Get ready to kick up your heels in Reading’s City Park this month as the Bandshell Concert Series, in its 26th year and organized by the Berks Arts Council, offers up free shows starting on July 8 at 7pm.
This year’s series features a diverse musical lineup, from soul to rock, blues and Latin-inspired world music. Explains Berks Arts Council Executive Director Karen Haver, “The Berks Arts Council Bandshell series has a long history of bringing nationally and internationally acclaimed artists to Reading’s City Park. We present a wide variety of artists so Berks County has the opportunity to discover new music and artists, right in their own backyard.”
Artists include:
July 8: Gedeon Luke and The People. Born in Memphis, Luke was raised with the sounds of gospel and later influenced by rock legends such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. He was a semi-finalist on American Idol season five at the age of 17. Luke’s first full-length collection, Live Free and Love, is a “collage of 11 songs reflecting the unbridled passion of a modern-day preacher, preaching the gospel of love.”
July 15: Low Cut Connie. Named one of Rolling Stone’s “Bands to Watch,” their third release, Hi Honey, has received critical acclaim with the singles Boozophilia and Shake It Little Tina rocking airwaves from coast to coast. Huffington Post Entertainment’s Dave Tomar says, “if you have not seen these guys live, make it a priority.”
July 22: Eugene Hideaway Bridges. Bridges’ music reflects a broad range of genres; in 2016, he received Blues Music Award nominations in both the Contemporary Blues Album (Hold On a Little Bit Longer) and Contemporary Blues Artist categories. He describes himself as “an artist who writes blues, who writes gospel, and who writes R & B because all of that is part of me.”
July 29: Cocomama. The seven-member, all-female band features a broad repertoire performed in three languages with influences including Afro-Cuban, classical, jazz, and R&B. Cocomama’s origins date back to 2005, when an all-female salsa band was requested to play a fundraiser at the Copacabana for New York’s then-mayor Michael Bloomberg. Their debut album Quiero was released in May 2015.
All performances are free and open to the public. Preshow entertainment provided by local arts organizations begins at 6:15pm. Refreshments from food trucks and local restaurants are available for sale beginning at 6pm. Concert-goers are encouraged to bring blankets, lawn chairs and, of course, their dancing shoes to City Park to experience great music in a natural setting.
