Celebrate Brooklyn!’s 30th season of free entertainment continues June 26 at 7:30 p.m. with the double bill The Carolina Chocolate Drops and The Dixie Hummingbirds.
The Carolina Chocolate Drops are revisiting the ecstatic black string band music of the ’20s and ’30s. Comprised of Rhiannon Giddens (fiddle, banjo), Justin Robinson (fiddle) and Dom Flemons (guitar, jug, harmonica, percussion, banjo), the group continues to lead the revival of old-time string band music: the antebellum combination of banjo and fiddle that was a southern tradition in most black rural communities.
Legendary jubilee gospel quartet The Dixie Hummingbirds’ roots go back to the same era. Led by lead singer Ira Tucker, Sr., who has been with the group since 1938, The Dixie Hummingbirds began their remarkable journey in 1920s Greenville, South Carolina. The group was founded by gospel great James B. Davis, then 12 years old.
Indie Rock Triple Bill
June 27 at 7 p.m. offers a triple treat: Cold War Kids, Elvis Perkins in Dearland and Sam Champion.
Cold War Kids eschew preciousness for grit. Live, they?re possessed of smoldering energy and raw power. Cold War Kids began in 2004 in downtown Fullerton, California, rehearsing in guitarist/vocalist Jonnie Russell’s apartment above the restaurant Mulberry Street Ristorante. With forceful and charismatic live performances Cold War Kids generated substantial internet buzz, touring non-stop in 2005 and 2006, yet still finding time to release two more EPs.
They will be joined here by local favorites Elvis Perkins and Dearland and Sam Champion.
Perkins’ reflective music is often melancholic, yet remains hopeful and charming. His trio, Dearland, is comprised of bassist Brigham Brough, drummer Nicholas Kinsey and keyboardist/guitarist Wyndham Boylan-Garnett.
The band Sam Champion, named after the local weatherman, Sam Champion, consists of Noah Chernin (guitar, vocals), Jack Dolgen (bass), Ryan Thornton (drums, vocals) and Sean Bones (guitar, harmonica, vocal).
Hip Hop on Stage
June 28 at 7 p.m. Celebrate Brooklyn and Lyricist Lounge present Crooklyn Dodgers Reunion with O.C. plus Jeru the Damaja and Chubb Rock. Also on stage are EMC featuring Masta Ace and DJ Premier plus Ali Shaheed Mohaamad, all hosted by Buckshot of Black Moon and Special Ed.
Brooklyn hip-hop history will be made as the pioneering open mic night Lyricist Lounge returns to the Bandshell to assemble for the first time the MCs and DJs responsible for the 90s classics Crooklyn Dodgers and Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers, soundtracks to the Spike Lee films Crooklyn and Clockers.
The Crooklyn Dodgers Reunion is a celebration of homegrown Brooklyn hip-hop. Nearly all of the performers on this bill were born in Brooklyn; the two who were not (DJ Premier and Chubb Rock), ultimately moved to the borough. The fact that each of these artists is an underground legend who has made significant contributions to the world of hip-hop only adds to the singularity of this event.
For More Details
All events are at the Prospect Park Bandshell, at Prospect Park West and 9th Street. For a comprehensive listing of events in the series, visit www.briconline.org.