Epstein Family Amphitheater – Page 3

serpentwithfeet | Heart of Brick

“There can be few albums this year more wholesome, soppy, or unabashedly life-affirming.”—The Guardian

Three genre-defying artists join forces to tell the story of love and self-discovery in Heart of Brick, a theatrical dance and music production that captures the multi-generational spirit of the Black queer community. Experimental R&B musician serpentwithfeet embarks on his first theatrical stage work alongside multimedia artist and MacArthur “genius” Wu Tsang, whose art intertwines film, aesthetic performance, and political activism. Completing the team is choreographer Raja Feather Kelly, an artist whose surrealist aesthetics explore the intersections of popular culture and human desire. With a cast of seven dancers and live performance by serpentwithfeet, Heart of Brick follows the love that blossoms between two men in a Black gay nightclub. Beguilingly gentle and sincere, the work features music from serpentwithfeet’s newest album, weaving together music and dance into a theatrical experience.

George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic

6:00 pm: Doors Open. Food and drink will be available for purchase at the concourse
7:00 pm: DJ Shammy Dee ’01
8:00 pm: George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic

Recording both as Parliament and Funkadelic, George Clinton revolutionized R&B during the ’70s, twisting soul music into funk by adding influences from several late-’60s acid heroes: Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, and Sly Stone. The Parliament/Funkadelic machine ruled black music during the ’70s, capturing over 40 R&B hit singles (including three number ones) and recording three platinum albums.

Inspired by Motown‘s assembly line of sound, George Clinton gradually put together a collective of over 50 musicians and recorded the ensemble during the ’70s both as Parliament and Funkadelic. While Funkadelic pursued band-format psychedelic rock, Parliament engaged in a funk free-for-all, blending influences from the godfathers (James Brown and Sly Stone) with freaky costumes and themes inspired by ’60s acid culture and science fiction. From its 1970 inception until Clinton’s dissolving of Parliament in 1980, Clinton hit the R&B Top Ten several times but truly excelled in two other areas: large-selling, effective album statements and the most dazzling, extravagant live show in the business. In an era when Philly soul continued the slick sounds of establishment-approved R&B, Parliament / Funkadelic scared off more white listeners than it courted. (Ironically, today Clinton’s audiences are a cross-cultural mix of music lovers from 8 to 80.)

Clinton has received a Grammy, a Dove (gospel) , and an MTV music video awards, and has been recognized by BMI, the NAACP Image Awards, and Motown Alumni Association for lifetime achievement. Clinton’s Parliament/Funkadelic was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

Em Beihold ’20 (UC San Diego Alumna)

Opening by Ashley Mehta

Em Beihold’s music converses and connects much like your closest friend would. She isn’t afraid to be blunt, disclose her insecurities, or laugh unexpectedly, and exudes nothing but love. It’s why she’s emerged as an unmistakable and inimitable platinum-certified pop songstress with north of 4 billion streams and widespread critical acclaim. She’s the girl on the red carpet with the $10 coat (who will proudly tell anyone who asks!) and who sends her hair stylist a picture of Jessica Rabbit as inspo for a late-night TV appearance.

The Los Angeles native climbed into the pop culture conversation with the 2022 platinum smash “Numb Little Bug,” generating over 2 billion global streams in addition to cracking the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100, #1 on the Billboard Emerging Artists Chart, #5 at Pop radio and holding the #1 spot at Hot AC for three weeks. She only accelerated her rise with the Egg In The Backseat EP, making her late-night television debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

She incited the applause of The New York Times, Stereogum, Teen Vogue, V Magazine, and Variety who hailed, “Beihold is very much part of the new guard.” She lent her voice to a duet version of Stephen Sanchez’s “Until I Found You,” which has eclipsed 1 billion streams. Moreover, they lit up The Late Late Show with James Corden together with their energetic and honest performance. She opens up even more on a series of 2023 singles for Moon Projects/Republic Records including her upcoming single “Pedestal,” Oct 12th, which she’s been performing live the past year and has quickly become a fan favorite begging for a proper release.

