Corktown STRUT is back again for its second year of celebrating the best of Detroit food and music. The festival begins Monday, June 26th and runs until Monday, July 3rd, with the majority of the music lineup playing over the weekend. The festival will feature 50+ musical acts on six stages with 12 participating restaurants. They pride themselves on being "non-specific" when it comes to music genres and welcomed some of Detroit's most well-known artists from across the music spectrum.
It's a beautiful gathering of art, food and friends (oh, and don't forget booze). Nearly all of the sponsors from the events are Detroit-based, which makes this a benefit for the city and those who frequent it. The holiday weekend can bring a bit of a lull for artists and business-owners alike, but Corktown STRUT has come to the rescue by dedicating a portion of the festival profits to boost Detroit's artistic value and maintain support structures that keep the artistic culture alive in the city.
Detroit artists, like alternative, indie rock group Two Cheers will be performing at the event while simultaneously hosting an album release party for their upcoming album Rollick. After moving to Detroit from Los Angeles, lead singer and guitarist, Bryan Akcasu banded together with other local talents to bring Two Cheers to life.
"I love the sense of community and connectedness of all the bands and artists in town," Akcasu explains about his decision to head to Detroit. "The kind of intimacy within a music scene is priceless."
(credit: https://www.facebook.com/twocheers/)
The band is excited to release their new album, which still holds onto that original "Two Cheers sound" and is thrilled to be a part of the Corktown STRUT lineup. There's no doubt that festivals like STRUT benefit the city in a multitude of ways, whether it's financial or artistic.
"I would suggest that any time people in this city can participate in discovering and exploring what the city has to offer, whether it's great food, great shops, or great music," Akcasu said. "It strengthens their sense of Detroit as a homebase, and maybe inspires people to contribute to the city by starting their own endeavors."
Two Cheers will be playing with a multitude of artists like Growwing Pains, The Kickstand Band, Taxon Clade, George Morris and The Gypsy Chorus and many others on Friday, June 30th at the Two James Tasting Room in Detroit. Physical copies of Two Cheers' new album Rollick will also be available at the show. Take a listen to their new single "No Good At Talking" here!
You can find more information about the festival, buy tickets, and see the artist lineup on their homepage at http://www.corktownstrut.com/.
Check out next week's Detroit Proud Playlist for a sneak peek at who will playing Corktown STRUT!
