Kimmel Center Presents Opens 2005-06 Season with a Diverse Weekend of Extraordinary Performers
August 15, 2005
Kimmel Center Presents Opening Weekend continues when Philadelphia’s own hip-hop all-stars, The Roots, make their debut at the Kimmel Center’s Verizon Hall on Kimmel Center Presents Sovereign Bank World Pop Mix Series on Friday, September 16, 2005 at 8pm. The three-time Grammy award winning group, hailed as one of the “greatest acts in the world” by Rolling Stone, will be joined on stage by several musical guests, including critical favorites TV on the Radio and Deerhoof.
The concert is the first of the Sovereign Bank World/Pop Mix series. Other concerts in the series include Los Lobos with Alejandro Escovedo on October 2, 2005 Mariza with Lila Downs on October 9.
Other Opening Weekend performances include An Evening With Tony Bennett on Thursday, September 15, and Solomon Burke with special guest MFSB Band on Saturday, September 17 in Verizon Hall.
Tickets for The Roots & Friends on September 16 are priced at $60, $45, and $30, and can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999 or online at www.kimmelcenter.org. (Additional fees may apply).
Widely recognized as the progenitors of Philadelphia’s famed “neo-soul” movement, The Roots have made their mark in the hip-hop world with their innovative, rule-bending, fusion sound and their unabashed critique of a hip-hop world governed by gangsta mentality. Much has changed since Roots producer/drummer Ahmir Thompson, aka “?uestlove,” and lyricist Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter first met at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. Having started their musical career with performances on the corners of South Street with buckets, pots, and pans, The Roots went on to snag three Grammy awards and release seven CDs, including the most recent album, 2004’s The Tipping Point , a fusion of hip-hop, funk, and soul woven together into accessible simplicity.
The conventions of the hip hop genre are challenged once again by the Roots in The Tipping Point, and USA Today raves The Tipping Point's stripped-down simplicity gives its music and messages a raw energy. That's typical of The Roots. Repetition has never been in their expansive vocabulary. Too bad more hip-hop acts don't see that as an antidote to mediocrity." The Tipping Point is only the latest example of The Roots’ reverence and respect for their musical forebears - regardless of genre - while fearlessly inventing a musical language all their own.
This special acoustic performance by The Roots at the Kimmel Center completes the circle for these talented Philadelphians who started out busking on South Street and ended up touring the world – as the saying goes, “It’s About Time”.
Always focused on promoting new and upcoming talent, The Roots will be welcoming several special musical guests, including their friends and critical faves TV on the Radio and Deerhoof from New York City.
Tickets for The Roots & Friends on September 16 are priced at $60, $45, and $30, and can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, online at www.kimmelcenter.org, or at the Kimmel Center box office, open daily from 10am to 6pm and later on performance evenings. (Additional fees may apply). For group sales call 215-790-5883.
A limited number of $10 tickets are available for every Kimmel Center Presents performance at the Kimmel Center. Tickets go on sale the day of the event and can be purchased at the Kimmel Center box office beginning at 5:30pm for evening performances and 11:30am for matinees.
Sponsors of the 2005-2006 Kimmel Center Presents season include University of Pennsylvania Health Care System, Mellon Financial Corporation, Sovereign Bank, The American Express Company, and Verizon Pennsylvania, Inc. American Airlines is the Official Airline of Kimmel Center Presents. Toyota is the Official Vehicle of Kimmel Center Presents.
KIMMEL CENTER PRESENTS
Sovereign Bank World/Pop Mix
September 16, 2005, 8pm
Verizon Hall
Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter - lyricist
Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson - producer/drummer
Leonard “Hub” Hubbard - bass
Kamal Gray – keyboards
“Captain” Kirk Douglass – guitars
Frank “Knuckles” Walker - percussion
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