First Things
Something Stringed
‘Visionary’ Dixon’s Violin to play at Bell’s
Something Musical Free outdoor concerts offer nostalgia and more
Dixon’s
Shayne Steele
The nice thing about outdoor concerts? You can spread out a little bit, maintain social distance and still enjoy the music. You’ll have four opportunities this month in Kalamazoo and Portage. Kalamazoo
The Concerts in the Park series, presented Portage
by the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo, will offer two concerts at Bronson Park this month: July 19: The Michigan Nightingales — A Kalamazoo-based gospel group. July 26: Shayna Steele — New York-based R&B and jazz vocalist. Bring lawn chairs or blankets for these 4 p.m. performances. In case of rain, the concerts will be held in the First United Methodist Church, 212 S. Park St., across from the park. Check the Arts Council website, kalamazooarts.org, for schedule updates or changes.
Something Happy
Frolic among the sunflowers If you need a little color in your life,
then plan to frolic among the flowers at the Sunflower Festival at Gull Meadow Farms, in Richland. Festival hours are 2–6 p.m. July 31 and Aug. 7 and 14 and 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Aug. 1, 2, 8, 9, 15 and 16.
8 | ENCORE JULY 2020
The Michigan Nightingales
This month’s Summer Concert Series performance, presented by Portage Parks & Recreation, will be “drive-in style,” letting attendees listen to the music from the comfort of their own cars at Ramona Park, 8600 Sprinkle Road. The tribute band Motown Nation will perform at 7 p.m. July 30, singing songs by Motown artists such as Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Frankie Valli, The Supremes and The Temptations. For more information, visit mypark. portagemi.gov or call Portage Parks & Recreation at 329-4522.
Violin, featuring a violinist whose music has been described in reviews as “transforming,” “mesmerizing” and just plain beautiful, will perform at 8:30 p.m. July 25 in the Back Room at Bell’s Eccentric Café, 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave. Dixon, who first picked up the violin at 10, improvises on a five-string electric violin with a looping system he developed to create an all-live one-man symphony. He has toured internationally, given numerous TED Talks and has been a staple at both the Burning Man festival and the Electric Forest music festival, among other events. Tickets are $12. Dixon was originally scheduled to appear at Bell’s on April 25. All tickets purchased for that performance will be honored for this one. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit bellsbeer.com.
The farm offers five acres of sunflowers, including some that are bigger than your head. Admission to the festival is $13 and includes family activity areas, a petting farm, a wagon ride out to the sunflower patch, and one sunflower to cut and take home. For tickets or more information, including any schedule changes, visit tinyurl.com/sunflowerfestkzoo or call 6294214.
