This month, we highlight three very different styles of music that all have one thing in common—they make you want to dance. And I think this makes sense for the final month of summer. Things are slowly going back to normal. Vacations are winding down. So why not finish summer off with a bang? Yeah, you might sweat a little, but you’ll remember how good it felt to really cut loose when you’re cooped up at home under a blanket next winter. So, if you can make it out to one or all of these shows, don’t be afraid to dance like no one is watching.
ANDY MOWATT’S STEELY JAM, 8/14, 6PM, ITALIAN LAKE: This concert wraps up Harrisburg Young Professional’s Italian Lake summer concert series. They’re ending on a decidedly funky note as they invite the virtuosic Andy Mowatt to play. A singularly athletic and powerful jazz-funk guitarist, his band is renowned throughout Pennsylvania for their entertaining and energetic originals, along with a wide-ranging repertoire of creative covers of rock classics. Mowatt also serves as a production musician for Lancaster’s American Music Theater and holds a degree in music and recording technology from nearby Lebanon Valley College. As with all of HYP’s Italian Lake concerts, this one is family friendly, and attendees are invited to bring their own blanket or lawn chair. That being said—with music this funky, you are liable to spend most of the show on your feet and dancing.
JUANITO PASCUAL, 8/18, 8PM, WHITAKER CENTER, $30: Flamenco is a sensual and exotic musical style originating in Spain. At the heart of this genre is the highly technical and mesmerizing flamenco guitar, and Juanito Pascual is known as one of the foremost masters playing today. Although he was born in the United States, he is equally well respected in Spain, a high compliment for a performer from outside of the native land of this quintessentially Spanish musical form. He has performed in many of the leading folk, jazz and world music festivals around the world and was even featured on Garrison Keillor’s “Prairie Home Companion.” There is something supremely magical about flamenco music, and nothing will transport you to the Spanish countryside like someone so adept at this extremely challenging style of guitar.
BUCKWHEAT ZYDECO, 8/24, 8PM, ABBEY BAR, $15/$18: Zydeco is an upbeat and uniquely Louisiana musical genre. And zydeco’s presence within the American musical landscape is largely due to the hard work and endless touring of Buckwheat Zydeco. He released his first major label album, “On a Night Like This,” on Island Records in 1987. Over the course of his career, he has played with a wide range of well-respected musicians, including U2 and Eric Clapton, and was a featured performer at both of Bill Clinton’s inaugurals. But he continues to be musically relevant, as he sat in for a performance with the Roots as Jimmy Fallon closed out his “Late Night” show before taking over Jay Leno’s slot on the “Tonight Show.” If you have never experienced zydeco, it is best heard live. So come ready to hear some of the best that the bayou has to offer!
Mentionables: Kenny George Band, 8/12, H*MAC Stage on Herr; Real Talk Collective and Justin Clauser, 8/13, The MakeSpace; Hank and Cupcakes, 8/13, Abbey Bar; Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, 8/16, Whitaker Center; Ryan Kauffman Duo, 8/19, H*MAC Stage on Herr; The Robert Cray Band, 8/30, Whitaker Center
