Saturday, December 4, beginning at 11:00 a.m., Key West Art & Historical Society and COAST Projects present the 2021 COAST Is Clear Music & Arts Festival, with a multi-stage music lineup featuring Grammy nominated headliners Black Pumas, national and international favorites Phosphorescent, Rayland Baxter, Langhorne Slim, Liz Cooper, SUSTO, and Garrett Dutton—also known as founder/front-man of G. Love & Special Sauce—accompanied by skaterock musician Chuck Treece, plus performances by locally-based favorites on the spacious and newly restored Parade Grounds of historic Fort East Martello in Key West. (Photo by Jody Domingue)

All Your Favorite “Colors”— Black Pumas to Headline COAST Is Clear Music & Arts Festival at Fort East Martello’s Parade Grounds 

The Grammy-nominated Black Pumas will take center stage at the Saturday, December 4 COAST Is Clear Music & Arts Festival on the newly restored Parade Grounds of Fort East Martello in Key West. Co-produced and presented by Key West Art & Historical Society and COAST Projects, the 11:00am -11:00pm family-friendly event features the soulful, electric duo and an entertainment lineup of world-class talent interspersed on three stages along with an artists’ market, food vendors, and a cash bar.

The alchemic collaboration between producer and multi-instrumentalist Adrian Quesada and singer/songwriter Eric Burton fuse cinematic neo-soul, light psychedelia, and a touch of urban grit that have stoked crowds at sold-out shows across North America and Europe. After joining forces in 2018, Black Pumas released their acclaimed self-titled debut album in June 2019 and were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist only four months later. This year, they scored three Grammy-nominations for “Album of the Year,” “Record of the Year,” and “Best American Roots Performance,” and their psychedelic-soul hit “Colors” has become a popular, evocative, sing-along anthem for love and inclusivity.

Their “rapid fame” was precipitated by years of dedicated play— Burton’s musical theater, busking, and solo shows paired with Quesada’s production savvy and reputation from playing in bands like Grupo Fantasma and with artists like Prince. Burton channels the church-choir spirit of his youth into soulful vocals with a rich timbre and reverential delivery while the Texas-born Quesada lays down Latin funk mixed with Americana rock and MTV hip-hop to create an authentic sound with classic soul and vintage R&B overtones. 

It’s this sort of unintended roots tribute (they’re just “being themselves,” they say) mixed with a tireless, electric showmanship that ignites and unites audiences and compels iconic rock bands like the Rolling Stones to invite them as openers. Their Key West performance follows a sold-out European tour that included stops in London, Berlin, Paris, and Madrid; if you haven’t yet purchased your festival ticket, you might want to get on that. 

For the lead-up, festival-goers can immerse in an extraordinary talent-pool that includes singer-songwriter Phosphorescent (Matthew Houck) from Huntsville, Alabama; Nashville-born indie pop-rocker Rayland Baxter; New Hope, Pennsylvania singer-songwriter Langhorne Slim (Sean Scolnic); indie-punk rocker Liz Cooper from Brooklyn, New York; American-indie rock band SUSTO from Charleston, South Carolina; hip-hop/folk/blues G. Love & Special Sauce founder/front-man Garret Dutton with skate-rock musician Chuck Treece on a return trip from Philadelphia; along with a bevy of locally-based favorites. 

“All of the bands in the lineup this year have played in at least one of the past two Newport Folk Festivals, which is the most iconic and well-regarded music festival of its kind in the entire world,” says COAST Projects & Festival founder Billy Kearins. 

Cooler temps, ocean views, and small-venue vibes on a field of grass by a historic Civil-war era fort— it’s a day-long concert not to be missed. The event is rain or shine, with free admission for ages 12 and under, special discounts for teachers, military personnel, and first responders. Covid-19 safety protocols will be observed, including a cap on ticket sales. Chairs and blankets are welcome. Limited parking is available; bicycling encouraged. Information on ancillary VIP special events and advance ticket sales at www.coastisclearfest.com. Your Museums.  Your Community.  It Takes an Island.  

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