Lots for Music Lovers to SHOUT! About

  • By The Biscuit Staff on March 30, 2023
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From March 31 – April 16, live music is easy to find … and it’s all free

Can you hear that? It’s the sweet, sweet sounds of Charlotte SHOUT! returning once again to the streets of uptown for 17 days (March 31 to April 16) and bringing with it art, ideas, food and music.

We’re eager to see public art from hundreds of local and international creatives.

We’re famished for food from Charlotte StrEATS, Cafe 400 pop-ups and the secret SHOUT! menu at the Market at 7th Street.

And, we’re curious about Charlotte Ideas Festival and the daily audio and video reports from the Queen City Podcast Network.

But, what really has our toes tapping is Charlotte SHOUT’s impressive schedule of musical performances.

LISTEN TO THE SOUNDS OF CHARLOTTE

For 50 weeks of the year, you may have to work a little to discover your favorite local musical act. But, for two weeks and three weekends, much of the Queen City’s musical prowess is on daily display at Charlotte SHOUT!

Whatever style of music you dig, you’ll be happy. This year’s SHOUT! calendar features more than 130 musical performances by nearly as many Charlotte-based artists and groups in five different locations — Ally Main Stage, Ally Showcase Stage presented by Music Everywhere CLT, Pianodrome, Café 400 and the Charlotte SHOUT! Lounge. You won’t have to dig hard to find the sounds you love. And, you won’t have to dig into your wallet, either. All the events listed below are offered for free.

Unless otherwise noted, all the acts below will take place on the Ally Main Stage on the Wells Fargo Plaza off S. Tryon Street. And, it all starts tonight with the kick-off of the three-day Jazz Fest …

Grace Kelly

MARCH 31: Jazz Fest – Smooth Jazz

Let’s start SHOUTING! on the first day of the festival with a concert by Charlotte’s own Adrian Crutchfield and Grace Kelly. They’ll open a three-day Jazz Fest at the Ally Main Stage on the Plaza at 329 S. Tryon Street. Jazz Fest will offer everything from contemporary jazz to the blues and features nearly 20 different performances in 72 hours. See the full lineup.

APRIL 1: Jazz Fest – Jazz All Day

Day two of Jazz Fest – Jazz All Day – offers exactly that – a day packed with incredible jazz featuring some of Charlotte’s finest musicians. Kicking off at 1 p.m, Jazz All Day continues after dark with performances by Christie Dashiell at 7:30 p.m. and Sean Mason and his Trio at 9 p.m. See the full lineup.

APRIL 2: Jazz Fest – Jazz & Blues

Jazz Fest rolls on Sunday with Jazz & Blues. Starting at 2 p.m., the stage will be jam-packed all day until it crescendos with two headliners, the Eric Brice Group and international recording artist, Indiara Sfair. There ain’t a hipper way to hop into the week ahead. See the full lineup here.

Quentin Talley

APRIL 6: Funk Night 

On Thursday, April 6 beginning at 5 p.m., Charlotte legend Quentin Talley will emcee a night of high energy, funk fusion and fun. The evening features cool creatives ready to groove you on into Friday – Stefan Kallander, Cosmic Collective and FUNK JAM. See the full lineup.

NiiTO

APRIL 7: R&B Night on The Plaza

We’re looking forward to getting the weekend started with a SHOUT! at a night of soulful R&B from top musicians and bands. Four groups – BRAVE, Jay D. Jones & Organic Soul, The El Lambert Band and NiiTO –  will take the Ally Stage to share smooth melodies under a starry sky. This is sure to be a groove you don’t want to miss. See the full lineup.

Isaiah Bell

APRIL 8: GospelFest with Isaiah Bell and Pastor John P. Kee

This one-day-only event Saturday will showcase Charlotte’s gospel roots through today’s talent. Hosted by El Lambert, GospelFest offers eight performances throughout the day, punctuated by music from Isaiah Bell at 7:30 p.m. and Pastor John P. Kee at 8:30 p.m. See the full lineup.

And, if one day of gospel music isn’t enough, we recommend you catch GospelSHOUT! at United House of Prayer for All People on April 4 (with a special soul food dinner for $15 at 6 p.m.) and Worship Night on the Ally Main Stage starting at 4 p.m. on April  9.

New Local

APRIL 13: Dance Party at the Plaza

Dance the night away at the high-energy dance party with New Local, a five-piece band known to pump new energy into pop classics and the Queen’s Court, composed of musical artists who’ve performed around the world. Make sure to bring your dancing  shoes because the bands will inspire you to move.

Los Hacheros

APRIL 14: Noche Latina

Latin Night, or Noche Latina, is an evening of dancing and music that celebrates Latin traditions from around the world. Starting at 5:30 p.m., three acts lead up to the main event – a performance from Los Hacheros and the Sabrosalsa Orchestra out of Brooklyn. Los Hacheros (“The Axemen”) are regarded by many as the current keepers of Latinx folklore sound. They mix a wide array of Latin dance styles with bomba – a traditional dance and musical style of Puerto Rico. Click here for a lineup.

DJ 2-Tone Jones & Gerald Watson of Shaolin Jazz

APRIL 15: CAN I KICK IT? presents The Matrix

WHOA! CAN I KICK IT?, a film experience catered to lovers of Kung-Fu flicks, the music they inspired and everything in between is back for a second bout at SHOUT! This year, they’re cracking into the Keanu Reeves classic, The Matrix. CAN I KICK IT? pairs cult movie favorites with a remixed soundtrack of hip-hop, soul and funk music mixed onsite by DJ 2-Tone Jones, adding new surprises to a film you know by heart.

ARSENA

APRIL 16: Final Countdown

Going out on a high note, SHOUT! 2023 is “turning it up to 11” with the Final Countdown – a closing party combining live, local music; art installations; and more. The event kicks off at 2 p.m. with a performance by Charlotte musician, ARSENA, followed by artists Janelle Symone and Chantaul at 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. respectively. A special viewing party from 6 – 9 p.m. will draw SHOUT! 2023 to a close with a recap video of incredible events from this year’s festival.

MAP AND PARKING INSTRUCTIONS

Charlotte SHOUT! is sprinkled throughout the center city. Here’s a handy map to help you navigate the creative scene. Click here for a downloadable PDF and parking information.

And, visit CharlotteSHOUT.com for daily schedules of events and installations featured during the festival.

This post was sponsored by Charlotte SHOUT! Funds from this partnership will be used for HUG Micro-Grants to assist local creatives.

 

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