Road to River Revival Music Fest
*The event has already taken place on this date: Sat, 07/09/2022
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The concert series kicks off on April 16 and runs monthly through July, featuring headliners LaTasha Lee, Honey Island Swamp Band, The Texas Gentlemen, and Tomar and the FCs.
“Splice Records and the River Revival Music Festival have come to represent the many wide-ranging sounds that make up our culturally diverse city and we are proud to host a similarly eclectic line-up at Market Square Park,” said Angie Bertinot, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Downtown District. “The collaboration with Splice Records continues a tradition of bringing the best talent to the heart of Downtown Houston. We invite Houstonians of all-ages to come out to enjoy musicians that showcase the finest that Texas has to offer.”
“Live music is unique, in a world seemingly hellbent on division; it has the overpowering ability to connect and unite us,” said Splice Records owner Shaun Brennan. “We’re honored to begin the journey to the Guadalupe River right here in Downtown Houston with a spring/summer concert series. Being a native Houstonian and having the ability to offer free concerts at one of the most historic locations in our city is truly a perfect way to start reviving us”.
The “doors” open at 6:30 p.m. with DJ sets by Blue Heron Yacht Club and new this year, an artisan market located on Preston Street adjacent to the park.
Featured artists are:
- Latasha Lee (Headliner, April 16): The Corpus Christi native Latasha Lee first caught the attention of Universal platinum producer Salih Williams at age 20, jumpstarting her career. She has appeared on the show, X-Factor, and has recorded with some of the most revered hip-hop artists. Her sound is influenced by Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Gladys Knight, and Etta James.
- Aaron Stephens (Opening act, April 16): Raised in McAllen, near the most southern border of Texas, Aaron Stephens is a singer/songwriter/producer/multi-instrumentalist who places an emphasis on funky guitar playing. Stephens has played all sizes of stages, from large music festivals such as Austin City Limits and soccer stadium openings for Austin FC at Q2 Stadium.
- Honey Island Swamp Band (Headliner, June 18): Founded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Honey Island Swamp Band is the recipient of numerous New Orleans music awards and has produced five acclaimed full-length albums since 2006. Currently at work on their sixth record, the band is back on the road as live music venues continue to reopen nationwide.
- Colin Lake (Opening act, May 21): The soulful blues guitarist Colin Lake from New Orleans is back on the road after a 2.5-year hiatus with his latest album. Produced by Grammy winner Eric Heigle, Forces of Nature, features eight original, previously unreleased tracks, ripened to perfection.
- The Texas Gentlemen (Headliner, June 18): The Dallas-based five-piece specializes in an energetic brass, country honkytonk and jazzy mash-up. Their latest album, Floor It!!! features oozy, horn-fueled Dixieland-style jazz, chicken-scratch country funk, and lushly orchestrated pop-soul balladry – all in just the first 10 minutes of the album.
- Hector Ward & The Big Time (Opening act, June 18): Austin’s Hector Ward and his eight-piece band The Bigtime serve the world tasty blends of rock ‘n roll, swampy funk, Texas country and blues with a dash of Latin seasoning. They’re a gritty independent band that blurs genres with style and command.
- Tomar and the FCs (Headliner, July 9): The charismatic Tomar Williams started his career producing Houston hip-hop acts before he decided to return to his roots in soul music with The FCs, a new instrumental band on the fertile Austin scene.
- Gio Chamba (Opening act, July 9): Houston duo Giovanny Alejandro and Coffeeleaf bring an infectious musical blend and raucous performances, inspired by the cultural melting pot of Houston that includes cumbia, hip-hop, punk, tropical melodies and tweaked out guitar solos.
Concert attendees will notice brand new look at Market Square Park. Downtown District completed capital project improvements to the space, including a conversion of the central lawn from waning grass to artificial turf in addition to transforming the surrounding walkway from decomposed granite to pavers. The ground surface improvements reduce ongoing maintenance challenges while providing a more durable landscape and hardscape for events and activations of all kinds. Also, new lounge furniture has been purchased for the lawn area to create new space for enjoying a coffee, an informal meet-up or a puppy playdate in the park.
Guests are invited to bring blankets or lawn chairs and grab take-out from on-site cafe Niko Niko’s or another Downtown restaurant. On-street parking is free after 6 p.m. Visit downtownhoustonparking.org for an interactive map with garages, surface lots and other parking options in the area.
Visit marketsquarepark.com for additional details and event updates.
*Times, dates, and prices of any activity posted to our calendars are subject to change. Please be sure to click through directly to the organization’s website to verify.