Fridays On The Square is pleased and proud to announce our 2013 Summer Music Festival Schedule! Bringing the best in local & regional live music to our community for free on Summer Friday nights in our lovely Historic Downtown Harrisonburg! Our season is funded solely by sponsorships provided by local businesses & individuals. We greatly need your support! If you'd like to help sponsor this season, please call us at (540)564-0928! And now, drumroll please...! Ta-da! See you this Summe...r!
JUNE 7 Larry Keel & Natural Bridge~ progressive bluegrass
Don't miss this spectacular season opener! Keel and his powerhouse ensemble, Natural Bridge, aptly named after his home state's geological wonder, is one of the most powerful, innovative and all-out exhilarating acoustic groups performing today. From his Bluegrass family upbringing, both sides deeply steeped in the rich mountain music culture and heritage of Southwest Virginia, Keel has integrated his solid musical grounding and natural-born talent with his own incomparable approach to flatpicking the guitar and composing original music. Join us for a night of outstanding music from this award-winning Flatpickin legend! www.larrykeel.com
JUNE 21 Barbara Martin & Liz Barnes Quartet~ sophisticated blues
Musical synergy isn’t easily defined, but one listen to Barbara Martin and Liz Barnes and you know they’ve got it! Accomplished and successful each in their own right, pair the high energy pianist Barnes with Martin's soulful guitar and bluesy vocals and together these ladies bring the perfect combination of sophis- ticated blues players to the stage. Whether in an intimate musical setting or at a larger venue, Liz Barnes & Barbara Martin have wowed audiences with their skillful, entertaining and emotionally-charged performances! Come welcome this group to their first performance on the Square! www.barbaramartinmusic.com
JULY 5 Robert Jospé & Inner Rhythm~latin, cuban, funk jazz fusion
Robert Jospé & Inner Rhythm with Jeff Decker on saxophones, Bob Hallahan on keyboards, and Randall Pharr on bass, combine Latin, funk, swing, Afro-Cuban and Brazilian rhythms into a modern jazz sound that is exciting and uplifting. With influ- ences and grooves from around the world of contemporary jazz, latin and rock, their music is a potent, high energy stew. Performing classics and originals, the band has toured together for over fifteen years and released four CDs to critical acclaim. Per- cussionist Jospé’s crisp, tight grooves seamlessly merge styles of calypso, samba, salsa and African funk with passion and precision. Hot! robertjospe.com
JULY 19 The Judy Chops~roots rock, americana & western swing
A favorite of last season, they're back for an encore performance! With a deft mix of modern and vintage sounds, The Judy Chops feature 3 part harmony vocals, tenor banjo, acoustic & electric guitar, and violin solos, backed by a unique rhythm section with upright bass & cocktail drums. A high energy, raucous experi- ence that has been wowing audiences at every venue they've played! www.reverbnation.com/thejudychops
AUG 2 Bryan Elijah Smith & The Wild Hearts~alternative americana
Smith has a catalog of over 500 original songs, has released 7 full length albums since October 2009 & has performed up and down the entire East Coast. The Wild Hearts, consisting of Jeff Miller on piano, banjo & vox, Justin Shifflett on drums and Tyler Reardon on bass, help fuel the fire of Smith's Alternative Americana with their raw energy & distinguishable style. Their unique sound defined by their contagious energy and Smith's unbashedly genuine songwriting & voice makes this band one worth not only listening to but experiencing live~here's your chance! www.bryanelijahsmith.com
AUG 16 Kat & The Travelers~backroads boogie, vintage swing, jazz, blues
Local favorite Kat & The Travelers deliver their own "backroads" take on vintage jazz & swing and often toss in good ol' country blues along with their eclectic mix of originals. With diverse musical backgrounds that include R & B, soul, country, blues, big band jazz, and hillbilly boogie, there's no problem swinging Ellington with cool drum & bass beats as well as rocking old school blues with high energy slide guitar in the same night! Backed by seasoned players, front woman Kathleen Kraft's vocals whisper and shine on ethereal ballads, ring out sweet and clear on jazz notes, and get gritty with those country blues. Come close the season with us! www.katandthetravelers.com