concerts at Durham Central Park

Soul Understated: PLAYlist Concert Series finale Friday

Events

PLAYlist’s finale night, Friday, October 1, presents Soul Understated featuring Mavis “Swan” Pool! Led by vocalist extraordinaire Mavis ’SWAN’ Poole (Lauryn Hill, Prince) and powerful yet melodic drummer Jeremy ‘BEAN’ Clemons (who has performed with Gregory Porter and Burning Spear), Soul Understated delivers a beautifully performed organic sound with stellar musicianship. As a result, they’ve appeared at such major festivals as The Blue Note Jazz Fest, The Brooklyn Hip Hop Fest and Toronto Jazz Festival. Mavis appeared in the HBO series Vinyl! Check out this Kennedy Center footage and look at all this local talent rounding out the band:

Branden Williams II – Keyboards
Hugh Swaso – Guitar
Stacy Dillard – Saxophones
Al Strong – Trumpet
Brevan Hampden – Percussion

WNCU’s Friday night Funk, Old School and Disco show and its host, DJ Travis Gales, simulcasts live from Durham Central Park at 7 p.m. Soul Understated play a 90-minute set at 8 p.m. Local food and beverage vendors are Amagee’s, Oink n’ Moo, Epic Vegan Food Truck, JAM Ice Cream, Glass Jug, Bull City Burger and Brewery and Portfolio Group.

Reserve your free tickets and we’ll see you at the park Friday!

PLAYlist Concert Series: Al Strong

Music, specifically the trumpet, is Al Strong’s calling. He is known as the co-founder of Art of Cool Project and the Art of Cool Festival. Supporters saw in him an ability to synthesize the Triangle’s homegrown sound and merge it with his own life experiences. In January 2016, Strong introduced his debut album, LoveStrong Vol. 1.

Fast forward to 2020, a year marked by the pandemic and tragic killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. An only child who spent some years bouncing from shelter to shelter with his father, Strong knows all too well the struggle of Black Americans. From this, he channeled “LEVAS”. It’s his heartfelt arrangement of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the classic hymn also known as the “Negro National Anthem.” This rich and elaborate 8-minute odyssey, with its video love letter to Durham and black joy, was the lift the community, and the nation, very much needed.

WNCU’s Friday night Funk, Old School and Disco show and its host, Travis Gales, will simulcast live from Durham Central Park at 7 p.m., setting the Friday mood for the 4th of July Weekend!

PLAYlist Concert Series Announcement

News

PLAYlist Concert Series Announcement: we were excited to share this year’s PLAYlist Concert Series lineup with you but, after much consideration and consultation with the City of Durham, NC Government, we have decided to cancel our 2020 PLAYlist Concert Series (June-Sept) in order to protect public health amid the #COVID-19 pandemic. We will miss gathering and the camaraderie of these concerts but feel that the risk and uncertainty is too great at this time. Photo credit Ryan Moeller Photography, 2018. #DurhamNC