The Whitaker Music Festival returns to the Missouri Botanical Garden for the 22nd year, offering a ten-week lineup of free Wednesday evening outdoor concerts! Pack a picnic supper and enjoy the beauty of the Garden grounds in summertime bloom as you listen to the grooves and rhythms of an eclectic rotation of artists. Concerts will be held Wednesday evenings through July 29 at 7:30 p.m. Free admission begins at 5 p.m. and last entry is at 9 p.m. This year’s artists include:
June 3: Diesel Island. Diesel Island is one of St. Louis’ best outlaw country bands. The band formed in 2004 as a “just for fun” side project where key members of the Bottle Rockets could relax and play some classic country faves on their own terms. Since then, the band has performed countless times in various venues across the St Louis region.
June 10: Nikki Hill. Rising star Nikki Hill is a young, powerhouse R&B and rock & roll singer and songwriter, living right here in St. Louis. Along with her guitarist husband, Matt Hill, and their St. Louis-based band, she has become an R&B phenomenon in Europe and the West Coast. Nikki boasts a classic soul belter’s voice and rock & roll instincts.
June 17: Joe Mancuso. Joe Mancuso is a classically trained vocalist turned jazz singer. He studied classical voice, audio production and jazz studies at Webster University. He sings with an abundance of passion and intensity; whether singing ballads, bossa nova, blues or swing tune. Joe takes his audience on a dynamic, emotional ride in every performance.
June 24: Jeremiah Johnson Band. Jeremiah left St. Louis with his guitar, a fist full of original songs and a ton of ambition and came home and released two albums as The Jeremiah Johnson Band with The Sliders, and most recently, his solo album “Grind.” Though you can taste the Texas in his guitar style, Jeremiah also blends his rich St. Louis blues heritage and early music influences into the mix, giving you a blues-rock sound that rips at your soul and soothes your spirit.
Whitaker Music Festival concerts will be held outdoors on the lawn of the Cohen Amphitheater, just west of the Climatron® dome on the grounds of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets. The concert series is the only time of year when picnicking is allowed on Garden grounds. Visitors are welcome to bring their own picnic supper, baskets or coolers; no barbecue grills, fireworks, sparklers or pets. Picnic fare and bar items will be available for purchase on site. Most waste can be recycled or composted. Recycling bins are conveniently paired with trash cans throughout the Garden.
Help us keep the festival green by bringing your reusable bottle to get free water refills at the “hydration stations” located around the Garden. Wednesday evening admission is free after 5 p.m. Music begins at 7:30 p.m. and last entry is at 9 p.m. The Doris I. Schnuck Children’s Garden also remains open late until 7 p.m. on concert evenings, with free admission after 5 p.m.
For more information and a complete concert lineup, visit www.mobot.org/events/whitaker or call (314) 577-5100 (toll-free, 1-800-642-8842).