Rochester’s annual Party in the Park weekly concert series begins next week, June 19, 2014. All shows will be held at the original P.I.T.P. location Martin Luther King Jr. Park – formerly known as Manhattan Square park – at the corner of Court and Chestnut streets downtown. All shows are 5$ (Children 12 and under are free), or 35$ for a party pack that offers entrance to all 9 shows (a 10$ savings) and an express entry line.
Ticket’s may be purchased at the gate, the Blue Cross Arena box office, or via Ticketmaster (w/ additional service charges). Space is limited so make sure to show up early or pre-purchase to guarantee entry. Food will be available from several of the area’s top food trucks and drinks will be supplied by local breweries Rohrbach’s and Genesee.
Party-goers should know that while blankets are allowed, lawn chairs are not, and everyone may bring in one sealed bottle of water. Parking is available at several local garages, or for a 7$ charge you can park conveniently a half block away at The Strong Museum of Play. All shows run from 5-10PM and will also include buskers throughout the venue and local talent on a side stage.
June kicks things off on the 19th with The Wailers. Originally fronted by the legendary Bob Marley, nowadays original members of his group have split into two sets of Wailers. Rochester music fans will recognize that the Original Wailers closed out the annual Lilac festival, so it seems fitting that the other crew kicks the P.I.T.P. season off. Fear not, as both sets of Wailers include original members. Providing support will be Rochester’s Noble Vibes and Trinidad & Tobago Steel Band.
The June fun continues on the 26th with the folk-country-americana of Lucinda Williams. As a 35+ year veteran of the music scene, Lucinda has a deep and celebrated catalog and is widely regarded by her peers as one of the few remaining true old school country elements within the pop-befuddled modern scene. Providing support will be the outlaw country rock outfit The Kenneth Brian Band.
After the “honky-tonking” is complete, night owls can continue their night of music enjoying the Rochester International Jazz Festival with several venues offering late night shows. A half block away at The Montage Music Hall – which will have after party’s throughout July and August as well – will be The Ivan Jansen Aruba Jazz Project. Other options to close out the evening are The Hypnotic Jazz Ensemble at the corner of East and Gibbs, or, if some screaming blues guitar is your thing, 29-year-old prodigy Selwyn Birchwood will be at Abilene. For more info and pricing on jazz fest events, check out the official page.
Stay tuned to the Music Guide for details on July and August’s party in the park lineup. Check out the full schedule here.
Lawrence promises to be “armed with a voice, a nylon strung guitar and a fist sized chip on his shoulder”. He is known as an intellectual, and his often hilarious crooning style is sure to be a complement to Brainwave Bionics, who combines introspective hip hop lyricism with garage and indie rock elements.
Members of the band reportedly broke away from their recording sessions and were in the midst of traveling to Upstate New York once plans unraveled.
