Philadelphia Weekly is thrilled to announce the return of its free annual “PW’s Concerts in the Park,” presented by KIND Healthy Snacks, set for two consecutive Wednesdays in Rittenhouse Square, August 13th and 20th, beginning at 6pm.
Now in its 24th crowd-pleasing year, “PW’s Concerts in the Park” brings all-ages audiences out to Center City Philadelphia in droves to enjoy the best in live music from a wide range of notable local acts, spanning genres from rock, soul and R&B to hip-hop, jazz and country.
This year’s fest kicks off on August 13 with a ladies’-night showcase helmed by two of Philly’s most talented, female-fronted bands. Topping the bill is Divers, the acclaimed rock quartet led by the ever-dazzling former Weeds vocalist-guitarist Emily Ana Zeitlyn. Divers’ unforgettable sound has been described as what would happen “if Leonard Cohen and PJ Harvey had a baby who grew up listening to the Smiths, Nina Simone and old Rolling Stones records.”
Opening for Divers are Katie Frank and the Pheromones, whose singer-songwriter leader honed her vibrant voice at Legendary Dobbs’ open-mic shows. Frank has been buzzing through Philly’s indie scene since she graduated from Temple University in 2011, satisfying many a crowd with its infectious country-flavored rock-pop. And DJ Lisa Love, one of the first female deejays on a major Philadelphia radio station, will start the whole night spinning the hottest songs in the Philly-music playbook.
At the second concert, on August 20, master congero Pablo Batista and his mighty Mambo Syndicate will bring the fire as the night’s headliners, fusing the ancient Bata rhythms of the Yoruba, Afro-Cuban beats and jazz into an irresistibly foot-stomping musical mix.
Opening for Batista will be the white-hot Worldtown Sound System, a popular, diverse collective who blend house, dance and world music, live instrumentation and turntable wizardry to create a heady sonic hodgepodge. There will be dancing this evening—especially with legendary turntable pioneer DJ Cash Money starting the evening’s proceedings with a two-hour set.
Both “PW’s Concerts in the Park” events take place in Rittenhouse Square, located at 18th and Walnut streets in Center City, beginning at 6pm. PW’s radio partner for the series is WXPN.
Note: PW will return to Rittenhouse Square two weeks later, on Wed., Sept. 3, with its inaugural “PW’s College Fest Free-4-All” presented by Xfinity, a free night of live local music and culture to welcome students starting their fall terms at Penn, Drexel, Temple, UArts and other area campuses. Thee Idea Men will headline the Sept. 3 musical lineup, preceded by Ali Wadsworth, Damn Right! and DJ Royale.
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