5 Things to Know About the 2019 2nd Street Festival

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Jackson Ward on Wheels is a trolley tour of the historic Jackson Ward neighborhood with five stops along the way at popular restaurants for passengers to experience the tastes of Jackson Ward.

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On the trolley tour, passengers will enjoy a narration led by Gary Flowers of the Historic Jackson Ward Association about historic sites along the way.

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The tour will make stops at Salt & Forge, Soul Taco, Max's on Broad, Fatty Smokes and Urban Hang Suite for delicious small plates and ends at the 2nd Street Festival’s esteemed poster unveiling party.

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There are only 50 tour tickets available, so be sure to get yours now! Proceeds from Jackson Ward on Wheels benefit the 2nd Street Festival.

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New this year, FREE, and open to the public, DJ Lonnie B kicks-off the festival week at the 2nd Street Festival’s poster unveiling party!

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This party will serve as a proud celebration of artist and native Richmonder, Sone-Seeré Burrell, the first female artist commissioned for the 2nd Street Festival’s original poster art. Her work will be unveiled during the party and will be available for purchase that night. The event will take place from 6-9 PM at the Hippodrome Theater on Saturday, September 28th. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.

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Burrell often has each of her creative fingers in a different artistic venture, and from an early age she felt a strong connection with creative expression. Majoring in Graphic Design & Technology, she graduated summa cum laude from North Carolina A&T State University. Burrell currently works as an art therapist at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital and at a youth residential treatment facility.

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Her passion for the arts and mental health fuels her drive to share the healing power of the expressive arts with others. Whether she’s exploring through her own art process, recording her painting through videos set to music, hosting paint parties, leading therapeutic painting classes, or providing creative outlets for expression with teenagers, the art process is central to her life. Remarks and the unveiling of her original artwork will be revealed at the 2nd Street Festival poster unveiling party at the Hippodrome Theater on September 28th. Posters will be available for purchase.

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EU (Experience Unlimited) is one of the original Washington, DC Go-Go bands. Fronted by founding member Gregory “Sugar Bear” Elliott, the original members all attended Ballou High School in Washington, DC. Their early regional hits included EU Freeze, Lock Your Butt, and Knock ‘Em Out Sugar Ray. Although they are best known for their Grammy nominated, massive worldwide hit DaButt from Spike Lee’s “School Daze” soundtrack, EU scored hits with Salt-N-Pepa (Shake Your Thang), with rap innovator Kurtis Blow (Party Time), and on their own with Buck Wild and Taste of Your Love. Da Butt won Soul Train’s best R&B/Soul Single, Group in 1989.

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EU has performed with Teena Marie, Morris Day and The Time, Mint Condition, Cameo and countless others. They performed on a show with Bob Dylan in 1989, one of Sugar Bear’s career highlights. In 2003, EU performed to a national audience on the televised NAACP Awards’ Tribute to Spike Lee. EU has been featured in 2009 in VH1 one hit wonders of the 1980’s. EU is currently in the studio working on a new CD, and they continue to rock the stage night after night.

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EU plays the Waverly R. Crawley Main Stage (sponsored by Virginia Union University) from 5:30-7:00 PM on Saturday, October 5th.

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Spotlight Featured Performer: Phillip “Doc” Martin

Most artists who put a “Doc” in their name do it out of cleverness, for marketing reasons, or as a crafty way to express the mastery of their instrument or vibe. Since the release of his 2003 debut “Saxappeal,” Phillip “Doc” Martin has all that down pat, wowing audiences everywhere from Blues Alley in D.C., to the St. Lucia Jazz Festival and Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival and earning inspiring amounts of airplay for tracks like “Deep Pockets,” the title track from his 2009 set Realization.

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While many independent artists with cool, successful “day jobs” prefer to avoid references to them when they talk about their music, Martin is the complete opposite, fully embracing the inspirational factor of being a top notch practitioner in two very different professions. Beyond his ever

expanding musical fan base, hundreds of patients in the Washington, DC area know him as “Dr. Martin,” a board certified dentist in a group practice there.

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Phillip "Doc" Martin plays the Waverly R. Crawley Main Stage (sponsored by Virginia Union University) from 3:25-4:25 PM on Sunday, October 6th before Legacy Band closes out the festival weekend.

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Spotlight Featured Performer: Nathan Mitchell

Producer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and singer, Nathan Mitchell, aka “Nate,” is becoming one of the most sought after talents on the national smooth jazz market. Since his 2011 entrance into the smooth jazz industry as a premier keyboardist, organist and vocalist, he has performed with a widely diverse list of some of the biggest artists in the music industry, including Grammy nominees/winners and billboard chart toppers such as: Paul Brown, Gerald Veasley, Mindi Abair and Marcus Anderson, as well as many other acclaimed artists. Nate released his debut single, “For All Eternity” in 2013 featuring national acclaimed saxophonist, Marcus Anderson and guitarist, Nate Najar. The passion of Nathan Mitchell’s smooth jazz is soul stirring and powerful.

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Nathan Mitchell plays the Joe Kennedy Jr. Jazz Stage (sponsored by VPM PBS/NPR) from 4:50-6:00 PM on Saturday, October 5th.