The Apollo Theater announced the highly anticipated line-up for the third season of its groundbreaking Apollo Music Café series. Sponsored by Flonari Wines, Apollo Music Café showcases creative underground artist in a series of diverse performances across genres, including R&B, hip hop, soul, jazz, pop, funk and rock. Presented in the Theater’s intimate Soundstage, the series continues the Apollo’s longstanding commitment to presenting diverse and innovative artistic voices. Since its debut, in February 2011, the series has become a favorite destination for music lovers of all kinds – from Harlem tastemakers to tourists to the downtown hipster set. During the third season Apollo Music Café audiences will experience innovative performances by vocalists, spoken word artists and masterful DJs.
This season’s opening weekend will be a three night event beginning with Tre Williams and the Revelations on October 12th, Mateo on October 13th and The New Class featuring Cuz I’m Dope, PJay Johnson, Sene, Mike Hurtt, Justine Sky, The Cranberry Show and Rich P with host Amanda Seales, on October 15th. Apollo Music Café will run monthly through June 2013.
“The response to the first season of Apollo Music Café was so overwhelmingly enthusiastic and demonstrated that, as the Harlem community continues to grow, so does the need for diverse artistic offerings in the neighborhood. All of the artists featured in the Apollo Music Café series are at the top of the underground music scene. Each has a very distinctive style and pushes the envelope to produce a sound that is uniquely their own,” said the Apollo’s Executive Producer Mikki Shepard. “Music Café takes a creative approach in connecting with the pulse of the underground music scene and is designed to spotlight emerging artists while cultivating unique experiences for audiences.”
“Since its inception, the Apollo has been a catalyst for artistic brilliance, acting as a platform for diverse talents to develop their craft and connect with audiences. Music Café is a natural extension of the legendary Apollo Experience,” said Apollo President and CEO Jonelle Procope.
Kicking off the new season in October is Tre Williams and the Revelations. This Brooklyn based band made a name for themselves in both traditional and progressive soul circles with The Bleeding Edge, their full-length debut album released in 2009. Tre Williams and the Revelations represent a renewed dawning in soul music, one that marries the concrete jungle grit of the streets with the midnight blues of the rural South. The seven-man band, lead by vocalist Tre Williams, recently released their second full length album, Concrete Blues.
With an out-of-this-world sound, inspiring lyrics and an authentic voice, Mateo is definitely one of those rare breeds of artists that have it all. The talented singer-songwriter coined the term “Urban Mod” to describe his unique sound. “It’s R&B music but, it’s like a lot of urban music right now; influenced by so many different genres. For me the music that I love influences what I do so, of course the R&B/Soul stuff like Lauryn Hill, India.Arie and Donnie Hathaway but I’m also a huge fan of Coldplay and Kings of Leon. I kind of merge those types of elements in my music. I call it Urban Mod because of this new kind of modernism in urban music.” Already having shared the stage with artists such as J. Holiday, Day26, Mario, and Erykah Badu and releasing the acclaimed Underneath The Sky Mixtape series, Mateo has proven he has the “it” factor. With Grammy Award winning producer Kerry “Krucial” Brothers at the helm of Mateo’s major debut, it is only a matter of time before the world sings his praises.
Closing out Music Café opening weekend , Lillie Pop will present The New Class, a special edition showcase featuring groundbreaking performances from a cadre of energetic voices ranging from alternative hip hop to soulful R&B. The line-up includes spoken word duo Cuz I’m Dope, R&B new comer Justine Skye, cutting edge rapper Sene, one of the nation’s top female emcees LiKWUiD, talented singer/songwriter PJay Johnson, innovative artist Mike Hurtt, rap group and show stoppers The Cranberry Show and Harlem rap sensation Rich P. The evening will be hosted by Amanda “Diva” Seales from MTV’s Hip Hop POV.
*Presented in collaboration with Lillie Pop during the CMJ Festival.
