Category: Music

Kokoroko

Opener: RIVA

Fusing the sounds of jazz and Afrobeat, Kokoroko has developed a burgeoning reputation for their energetic, soul-shaking sound. Led by trumpeter Shelila Maurice-Grey and drummer Onome Edgeworth, the London-based septet was named “ones to watch” by the Guardian in 2019 after their song “Abusey Junction” racked up hundreds of millions of streams across Spotify, YouTube, and other streaming platforms. Since their inception almost six years ago, Kokoroko has played in clubs, theaters, and festivals around the world, including a set at Coachella in 2024. Their most recent release, a 15-minute, four-song extended play entitled “Get the Message,” released last November, explores the need for community, connection, and relationships.

Schedule
6:30 pm: Deejay Dandelion
7:30 pm: RIVA
8:30 pm: Kokoroko

⁠(Canceled) Celebrate Ameri’KANA

Featuring Rubén Albarrán from Cafe Tacvba, Making Movies, and La Lulu

Founded by the Latin Grammy-nominated band Making Movies, Celebrate AMERI’KANA is a traveling festival celebrating the diverse colors of American music. Looking to redefine “Americana,” the festival highlights the crossroads of languages and rhythms that shape the musical identity of the Americas.

This year, the festival welcomes Rubén Albarrán, the legendary frontman of Café Tacvba and one of Latin America’s most influential and innovative artists. For over three decades, Rubén has shaped the sound of Latin rock, blending traditional Mexican music with alternative rock, electronic, and experimental styles—pushing artistic boundaries at every turn. With a voice Billboard calls “a multifaceted wonder,” Rubén has captivated audiences around the world, whether delivering a piercing ballad, an explosive punk chorus, or an electrifying DJ set.

Beyond his iconic work with Café Tacvba, Rubén has collaborated with artists like Calle 13, Natalia Lafourcade, Julieta Venegas, and Gustavo Santaolalla. Under his DJ moniker Pinche Pinchadiscos, he brings that same boundary-defying spirit to the dance floor, spinning global beats with the energy and theatricality that have defined his career. From massive festivals like Rock al Parque and Ruido Fest to sold-out club nights in Berlin and Bogotá, Rubén’s performances are celebrations of rhythm, resistance, and cultural pride.

Making Movies is a band based in the United States with a sound Rolling Stone describes as “an eclectic blend of rumbero percussions, delicate organs, and grungy fuzz rock.” Led by Panamanian singer/guitarist Enrique Chi, Mexican-American percussionist and keyboardist Juan-Carlos Chaurand, and drummer Duncan Burnett, the band rose to acclaim through a decade of relentless touring in the US and Latin America.

The band collaborated with Rubén Blades on the single “No Te Calles,” which NPR included in their Best of 2019 list and became the opening track of his album Paraiso Road Gang, nominated for Latin Grammy Album of the Year. They’ve also toured alongside Los Lobos, Ozomatli, Hurray For the Riff Raff, Thievery Corporation, and more.

La Lulu, a Latin Grammy-winning violinist, vocalist, and dancer whose explosive stage presence channels the soul of cumbia through a New York lens. Born in Cali, Colombia and raised in NYC, La Lulu fuses salsa, spanglish rhymes, and unapologetic energy into music that is both deeply rooted and fiercely contemporary.

Nathan Chester & The Old Souls Motown Revival

Chicago native turned Nashville mainstay Nathan Chester’s life was forever changed when he captured the hearts of millions of viewers on season 25 of NBC’s “The Voice.” His soulful renditions of iconic songs like “Take Me to the River” and “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher” not only earned him praise from the shows judges, but garnered him a devout fanbase who has supported his music even after his time on the show ended. Since The Voice, Chester has toured as a professional musician and frequently collaborates with Post Modern Jukebox, including a recent soul-fueled rendition of Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”

The Cream of Clapton Band Unplugged and 24 Nights Revisited

Opener: Nathan and Noah East

Endorsed by the man himself, family, friends & band mates celebrate Eric’s record-breaking ‘24 Nights’ at The Royal Albert Hall, & best-selling LIVE album of all time, MTV’s ‘Unplugged’

Very special guests include Eric Clapton’s bass player, Nathan East, and legendary drummer Steve Ferrone (Eric Clapton/Tom Petty) who join founding members Will Johns (Eric’s nephew) and Noah East (Nathan’s son) on stage.

This will be the first time in over 30 years that East & Ferrone have revisited these historic performances together.

Needing no introduction, when schedules allow, Nathan East thoroughly enjoys not only playing with his 24-year-old son, but with an ever-changing list of the very best musicians, many of whom he has played with in Eric’s band. One of the most recorded bass players of all time, East was 16 years old when he got his first break and found himself on the road with Barry White. The next time the phone rang, Quincy Jones was on the line. The calls kept coming, and for the last four decades, East has been recording and performing with artists as legendary as Phil Collins, George Harrison, Michael Jackson, Toto, Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, Barbra Streisand, and Stevie Wonder. He is a founding member of the chart-topping contemporary jazz group Fourplay and has been one of Eric Clapton’s go-to bass players for over 40 years!

