Opening Night: Kamasi Washington | Ravyn Lenae | DJ Reborn

BUD LIGHT SELTZER MUSIC SERIES

 

 
Doors 6:00pm/Show 7:30pm

Join us for opening night of 2022 BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! with Los Angeles-born multi-instrumentalist, producer, and composer Kamasi Washington! Featuring opening performances by Ravyn Lenae and DJ Reborn.

Saxophonist and bandleader Kamasi Washington’s fearless, technicolor mixing of jazz, hip-hop, classical, and R&B has made him his generation’s torchbearer for progressive improvisational music – and the perfect artist to welcome Brooklyn back to a summer of joyful live performance! Sharing the stage with him on opening night are the innovative 23-year-old neo-soul phenom Ravyn Lenae, whose age belies the depth of her artistry, and the Chicago-born, NY-based DJ Reborn, who has worked with everyone from The Roots to Common to John Legend and India Arie.

*Please Note: Chairs will be available at this show, but you are also permitted to bring your own.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Kamasi Washington‘s three bodies of work to date—The Epic; Harmony of Difference, an EP originally commissioned for the 2017 Whitney Biennial; and Heaven and Earth, are among the most acclaimed of the past decade. Washington has released two films: As Told To G/D Thyself, a short film companion to Heaven and Earth which debuted at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival; and the concert film Kamasi Washington Live at The Apollo Theater in partnership with Amazon Music. In 2020, Washington scored Becoming—Netflix’s documentary profiling First Lady Michelle Obama—and was nominated for Grammy and Emmy awards for his contributions. In February 2022, Washington released to critical acclaim a brand new single titled The Garden Path with a world premiere live performance on The Tonight Show. Washington has toured the world over, and collaborated and shared stages with Kendrick Lamar, Florence + the Machine, Herbie Hancock and many more.

For as bold as Ravyn Lenae’s voice may be, her lyrics suggest an unparalleled level of intimacy—as if she’s whispering her life story directly to you and no one else. The Chicago-born and Los Angeles-based singer and songwriter channels classical technique through skyscraping delivery, balancing extremes with finesse, focus, and fire. Hailing from the South Side of Chicago, she honed her voice through intense classical training at Chicago’s High School For The Arts in between listening to everyone from India.Arie and OutKast to Antonio Vivaldi and Reynaldo Hahn. She initially introduced herself on the 2016 Moon Shoes EP, which yielded “Free Room” [feat. Appleby]. However, 2018’s Crush established her as a fan and critical favorite. “Sticky” amassed over 32 million Spotify streams. Pitchfork hailed it as “the sound of a promising young talent maturing into her own signature style,” while The Needle Drop dubbed it “some of her boldest material yet.” Billboard praised it as “one of the most sumptuous supple, meditative and detailed dispatches from a soulful young singer’s mind in recent memory.” Along the way, she toured with SZA and attracted a devout fan base of her own. Landing a major sync, she also contributed “Rewind” to Insecure: Music From The HBO Original Series, and it appeared during a key moment. After racking up over 100 million streams, she instantly captivates on the 2022 single “Skin Tight” [feat. Steve Lacy] and more to come.

Chicago born, NY based DJ Reborn is a trailblazing, international DJ, sound collage artist, and arts educator. In the music world, she has opened shows for The Roots, John Legend, Jack White, and Erykah Badu, and in the art world she has worked with celebrated artists Kara Walker, Wangechi Mutu, Carrie Mae Weems, Julie Mehretu, and Sanford Biggers. She has rocked the decks on BET and for the NAACP Image Awards. She has been an arts educator and mentor for a range of organizations including Urban Word NYC, Sadie Nash Leadership Project, and the Lower Eastside Girls Club. This phenom has graced many concert stages and festivals including Camp Flognaw, Glastonbury, The Kennedy Center, The Apollo, Carnegie Hall, and The Sydney Opera House. Her ability to rock sets for diverse crowds and events ranging from clubs to galas to weddings has allowed her to continue to build a unique and dynamic resume that sets her apart from many in her field. Reborn has been a longtime musical director and collaborator for multiple theatrical productions and is currently developing her own international performance piece centered around Women DJs. In late 2020 she founded DJs For Justice, a coalition of DJs using their platforms in support of racial, social, and  economic justice. Since 2018, Reborn is the opening DJ for the iconic Ms. Lauryn Hill’s world tour. She most recently dazzled at the historic 2022 Academy Awards Governor’s Ball along side the incredible DJ D Nice.

Please note: RSVPs are encouraged but not required. Entry is first come first served, but RSVPs help you stay up-to-date on show information. See you at #CelebrateBrooklyn!