Apollo Music Café Line-Up (October – December 2012)
Concrete Blues
Tre Williams and the Revelations
Friday, October 12, 2012
This seven-man band, lead by vocalist Tre’ Williams, represents a renewed dawning in soul music, one that marries the concrete jungle grit of the streets with the midnight blues of the rural South. The rawness of Stax and propulsive drive of Motown has been re-imagined for contemporary listeners needing relief from timeless problems. Curated by Danny Kapilian
Mateo
Saturday, October 13, 2012
With an out-of-this-world sound, inspiring lyrics and an authentic voice, Mateo is definitely one of those rare breeds of artists that have it all. The talented singer-songwriter coined the term “Urban Mod” to describe his unique sound. Already having shared the stage with artists such as J. Holiday, Day26, Mario, and Erykah Badu and releasing the acclaimed Underneath The Sky Mixtape series, Mateo has proven he has the “it” factor. Curated by Lisa Yancy
The New Class Hosted by Amanda Diva
Featuring Cuz I’m Dope, PJay Johnson, Sene, Mike Hurtt, Rich P, LiKWUiD, Justine Skye and The Cranberry Show
Monday, October 15, 2012
This special edition event will be a haven of groundbreaking performances by Violator Management’s recently discovered alternative hip-hop talent, The Cranberry Show, Faces in The Crowd award-winning duo, Cuz I’m Dope (CID), Universal Republic’s rising star, Justine Skye and Pop/R&B singer/songwriter PJay Johnson. Hosted by Amanda “Diva” Seales from MTV’s show, Hip Hop POV. Presented in collaboration with Lillie Pop during the CMJ Festival.
Soul of Brazil: Davi Veira and DJ Greg Caz
Friday, November 2, 2012
Rapper and singer Davi Vieira will bring his distinct sound of Bahia, Brazil to the Music Café stage. Brazilian bred, Vieria has a unique style which merges the traditional sounds of Brazil and Africa with a contemporary urban sound. DJ Greg Caz is best known as one half of the Brazilian Beat Brooklyn team plays the full gamut of rare grooves, funk, R&B, jazz, rock, psych, reggae & rock steady, Latin & boogaloo, Cuban, loungy soundtrack music, sunshine pop and soft-psych and much more. Curated by Tempest Entertainment
Soul of Brazil: MDM featuring Nabiyah and DJ Greg Caz
Saturday, November 3, 2012
This will be an evening of Brazilian Soul with MDM, guest vocalist Nabiyah Bashir. MDM is a percussion driven project fronted by Meia Noite, Dende and Marivaldo do Santos. MDM featuring Nabiyah Bashir will present an intriguing and infectious show set for the dance-floor. DJ Greg Caz is best known as one half of the Brazilian Beat Brooklyn team plays the full gamut of rare grooves, funk, R&B, jazz, rock, psych, reggae & rock steady, Latin & boogaloo, Cuban, loungy soundtrack music, sunshine pop and soft-psych and much more. Curated by Tempest Entertainment
Apollo Music Café: Amateur Night Artists featuring Lynn Looiser
Friday, December 7, 2012
This Amateur Night themed Music Café will feature vocalist Lynn Loosier. No stranger to the Apollo Theater, Looiser is the kind of artist who can sing any style of music from jazz to blues to R&B to gospel to country to rock. With her silky smooth voice and soulful renditions her sound has been described as “blue-eyed soul.”
Apollo Music Café: Amateur Night featuring Dave Tauler Music Group & Reesa Renee
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Past Amateur Night winners Dave Tauler and Ressa Renee will make their Apollo Music Café debuts. The Dave Tauler Music Group will offer their eclectic blend of neo-soul meets rock through their original songs and remixes of covers from around the globe. Ressa Renee will give the Apollo Music Café audience an amazing experience with her energetic ensemble of musical harmonies and undertones. Curated By Lisa Yancy
Apollo Music Café Line-Up (January – June 2013)
Maya Azucena
Friday, January 11, 2013
Artists TBD
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Artists TBD
Friday, February 1, 2013
Patrice Covington
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Music Café: Africa Now featuring The Soil and Simphiwe Dana
Friday, March 15, 2013
Sophia Rei
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Toni Blackman
Friday, April 5, 2013
Carolyn Malachi
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Music Café: Harlem Jazz Shrines The Baby Grand Tribute
Friday, May 10, 2013
Eisa Davis
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Jessica Betts
Friday, June 7, 2013
Navegante
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Tickets for Apollo Music Café are available at The Apollo Theater Box Office: (212) 531-5305, 253 West 125th Street and Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets are $20 and $15 in advance for the Apollo’s A-List (Sign up at www.apollotheater.org).
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