PG-13 | Musical/History | 1 Hour 57 Minutes | $10.00 General Admission/$6.00 Members
(UPDATE! Will Hermes will be joined by Joseph Patel, one of the Producers on the film for the Q&A after the film!!)
Everybody knows about the epic Woodstock musical festival in 1969. But an equally historic all-star series of concerts took place in Harlem earlier that same summer. And the event showcased the biggest soul acts of the era. But the Harlem Cultural Festival was all but forgotten until the release of the 2021 documentary SUMMER OF SOUL (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson. The award-winning documentary stars legends of the musical world: Stevie Wonder, Mahalia Jackson, Nina Simone, The 5th Dimension, The Staple Singers, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mavis Staples, Blinky Williams, Sly and the Family Stone, and the Chambers Brothers. In addition to concert footage, the film offers contemporary interviews with performers who look back on this groundbreaking event.
After the film, we are delighted to welcome local author Will Hermes for a Q&A. Will is a longtime culture journalist. His weekly Substack newsletter is Will Hermes: New Music + Old Music. His books include Love Goes To Buildings On Fire (2011) and Lou Reed: The King of New York (2023). He’s a contributing editor at Rolling Stone and a contributor to The New York Times, NPR, Pitchfork, and various other places.
He possesses a great wealth of information on all things music and his obvious passion for the medium is evident whenever he talks about musicians, old and new. His year end wrap up “Best of Music” on WAMC with Sarah LaDuke on the Roundtable has been a staple for almost 10 years.
