KCRW and the Annenberg Foundation Announce Sound in Focus

KCRW and the Annenberg Foundation Announce

SOUND IN FOCUS
FREE, Outdoor, All-ages Summer Concerts
At the Annenberg Space for Photography

SATURDAY, JULY 15
MIGUEL
Gabriel Garzón-Montano
DJ Stretch Armstrong
Hosted by KCRW’s Anthony Valadez

SATURDAY, JULY 22
PAUL OAKENFOLD
Mondo Cozmo
Lo Moon
DJ sets by KCRW’s Jason Bentley

SATURDAY, JULY 29
RODRIGO Y GABRIELA
Natalia Lafourcade
DJ sets by KCRW’s José Galván

Santa Monica, CA (June 13, 2017) — KCRW and the Annenberg Foundation are pleased to announce the lineup for the 2017 SOUND IN FOCUS series — three, free, all-ages concerts held at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Century City.

The series kicks-off on Saturday, July 15 with a headlining performance from Grammy-winning R&B artist Miguel, an opening set by Brooklyn-based multi-instrumentalist Gabriel Garzón-Montano, and DJ sets by Stretch Armstrong. The evening will be hosted by KCRW’s Anthony Valadez. The series continues on Saturday, July 22 with a headlining performance from the legendary Paul Oakenfold, opening sets by East L.A.-based troubadour Mondo Cozmo and L.A.’s Lo Moon, and DJ sets by KCRW’s Jason Bentley. The series concludes on Saturday, July 29 with the guitar-slinging duo Rodrigo y Gabriela, celebrating the 10th anniversary of their debut album, seven-time Latin Grammy winner Natalia Lafourcade, and DJ sets by KCRW’s José Galván.

“We are proud to partner with the Annenberg Foundation to build an exciting summer music series. My creative direction for the series is to represent a broad spectrum of tastes, reflecting the interests of the LA community at large,” said KCRW Music Director Jason Bentley. “Each concert has a different story and musical identity, yet the series as a whole resonates as a unified and thoughtful program.”

“Now in its fifth year, our partnership with KCRW has given the Foundation an incredible opportunity to celebrate art and music with the community at the Annenberg Space for Photography,” said Wallis Annenberg, Chairman, President and CEO of the Annenberg Foundation. “We’re thrilled to share this stunning lineup with Los Angeles and look forward to three unforgettable nights of inspired creative expression.”

Admission to the SOUND IN FOCUS series is free; however, RSVP is required for entry but does not guarantee admission which will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis. Registered guests must collect wristbands upon arrival at check-in to gain access to the concerts. Advance registration is available at KCRW.com/soundinfocus and is required for every show.

There will also be refreshments available for purchase from a wide variety of cafés and food trucks, and beer gardens for those 21 and over.

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The 2017 SOUND IN FOCUS series launches on Saturday, July 15 with Miguel who first hit the mainstream in 2010 with the infectious single “All I Want Is You,” from the debut album of the same name. The song, which blended a stark hip-hop beat with Miguel’s creamy vocals to form a sound that was absent from the radio, established Miguel as one of the most unique and soulful voices in modern R&B. The album also featured “‘Sure Thing,” which hit #1 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop chart. Miguel then released the critically-acclaimed, four-time Grammy-nominated, sophomore album Kaleidoscope Dream. The album featured his third US #1 hit single “Adorn,” and garnered him his first Grammy win for “Best R&B Song.” “Adorn” resided at #1 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart for more than 23 weeks, becoming the longest running #1 single in the history of the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. Miguel’s critically acclaimed third studio album Wildheart claimed the #1 spot on Billboard’s R&B Albums chart, and debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 album chart. Wildheart garnered Miguel two more Grammy nominations and topped a number of 2015 year-end lists including the #1 spot on Time’s Top 10 Best Albums, The New York Times’ Best Albums of 2015, Entertainment Weekly’s 40 Best Albums of 2015, and SPIN Magazine’s Top 50 Best Albums of 2015. New music from Miguel’s highly anticipated fourth studio album is coming soon.

