Carson City Brewery Arts Center continuing summer music series with Prezident Brown

Head down to the Brewery Arts Center this Saturday evening for a free concert under the stars.

The next performer in the Levitt AMP Carson City Concert Series is Prezident Brown, a reggae artist who will take the stage at 8 p.m. Carson City’s own Stereo Galaxy will open the show at 7 p.m.

Fitz Cotterell — also known as his stage moniker Prezident Brown — was born in the hills of Clarendon, Jamaica. As a young performer, he was initially called Slim Brown because of his resemblance — in both looks and musicality — to his mentor, U Brown. The most formative influence on Prezident Brown was producer and sound system operator Jack Ruby, best known for his work in the 1970s with roots reggae icon Burning Spear. Ruby saw something special in young Slim Brown and took him under his wing, renaming him Prezident Brown.

Prezident Brown doesn’t let stylistic boundaries get in the way of ambitious songs that combine Dancehall toasting (a style of lyrical chanting in Jamaican music) with gruff, rootsy singing. His tracks range from hard and upbeat to melodic acoustic guitar and Nyabingi drum-laced ballads. The reggae artist has been well-received in the United States and is building a large fan base with his timelessly beautiful albums and singles. He is also driven by a sense of mission and purpose, which dictates that he heightens the consciousness of a people as much as entertains.

The concert series will continue next Saturday, July 23, with Southern Drawl Band, followed by Whitney Myer on July 30 and SambaDá on Aug. 6. All remaining concerts are at 7 p.m.

As with every Saturday night concert, there will be food and drink on hand as well as children’s activities and fun for the whole family.

The public is invited to bring their own picnics, blankets and lawn chairs to the concerts, which will have an open lawn and lot setting. The Levitt AMP concert series is at 449 W. King St. at the corner of King and Minnesota streets. Admission is free.

Brewery Arts Center recently announced plans to apply for the grant again for next year as the Levitt Foundation has a history of awarding AMP grants for multiple years.

Sponsored in part by the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation, a private family foundation that empowers communities to transform neglected public spaces into thriving destinations through the power of free, live music, the Levitt AMP CARSON CITY Music Series presents 10 free, family-friendly concerts to the public currently at Minnesota Street Stage.

For a complete schedule of concerts, directions, and information about parking and wheelchair accessibility, go to http://levittamp.org/carson_city.