PORT ANGELES — Hip-hop artist Mane Rok and his colleague, Deejay Tense, will bring their microphones and turntables to town for a free concert Thursday night, the eve of the Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts.
The duo, known as Stay Tuned, will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. at the Vern Burton Community Center, 308 W. Fourth St., thanks to a grant from the Western States Arts Federation, or WESTAF.
The grant is part of the Denver-based arts federation’s Independent Music on Tour program enabling acts such as Stay Tuned to go on the road.
Mane Rok, an MC — aka a mic controller, master of ceremonies, or rapper — is from Denver, and last month released a video, “Columbine Courtesy,” on his album “Murder, He Wrote.”
“For years, I’ve watched in utter jealousy of our Canadian counterparts having their government back independent artists, helping them maintain careers in a cutthroat business,” Mane Rok said in a statement.
With the WESTAF grant, “I feel like we have a leg up with protection for our necks for once. It gives me a bit of hope here in these Rocky Mountains.”
Thursday’s concert is free for all ages, while tickets to the 20th annual Juan de Fuca Festival, which starts Friday and runs through Memorial Day Monday, May 27, are $50 in advance for an adult full festival pass.
Children 12 and younger are admitted free. Ticket outlets are Port Book and News, 104 E. First St.; Sequim’s Pacific Mist Books at 121 W. Washington St., and www.JFFA.org.
Mane Rok and Stay Tuned will also be among the scores of musical acts appearing at the festival’s six venues.
After Mane Rok’s 5:30 p.m. set, the Sierra Leone Refugee All-Stars, a band from west Africa, will headline Friday night’s festivities.
Once the festival begins Friday, the four-day passes rise to $60. Single-day passes are $20 for Friday or Monday and $25 for Saturday or Sunday.
WESTAF is also sponsoring one of the festival’s workshops. “Effective Marketing for Musicians/Artists,” with University of Colorado professor Storm Gloor, will go from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Friday at the Chamber Stage, aka the Port Angeles City Council chambers, adjacent to the Vern Burton Community Center.
The workshop is included with festival admission.
For abundant information about festival performances and workshops, see JFFA.org, visit the Juan de Fuca Festival on Facebook or phone 360-457-5411.
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Features Editor Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5062, or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