Gabriel Garzón-Montano, dubbed “one of the most promising artists of 2017” by NPR delivers the evening’s opening live set. The Brooklyn-born singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist released his critically lauded debut album Jardín via Stones Throw Records. His track “6 8” was sampled by Drake on “Jungle” from If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late. Garzón-Montano has toured throughout the US, Europe, and Japan – including supporting Lenny Kravitz on his 2014 European tour.

NYC native Adrian Bartos p/k/a Stretch Armstrong is an internationally recognized DJ and cultural pioneer with an incomparable career. The 1990s hip-hop legend created and programmed the “Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito Show” on WKCR 89.9, which The Source magazine later named “The Greatest Hip-Hop Radio Show of All Time.” Stretch and Bobbito introduced the world to Jay Z, Biggie, Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, and Eminem, and dozens of other seminal figures in hip-hop. Starting in the Summer of 2017 Stretch and Bobbito will bring their decades of experience as cultural influencers and tastemakers to the “Stretch & Bob” NPR podcast series, shifting gears from their hip-hop radio format to instead engage cultural movers and shakers in art, music, politics, comedy, and sports.

KCRW DJ Anthony Valadez hosts the evening.

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The SOUND IN FOCUS series continues on Saturday, July 22 with one of the true legends of electronic music Paul Oakenfold. 2017 marks the 30-year anniversary of Oakenfold’s famed trip to the white island of Ibiza. What followed that storied week was the birth of the dance and festival culture we know today and the emergence of one of the greatest DJs of our time.

Join Paul Oakenfold in his truest form, on two turntables and two CDJs, taking you on an extended journey through three GENERATIONS of dance music with an all new visual experience.

Drawing on influences ranging from The Verve, Primal Scream, Beck, Beastie Boys and Bob Dylan in a contemporary fusion of beats, guitars and attitude, the Philadelphia-born, Los Angeles-based Mohawk-ed and tattooed troubadour Mondo Cozmo has the attitude of the Manchester bands of the 90s…working class, honest, inspirational, cautiously hopeful, and socially observational. He hasn’t wasted any time positioning himself as one of 2017’s most promising new artists. Recently, he finished a run of sold out shows across the country and is performing at some of the biggest festivals including: Bonnaroo, Governors Ball, Boston Calling, Sasquatch, Firefly, Hangout Festival, and more.

Lo Moon are a three-piece band based in LA who’s debut song, a 7-minute sprawling anthem

called “Loveless,” is fast-becoming a radio favorite. The song has already had over two million streams since it was released. The band is currently putting the finishing touches to their debut album, and will be releasing a music video by Warren Fu (Daft Punk, Strokes, Killers) for “Loveless” shortly.

KCRW DJ Jason Bentley hosts the evening and spins sets prior to, and in-between the live performances.

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The SOUND IN FOCUS series closes on Saturday, July 29 with a headlining set from international guitar virtuosos Rodrigo y Gabriela bringing to the stage their unique instrumental blend of metal, jazz and world music. Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero have been playing together for more than fifteen years. First as young thrash metal fans in their native Mexico City, then as street musicians in Dublin, Ireland at the turn of the millennium, and finally as the globe-straddling, film-scoring, record-breaking artists they are today. Known for exhilarating live shows, Rodrigo y Gabriela have won the hearts of music lovers from the haciendas of Cuba to the Hollywood Bowl and festival fields of Europe, as they continue to weave their unique six-string magic. The extraordinary interplay between Sanchez’s fiery lead lines and Quintero’s phenomenal rhythmic battery is truly universal. Their most recent release 9 Dead Alive (2014), the duo’s first studio album in five years, features intimate songs and intuitive performances with spectacular results, bursting with melodic energy and rhythmic invention. The album captures the warmth and spontaneity of two great musicians riffing and jamming together, perfectly distilled and teeming with desire, elegance and gusto. The duo also recently released a 10-year anniversary deluxe edition of their debut album on ATO Records which features a 2-LP set including both a re-mastered version of the original album, and a 2006 performance, live from Olympia Theatre in Dublin. With career sales in excess of 1.5 million albums, blockbuster movie scores, and sold-out tours worldwide, Rodrigo y Gabriela have certainly made their mark. Their appeal is boundless, their scope limitless, and the music timeless.

Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Natalia Lafourcade delivers the evening’s opening live set. Her music weaves sounds from her native Mexico with elements of jazz, rock, bossa nova and folk. At seventeen, she released her first, eponymous album of original songs to critical acclaim. Since then, her 15-year career discography includes the award-winning Casa (2005), Mujer Divina (2012), Homenaje a Agustín Lara (2013), and Hasta la Raíz (2015), which garnered a Grammy for “Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album” and four Latin Grammys. A charismatic performer, Lafourcade has toured extensively throughout the globe. For her latest project, she pays tribute to Latin American folk music in Musas, un homenaje al folclore latinoamericano en manos de Los Macorinos (2017), through organic recordings and videos that exemplify her mastery and maturity as a collaborative artist.

KCRW DJ José Galván hosts and spins sets prior to and in-between the live performances.

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The 2017 SOUND IN FOCUS concert series takes place at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Century City. The Annenberg Space for Photography will stay open until 11:00 p.m. on these evenings so that the concertgoers may enjoy both the concerts and GENERATION WEALTH by Lauren Greenfield, the current exhibition. The exhibition examines the influence of affluence over the last 25 years, illustrating the globalization of materialism, celebrity culture and social status. This timely, thought-provoking collection explores how “keeping up with the Joneses” has become Keeping Up with the Kardashians, magnifying the aspirational gap between what we want and what we can afford. The exhibit is not about the rich, but the pervasive desire for more. Lauren Greenfield is an internationally acclaimed, Emmy Award®-winning filmmaker and photographer who is considered a preeminent chronicler of consumerism, youth culture and gender identity. Her third collaboration with the Annenberg Space for Photography and first solo show, this exhibit is a revelatory cultural exploration that presents 195 color-saturated prints, 42 riveting first-person interviews and the accompanying multimedia projections and short films.

KCRW and the Annenberg Foundation first united in 2012 for a string of hugely successful summer music events to accompany the Who Shot Rock & Roll exhibit. 2014’s Country in the City series not only spotlighted emerging and established artists in the genre, but was part of the Annenberg Foundation’s 25th anniversary festivities. Last year’s series, which highlighted the acclaimed REFUGEE exhibition, saw thousands of concertgoers enjoy headlining performances by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Baaba Maal, and Nas.

About KCRW:
KCRW creates and curates a unique mix of content centered around music discovery, NPR news, cultural exploration and informed public affairs. We are driven by the spirit of LA and deliver in innovative ways — on the radio, digitally and in person — to diverse, curious communities around the corner and around the world. A community service of Santa Monica College, KCRW can be found on the air in LA, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Mojave, Palm Springs, San Luis Obispo, via the KCRW-developed smart phone app, and online at kcrw.com.

About the Annenberg Foundation:
The Annenberg Foundation is a family foundation that provides funding and support to nonprofit organizations in the United States and globally. Since 1989, it has generously funded programs in education and youth development; arts, culture and humanities; civic and community life; health and human services; and animal services and the environment. In addition, the Foundation and its Board of Directors are directly involved in the community with innovative projects that further its mission of advancing a better tomorrow through visionary leadership today. Among them are Annenberg Alchemy, Annenberg Learner, Annenberg Space for Photography, explore, GRoW @ Annenberg and the Metabolic Studio. The Foundation encourages the development of effective ways to communicate by sharing ideas and knowledge.