Big Daddy Kane, BJ the Chicago Kid, Emotional Oranges and more will perform at the 2019 AOCFEST September 27-29th in downtown Durham
Big Daddy Kane Presents the Symphony, BJ the Chicago Kid, Emotional Oranges and more artists kick-off the second wave of the all-star lineup for the 2019 sixth Annual Art of Cool Festival (AOCFEST) held September 27-29thin downtown Durham. Produced by The DOME Group LLC, AOCFEST will feature a range of R&B, Neo Soul, Hip-Hop, Jazz, alternative and spoken word performances and speakers at 6 venues: Durham Bulls Athletic Park, the Durham Armory, Motorco Music Hall, Carolina Theatre, The Pinhook and The Masonic Lodge. National Basketball Association star Rasheed Wallace will be the special guest host for AOCFEST 2019. Festival attendees can enjoy this one-of-a-kind event featuring 20-plus acts at 6 venues for 1 price. AOCFEST 2019 tickets are now available through Eventbrite: http://bit.ly/30BS5Nb.
Grammy Award-winning rapper and actor Big Daddy Kane together with The Symphony (Kool G Rap, Craig G and Masta Ace) and will rock the Durham Bulls Athletic Park stage on Saturday, September 28th. Motown Records singer-songwriter BJ the Chicago Kid will vibe AOCFEST’s Carolina Theatre stage on September 28th. Los Angeles-based collective Emotional Oranges take to the Motorco stage that Saturday evening with new artist Chiiild as the opening act.
Professor, author, and speaker Michael Eric Dyson will inspire festival-goers on Saturday, September 28thafternoon at the Carolina Theatre. Sister-duo The Amours join the Friday ticket on September 27th at The Pinhook. Poet Jessica Care Moore will bless AOCFEST with a motivating performance on the Motorco stage. Rapper, entrepreneur and activist DJ Talib Kweli on the Motorco stage will get festival-goers grooving September 28th.
“We’ve got a fantastic lineup and activities planned for AOCFEST 2019,” said Sulaiman Mausi, CEO, The DOME Group LLC. “Together with our sponsors – Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, American Tobacco, APLUS Test Prep and North Carolina Arts Council – we will deliver a great cultural experience for loyal Cooligans and newcomers alike.”
Three-time GRAMMY® award-winning singer-songwriter, New York Timesbest-selling poet, and critically acclaimed actor Jill Scott will headline the AOCFEST stage on September 27that the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Dreamville Records singer-songwriter Ari Lennox will open the show Friday evening. That same evening, Darryl “D.M.C.” McDaniels and his live rock band will hit the Motorco Music Hall stage.
Run DMC, one of the most influential acts in the history of hip-hop culture, will headline AOCFEST on September 28that the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. This iconic group will commemorate its 30thanniversary, having sold tens of millions of records worldwide and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. Whodini, one of the first rap groups to add a R&B twist to their music, will open the show Saturday evening.
Additional confirmed AOCFEST 2019 performers include: NC hip-hop producer, rapper and scholar 9thWonder presents 95Live; saxophonist Marcus Anderson; classically-trained hip-hop duo Black Violinand British soul singer-songwriter OmarLye-Fook. Also performing at AOCFEST: Singer-songwriterYolanda Rabun, Go-Go band Jus Once, Beatboxer-singer-pianist Butterscotch, Jazz/hip-hop fusion quintet ZOOCRÜ, Rapper and National Poetry Slam Champion G Yamazawa, Rapper J Gunn, Alternative Pop project Flint Eastwood, MGL & the Rev, DJ Frances Jaye, DJ Skaz, DJ Nabs, DJ Skillz and more. A Power Yoga session will be held Saturday, September 29thafternoon at the American Tobacco Center.
“We are particularly proud of the level of free community programming planned for AOCFEST 2019,” said Lesleigh Mausi, Co-Founder and Vice-President, The DOME Group LLC. “The free activations, which take place on Saturday September 29thmorning, feature a discussion with Author/Professor/Speaker Michael Eric Dyson at the Carolina Theatre, a vendor market along Blackwell Street and a college and career fair for students and families at The Durham Armory.”
Ticket offerings include General Admission and VIP. Local hotel partners are offering special AOCFEST rates and packages available on a first-come first-served basis. RFID wristbands will be used for show entry this year. Festival goers are encouraged to get their tickets early, so that RFID wristbands can be delivered to their homes and they can avoid waiting onsite.
For more details, visit www.aocfestival.comand follow Art of Cool Festival on Facebook, and AOCFEST on Twitter and Instagram.
ABOUT THE DOME GROUP LLC
The DOME Group, LLC is a trusted producer of live entertainment events, including top-billed concerts and music festivals for both urban and mainstream markets since 2007. Headed up by husband and wife team Sulaiman and Lesleigh Mausi, The DOME Group owns and operates the Durham NC-based Art of Cool Festival. With two regional offices in the U.S., The DOME Group LLC provides programming for some of the most state-of-the-art venues including The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre, Greensboro Coliseum, Durham Performing Arts Center as well as Chevitz Arena in St. Louis, MO. The company also books major artists for university homecoming shows, community events and for corporate clients.