been at the forefront of championing new works, including recent commissions by Mason Bates, Stacy Garrop, James MacMillan, Wynton Marsalis, Jessie Montgomery and Julia Wolfe, in addition to performing the premiere of Leonard Bernstein’s Symphony No. 1 “Jeremiah” in 1944 and John Adams’ “Short Ride in a Fast Machine” in 1986.The two-time 2018 GRAMMY® Award-winning orchestra has a long and illustrious history in the areas of recordings and live radio broadcasts. Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra have received multiple GRAMMY® nominations for Best Orchestral Performance, taking home the award in 2018 for their recording of Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5; Barber: Adagio. As early as 1936, the Pittsburgh Symphony has been broadcast on the radio. The orchestra has received increased attention since 1982 through national network radio broadcasts on Public Radio International, produced by Classical WQED-FM 89.3, made possible by the musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Lauded as the Pittsburgh region’s international cultural ambassador, the orchestra began regular touring in 1896 and has embarked on scores of domestic and international tours. In the summer of 2022, Music Director Manfred Honeck led the orchestra on an extensive and highly acclaimed tour of Europe, celebrating 75 years of international touring for the Orchestra.

In 2020, the Pittsburgh Symphony welcomed Principal Pops Conductor, Byron Stripling, only the second person in that role in the Orchestra’s history, following Marvin Hamlisch. A conductor, trumpet virtuoso, singer, and actor, Stripling has been a featured soloist with pops orchestras across the country. He has performed with jazz notables from the Count Basie Orchestra and the bands of Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Brubeck, Lionel Hampton, and more. Since his first concert as Principal Pops Conductor (an online performance in October 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic), he has continued to lead many Pops concerts and Learning & Engagement programs such as Fiddlesticks and Schooltime.

About Moon Doh, Associate Conductor

A recipient of the Takaya Urakawa Foundation Grant awarded to promising young musicians, Moon Doh is associate conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, appointed by Music Director Manfred Honeck in 2021. In this role, he has conducted subscription, education, family and movie concerts as well as sold-out performances with artists such as Sting. An active community builder, he has presented Beethoven’s string quartets in various libraries across Pittsburgh, held Discovery and Drinks talks in different breweries, and led children’s concerts in diverse venues including the MuseumLab in collaboration with Mo Willems.

As the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Flora Symphony Orchestra in Cologne, Germany prior to his Pittsburgh appointment, he initiated the orchestra’s first ever live stream concerts that reached an unprecedented number of audiences across the globe over three seasons. He not only led exciting subscription concerts but also worked closely with music pedagogues in order to give young people a chance to learn and experience orchestral music in a meaningful way.

In recent years, Moon has worked with many orchestras across Europe: WDR Funkhausorchester, Duisburger Philharmoniker, Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, Neue Philharmonie Westfalen, and Bergische Symphoniker, Dortmunder Philharmoniker in Germany, Romanian Chamber Orchestra in Romania, Malaga Philharmonic Orchestra in Spain, Sinfonietta Cracovia in Poland, and Pleven Philharmonic in Bulgaria to name a few. Moon's latest collaborations in the US include debuts with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Symphoria.

Born in South Korea, Moon spent much of his childhood in the Philippines, Russia, and the United States. At the age of nine, he began cello and piano studies in Russia and has since performed with various youth and student orchestras across the globe. As a passionate advocate for young rising artists, he led concerts with the All-State Orchestra of Hessen in Germany. In addition, he was also the conductor of the Under-16 Orchestra of Tonhalle Düsseldorf and regularly coached the Youth Orchestra of Essen.

A staunch believer in empowering others, Moon has actively worked with asylum seekers in Hungary, children in underserved areas of Bangladesh, and inmates in Baltimore as the president of a student organization while completing his B.A. in International Relations and Economics from Johns Hopkins University. He currently sits on the Board of Violence Prevention Network USA, an organization that helps people at risk of radicalization.

Moon studied orchestral conducting at the Robert Schumann Hochschule Düsseldorf in Germany. Prior to his conducting studies, he received a B.A. in music composition from Sahmyook University in South Korea. Moon has participated in renowned music festivals such as Accademia Chigiana in Italy and Bartók Festival in Hungary. His mentors include Manfred Honeck, Rüdiger Bohn, Cristian M?celaru, Peter Eötvös, and Jorma Panula.

