Outside at the Research Park returns for second season

The 2008 Outside at the Research Park three-concert series will get under way on Friday with headline act Rosie Ledet and The Zydeco Playboys and continue on July 25 with global fusion artists Bandoleros and on Aug. 8 with bluegrass rockers the South Austin Jug Band.

This year, the second for the series, also will feature local musicians as opening acts, with John Hoeffler on Friday, Brandon T. Washington on July 25 and Kayla Brown, Aug. 8. The opening acts will start at 6:30 p.m., and the headline acts at 7:30 p.m.

The concert series, which is free and open to the public and was an instant hit last year, is sponsored by Krannert Center for the Performing Arts and Fox/Atkins Development LLC. Last year, up to 1,000 people turned out for each of the concerts, which featured Funkadesi, the Greencards and Patty Larkin.

The performance space and seating area are on a tree-lined grassy slope just south of the building at the corner of First Street and St. Mary's Road in Champaign. Beverages, wine and food will be sold by the Biaggi's Restaurant concession at the northwest corner of the Caterpillar/SAIC Building, 1901 S. First St., C. Restrooms will be available inside the building, and free parking will be available behind the building.

Outside at the Research Park is a joint project that plays upon a simple concept: great music, fresh food, a green state of mind and an open, relaxed environment," according to a news release from Krannert Center.

The 2008 series will introduce a new initiative in which attention will be focused on a community service group. This year, the Eastern Illinois Foodbank will receive proceeds from the sales of 100 percent recycled cotton bags.

Krannert Center has been committed in recent years to reducing waste, decreasing energy consumption and providing environmentally friendly services.

"These vital initiatives have been furthered at Outside, where we'll again offer biodegradable containers and utensils, easy-to-access recycling bins, and marketing materials printed on recycled paper," said Rebecca McBride, senior associate director at Krannert.

Here is a rundown of the performances:

– Friday. Rosie Ledet and The Zydeco Playboys, with opening act John Hoeffler.

Ledet, a Church Point, La., native, performs on accordion and sings in a husky voice in the southern Louisiana tradition of zydeco music but tosses into the mix R&B and country.

"Ledet's warm stage presence and infectious Creole-tinged beats have earned her one of the few female spots on the crawfish circuit, and along with that spot have come many accolades, including those from Offbeat Magazine's 'Best of the Best' as best zydeco performer, best new zydeco performer and best vocalist," according to Krannert Center.

– Bandoleros, with opening act Brandon T. Washington, July 25.

Bandoleros performs music infused with flamenco rhythms, Middle Eastern melodies and Latin fire. The quartet has opened for such diverse greats as Tito Puente and Liquid Soul and claims divergent roots in Assyria, Venezuela, Cuba, Ecuador and Russia.

"Though at times you"ll swear you're hearing the Gipsy Kings (the Kings' Patchai is a frequent collaborator), Bandoleros offer up a not-so-subtle blend of cultural influences as they perform in a sextet of languages that evoke warm nights, lively cafes, far-flung destinations and the allure of an evening spent under the stars," says Krannert Center.

– South Austin Jug Band, with Kayla Brown as opening act, Aug. 8.

The South Austin Jug Band has a sound that melds finger-picking bluegrass with a rock bass, driving electric guitar, the occasional surprise of digital looping and no jug player.

"The dueling fiddles on sweet melancholy ballads like 'Come to Me' season saucier instrumentals like 'Po Boys in the Glovebox,' and you're sure to love the upbeat covers from diverse artists like Beck, from whom the band gleaned the title for its latest release, 'Strange Invitation,'" says Krannert.

The Outside at the Research Park series is presented by Krannert Center, in association with Fox/Atkins Development LLC, the University of Illinois Research Park and the Illinois Natural History Survey.

Laura Frerichs of Fox/Atkins Development said the concert series provides an opportunity to share the amenities of the park with the greater community while offering a cultural outlet for those who work at the Research Park. She said professionals and entrepreneurs in the technology community are innovators and appreciate the arts as another outlet for creativity.

Krannert Center director Mike Ross calls Fox/Atkins Development, a longtime sponsor of the center, "a valued partner who understands the importance of collaborative enterprises across community sectors."

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