Known for his exceptional groove and deep ‘pocket’, Steve Ferrone’s six-year tenure with Eric Clapton included touring and recording on Journeyman, 24 Nights and Unplugged. He went on to join Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers in 1994, through to Tom’s untimely passing in 2017. He has also played with a myriad of top artists and musicians during a career spanning ‘at least’ five decades, including the Average White Band, Anita Baker, Bee Gees, George Benson, Johnny Cash, Tracy Chapman, Duran Duran, Bryan Ferry, Peter Frampton, Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, Christine McVie, Pat Metheny and Marcus Miller.

With the successful 2023 reissue of the Royal Albert Hall concerts, dubbed “The Definitive 24 Nights” and 2025’s ‘extended, remixed and remastered’ “Unplugged…..Over 30 Years Later” this next generation of musicians believe it’s the perfect time to celebrate this historic and popular period, from an extraordinary career.

“To be able to play this music with those who were there in the first place is almost impossible to comprehend” says nephew Will Johns. Their bond, depth of understanding and level of musicianship is off the charts. Great stories as well! Of course, we’re playing classics like ‘Cocaine,’ ‘Sunshine of Your Love,’ ‘Badge,’ and ‘Layla,’ but there are many great songs that haven’t been performed for some time from the Gold and Platinum-selling albums ‘Behind the Sun,’ ‘August,’ and ‘Journeyman,’ such as ‘Bad Love,’ ‘Tearing Us Apart,’ ‘Holy Mother,’ and ‘Run.’ The band is on fire because it’s so exciting to revive these great tunes and audiences love it.” Johns is British icon Pattie (“Layla”) Boyd’s nephew and got to know his “Uncle Eric” as a boy, which included an introduction to his two lifelong loves: fishing and the guitar. His father is the late, great Andy Johns, legendary record producer and engineer for the likes of Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, and Van Halen.

Twenty-four-year-old Noah East has played the piano since the age of four and has listened to his father play with Clapton since he can remember: “Our goal is to do justice to this incredible body of work, and given Eric’s blessing of this project, we have the confidence to interpret these songs in our own way. So many great musicians want to sit in with the band, so we’ve decided to invite ‘special guests’ as often as we can. To have my father and Steve Ferrone back out together, is such an honour. We will also be playing songs from MTV’s Unplugged for the first time and we have a few ideas what else we might ‘unplug’. It’s all about honouring the legacy but keeping it fresh. We can’t wait to play these shows!

Joshua Roman Immunity

Joshua Roman is a cello soloist and composer, hailed by the New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle for his “effortlessly expressive tone” as well as his “blend of precision and almost improvisatory freedom.” His debut solo album, Immunity, is an intimate musician exploration of his experiences with ongoing Long COVID that altered his entire life and nearly ended his career. This free live performance of the album shows the cellist at his most vulnerable and showcases the ultimate strength found in such vulnerability.

Yächtley Crëw

Ahoy, matey! The nautical-clad “Titans of Soft Rock,” Yachtley Crew, will be dropping anchor in San Diego this July to launch ArtPower’s summer season.

For the uninitiated, Yacht Rock is a revival of the smooth soft rock and Top 40 hits from the late ’70s to early ’80s—now a nationwide sensation. Fans don captain’s hats and nautical attire, singing along to the era’s breezy, feel-good tunes.

Yachtley Crew first made waves in 2017, selling out countless Southern California venues before igniting a nationwide Yacht Rock craze. Their success caught the attention of the legendary Jimmy Buffett, who signed them to his Mailboat label before their recent deal with Earache/Universal Records.

The seven-piece SoCal band, known for their signature captain’s hats and seafaring style, features lead vocalist Phillip Daniel (Philly Ocean), drummer Rob Jones (Sailor Hawkins), bassist Chaz Ruiz (Baba Buoy), guitarist Thomas Gardner Jr. (Tommy Buoy), backing vocalist Curt Clendenin (Stoney Shores), saxophonist/flutist Paul Pate (Pauly Shores), and keyboardist Matt Grossman (Matthew McDonald).

I’m With Her | Wild & Clear & Blue

Opener: Jon Muq

With the 2014 formation of I’m With Her, singer/songwriters Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan, and Sara Watkins introduced an essential new force into the world of folk music: a close-knit alliance of highly esteemed musicians, each graced with a deep understanding of folk tradition and unbridled passion for expanding its possibilities. Since delivering their critically lauded debut See You Around and standalone singles like “Call My Name” (winner of the 2020 Grammy for Best American Roots Song), the trio have routinely taken time out from their individual careers to dream up songs together—eventually arriving at a new album exploring themes of ancestry, lineage, and the collective human experience. On their long-awaited sophomore LP Wild and Clear and Blue, I’m With Her now bring their luminous harmonies to a soul-searching body of work about reaching into the past, navigating a chaotic present, and bravely moving forward into the unknown.

