City of Rochester
News Release
(Monday June 17, 2019) – Mayor Lovely A. Warren today joined with City Council President Loretta C. Scott and Varick Baiyina, President & CEO of Xperience Live Events, to announce the full line-up of entertainers scheduled to perform at this year’s Rochester Summer Soul Music Festival, as well as some exciting new activities that will take place as part of the two-day event. The Summer Soul Music Fest will take place on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 23 and 24, with all activities taking place at Frontier Field.
“Last year, we revamped and renamed the Rochester Summer Soul Music Festival to give this event new life and make it possible for even more people in our community to take part in the festivities,” said Mayor Warren. “We’ve brought back Xperience Live Events as the producers of the festival, and this year promises to be an even bigger success than last year’s event. We have some great music and entertainment in store for festival-goers, along with a day full of fun activities that the entire family can enjoy. Summer Soul Music Fest is a great way to close out our city’s festival season, and this is definitely going to be an event you won’t want to miss.”
The festival kicks off on Friday with a Summer Soul Tailgate Party from 6 – 11 p.m. Rapper CHUBB ROCK will headline the evening, which will also feature some of the best local and regional talent in the greater Rochester area. Billed as the “Best of the Bands,” attendees will be asked to cast their vote for their choice of the best group. The grand prize winners will have the opportunity to perform before a crowd of thousands as the opening act for Saturday’s big show that features internationally known recording artists.
Saturday’s activities begin with a free Community Block Party & Backpack Giveaway, held in partnership with Roc Royal Foundation. The event is open to the public and will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the adjoining parking lot directly outside the Frontier Field stadium. There will be live performances all day on the community stage, along with children’s activities, a health zone, local vendors and food trucks. In addition, a free backpack giveaway will take place between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. to help city youth get prepared for the coming school year.
The highlight of the festival is sure to be the Stone Soul Saturday concert, which takes place from 5 -11 p.m. inside the stadium.
As previously announced, Saturday’s headliners will be the pioneers of the New Jack Swing sound, Bell Biv Devoe, who are currently performing around the country on their 30th Anniversary Tour. The group consists of former New Edition members Ricky Bell, Michael Bivens and Ronnie Devoe, and are known for hits like Poison, Do Me!, and BBD (I Thought It Was Me).
Sharing the Stone Soul concert stage with BBD will be 90s super group Guy, featuring legendary music producer Teddy Riley, and brothers Aaron and Damion Hall. R&B songstress Keke Wyatt will also perform her hits.
Several new performers have now been added to complete the full Saturday line-up. Also scheduled to perform are: Lil Mo, Shanice Williams, Michel’le and Christopher Williams, along with up and coming industry favorites Amir Daze, Cecily, Rell Nice and Suav.
Early Bird ticket sales for the Rochester Summer Soul Music Festival concluded at the end of May, and regular pricing is now in effect through August 24.
Regular ticket prices for the Saturday concert are: $59 general admission, $79 for upper premium seating (Tier 2) and $99 for lower premium seating (Tier 1). Tickets for Friday’s Summer Soul Tailgate Party are also on sale for $20.
Patrons can save $10 by purchasing a two-day Soul Combo Ticket that’s good for both Friday and Saturday admission. Combo ticket prices are: $69 general admission; $89 for Tier 2 premium seating; and $109 for Tier 1 premium seating.
Tickets can be purchased on the www.rocsummersoulfest.com website or in person at the Frontier Field Box Office, 1 Morrie Silver Way.
Xperience Live Events, LLC, a Maryland-based events planning company founded by Rochester native Varick Baiyina, are the promoters for the festival for the second consecutive year. The company is committed to building the Rochester Summer Soul Music Festival into a premier community event with regional appeal that also spurs economic growth in the city of Rochester.
“As a native son of Rochester, I’m honored to continue such a proud tradition in my hometown,” stated Baiyina. “Urban music has been the soundtrack to my media management success. My team is honored to work closely with the Mayor, City Council and City of Rochester events staff to build the Rochester Summer Soul Music Festival back to legendary status.”
Sponsors for this year’s Summer Soul Music Fest include Henderson Ford, 103.9 WDKX and Roc Royal Foundation. Additional sponsorships are expected to be added.
For more information and updates on the Rochester Summer Soul Music Festival visit http://www.rocsummersoulfest.com
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News Media: For more information contact:
Rosetta Street, Director of Public Relations, Xperience Live Events, LLC
(585) 224-6365 or rosetta.street@gmail.com
Jessica Alaimo, City of Rochester Press Officer, (585) 428-7135.