Beats, brunch, a benefit and a bevy of artists.
That's the lineup for a new weekly event at Wilmington's C.W. Harborside that will support The Light Up the Queen Foundation, the non-profit dedicated to the revival of the city's Queen Theater.
The musical menu, with a mix of gospel, ska, reggae and hip-hop performers as well as DJs spinning soul and R&B records, will be as varied as the all-you-can-eat brunch that kicks the events off.
AllHipHop.com co-founder and artist Gentle Jones teamed with Newdy Felton's Star and Drama Entertainment and Matt Berri to create the "Harborside Sundays" events, which kick off Sunday.
Through concerts and various events, The Light Up the Queen Foundation has so far raised $24 million to transform the theater from a broken-down 92-year-old former movie house into a sparkling new music venue.
The project could deliver Wilmington its very own World Cafe Live, a spin-off of the Philadelphia music venue.
AllHipHop.com co-founder and CEO "Grouchy Greg" Watkins said the revival of the Queen is crucial because there are many more artists than venues where they can perform.
"A brand new, world-class theater opening on Market Street is a big deal, to everyone, in all genres of music," Watkins said.
Watkins and the organizers of "Harborside Sundays" realize that they can't keep it unless they give it away, so all of the proceeds from the event go toward the Queen's revival.
The all-day and night event will feature music by Grouchy Greg, Gentle Jones, The Bullbuckers and Fat Daddy Has Been.
Marchitect, the frontman for Fat Daddy Has Been, is looking forward to the event, which will also bring in celebrities to support the cause down the line.
"C.W. Harborside is the perfect venue for an event like this," said Marchitect. "The stage is great, the acoustics are superb and the deck just adds to the atmosphere. We are really looking forward to performing for all of our fans Sunday and debuting some new tunes, as well as supporting a really good cause."
The event at C.W. Harborside, at 110 S. West St., will take place every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. It starts with the "Harbor Soul Brunch," an all-you-can-eat breakfast that runs to 2 p.m. Kids eat for $7.95 and adults pay $19.95.
Guest DJs all day include Grouchy Greg , Gentle Jones, DJ Shaun Klassic and DJ Luvitt.
The day portion of the event is free, but the evening festitivies cost $5.
For more information, call 302-494-9334.