Tuesday, June 04, 2024

07:30pm - 09:00pm: Nicole Zuraitis

Nicole Zuraitis is a GRAMMY® Award-winning (2024) jazz singer-songwriter, pianist and arranger, New York-based bandleader, and winner of the prestigious 2021 American Traditions Vocal Competition Gold Medal. With a “heart as big as her remarkable voice,” (Jazz Police), Nicole has positioned herself as one of the top artists and "prolific songwriters" (Broadway World) to watch in jazz and beyond.

As a recording artist, Nicole has released five albums as leader, and her sixth album How Love Begins, co-produced with eight-time GRAMMY-winner Christian McBride (2023), features all original music and was awarded the GRAMMY for BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM. In addition to leading her quartet, Nicole is the premier vocalist for the Birdland Big Band and frequently headlines iconic NYC jazz clubs like Dizzy’s Club at Lincoln Center, Birdland, the Blue Note, the Carlyle, 54 Below and the late, great 55 Bar. She has appeared as a featured soloist with the Savannah Philharmonic, Asheville Symphony, and Macon Pops, and has supported iconic singers like Melanie, Morgan James, Darren Criss, and Livingston Taylor on piano and vocals.

Nicole's arrangement of Dolly Parton's Jolene, co-written with renowned drummer and bandleader Dan Pugach, was nominated for a 2019 GRAMMY®, springboarding her career and making her a household name in the modern-day jazz landscape. In 2020, she was named in the top 40 under 40 for 2020 in Connecticut Magazine, and her weekly livestream during the Covid-19 crisis, "Virtual Piano Lounge," was featured in Forbes Magazine. Nicole has collaborated with an extensive list of luminaries, including Christian McBride, David Cook, Gilad Hekselman, Veronica Swift, Benny Benack, Stephen Feifke, Cyrille Aimee, Antonio Sanchez, Dave Stryker, Omar Hakim, Rachel Z, Helen Sung, and Bernard Purdie. She is a proud educator and currently vocal faculty at NYU and SUNY Purchase.

An ardent activist with a decade-long track record of giving back, her 2023 album release coincided with a self-produced music festival and day of activism for Save the Sound.Org. For more information, visit www.nicolezmusic.com or tag @nicolezmusic.

Wednesday, June 05, 2024

07:30pm - 09:00pm: Ozomatli

Ozomatli’s collaborative, energetic blend of multi-cultural music and activism has earned them three GRAMMYs®, four Hollywood Bowl shows, a TED Talk and much more. Since forming in 1995, the Los Angeles-bred lineup has inspired and energized listeners as far away Burma and Mongolia: Ozo’s messages and music, sung in both Spanish and English, need no translation. Like The Doors, X, Los Lobos, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and other L.A.-based artists who take cues from the city and also reflect and unearth its movements, Ozomatli reaches from the curbs to the high-rises.

Ozomatli’s commitment to social justice is ongoing. Their 2019 single “Libertad,” with founding members Chali 2na (Jurassic 5) & Cut Chemist, was the first release together since Ozomatli’s 1998 debut album. It highlighted the struggle of Latin workers in the U.S. who sacrifice everything to help family on the other side of the border wall. In 2008 the U.S. State Department appointed the band United States Cultural Ambassadors; in 2009 and 2010 Ozo performed for President Barack Obama. Hometown honors arrived in 2013, when April 23 was deemed “Ozomatli Day” in perpetuity, and in 2011, Ozomatli was awarded the NCLR (National Council of La Raza) Capital Award.

In 2022, Ozo’s new songs, stronger-than-ever brotherhood and creativity culminated in Marching On. Produced by David Garza (Fiona Apple, Sparta) at El Paso’s Sonic Ranch, the LP’s 11 songs are a unified blend of the members’ influences and ideas. Guests include J.J. Fad and Lisa Lisa on “Fellas,” while “Mi Destino,” sung in both English and Spanish, features Cypress Hill’s B-Real and Guatemalan?singer-songwriter Gaby Moreno, who also lends?her vocals to the title track "Marching On".

If the city of Los Angeles had a soundtrack, it would be Ozomatli’s music. As founding members Jiro Yamaguchi and Uli explain: "You drive down Sunset Boulevard and turn off your stereo and roll down your windows and the music that comes out of each and every different car, whether it's salsa, cumbia, merengue, Hip Hop, funk or whatever, it's that crazy blend that's going on between that cacophony of sound is Ozomatli, y'know?"

