Black creativity is the vibe at Sept. 21 westside showcase

APPLESAUCE GROUP

“A Vibe Called Fresh: Westside Symphony” Sept. 21 at 1600 W. Trade St. is a showcase of Black creativity in Charlotte that includes community participation through music and the arts.

Black creativity and culture will be showcased and celebrated this weekend.

“A Vibe Called Fresh: Westside Symphony” Sept. 21 at 1600 W Trade St. from 2-9 p.m. incorporates music from R&B to rap and includes a live performance by members of the Charlotte Symphony. The free festival, themed “Crunk, Trap, Snap: Celebrating The Golden Years of Southern Rap Party Music,” is the result of an unexpected partnership, according to promoter Winston Robinson. A conversation with Charlotte Symphony CEO David Frisk about community engagement evolved into a showcase of Black creativity and a combination of music genres.

The showcase continues Applesauce Group’s flagship event, “A Vibe Called Fresh,” which launched in 2017.

“We want this performance to fully capture the essence of that time before social media shaped the partying scene,” Robinson, owner of Applesauce Group, a Charlotte nonprofit, said in a statement. “From Southern heavy bass music with scratching, mixing and blending representing the peak of the party, to winding down with ‘Choosin’ Time,’ the R&B slow jams at the end of a night, signaling time was running out to make those last-minute connections.”

“A Vibe Called Fresh: Westside Symphony” is more than a concert or block party. It will include free skating, a smooth groove skating contest, and live art exhibition by My Brother’s Keeper executive director Ricky Singh. R&B karaoke and trivia, hula hoop contests, food and retail vendors and community resources on site are also scheduled.

The festival will take a nostalgic trip to the early 2000s with DJ Buttafingaz on set at 7 p.m. with an hour-long mix of tracks. Harvey Cummings and Rae Monique will arrange instrumentation with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and group vocals for the live chorus, adlibs and song fading.

Go-go band The Iconic Truth will perform at 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

“History will be made on the Westside of Charlotte on Sept. 21, hopefully inspiring other organizations and institutions to engage in collaborations that push beyond their comfort zones,” Robinson said. “This is a space where everyone – from elders to teenagers to families with small children – can feel free and is a true indication that we’re doing something meaningful and important.”

Comments