Destination: Downtown Reading!
I S S U E 6 5 MAY 7, 2018
The Reading Downtown Go Go Gadjet Kicking Off Improvement District office is located at 645 Penn Street, First Floor, Suite 105. Downtown Alive Free Concerts Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Office number: 610-376-6424
DID Ambassadors number: 484-955-0315 (Please call this number directly for escort assistance to vehicles, trash and leaf removal, graffiti removal, and public nuisance issues)
DID You Know?
As one of the sponsors of the Downtown Alive free outdoor concert series, the Reading Parking Authority will provide free parking at its Fourth and Cherry garage starting at 4 p.m. on each concert day. Parking Authority rules and regulations will apply at Go Go Gadjet, an immensely popular regional band that describes itself as “a burst of other locations it oversees electric funk carried on the back of a thundering juggernaut of searing rock,” will open in downtown Reading. the fourth annual Downtown Alive free outdoor concert series on Wednesday, June 20. The series will include four other concerts featuring performers who will appeal to Here is some additional a variety of tastes. information about the The shows will be staged again on Penn Street by the Reading Downtown concert series: Improvement District in partnership with Illusion Sound & Lighting, which is booking the acts, and Greater Reading Chamber Alliance. The concerts will take Opening for Go Go Gadjet will be Glassbeard, a duo comprised of DJ Aaron Miller place rain or shine. and drummer Evan Kirkley, who describe themselves as “carving out their own place Only severe thunder- in the Dance Music World.” storms would delay or “We’re excited to have Go Go Gadjet kick off this year’s concert series,” said Charles force cancellation of R. Broad, Executive Director of the Improvement District. “They have a huge following the shows. and always draw a big crowd wherever they go. And it’s great that many of the band members are from the Reading area.” The concerts are family and pet friendly. Those who bring pets are JUST ANNOUNCED! SUGAR HILL GANG & NOVA TO PLAY ON AUGUST 15! responsible for their actions. (article continued on back page)
Go Go Gadjet to Open Downtown Alive Concerts (article continued from front page) Armed with the hits “Rapper's Delight”, “8th Wonder”, “Apache” and “Jump On It', Sugar Hill Gang will have downtown Reading rocking during the August 15 free concert. Opening the show will be Reading’s own up-and-coming rapper NOVA, along with 3’s Co.’s DJ Gregg Nyce and Evolution. Sugar Hill Gang, known as the first nationally popular African-American hip-hop group, is comprised of three members: Mike Wright (Wonder Mike), Henry Jackson (Big Bank Hank), and Guy O’ Brien (Master Gee), all from Englewood, N.J. The group is best known for its 1979 hit single, “Rapper’s Delight,” which was also the first hip hop single to rank in the top 40 hits and to become part of a multi-platinum-selling album. The song is also credited with popularizing hip hop as a new musical genre. In 1979 they became the first hip hop group to perform on American Bandstand. At the time “Rapper’s Delight” was ranked No. 36 on the U.S. pop chart and No. 4 on the rhythm & blues chart. The song eventually went on to sell over 2 million copies, and became the highest selling 12-inch single ever. Rolling Stone Magazine ranked it No. 248 of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Julio Franceschi Jr. of Reading is professionally known as "NOVA". He began performing at various community events and won several school talent shows in his early teens. In 2016, he was selected to participate in Season 3 of Lifetime Network’s hit television show "The Rap Game", produced and executive produced by Queen Latifah and Jermaine Dupri. Over the course of the 13-week show, NOVA survived several competitive challenges and went on to win the coveted title. Negotiations are being finalized with performers for the other three concerts scheduled this summer. Those acts will be announced in the coming weeks. Here are tentative dates for the other concerts: Wednesday, July 18 Wednesday, September 12 Wednesday, September 19 Each concert will have a festival atmosphere and include food trucks and beer and wine for sale. A “kids play zone” will also be set up and feature a variety of activities for children. All shows will be held in the 500 block of Penn Street and start at 5 p.m. Specific food and beverage vendors will be announced before the series begins. Berks County Community Foundation, which has been financially supporting the concert series since its inception in 2015, is providing $100,000 from the Hawley and Myrtle Quier Fund. Berks County Convention Center Authority is also contributing $40,000. Weidenhammer once again will be the major sponsor. Additional sponsors are the Reading Parking Authority, which will provide free parking at its Fourth and Cherry Streets Garage starting at 4 p.m. on the date of each concert; and DoubleTree by Hilton Reading as the hospitality sponsor.
More information on the series can be found at www.downtownalivereading.com.
The Reading Downtown Improvement District is focused on creating a vital, productive and commercially active environment in downtown Reading. The Improvement District provides cleaning, security, and marketing services for a specially designated commercial district in the city, and also sponsors several events and activities throughout the year, including MidDay Cafes, Reading Holiday Parade, Downtown Alive outdoor concert series, and Reading Fire + Ice Fest. The Improvement District continually strives to make downtown Reading a cleaner, safer, and more inviting place to live, work, and visit. You can learn more about us on our website at: www.downtownreading.com.