Regular Midwest Guest readers know that the annual Concert of Colors diversity festival is one of my favorite summer events in Detroit.
This free festival always fields an intriguing bill of world music showcased in several great venues around Detroit's Midtown cultural center near Wayne State University.
A festival preview, or "tune-up" concert, happens with Chicago AfroBeat Project and the Afro-Latin music of Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca at 7-11 p.m. on July 5 at the New Center Park.
The main festival launches with performances at the Scarab Club and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History on Thursday, July 10. Mike Ellison returns for a performance at the Wright that night with a program of hip hop, African beats and rock. We saw Ellison at the Concert of Colors a couple of years ago when he MC'd a great show for an SRO crowd.
The festival action moves to the south lawn at Detroit Institute of Arts on Friday July 11. I look forward to spending the evening on the lawn, enjoying the chill vibe of the festival on a hot summer evening with Latin jazz and salsa performances by PanaMO and the "barogue avant garde" sounds of Cuddle Magic and Phyllis Chen.
The festival moves to the Max M. Fisher Center (home of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra) for two full days of music, food and other activities on Saturday, July 12 and Sunday July 13.
A Detroit Food Truck Rally alongside The Max is a great place to catch a bite to eat as you move among the festival's three stages to enjoy the music.
The Main Stage in Orchestra Hall and the more intimate Music Box inside of the Max showcase the bigger acts.
We always look forward to the Don Was Detroit All-Star Revue as uber producer Was strives to keep the revue format fresh while finding some really great new and classic Detroit talent. We've seen all six of the previous All-Star Revues, and this year's promises to be fun as a wide range of Detroit talent takes on the music of Detroit Legend Bob Seger by offering their versions of songs on the "Live Bullet" album from 1976 that really launched Seger, then a regional favorite, into the national consciousness. Spyder Turner, Detroit Cobras, Corktown Popes, Mayssa Karaa, Liz Larin and Doop & the Inside Outlaws are just a few of the folks on the bill for this show. Don't miss it!
I'm also particularly jazzed about seeing Detroit Blues Queen Thornetta Davis perform with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra on Orchestra Hall's main stage (and home stage for the symphony). We have a group of season tickets to the symphony, and we've seen Davis perform several times over the years around town. I can't wait for what promises to be a great show with Davis and the symphony!
The outdoor courtyard showcases an even more eclectic bill of entertainment that includes Wisaal with Arabic/techno, blues with Royal Blackbirds, Southwest dance with the Living Arts Youth Dance Ensemble and more.
Want a preview of some of the music you'll hear at the Concert of Colors?
Check out the radio dial at the top of the Concert of Colors Web site. I found some great tunes from folks we've heard at the Concert of Colors in the past (October Babies, Wayne Kramer, Melvin Davis, Thornetta Davis), cool covers of classic tunes (White Rabbit by Mayssa Karaa and Papa Was a Rollin' Stone by Was Not Was) and things I haven't heard before (like Celtic/hip-hop from Black 47).
Meanwhile, check out my recaps for Friday, Saturday and Sunday for last year's Concert of Colors and a story about my interview with Don Was who said, when asked about staging the festival's Detroit All-Star Revue, "It's my favorite night of the year. There's a great spirit and great music."
I'm with Was. It's a great festival. Don't miss it!
© Dominique King 2014 All rights reserved
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