Newark’s hottest summer scene for electrifying outdoor concerts transforms into a online weekly series of live DJ dance parties this year when NJPAC’s Horizon Foundation Sounds of the City kicks off – virtually – on July 2.
An Arts Center tradition, Horizon Foundation Sounds of City concerts have brought thousands to NJPAC’s Chambers Plaza for free concerts on Thursday evenings in July and August. An artisans’ marketplace, a fleet of food trucks, an al fresco bar and a festival feeling made these weekly gatherings a signature summer event for music lovers from across New Jersey.
This year, with NJPAC’s campus closed to protect patrons, artists and staff during the coronavirus pandemic, the Arts Center has transformed the series into a weekly live DJ dance party streaming on Facebook, bringing the festivities from the NJPAC campus into the homes of fans across New Jersey and around the world.
Hip hop and house music, old school R&B and Latin dance will still fill summer nights thanks to NJPAC, but in a way that allows warm-weather revelers to stay safe in their own homes. In addition to the artists listed below, special surprise guests may join some performances!
“Sounds of the City has been a part of what NJPAC means to Newark, and to New Jersey, since we opened our doors,” said NJPAC Executive Vice President and Executive Producer David Rodriguez.
“We had to find a way to keep the music playing, and that tradition alive, this summer. We’re all frustrated, we’re all uncertain. More than ever before, we really need an opportunity to surround ourselves with great music, to get up and dance, and to do so as part of a community. We hope these live dance parties, presented in a format that allows you to see that your friends and neighbors are listening in their own homes at the same time, will be a welcome weekly break in the pandemic routine for all,” he added.
The concerts, scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. each Thursday, start on July 2 with chart-topping hip hop and R&B hits spun by two deejays from New Jersey — Irvington’s DJ Ran and and Newark’s own DJ Wallah — and conclude on Aug. 27 with a set by husband and wife team DJ Kiss and DJ M.O.S., the official deejays for the Oscars red carpet and afterparty.
The series’ title sponsor, Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, is the charitable arm of Newark-based Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. Horizon BCBSNJ has worked closely with city officials to invest in many aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including grants to support food bank distributions to city residents.
“Regardless of whether the stage is outside, in the living room or in the backyard, the 2020 edition of Sounds of the City will bring captivating music from world-class musicians to the people of Newark and virtual audiences everywhere,” said Gary D. St. Hilaire, President and CEO of Horizon BCBSNJ.
“Music is the perfect medicine for the body, mind and soul. Horizon is proud to continue our sponsorship with NJPAC and to support the city of Newark as it recovers and heals from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The Horizon Foundation Sounds of the Cityconcert series is made possible through a special collaboration of NJPAC, The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey and generous sponsors RWJBarnabas Health and Mars Wrigley.
