Trenton deserves name change to Funkytown for final Levitt AMP Music Series
As the curtain closes on the 2018 Levitt AMP Trenton Music Series Thursday, this capital city may be ready for a temporary name change.
Welcome to Funkytown people as Brooklyn-based soulfunk geniuses Ikebe Shakedown takes music lovers to the bridge with Afro-beats and a ginormous brass section that will blow your mind.
Hope you’re feeling horny as Ikebe, pronounced “ee-KAYbay”), delivers a unique sound that once heard will confirm their talents and infuse their style in your mental framework and bone structure.
This bad-assed band will achieve that popular desire by James Brown to “Make It Funky, Part 1” and even “Part II”. Guests who have not danced during this ten-week series of free music at Mill Hill Park on East Front St. will find disengagement difficult as Ikebe Shakedown delivers grooves tighter than a city salon hair weave.
Ikebe history includes a past backing of soul-funk artists Sharon Jones and her band the Dap Kings as well as Charles Bradley. These guys deliver ginormous soul sounds that conjure memories of 1970s funk laced with powerful band creations.
Trenton Downtown Association notes an undercard performance by Philadelphiabased funk merchants Swift Technique.
TDA offers, the band formed in 2007, delivers a “unique blend of funk, soul, rock, hip-hop and unrelentingshowmanship(that) has propelled the group into their most successful period to date. Bombastic horns, thunderous bass and drums, driving guitar and keys, Swift Technique’s live performance are unmatchedinenergy,musicianship and pure feel-good fun.”
As part of TDA’s community engagement efforts, a local organization is recognized each week during the Community Spotlight portion of the concert for their support of the city’s effort in making Trenton a great place to live, work and visit. This Thursday, we recognize the Boys & Girls Clubs of Mercer County.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Mercer county provides young people, ages 5 to 18, in Mercer County with social, enrichment and recreational activities through after-school, weekend and summer programs. Their mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens. BGCMercer after-school and enrichment programs focus on improving youth outcomes in education & careers, character development & leadership, and developing healthy lifestyles through physical activity and healthy living.
The muralist scheduled for the live painting public art component of the series, called Murals on Front, is Pest. Raised in a predominantly urban environment, Pest grew up loving graffiti and started to create himself, sparking his passion for the arts. Nowadays, Pest can be found utilizing many styles of art, but is still working to define his own with politically charged themes in his works.
Brought back for its second year in a row, Murals on Front consists of 11 artists that have been invited to paint the panels that occupy the vacant storefronts of the closed parking deck on East Front Street, directly across from Mill Hill Park. This public art project is able to happen thanks to our friends at the Trenton Parking Authority.
This is a free concert open to the public. TDA encourages guests to bring blankets and/ or lawn chairs.
Free parking will be offered by the Trenton Parking Authority in the Liberty Commons Parking garage located on Front Street, just a few hundred feet from Mill Hill Park.
Information on schedules, parking, guidelines and directions to the park can be found at http://www.levittamp.org/ trenton.
So, this last Levitt AMP Trenton Music Series means surrender to funk, a final flare up of fantastic fun that closes the book on a memorable summer of diverse music, fantastic food trucks and an opportunity to meet people, especially those all-in regarding building a safe, prosperous and cohesive city that respects all residents and understand that we all list in the same boat.