LakeFest: Live Music

FRIDAY, JUNE 14

Shamarr Allen

LJR

5:00 – 5:45 p.m.

LJR is a tenacious and passionate pop-rock artist who strives to empower and inspire his audience to live their lives to the fullest. Seamlessly blending ‘80s-style pop beats with alternative rock guitar solos, his music is tremendously anthemic and infectious while conveying remarkable vulnerability, speaking to those parts of the soul that yearn to heal and grow.

Shamarr Allen

DeerLady

6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Mali Obomsawin is a bassist, singer and composer from Odanak First Nation, and one of GRAMMY.com’s top ten emerging jazz artists to watch this year. Her debut album Sweet Tooth garnered international acclaim and was named in ‘best of the year’ lists from The Guardian, NPR, and JazzTimes upon its release. Magdalena Abrego is a New York based guitarist, composer, and teaching artist. Utilizing the languages of free jazz and experimental rock, Magdalena’s music confronts issues of musical tradition through genre-bending improvisation.

Judith Hill

Telmary y HabanaSana

7:15 – 8:45 p.m

From Havana, Cuba, street poet Telmary has emerged as a leader and trendsetter on the cutting edge of hip-hop and urban music in Cuba. As a rapper, Telmary uses her distinctive voice, at times deep and soulful, at times fast and aggressive to proclaim a positive, empowering message that contrasts with the genre’s commercial norm. Telmary continues to collaborate with a flurry of Cuban and international artists including Interactivo, Pedrito Martinez and Doctor John.

DuPont Brass

Bette Smith

9:00 – 10:30 p.m.

Singer Bette Smith traces elements of her music to her childhood in Brooklyn, where she heard gospel in church and soul on street corners. Combining these influences with rock and roll, Smith’s 2017 album Jetlagger was a breakout success, earning rave reviews from American Songwriter, Billboard, and the New York Times. Her latest album, The Good, the Bad, and the Bette, has been called “a stompin’ good time” by NPR’s All Things Considered. She has toured with artists such as Drive-By Truckers and Kenny Wayne Shepherd and performed across the United States and Europe.

SATURDAY, JUNE 15

Howard County Chinese School

Wilde Lake Steel Drum Band

Noon – 12:45 p.m.

The Wilde Lake High School Steel Drum Band is one of many performing ensembles that make up the Wilde Lake Band Program. The Wilde Lake High School Steel Drum Band is well known for its performances of a variety of music, from Calypso to Soca, as well as jazz.

Wilde Lake Steel Drum Band

Patuxent Jazz Band

1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.

Founded in 2015, the Patuxent Jazz Band operates under the Columbia Bands, Inc. (CBI) umbrella, and was formed to provide an outlet for community members to play in a jazz ensemble. Though some members play and teach music professionally, they are volunteers employed in a wide variety of professions, who share a love of music and a desire to play the many styles performed by jazz ensembles, from jazz/swing, to rock, to Latin. The Patuxent Jazz Band hopes to bring the enjoyment of big band music to a wide audience.

Tray Wellington Band

DISCUSSION PERCUSSION AFRICA

2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Percussion Discussion Afrika was founded in 1997, by Uganda’s legendary percussionist Herman Ssewanyana and it is the country’s leading folk-fusion music group. The group performs on Ugandan traditional instruments that are little known to the world, like the Adungu, Akogo and a wide range of Ugandan hand drums. Their music is driven by the melodic sounds of hand drums, a signature instrument to the various tribes of Uganda. Percussion Discussion Afrika’s performances are deeply engaging and a joyful gateway for the audience to experience Uganda’s rich musical textures.

Buffalo Nichols

TAP BAND

3:15 – 4:15 p.m

Tap Band is the vibrant fusion R&B band that brings a unique blend of soulful melodies and infectious rhythms to the stage. With their dynamic sound and electrifying performances, Tap Band delivers a fresh take on classic R&B hits while infusing elements of jazz, funk, and pop into their music. Led by talented musicians and vocalists, the band creates an immersive experience that captivates audiences of all ages. From smooth grooves to energetic beats, Tap Band sets the stage on fire, leaving listeners craving more.

Glenelg Jazz Ensemble

Brass Queens

4:30 – 5:45 p.m.

Brass Queens is a 10-piece brass band whose sound is deeply inspired by the music of New Orleans mixed with the flair of modern pop. Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, the Brass Queens features an all-female horn section with the goal of expanding the space for women in a male-dominated industry. Brass Queens has performed at the 2021 Met Gala, on Good Morning America, multiple appearances at Governor’s Ball Music Festival and Exit Zero Jazz Festival.

The Sidley’s

Everyday Everybody

6:00 – 7:15 p.m.

