Top musos to rock the Roof Garden Bar
THE Roof Garden Bar in Winston Ntshona Street (formerly Chapel Street) is rocking tonight and tomorrow to completely different sounds.
Tonight the bar’s Summer Solstice concert will feature Desmond and the Tutus, a four-piece national outfit from Pretoria known for their indie rock vibe.
Tomorrow three of Port Elizabeth’s major bands will headline an arts evening there.
Ikati Esengxoweni, Umle and The Cottonfields promise to keep guests on their feet at The Village Concerts Presents The Cottonfields, Umle and Ikati Esengxoweni, which will incorporate visual arts, theatre and live music to entertain Bay art lovers.
Hosted by Bay award-winning alternative, urban traditional music band Ikati Esengxoweni (Cat in the Bag), The Village Concerts Presents – The Cottonfields, Umle & Ikati Esengxoweni will also be an arts awareness event.
Then, on December 28, visiting group The Kiffness will get in the groove at the same venue with its get-up-and-dance tunes likely to pull in a festive crowd.
Ikati Esengxoweni vocalist Lark Wantu said: “It’s a way of getting everything artsy together to close off the year because usually if there’s a music or theatre event, it’s just that and not everything in one place.
“The event will also act as a catalyst for a fundraising campaign by Ikati Esengxoweni, as we will be performing at the Smoking Dragon Festival at the main stage in Drakensberg,” she said.
The event will incorporate live music with poetry by Dongadala Bemdiliza, visual art by 4 Blind Mice and theatrical storytelling by playwright Xabiso Zweni.
Zweni has light-hearted theatrical tricks up his sleeve.
“Because it’s a happy season, I don’t want to depress people quite a lot so I’ll be doing a collage of funny and joyful monologues . . . nothing too depressing,” he said.
The five-member band – vocalists Wantu and Anam Manyati, drummer Nkwenkwezi Mtila, bassist Sandile Suka and guitarist Nceba Mgolombane – will headline the event alongside Umle and The Cottonfields. And for football fans there will be a soccer table for them.
Blending right in to the mood, will be an exhibition and sale of arts and crafts by 4 Blind Mice and various stalls for the foodies.
Gates open at 4pm for table soccer and the event starts at 5pm on Saturday. Tickets are R100 – inclusive of a welcome glass of wine at the door.
For tonight’s gig by Desmond and the Tutus, and The Kiffness next week, tickets are R120 double, R80 single and the shows start at 5pm.