In a departure from the stripped-back intimacy of See You Around—a 2018 release that turned up on best-of-the-year lists from the likes of the New York Times—Wild and Clear and Blue centers on a far more elaborate sound informed by the trio’s intensified sense of musical kinship. All multi-Grammy-winners with deep roots in the folk scene, Watkins, Jarosz, and O’Donovan first discovered their near-telepathic chemistry during an impromptu performance at the 2014 Telluride Bluegrass Festival, then co-founded I’m With Her and began touring extensively and performing at acclaimed festivals across the globe.

Produced by Josh Kaufman—a member of Bonny Light Horseman and multi-instrumentalist/songwriter/arranger/producer who’s worked with Bob Weir and The National—Wild and Clear and Blue ultimately adds a bold new urgency to their delicate entangling of lived-in narrative, fable-like storytelling, and nuanced reflection on cycles of life.

Kneebody

In their almost two-decade history, the Grammy-nominated band Kneebody has created a genre
and style all its own. Their sound is explosive rock energy and high-level nuanced chamber
ensemble playing set within the frames of highly wrought compositions that are balanced with
adventurous no-holds-barred improvising.

Kneebody is keyboardist Adam Benjamin, trumpeter Shane Endsley, saxophonist Ben Wendel and drummer/bassist Nate Wood. The band has no leader or rather, each member is the leader; they’ve developed their own musical language, inventing a unique cueing system that allows
them each to change the tempo, key, style, and more in an instant.
The group met in their late teens while at The Eastman School of Music and Cal Arts, became
fast friends, and converged together as Kneebody amid the vibrant and eclectic music scene of
Los Angeles in 2001. Since then, each band member has amassed an impressive list of credits
and accomplishments over the years all while the band has continued to thrive and grow in
reputation, solidifying a fan base around the world.

In 2005, Kneebody released their debut self-titled album Kneebody on Dave Douglas’ Greenleaf
Music Label. Low Electrical Worker followed in 2007 on the Colortone Label. A collection of
13 original songs, Low Electrical Worker was hailed by saxophonist Joshua Redman as one of
his “favorite albums of 2007.”

In the spring of 2009, Kneebody and vocalist Theo Bleckmann released 12 Songs of Charles Ives
on the Winter & Winter label and received a GRAMMY nomination in the “classical crossover”
category. 2013 saw the release of The Line for Concord Records. In 2015, Kneebody’s
groundbreaking collaboration with electronic musician Daedelus on Kneedelus was released on
Flying Lotus’ imprint Brainfeeder records to praise from critics and audiences alike. In 2017,
Motéma Music released Kneebody’s Anti-Hero. 2019 brought back-to-back releases from
Kneebody on Edition Records. In the Spring, they released By Fire, an EP featuring an eclectic
selection of covers from John Legend to Soundgarden. Followed by the Fall release of Chapters,
the group’s first full-length album as a quartet, mixing deep grooves and deft melodies with a
wide range of guests including Becca Stevens, Gretchen Parlato, Michael Mayo, Gerald Clayton
and Josh Dion.

Corinne Bailey Rae | Black Rainbows

With Haley Reinhart

Corinne Bailey Rae first captured hearts worldwide in 2006 with her breakout hit Put Your Records On, a breezy, soulful anthem that became an instant classic. Her self-titled debut album cemented her as a standout voice in contemporary R&B and jazz-infused pop, earning her Grammy nominations and a devoted global fanbase. Known for her warm, honeyed vocals and deeply personal songwriting, Corinne’s music has always been a blend of elegance, emotion, and effortless cool.

Now, with Black Rainbows, Corinne Bailey Rae takes an electrifying leap into bold new territory. This is Corinne like you’ve never seen or heard before—raw, experimental, and unapologetically powerful. Inspired by the history and artwork of Chicago’s Stony Island Arts Bank, the album fuses punk energy, avant-garde textures, and soul-stirring storytelling, marking a dramatic evolution in her artistry. Black Rainbows is a fearless reinvention, proving that Corinne Bailey Rae is not just an artist of nostalgia, but one constantly pushing the boundaries of sound and expression.

7 pm: Haley Reinhart
8 pm: Corinne Bailey Rae

Phil Cook | Appalachia Borealis

“Phil Cook is a lightning bolt. He is a teacher and captor of music. He carries it within him at all times. No one has taught me more about music in my life than him. He is one of the great performers of our age … as time passes more and more people will find that out. I’m excited every time someone gets to discover Phil’s genius—a thing I’ve had the good fortune of knowing all my life.”—Justin Vernon, Bon Iver

For Phil Cook, it all started with piano. A prolific songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, solo artist, and in-demand musician whose collaborations have run the gamut of genre—as a founding member of beloved band Megafaun to work with The Blind Boys of Alabama, Bon Iver, Kanye West, and Hiss Golden Messenger, to name a few—Cook has always been a musician’s musician. A sweet and affable presence whose musical dexterity elevates every project he touches, Cook’s musical output and true sound has been hard to pin down.

Phil performs from his stunning new album, Appalachia Borealis—a deeply personal and profoundly poignant suite of compositions that captures the emotional range of a full and open existence—chronicling a path of endurance and a way forward. Largely inspired by bird songs, Appalachia Borealis features Phil on the piano, the “foremost love of his musical life”.