Jenny Lewis. Photo by Bobbi Rich.
Can you hear that, on the water?
The faint chords of sound check, the aroma of fries and funnel cakes wafting up from the banks? The buzz of excitement, laughter? The splash of pontoon boats pulling up to shore?
The summer tradition of music at Riverfront Park is back this month for Harrisburgers, with some incredible acts planned for the main stage at the Harrisburg University Presents Summer Concert Series.
“Riverfront Park is, in my opinion, the most beautiful music venue in Pennsylvania,” said Frank Schofield, director of live entertainment and media services at Harrisburg University. “[It] has the trees, foliage, pontoon boats, open space, interactive tents, grazing, people, food trucks. Harrisburg University is really excited to continue presenting down there.”
Kicking off the concert series on Friday, June 21, is singer-songwriter Jenny Lewis, an iconic performer in her own right, who may also be recognized among fans of different alternative rock bands for her time in Rilo Kiley and The Postal Service. Days later, indie heroes Fleet Foxes will headline a concert on June 23, which Schofield says is close to selling out.
Psychedelic soul project Black Pumas hits the stage on July 25, thankfully reunited after a brief hiatus in 2022. The band’s 2023 album, “Chronicles of a Diamond,” is full of bangers. Check out “Ice Cream (Pay Phone)” and “Mrs. Postman” if you need proof of this claim.
On July 28, moody country crooner Orville Peck finally takes off his signature fringed mask while touring his freshly released, “Stampede: Vol. 1,” which includes collaborations with Willie Nelson and Elton John.
“[We’re] really proud of the different shows we have this year,” Schofield said.
A new feature this year is pit access, said Sara Bozich, who leads marketing for HU Presents and is the on-site field director.
Another new feature fans may have noticed were season passes that were available to purchase before the end of 2023 ahead of any headliner announcements for the summer season, and the HU Presents team hopes to bring that back again this fall.
Jenny Speaks
I was lucky enough to chat with the effervescent Jenny Lewis, who kicks off the HU Summer Series, on the phone a few weeks ago. Here are a few snippets from our conversation.
TheBurg: Can you tell me about the experiences and thought processes that were going on while you were creating “Joy’All?” It’s such a different and somewhat more contemplative, mellowed follow-up to “On the Line.” “Joy’All” and “The Voyager” feel like such sister albums, but so different from the mood on “On The Line.”
Jenny Lewis: The sentiment was started pre-pandemic. I wrote “Psychos” before the pandemic, and then I wrote “Puppy and a Truck” during lockdown, so there’s different moods throughout. “Essence of Life” was a true lockdown song, and then it became something else while in the studio working with Dave Cobb in Nashville. I’m a songwriter, so once the puzzle is complete, I go into the studio with different groups of musicians, and they bring their vibe and experiences to the songs.
TheBurg: Did you feel your own solo music was influenced by touring with The Postal Service again? How does it feel to play with them two decades later?
Jenny Lewis: Not at all. That happened after the record was done and had been out for a month or two. It is a crazy thing to do, to put out a record, and then tour something else. [In The Postal Service] we wear all white—these gorgeous Rodarte pieces, and I’m ethereal, angelic in the costuming. For “Joy’All,” I’m wearing these leather biker suits and just leaning into these really different versions of myself, and it’s a little [disorienting] to float back and forth. And then, I’m in this three-piece girl group, and our costuming is a little revolutionary, so embodying that world and that character is so fun.
TheBurg: I’m glad you brought up style, because you have such a specific sense of fashion and confidence in rocking pieces like the rainbow suit during “The Voyager” timeframe, and then things like the jumpsuits—how do you go about defining the look for these tours?
Jenny Lewis: Every season has a colorway that accompanies each album, so I sort of pick a direction with color and stick to it. It’s been red and black for “Joy’All”; everything was pink and blue for “On The Line.” Autumn De Wilde shot that cover in the rainbow suit for “The Voyager.” She had a friend who did that airbrush style, and we decided to do that for everything. The backdrop, my suit matched it, and I lived in that world. For “On the Line,” we wanted to do something more glam and body conscious. [It was] more sparkly, ’60s/early ’70s glam—big hair, long gowns.
[With “Joy’All”], it’s conversational. Coming out of the pandemic, I didn’t feel like making noise. I didn’t feel bombastic. Now, in my personal life, I’m wearing all orange and yellow, and I’m coming out of that with these bold colors and reverting to how I dressed when I was 13 or 14, listening to hip-hop. That’s who I am. At my core, I am this little b-girl from when I was 14, [so I’m] stepping into that version of myself and it’s feeling really good.
For more information about Harrisburg University Presents and the HU Summer Concert Series, visit www.concertseries.harrisburgu.edu. The interview with Jenny Lewis was edited for length and clarity.
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The first-ever Mt. Gretna International Film Festival is being held on the Sunday of the art show in honor of the late Michael Evan Deitzler, whose dream it was to start a regional film festival. 
