VALERIE JUNE LEADS BLACK ARTISTS IN CALL FOR VOTER MOBILIZATION AT “VOICE YOUR VOTE” VIRTUAL CONCERT

05 Oct VALERIE JUNE LEADS BLACK ARTISTS IN CALL FOR VOTER MOBILIZATION AT “VOICE YOUR VOTE” VIRTUAL CONCERT

In an effort to increase voter turnout at the polls and support the fight against voter disenfranchisement, the first-ever “Voice Your Vote”​ virtual concert — curated  by acclaimed Americana and soul singer / songwriter Valerie June — will take place on October 18 at 6:00 p.m. ET. Presented by City Winery and Mandolin, this critical call to action is inspired by June’s “Young, Gifted, & Black” Spotify playlist and the spirit of late musician and civil rights activist Nina Simone. ​Tickets are $15.00 for this virtual concert benefit to battle voter suppression and are available at CityWinery.com.

“Voice Your Vote”​ will feature an array of Black artists, musicians, and poets, who will share their art and use their voice to uplift efforts to mobilize voting and stop voter suppression, a tactic commonly used to primarily target Black and brown communities. Proceeds from the event will be distributed to ​Fair Fight ​and ​Movement Voter Project’s Black-Led Organizing Fund,​ two organizations working to support fair elections and grassroots voter mobilization around the country.​

“This year, 2020, has unveiled so many wounds that we have the power to change by voting. From systemic racism to climate change, it can feel overwhelming to look at the countless issues we’re facing in the world today and to decide which ones to focus on changing, but collectively showing up in record numbers to cast our ballots is one of the simplest ways we can raise our voices. I believe that by voting in this year’s election we have the power to end the year on a high note, so voice your vote,” said recording artist Valerie June.

In addition to Valerie June, “Voice Your Vote” will feature music from a diverse catalogue of Black musicians, spanning generations and genres from Folk and Rock, to R&B, Hip-Hop, and more. Artists who have committed to performing for the event include Allison Russell, Amythyst Kiah, Black Pumas, Brittany Howard, Chastity Brown, Deva Mahal, Devon Gilfillian, Jon Batiste, Kandace Springs, Leyla McCalla, Lizz Wright, Rhiannon Giddens featuring the Resistance Revival Chorus, and Son Little, and Toshi Reagon, with more to be announced.

“This first-of-its-kind showcase ​will give Black musicians a platform to share their voices and use music as a tool to drive voter turnout and anti-voter suppression efforts,” said Shlomo Lipetz, Vice President of Programming at City Winery. “Music and politics have shared a dynamic connection throughout American history and we hope that this virtual concert can help to bring about the change desperately needed in this country to end voter disenfranchisement and give all citizens an equal voice.”

“Voice Your Vote” will be broadcast virtually on Mandolin, the music industry’s leading livestream platform, to allow viewers across the country to support voting rights. The virtual concert is sponsored by Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, Klaviyo, The Jessica and David Aronoff Family, and PAINT, a Michael Walker film and winner of the 2020 Grand Jury Prize at Dances with Films. “Voice Your Vote” is a collaboration between Valerie June, City Winery, and Boston-based businessman Paul Blumenfeld. For more information and to purchase virtual tickets, please visit CityWinery.com.