Thursday, June 06, 2024

07:30pm - 09:00pm: Say She She

Say She She, the soulful female-led trio, stand rock solid on their disco-delic duty with their boundary-breaking sophomore album Silver (released September 29 on Colemine/Karma Chief Records). The strong voices of Piya Malik (El Michels Affair, Chicano Batman), Sabrina Mileo Cunningham and Nya Gazelle Brown front the band. Following the NYC siren song, the trio was pulled from their respective cities — Piya from London, Nya from DC, and Sabrina from NYC — to Manhattan’s downtown dance floors, through the Lower East Side floorboards, and up to the rooftops of Harlem, where their friendship was formed on one momentous, kismet evening.

Silver was written and recorded live to tape at Killion Sound studio in North Hollywood in early 2023, and produced by Sergio Rios (Orgone, Neal Francis, Alicia Keys). While these analog recording techniques help root Say She She’s sound in a bedrock of tonal warmth that only tape can achieve, it is also their process of cutting the track in the moment and capturing the magic of communal creativity that have critics reeling.

Musical inspirations include Rotary Connection, Asha Puthli, Liquid Liquid, Grace Jones, and Tom Tom Club.

Described as “a glorious overload of joyful elation and spiritual elevation” (MOJO) and “infused with the wonky post-disco spirit of early 80s NYC” (The Guardian), the band consistently tops the radio charts of tastemaker stations KCRW and KEXP, as well as BBC’s Radio 6 Music. Sold out shows from London to Los Angeles and televised appearances on CBS Saturday and Later…with Jools Holland are a testament to a rapidly growing fan base. Say She She has toured with the likes of Thee Sacred Souls, and have already played iconic festivals like Glastonbury, Central Park Summerstage, and more.

Ultimately, Silver oozes with quirk and adventure and embraces the multifaceted nature of what it means to be a modern femme. Say She She fully embrace their role as beauticians, actively reminding people of the inherent beauty in the world. They skillfully employ double entendres and humor to encourage open dialogue and fearlessly address important matters that demand attention.

Friday, June 07, 2024

07:30pm - 09:00pm: Doom Flamingo

Doom Flamingo is a six-headed synthwave beast with a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde element to the songwriting. Top Gun guitar riffs and Miami Beach poolside lounge-vibes, are all at once contrasted with darksynth sounds eerily reminiscent of old John Carpenter films. The cast of talented musicians in this project came together organically through friendships and past collaborations in their hometown of Charleston, South Carolina.

It was during two days in the first week of May 2018 that Doom Flamingo began its rise. After a brief period of brainstorming, Doom Flamingo got right to work rehearsing. These first rehearsals took place in their hometown at The Charleston Pour House. A studio space in downtown Charleston named Rialto Row was the site for the first recordings of Doom Flamingo with producers Wolfgang Zimmerman and Doom’s guitarist Thomas Kenney.

The instrumentation for the first Doom Flamingo songs had been worked on in advance of the studio, but there was one piece of the puzzle that caught everyone off-guard — a voice. The dynamic vocal range from vocalist Kanika Moore sets this project into hyperdrive. Kanika has something you can’t teach, and that’s not to say she hasn’t tirelessly honed her craft. She has. It’s hard to describe her sound as she’s really a chameleon of various sounds. While she can, and often does, do anything she wants with her voice, there’s an honesty that shines through in both her songwriting and her tone.

While the band feverishly pushed through more of their ideas for songs in the studio space at Rialto, Kanika sat quietly in the compound’s front “dormitory” area listening to recently tracked audio on her headphones. With a pencil and paper, Kanika crafted full verses, refrains even a rapid-fire hip-hop verse with unique syncopation. Kanika was mostly silent until her time in the vox room. It was as if she’d been waiting to say something meaningful all the while, and the message came through loud and clear - Doom Flamingo rises.

Saturday, June 08, 2024

07:30pm - 09:00pm: Sugarhill Gang & The Furious Five

About the Sugarhill Gang

In 1979, the Sugarhill Gang crashed through the walls of the urban cities and into the mainstream of society with the first worldwide rap hit, "Rapper's Delight." Two of the original members of this historic group, Wonder Mike (Michael Wright) and Master Gee (Guy O’Brien) had teamed up with Henry Jackson (pka Big Bank Hank) to become the now famous Sugarhill Gang.

Sugarhill Gang is believed by many to be the first professional Hip Hop group, because they introduced to the masses (both in the United States and overseas) this unprecedented genre of music. “Rapper's Delight” eventually sold over 8 million copies, and went on to be the biggest selling rap single of all time. Even today, it continues to appeal to audiences of all ages.

