Sounds of blues, pop, funk and jazz will be flowing through the Oxford Square during the 19th annual Double Decker Arts Festival April 25-26. The festival’s music lineup was announced last Friday, and the performances promise a good time to any Oxford resident, student or visitor.
The festival lineup includes music and appearances by Oxford natives Dent May, Morgan Pennington and, of course, Thacker Mountain Radio. Touring artists and bands will be Rosco Bandana, Bo-Keys, Garry Burnside, T-Bird and the Breaks, Infamous Stringdusters, Wild Feathers, Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Charles Bradley. Each performer is featured on the festival’s website along with a biography and a preview of their music.
Performances will start Friday at 6 p.m. with the Gulfport-based funk band, Rosco Bandana.
Partnering with Double Decker to produce Friday night’s lineup, Oxford’s own Thacker Mountain Radio will bring in Rosco Bandana and the Bo-Keys along with an author on its radio show.
The featured author is yet to be decided, but Thacker Mountain Radio is working on the project with local bookstores.
Kathryn McGaw, Thacker Mountain executive director and producer, is excited about Thacker’s second year hosting and performing at the festival.
“Double Decker focuses on local artists, good local music, and that’s what Thacker is all about,” McGaw said. “Together with the Double Decker Festival, we worked together to pick the entertainment that we felt would be fun and entertaining for our community.”
The Bo-Keys will also perform Friday at 8 p.m., bringing fresh, soulful music from Memphis to Oxford. The band includes members who have managed to claim an Emmy award and a Grammy nomination.
“Hopefully, everyone will stick around, put on their dancing shoes and enjoy a great time,” McGaw said.
Rachel Larry, a University of Mississippi pharmaceutical sciences sophomore, appreciates the variety Double Decker offers.
“Double Decker is something unique about Oxford that you can’t experience anywhere else,” she said. “I love how so many artists come to Double Decker and play different music in the same area.”
The live music will continue Saturday, with about 200 art and food vendors joining them on the streets of the historic Oxford Square.
For more information on the 2014 schedule of events, visit the festival’s official website, www.doubledeckerfestival.com.
— Sara Kiparizoska
skipariz@go.olemiss.edu
