If you're a fan of live music and the outdoors, this is the time of year to soak up both in downtown Baton Rouge.
Sunday in the Park, presented by the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, opens its spring season at 2 p.m. April 7. Live After Five's Friday concerts kick off at 5 p.m. April 12. The Downtown Business Association hosts the series. All shows are free.
There's a mix of familiar artists and fresh faces this year for both series.
Here's what's in store:
April 7: Shawn Williams — The New Orleans-born Williams describes her music as "alt-rocka countrybilly, serial killer blues." She says she's always been drawn to dark themes. "Maybe it comes from being in New Orleans. Maybe it comes from my love of the desert. It just flows out of me from somewhere else," Williams says on her website. The artist makes her New Orleans Jazz Heritage Festival debut on April 28.
Dave Hinson
April 14: Dave Hinson — Co-founder of Baton Rouge's Adult Music Club is a multi-talented musician and educator. A member of folk band Minos the Saint, he also performs in duos and trios around town, and has performed with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra.
April 21: TheBrosFresh — The duo are Geismar natives who music celebrates R&B/soul and southern hip-hop. "Hard-hitting percussion and aural aggression meet a smooth sensibility and aesthetic in a way that has never been experienced," according to the entertainers' website.
April 28: Gerard Delafose (and the Zydeco Gators) — The family name Delafose is synonymous with the zydeco sound and Gerard Delafose has been playing it on stage since he was 4. Performing more than 100 shows annually, Delafose is also a Grammy nominee.
Live After Five
Groovy 7
April 12: Groovy 7 — The New Orleans party band knows how to get people on the dance floor. A favorite for weddings in the Crescent City, the group also has opened for artists including Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Flo Rider, Pitbull, KISS and more. They also recorded two songs and made a cameo in the film "Barefoot," starring Evan Rachel Wood.
April 19: Kenny Neal — The second-generation southern Louisiana blues artist, a member of the musical Neal family, is synonymous with the region's blues tradition, but also ventures out in new directions with his sound. His 2016 project, "Bloodline," was nominated for a 2017 Grammy for best contemporary blues album.
April 26: Todd O'Neill — Country music recording artist O'Neill is a native of Hammond. "Love Again," his 2017 release, peaked at No. 37 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. He toured with Brothers Osborne and Runaway June to promote the single.
The Original Pinettes
May 10: The Original Pinettes — The Pinettes are an all-female brass band made up of New Orleans born-and-raised musicians. The band's performed at many venues and events around the arena, as well as traveled abroad to play in Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara, Turkey, and the Ascona Jazz Fest in Ascona, Switzerland.
May 17: Bucktown Allstars — New Orleans Tourism terms the AllStars "an institution" in the city. The horn-heavy party band's repertoire includes classic R&B, '60s hits, '70s funk, and Crescent City flavors.
May 24: Michael Foster Project — The Baton Rouge-based brass band performs everything from traditional jazz to Latin, pop to hip-hop. The band formed in the late 1990s.
For more info and updates, visit artsbr.org and https://downtownbr.org/live-after-five/.