Shortly thereafter, the Sugarhill Gang released such hits as “Apache,” “8th Wonder” and “Living in the Fast Lane.” Wonder Mike and Master Gee teamed up with Henry Williams (aka Hendogg) and DJ T. Dynasty both who has performed with the group for 20 years and counting creating new music, while still pleasing the crowds with their greatest hits.

In the Summer of 2009, they released their first song in 25 years with international DJ phenom Bob Sinclair called “LaLa Song,” which quickly became an uber hit overseas, securing Song of the Year for many European countries, including Italy. The hit single is currently being released in the United States.

Wonder Mike, Master Gee, Hendogg and DJ Dynasty continue their tradition of creating a party atmosphere that makes everyone dance the night away as they perform for sold out crowds throughout the world.

About the Furious 5

The legendary Grandmaster Flash & the Furious 5 were the first rap group to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. They took the world by storm with the iconic single, “The Message,” which was ranked by Rolling Stone as the “number one rap song of all time.” The Hip Hop culture has become a multibillion dollar industry that has impacted every major industry of the economy. The Furious 5 have created the blueprint for so many artists of today.

Their music has had a major impact in the Hip Hop culture and continues to accumulate awards. The group was recently honored on the Bronx Walk of Fame, with a street named after them. “The Message” was the first rap song that contained social commentary, and is in the archives of the Library of Congress for its social relevance. It was the first Hip Hop record inducted in to the GRAMMY Hall of Fame in 2013 and the group received the GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021.

The group revolutionized the genre of rap and helped to create the template for the industry that exists today. They’ve opened the doors for rap artists .

The group continues to tour performing their groundbreaking songs with Mele Mel, Scorpio, Rahiem and Bar Shon.

Sunday, June 09, 2024

06:00pm - 07:00pm: Lizzie No

After a dizzying five-year span that saw the release of two stunning, eclectic albums (Hard Won and Vanity, which drew praise from the likes of Billboard and Rolling Stone) - followed by appearances at AmericanaFest, the Newport Folk Festival, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, and SXSW, and tours with Iron and Wine, Son Little, and Adia Victoria - Lizzie No found herself at the forefront of a new vanguard of genre-defying artists. Her new album, Halfsies (Thirty Tigers / Miss Freedomland), finds No situated among her peers while still searching for freedom — freedom from the constraints of categorization, sure, but more importantly, freedom from the depths of her own personal despair and from an increasingly violent and nightmarish American cultural and political landscape.

On Halfsies, No’s writing is beautifully intricate, the personal and the political folding into each other as naturally as the patchwork of influences that inform the album’s eleven tracks. The exploration of the relationship between individuality and belonging that informs Halfsies likewise informs No’s work as co-host of the Basic Folk podcast, where she has interviewed artists from Ben Harper to Valerie June about their places within the lineage of those who came before them, as musicians, activists and community members. That synthesis of personal and political courses through No’s songs, her identity as a writer owing as much to her musical influences as it does to her activism (an outspoken activist and civil rights advocate, No was recently named President of the Abortion Care of Tennessee Board of Directors).

“Toni Cade Bambara said, ‘the role of the artist is to make revolution irresistible,’” No says, recalling the writer, filmmaker and activist, whose work loomed large over the writing of Halfsies. “I think about those words all the time. Make revolution irresistible.” With Halfsies, Lizzie No aims to do just that.

07:30pm - 09:00pm: Ben Folds

Ben Folds is widely regarded as one of the major music influencers of a generation.

The Emmy-nominated singer-songwriter-composer has created an enormous body of genre-bending music that includes pop albums with Ben Folds Five, multiple solo albums, and numerous collaborative records. For the past three decades, he's toured as a pop artist, while also performing with some of the world's greatest symphony orchestras. A New York Times Best Selling author and podcast host, Ben also composes for film, tv and theatre, guest stars in films and TV, and serves as the Artistic Advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.

A longtime advocate for arts and music education funding, Ben launched a music education charitable initiative in his native state of North Carolina entitled "Keys For Keys," which provides funds and keyboards to existing nonprofits that provide free or affordable music lessons to interested school-age children. On the national level, he's active as a member of Americans For The Arts and the Arts Action Fund.

Date:
May 31 - June 9, 2024

Location:
Dollar Bank Main Stage @ Ft. Duquesne Boulevard,
Stanwix Street and Ft. Duquesne Boulevard Intersection,
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Click here for More Information