Pacific Symphony Presents Wavelength Festival of Music, Now thru 8/25

Pacific Symphony invites audiences to catch Wavelength Festival of Music, presented by the All-New Mercedes-Benz CLA, the new adventurous symphonic endeavor at Pacific Amphitheatre tonight, Aug. 22, 23, 24 and 25. The Symphony is pleased to announce that more artists of diverse musical inclinations including Keb' Mo', Barry Perkins Collective, Nilu, AyseDeniz, Josh Vietti and DJ Kedd Cook will be joining the inaugural festival lineup that blends symphonic and contemporary sounds across four outdoor summer concerts.

Thursday, Aug. 22, three-time GRAMMY Award-winning blues musician, Keb' Mo', will perform before the iconic Bonnie Raitt*. Keb' Mo' is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter that has been described as the living link to the seminal Delta blues with a post-modern style influenced by many musical genres spanning folk, rock, jazz and pop. Barry Perkins Collective will kick off the evening, taking the audience on a musical journey around the world of contemporary jazz. In his nine-year tenure as Principal Trumpet with Pacific Symphony, Perkins has been coined as both "fearless and phenomenal" by fans and critics. Pacific Symphony cellist Laszlo Mezo and violinist Robert Schumitzky also perform with the Barry Perkins Collective.

Local Irvine-based singer and multi-instrumentalist, Nilu, will open the evening's main stage performances on Friday, Aug. 23. Nilu won the coveted title of "Best New Artist" at the 2013 OC Music Awards and plans to release her first studio EP later this year. Indie rock darlings Delta Spirit will also perform followed by the mesmerizing, collaborative sounds of LA-alternative rock favorite, The Airborne Toxic Event performing with Pacific Symphony.

Saturday, Aug. 24. KCRW Presents an evening curated by Jason Bentley, the station's music director and host of the signature shows "Morning Becomes Eclectic" and "Metropolis." The event will feature a DJ set from Jason Bentley and performances by groundbreaking electronic artists Z-Trip and Bonobo alongside members of Pacific Symphony.

Acclaimed London-based concert pianist, AyseDeniz, will open the evening on Sunday, Aug. 25, celebrating the 40th anniversary of Pink Floyd's seminal album "Dark Side of the Moon." AyseDeniz will perform unforgettable hits from the album on the grand piano followed by international touring rock tribute band, Windborne, performing more of Pink Floyd's greatest hits, then to be joined by Pacific Symphony to perform Dark Side of the Moon cover to cover. Famed rock historian and radio personality, Uncle Joe Benson of 100.3 FM The Sound will host this very special evening.

On Aug. 22 and 23, hip-hop violinist Josh Vietti will perform on the Wavelength concourse. Josh began playing the violin at four years old. His unique blending of contemporary and classical music has been seen on the Ellen Degeneres Show and at high profile events around the world. Coined as OC's "Best DJ" by multiple critics and accolades, DJ Kedd Cook will perform on the concourse Aug. 24 and 25. Complementing the musicians, Mercedes-Benz will showcase a variety of vehicles throughout the concourse, including the CLA, an exciting new four-door coupe.

The KCRW Moves vehicle, a specially wrapped Mercedes-Benz donated to the public radio station, will be on site for the entirety of the Festival. The unique KCRW music mobile has appeared at dozens of events around Southern California this year bringing the music discovery found on KCRW airwaves into communities.

The concept for Wavelength sprang from Mercedes-Benz and the Symphony's collaborative desires to serve the Orange County region with a new and distinct popular music experience that demonstrates the versatility of music to new, younger and diverse audience groups. Celebrating its 35th year this summer, Pacific Symphony is acclaimed nationally and internationally as one of America's most innovative orchestras. Through a committed approach to delivering the best concert experience possible, the Symphony gives over 100 performances for over 250,000 patrons in venues throughout Orange County.

Nightly concert festivities begin at 5:30 p.m. on the concourse followed by main stage performances beginning after 6 p.m.

Tickets for Aug. 22, 23, 24 and 25 range in price from $25 to $95 and are currently on sale through Ticketmaster.com. VIP Packages are also available through Ticketmaster.com. For more information, visit wavelengthfestival.org.

*Ms. Raitt does not appear with Pacific Symphony