Grand Performances summer series to feature Gaslamp Killer, Kamasi Washington, Yuna, Rocky Dawuni, Run River North and more

Kevin Bronson on May 13th, 2015

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The Gaslamp Killer Experience [pictured] kicks off this summer’s fare at Grand Performances, the popular cross-cultural, cross-discipline series that brings an eclectic lineup of music and arts to California Plaza in downtown L.A.

The shows are free and all-ages.

The Gaslamp Killer, aka William Bensussen, brings the live staging of his music to California Plaza on Friday, June 19. Grand Performances will feature such diverse fare as “Wattstax Revisited: A South Central Love Affair” (celebrating the 1972 concert given by Stax Records greats Isaac Hayes, the Staple Singers, the Bar-Kays and Rufus Thomas, among others); “The Last Jimmy: A Hip-Hop Musical With the Roots’ Dice Raw;” Friday noon-hour shows by the likes of Mexico 68 and Thalma de Freitas; “Watts50,” a night of socially conscious hip-hop with Dead Prez; and the Kamasi Washington-led evening “65-92: The Rhythm Changes But the Struggle Remains.”

See the full schedule here, or check the listings below. Performances start at 8 p.m. except where noted.:

June 19: The Gaslamp Killer Experience
June 20: Wattstax Revisited: A South Central Love Affair
June 26: Run River North and the Family Crest
July 10: Watts50 with Dead Prez
July 11: Dumpstafunk
July 17: Thalma De Freitas (noon)
July 17: The Last Jimmy: A Hip-Hop Musical With the Roots’ Dice Raw
July 18: Ondratropica with Quantic and Frente Cumbiero
July 24: Mexico 68 (noon)
July 25: 65-92: The Rhythm Changes But the Struggle Remains, ftr. Kamasi Washington
July 26: Los Master Plus and Puerto Candelaria (7 p.m.)
July 31: Mare Ibrium (Sea of Rain)
Aug. 1: Rocky Dawuni and Blitz the Ambassador
Aug. 2: Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band (7 p.m.)
Aug. 7: French Horn Massive (noon)
Aug. 7: Jorge Drexler and Gaby Moreno
Aug. 8: Yuna with special guests
Aug. 14: Melrose Poetry Bureau’s Brown Bag Poetry (noon)
Aug. 14: Classic Remix featuring Mark Del Clive-Lowe
Aug. 15: Classical Remix featurng Daedelus and Alfredo Rodriguez
Aug. 22: Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali
Aug. 23: Sahba Motallebi