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Greg Allman Shelby Lynne and Wynonna will headline three free concerts presented by the Annenberg Foundation in conjunction with KCRW in July and August, dubbed Country in the City.
The shows will take place on Saturday evenings, July 19 and 26, as well as August 2, in Century Park in Century City on the lawn adjacent to the Annenberg Space for Photography. The series is inspired by the venue’s current exhibition, Country: Portraits of an American Sound.
Gregg Allman will get the ball rolling July 19. A Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Allman recently released All My Friends: Celebrating the Songs & Voice of Gregg Allman, a live album that include guest performances by Trace Adkins, Jackson Browne, Martina McBride, Vince Gill, John Hiatt and Widespread Panic, among others. Opening will be highly touted country singer Sturgill Simpson, a throwback to the honky-tonk days of love ballads, outlaw life and riding the rails, as heard on his latest, critically acclaimed album, Metamodern Sounds in Country Music.
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Shelby Lynne headlines the July 26 show with a full band. The Alabama native and 2001 Grammy Award winner for Best New Artist has been making music since she was a child, inspired by the songs of George Jones, Dottie West and Waylon Jennings. The always candid and heart-baring singer/songwriter’s latest album is last year’s five-song Thanks EP, which the N.Y. Times praised as “urgent and spirited.” Americana touts Jamestown Revival will open with music from their debut album, filled with back porch-style storytelling celebrating their move west from Texas.
Wynonna, one of the biggest stars in modern country music, whether performing alongside her mother Naomi or as half of the legendary duo The Judds, will be the featured attraction on August 2 with her band The Big Noise. The five-time Grammy winner has sold over 30 million albums worldwide, charted 20 #1 hits and received over 60 industry awards. Rolling Stone once dubbed the iconic performer “the greatest female country singer since Patsy Cline.” Promising “outlaw country singer” Nikki Lane, whose recently released sophomore album, All or Nothin, on New West Records, was produced by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, will be the opening act, demonstrating her Southern swagger and fearless attitude, with a timeless fashion sense to match.
Each of the concerts will require separate, advance online registration at KCRW.com. Emails will be sent to those confirmed for entry with detailed instructions in advance of their arrival at the concert site. RSVP is required for entry. No tickets are needed. However, registered guests must collect wristbands upon arrival at check in to gain access to concerts.
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The Photography Space will extend its hours on performance evenings so concertgoers can experience the Country: Portraits of an American Sound exhibit. Co-curated by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, the exhibit offers over 100 prints of the pioneers, poets and icons of country music. Guests can also view exclusive short-form documentary films, archival artifacts, stage costumes and much more.
Country in the City is presented by the Annenberg Foundation in celebration of its 25th anniversary as a continuation of the Foundation’s tradition of investing in public spaces and the arts.
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