About Ashley Mehta
Ashley Mehta is a rising Pop/R&B Artist. With her own stylistic sound, Ashley creates music that captures the energy of growing up in the Bay Area. Having roots from both Filipino and Indian backgrounds, Ashley takes pride in representing her cultures. Singing since such a young age, Ashley’s upbringing was surrounded by music. She grew up singing in Church choir and started writing songs the moment she picked up her guitar in highschool. She began posting videos on Youtube of covers and mashups she would create. Ashley began to focus on writing original music and since then she has had a #1 song on 99.7NOW in the Bay Area, opened up her first tour on the West and East Coast, and completed her first very own Headline Tour for her “Trust” EP. Ashley has grown her Tik Tok with original music, mashups and covers using her favorite line…”What If This Song…”. Ashley feels nothing but gratitude and excitement for everything to come as she continues to express herself through her music.

Atamira Dance Company: Te Wheke

Atamira Dance Company is the leading international creator of contemporary dance and performance. Based in Aotearoa, New Zealand, a remote and wild landscape where indigenous Māori stories are a powerful voice in the arts locally and, increasingly, internationally, Atamira is integral to the contemporary Māori performing arts conversation and movement.

The company performs it’s powerful new full-length dance work Te Wheke, which brings together Aotearoa’s leading names in contemporary dance. The piece explores the dimensionsof human experience symbolised by the eight tentacles of the Te Wheke—the Octopus, a powerful guardian on this journey from past into the future.

Dream House Quartet

Formed in 2018, Dream House Quartet fuses decades of musical mastery of classical and contemporary forms, featuring luminaries Katia and Marielle Labèque on dueling pianos along with acclaimed composer-guitarists Bryce Dessner (The National) and David Chalmin (Innocence, La terre invisible) performing radical new commissions from visionary composers, including Thom Yorke, and pivotal contemporary works of the last half century.

Hasta La Muerte: A Day of the Dead Show with Las Cafeteras and Lupita Infante

With special guest Lupita Infante

Hasta La Muerte is an enthralling new production rooted in the indigenous Mexican practice of celebrating Life and Death, universally known as Día de los Muertos. Honoring the ancestors who came before us, Hasta La Muerte is a passionate, multi-dimensional performance filled with Zapateado, dance, song, altares y flores, and featuring original and new music from Las Cafeteras. With traditional altar on stage alongside the mesmerizing beauty of Folklorico choreography, Hasta La Muerte show is a night of transcendent color and sound, a moving invitation to travel through time, rhythm, and memory.

Special guest Lupita Infante, granddaughter of Mexican ranchera singer and actor Pedro Infante, adds her voice to this special celebration performance. The GRAMMY-nominated singer is known for performing traditional mariachi, norteño and ranchera music.

This world premiere is part of UC San Diego’s Latinx History Month celebration.

Con La Invitada Especial Lupita Infante

Hasta La Muerte es una nueva y fascinante producción arraigada en la práctica indígena mexicana de celebrar la vida y la muerte, universalmente conocida como el Día de los Muertos. En honor de los ancestros que vinieron antes que nosotros, Hasta La Muerte es una presentación apasionada y multidimensional llena de zapateado, danza, canto, altares y flores.

Hasta La Muerte presentará obras originales y nuevas de Las Cafeteras, así como interpretaciones inspiradas de canciones folclóricas tradicionales, tales como “La Llorona”, “La Bruja”, “La Morena”. Con un altar tradicional en el escenario, junto con la cautivadora belleza de la coreografía folclórica, el espectáculo Hasta La Muerte será una noche de color y sonido trascendentes, una conmovedora invitación a viajar a través del tiempo, del ritmo y de los recuerdos.

La invitada especial Lupita Infante, nieta del cantante de música ranchera y actor mexicano Pedro Infante, suma su voz a esta presentación especial de celebración. La cantante nominada al GRAMMY es conocida por interpretar música tradicional de mariachi, norteña y ranchera.