The Afrofunk big band Chopteeth will highlight the music in the season’s final Wheaton Arts & Entertainment District’s TGIF Summer Friday Concert at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 30, at Marian Fryer Town Plaza in Downtown Wheaton.
The series this summer has again teamed up with the iconic Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center. The weekly series will continue through Aug. 30. Marian Fryer Town Plaza is adjacent to the Wheaton Business Triangle. Chuck Levin’s has carefully curated a mix of artists for the summer series.
Chopteeth is a 11-piece Afrofunk orchestra exploring the common groove between the funkiest, most hip-shakin’ West African and American popular music on the planet.
The core of the Chopteeth sound is Afrobeat: a big-band funk invented by Fela Kuti in 1970’s Nigeria. Afrobeat is a spicy stew of modern jazz, Yoruba tribal music and burning, James Brown-inspired rhythms.
Chopteeth’s sets feature original compositions along with updates of African dance classics, all while remaining true to the spirit of the music and its message. Band members step to the mic to serve up lyrics in a total of seven different languages.
The members of the Washington Area Music Association have selected Chopteeth for a total of 14 Wammie Awards, including artist of the year, debut CD of the year, world music CD (twice) and world music group (for nine years in a row).
The TGIF party begins on the plaza at 6 p.m. with a happy hour DJ set followed by a live concert at 7 p.m. Beverages will be available for purchase from Twin Valley Distillers. The weekly after-party will rotate to nearby local bars from 8-9 p.m. Parking is available in the building at 2425 Reedie Dr.
The Wheaton Arts & Entertainment District has collaborated with Chuck Levin since the district’s inception in 2016. The district has become known for its cultural diversity, including people and music, traditional art forms and culinary experiences.
Chuck Levin’s is an iconic Downtown Wheaton business that has been a staple in the DMV and the music industry. Opened in 1958 in Washington, D.C., and relocated to Wheaton in 1968, Chuck Levin’s has become a cultural landmark where musicians of all levels congregate to buy, browse and rent equipment.
The story of Chuck Levin’s includes some of the biggest names in music. It supplied D.C.’s Godfather of Go-Go, Chuck Brown, with his first Gibson guitar. Stevie Wonder has been a regular visitor. Guitar manufacturing legend Paul Reed Smith honed his skills in its repair shop. Drummer Chris Culos of the rock band O.A.R. got his start at Chuck’s after his father worked in Pro Audio for more than 30 years.
In its seventh decade, the store remains focused on the everyday player. Customers still include elementary school students picking up their first instrument, bedroom hobbyists and professional musicians.
For updated information on the concert series, click here.