Jul 20

Jul 20 Grammy-nominated group Southern Avenue bringing soul to Rochester's MLK Park

Partnered Content | 2021

Southern Avenue, a Memphis-based blues-rock group, will headline the next installment of the forWARD Neighborhood Park Concert Series.

The concert is scheduled to begin Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park, 1738 East Center Street. Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter Colin Bracewell is opening. The event is free to attend.

The forWARD concert series was first introduced in 2019 — though this summer marks the first time the Rochester Civic Music department is bringing neighborhood concerts to all six city wards.

The outdoor shows, held on select Wednesday nights through the summer, feature local bands opening for regional, national, or international headliners. Mayo Clinic is sponsoring the series.

By bringing events into the neighborhoods, Civic Music says its hopes the forWARD series can promote neighborhood vitality and livability, emphasizing activities outside the downtown area. Each concert will also be emceed by the ward’s City Council member, allowing residents to learn more about the individuals representing them in local government.

About the artists

Southern Avenue: “Southern Avenue is an award winning, 2020 Grammy Nominated band out of Memphis, Tennessee. The group combines the talents of a prodigiously talented set of young musicians who bring their individual backgrounds to the table to create music that carries the Southern soul legacy into the 21st century, spanning the band members' wide-ranging musical interests while showcasing the powerful chemistry and electrifying live show that they've honed through extensive stage and studio experience. Since the release of their award winning debut album in 2017, Southern Avenue has played in over a dozen countries and wowed audiences at such festivals as Bonnaroo, Firefly, Electric Forest and Lockn’.”

Colin Bracewell: “As a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Colin feels it is important for people to interpret his music in a way that best fits them and their own stories. He is influenced by personal experiences, especially the ones that are tough and make you grow. Colin believes it is through the "stories" in music that a person is given the ability to connect with themselves and the people and places around them.”