DC-based band Everyday Everybody (fka AZTEC SUN) has been performing since 2012, producing an upbeat, retro groove steeped in ‘70s Funk and Soul, Jazz, Afro-funk and Motown-era pop. Their sound and energetic live performances have yielded numerous rewards for the group – such as being named Best Local Original Band by the Washington City Paper, named Best Funk group by the Washington Area Music Association, profiled in the Washington Post and sha,ring the stage with international and national touring acts such as Burning Spear, The Suffers, and Cory Henry.

QUITAPENAS

Bywater Call

7:30 – 8:45 p.m.

Bywater Call is a roof-rattling southern rock and soul band from Toronto, Canada. Led by powerhouse vocalist Meghan Parnell, the 7-piece band delivers heartfelt Americana with some funk, grease, and grit. They have appeared at many of the top tier blues venues in the country. The band has had the opportunity to tour Europe twice, including a main stage appearance at the Netherlands’ premiere blues festival Moulin Blues. Performances there have been praised in Dutch and German media, with references to Parnell as one of the best singers in blues and roots today.

Garifuna Collective

Oh He Dead

9:00 – 10:30 p.m.

Washington DC’s Oh He Dead brings their funky, poppy rock vibes wherever they go. Led by CJ Bowlin’ Johnson and her golden pipes, the five-piece group includes lead guitarist Alex Salser, John Daise-on-the-bass (say it outloud), Adam Ashforth on drums, and ViRG on keys. The close-knit crew is known for their contagious joy, and for putting on a hell of a live show as Johnson “maneuvers her powerful voice — a combination of Stevie Nicks and Tracy Chapman” (Kojo Nnamdi) in rhythm with the band’s “sublime instrumentation” (NPR) and “infectious and soulful sound” (Washington Post).

SUNDAY, JUNE 16

G4L: WLHS Step Team

Song Riot

Noon – 1:00 p.m.

Song Riot aren’t your average guitar and accordion duo. They mix genres like a good
bartender mixes cocktails: with abandon. A cool jazz standard one minute, a rousing
Celtic number the next, and that’s just for starters. Yet it all sounds of a piece,
anchored by a passion for songs featuring strong melodies, a potential for musical
exploration, and words that say something.

Line Dancing With Dancing Diva April

Washington Chinese Traditional Orchestra

1:15 – 2:10 p.m.

The Howard County Chinese Cultural Center presents traditional and contemporary Chinese music featuring the Washington Chinese Traditional Orchestra. The programs include traditional instrumental music such as Erhu, Guzheng and Hulusi, etc. performed by renowned Chinese-American musicians in the Greater DC area. The Orchestra has brought audiences to their feet at venues such as the Kennedy Center, and Strathmore Hall.

Deborah Bond

Swampdog Clark

2:05 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.

Anthony Clark started out playing the drums at the age of five, and later added harmonica to his arsenal. Over the last 30 years, Clark has brought his hard-edged funky blues to venues such as Bangkok Blues, Chick Hall’s Surf Club, the Congressional Blues Festival, and the Silver Spring Blues Festival. He has opened for artists such as Chuck Brown, Deanna Bogart and Betty Lavette.

B. Funk Dance Company

Po’ Ramblin’ Boys

4:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.

Formed in the Smoky Mountains, The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys are at once exactly what you would expect and not at all what you would expect from a tattooed East Tennessee Bluegrass outfit. No strangers to hard work, the boys are as much at home riding in their 1965 GM Tour bus as they are crawling underneath to fix it when it needs maintenance. But they take pride in being ambassadors of their genre, and the group has brought their music from rural bluegrass festival stages to the rock clubs of Europe, with stunning results.

Deborah Bond

Glenelg Jazz Ensemble

5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

The Glenelg Jazz Ensemble has received more than 60 awards over the last 20 years, including the highest rating at the Maryland State Jazz Festival. Many national and regional jazz artists have shared the stage with the Ensemble, including Maynard Ferguson, The Count Basie Orchestra, Frank Foster, Carl Fischer, Chris Vadala, and Deanna Bogart.

What is The Columbia Festival of the Arts?

The Columbia Festival of the Arts is a multi-weekend event that celebrates music, art, and entertainment. Each Festival kicks off in June with Lakefest, a free, three-day outdoor celebration at the Downtown Columbia Lakefront. Lakefest includes live performances, children's creative activities, a juried fine arts and crafts show, a variety of hands-on workshops for all ages and outdoor festival food fare.

The days following LakeFest are comprised of a variety of free and ticketed events, including performances in multiple disciplines, master classes, workshops, fine art exhibitions, literary offerings, film and frequent opportunities to interact directly with artists.

PLEASE DO NOT PARK AT WHOLE FOODS MARKET.