Waupaca to host Friday Night Street Dance
Arts on the Square will kick off a weekend of arts and entertainment with the Friday Night Street Dance, 6-10 p.m., Aug. 18.
Sponsored by the Waupaca Community Arts Board, Arts on the Square will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19.
The festival will feature three music stages, juried art show, workshops, demonstrations, dance stage, food trucks and beer tent, at the Waupaca Area Public Library grounds and sections of East Union and East Fulton streets in downtown Waupaca.
Admission to all performances is free.
Friday Night Street Dance
The free Friday Night Street Dance will be under the Main Tent on East Union Street, next to the Waupaca Area Public Library. Food trucks and beverage, beer and wine sales open at 6 p.m.
MoJoe & Flipside with Janet Planet take the stage at 7 p.m.
MoJoe & Flipside perform a mix of the blues, R&B and rock to create a funky blue Americana musical style.
Band members are Joe Fittante as the featured vocalist; Tony Wagner, the groove-oriented award-winning percussionist; Kelvin Kasper, the much-in-demand Wisconsin guitarist, and Charlie Sauter, bassist.
Joining MoJoe for this performance is power jazz vocalist Janet Planet from the Fox Valley, who has been described by Jazziz Magazine as, “The voice of the new jazz culture with seemingly limitless expression.”
Also joining the group is North Hollywood, California-based singer-saxophonist Woody Mankowski, percussionist Mike Underwood, and trumpet virtuoso Kurt Shipe from Oshkosh.
WCAB also will be raffling off a complete set of five Union Street Mural mugs.
The mugs feature the 100-foot Union Street Mural created by artist Leif Larson in 2020. Raffle tickets will be sold during the evening, with a winner announced from the stage.
Bandstand
The City Square Bandstand will feature Vibhas Kendzia performing Native American music on a Native American flute while strolling through the festival grounds, 9:30 a.m.- 12:15 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19.
Classically trained violinist, Robin McDumphy, takes the City Square Bandstand stage at 12:30 p.m., with her live-loop violin expressions, creating the sound of a full orchestra.
Jazz Stage
An indoor venue at Union Street Emporium, 110 E. Union St., will give audiences an opportunity to hear the contemporary improvisational group, Daddio, and one of Wisconsin’s Janet Planet from noon to 4 p.m., Aug. 19.
Daddio’s music has touches of Latin, with their style based on interplay. They cover groups like Sting and Herbie Hancock, as well as performing their own original compositions. Daddio performs from noon to 1:45 p.m.
With more than 25 recordings in her discography, Janet Planet is a jazz performer, producer, teacher of voice at Lawrence University in Appleton, voice-over talent, and commercial singer.
She also co-owns the Oshkosh-based Steel Moon Recording Studio, and in 1995 developed the independent record label, Stellar Records, with her husband, Tom Washatka. Janet Planet performs 2-4 p.m.
Main Tent
Located on East Union Street next to the Waupaca library, the Main Tent morning performers are aimed at families with a performance by Aber Suzuki Center students from 10-11 a.m. Saturday, followed by the popular children’s performer Tom Pease, from 11:15-12:15 p.m.
In the afternoon, Gin, Chocolate & Bottle Rockets, a trio of award-winning solo-artists-turned-bandmates, bring their blend of three-part harmonies and pop-rock songwriting. They earned Ensemble Vocalists of the Year from the Madison Area Music Association in 2015, 2017, 2020, and 2021 Gin, Chocolate & Bottle Rockets take the stage from 12:30-1:30 p.m.
From 1:45-3 p.m., singer-songwriter and 2018 Nash-Next finalist, Ameilia Ford, will mix soft soprano with raw grit in her original alternative folk-rock songs.
Opening up the Arts on the Square dance floor, The aTOMix Band takes the stage 3:15-4:30 p.m., bringing their covers of ‘60s and ‘70s favorites such as The Beatles, Van Morrison, Aretha Franklin, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Spirit, Ray Charles, The Band, Delbert McClinton and more.
Beginning in 2007 out of Wisconsin Rapids, The aTOMix Band prides themselves on their three-part harmonies and their danceability.
To hear samples of all the performers and to learn more details about Arts on the Square, go to WCAB’s website at bit.ly/3Y74E1H