Grammy-Winner Miguel Launches the KCRW / Annenberg Foundation's 2017 Sound in Focus Series

KCRW and the Annenberg Foundation launch the 2017 SOUND IN FOCUS series -- free, all-ages concerts held at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Century City -- on Saturday, July 15 with a headlining performance from Grammy-winning R&B artist Miguel, an opening set by Brooklyn-based multi-instrumentalist Gabriel Garzón-Montano, and DJ sets by Stretch Armstrong. The evening will be hosted by KCRW's Anthony Valadez.

Admission to the SOUND IN FOCUS series is free; however, RSVP is required for entry but does not guarantee admission which will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis. Registered guests must collect wristbands upon arrival at check-in to gain access to the concerts. Advance registration is available at KCRW.com/soundinfocus and is required for every show.
There will also be refreshments available for purchase from a wide variety of cafés and food trucks, and beer gardens for those 21 and over.

Miguel first hit the mainstream in 2010 with the infectious single "All I Want Is You," from the debut album of the same name. The song, which blended a stark hip-hop beat with Miguel's creamy vocals to form a sound that was absent from the radio, established Miguel as one of the most unique and soulful voices in modern R&B. The album also featured "'Sure Thing," which hit #1 on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop chart. Miguel then released the critically-acclaimed, four-time Grammy-nominated, sophomore album Kaleidoscope Dream. The album featured his third US #1 hit single "Adorn," and garnered him his first Grammy win for "Best R&B Song." "Adorn" resided at #1 on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart for more than 23 weeks, becoming the longest running #1 single in the history of the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. Miguel's critically acclaimed third studio album Wildheart claimed the #1 spot on Billboard's R&B Albums chart, and debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 album chart. Wildheart garnered Miguel two more Grammy nominations and topped a number of 2015 year-end lists including the #1 spot on Time's Top 10 Best Albums, The New York Times' Best Albums of 2015, Entertainment Weekly's 40 Best Albums of 2015, and SPIN Magazine's Top 50 Best Albums of 2015. New music from Miguel's highly anticipated fourth studio album is coming soon.

Be sure to tune in to KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, July 14, for Miguel's live acoustic performance in advance of his appearance at SOUND IN FOCUS.

Gabriel Garzón-Montano, dubbed "one of the most promising artists of 2017" by NPR delivers the evening's opening live set. The Brooklyn-born singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist released his critically lauded debut album Jardín via Stones Throw Records. His track "6 8" was sampled by Drake on "Jungle" from If You're Reading This, It's Too Late. Garzón-Montano has toured throughout the US, Europe, and Japan - including supporting Lenny Kravitz on his 2014 European tour.
Gabriel Garzón-Montano visited the KCRW studios earlier this year for a live performance on Morning Becomes Eclectic. Check the session out here.
NYC native Adrian Bartos p/k/a Stretch Armstrong is an internationally recognized DJ and cultural pioneer with an incomparable career. The 1990s hip-hop legend created and programmed the "Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito Show" on WKCR 89.9, which The Source magazine later named "The Greatest Hip-Hop Radio Show of All Time." Stretch and Bobbito introduced the world to Jay Z, Biggie, Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, and Eminem, and dozens of other seminal figures in hip-hop. Starting in the Summer of 2017 Stretch and Bobbito will bring their decades of experience as cultural influencers and tastemakers to the "Stretch & Bob" NPR podcast series, shifting gears from their hip-hop radio format to instead engage cultural movers and shakers in art, music, politics, comedy, and sports. KCRW DJ Anthony Valadez hosts the evening.

The 2017 SOUND IN FOCUS concert series takes place at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Century City. The Annenberg Space for Photography will stay open until 11:00 p.m. on these evenings so that the concertgoers may enjoy both the concerts and GENERATION WEALTH by Lauren Greenfield, the current exhibition. The exhibition examines the influence of affluence over the last 25 years, illustrating the globalization of materialism, celebrity culture and social status. This timely, thought-provoking collection explores how "keeping up with the Joneses" has become Keeping Up with the Kardashians, magnifying the aspirational gap between what we want and what we can afford. The exhibit is not about the rich, but the pervasive desire for more. Lauren Greenfield is an internationally acclaimed, Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and photographer who is considered a preeminent chronicler of consumerism, youth culture and gender identity.

Her third collaboration with the Annenberg Space for Photography and first solo show, this exhibit is a revelatory cultural exploration that presents 195 color-saturated prints, 42 riveting first-person interviews and the accompanying multimedia projections and short films. KCRW and the Annenberg Foundation first united in 2012 for a string of hugely successful summer music events to accompany the Who Shot Rock & Roll exhibit. 2014's Country in the City series not only spotlighted emerging and established artists in the genre, but was part of the Annenberg Foundation's 25th anniversary festivities. Last year's series, which highlighted the acclaimed REFUGEE exhibition, saw thousands of concertgoers enjoy headlining performances by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Baaba Maal, and Nas.

About KCRW KCRW creates and curates a unique mix of content centered around music discovery, NPR news, cultural exploration and informed public affairs. We are driven by the spirit of LA and deliver in innovative ways -- on the radio, digitally and in person -- to diverse, curious communities around the corner and around the world. A community service of Santa Monica College, KCRW can be found on the air in LA, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Mojave, Palm Springs, San Luis Obispo, via the KCRW-developed smart phone app, and online at kcrw.com.
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About the Annenberg Foundation The Annenberg Foundation is a family foundation that provides funding and support to nonprofit organizations in the United States and globally. Since 1989, it has generously funded programs in education and youth development; arts, culture and humanities; civic and community life; health and human services; and animal services and the environment. In addition, the Foundation and its Board of Directors are directly involved in the community with innovative projects that further its mission of advancing a better tomorrow through visionary leadership today. Among them are Annenberg Alchemy, Annenberg Learner, Annenberg Space for Photography, explore, GRoW @ Annenberg and the Metabolic Studio. The Foundation encourages the development of effective ways to communicate by sharing ideas and knowledge.