The teens at the Neutral Zone decided to try something new: For the first time, they are throwing a free outdoor music and arts festival to showcase young talent.

"LIVE on Washington," will have teen-aged and some college-aged bands and solo musicians on 2 stages, art on exhibit and in the street, dance troupes, local food vendors, and other entertaining offerings.

The new teen-organized festival makes its debut on June 1 from 2 to 10 p.m. in front of the Neutral Zone on the 300 block of East Washington Street, including the parking lots at Bank of Ann Arbor and Comerica Bank.

For several years, the Neutral Zone has celebrated spring (and the approaching end of the school year) with their Breakin' Curfew teen talent concerts at the Power Center. But no more. Teen organizers and staff report that LIVE on Washington will replace the former event.

Although Breakin' Curfew's time has passed, LIVE on Washington will accomplish some of the same things by taking an entirely new form. It will share the creative talents of young people from the area. An outdoor festival also opens the doors to new possibilities and challenges for the teens and staff at the Neutral Zone.

"For the last 9 years, Breakin' Curfew was a place where so many teens could display their talent. That is something that we still wanted to have in the community. We didn't want it to get lost," says Eliza Stein, a Community High School senior.

"We wanted to keep that element of showcasing all the amazing talent that we have, but there are also a lot of aspects of "LIVE on Washington" that are going to be totally different, which is exciting," Anna Rosenfeld, a senior at Huron High School, says.

LIVE on Washington adds visual art to the mix. Art is a major facet of the Neutral Zone's programming but was not a main emphasis of Breakin' Curfew, because of the nature of a stage show. And although LIVE on Washington will likely feature poetry, as Breakin' Curfew did, it won't be happening on stage. Instead, poets are encouraged to share their works while roaming the crowd.

Two music stages—a main stage and an acoustic stage—will feature mostly teens and some college students from Ann Arbor and around Southeast Michigan. 20 bands or solo musicians will perform, along with 2 dance troupes.

There is also a mystery headliner planned—a popular adult musician from the area that will be announced at a later date.

Alnur Shabazz Dance Troupe is a group of younger-than-high-school kids from Detroit performing African dance, and Stylez Unknown is break dancers from Pioneer High School. Musical acts include And the Elephant, Andrew Nazzaro, Anna Elizabeth, Becca Amidei, Chris Terrell, Condensed Milk, Creal, DJ Kirikou, DNA, Dry Eyes, fthrsn, Jabootie Trio, JJ Royce, JTubbs Typhoon & DJ Distance, Joey Stride Forth, Olivia Roumel, PGFA, Planetary, The Ryan Yunck Experience, and Social Bandits.

Connecting with bands is something the Neutral Zone teens and music coordinator Jamall Bufford do well. Some have played at the Neutral Zone's B-Side, a performance and exhibition space at the teen center. Some have come through the Neutral Zone's recording label Youth Owned Records. And others wanted to audition for the show because they know the Neutral Zone by reputation. Many are local teens involved in the center or high school graduates with Neutral Zone alumni status, so to speak. Others connect through their events. It is all over the map, according to event planners.

As for visual art—members of the Neutral Zone's Visual Arts Council "have been thinking up ways that they can do live demonstrations," explains Shoham Geva, a Skyline High School senior.

One will be a mixed-media portrait painting booth. And local illustrator and chalk artist David Zinn will be there supporting his young counterparts by engaging the crowd with 3D chalk art projects.

In all, Shoham says "the spirit" of LIVE on Washington will hopefully be "a place where art can just happen."

The Ann Arbor Skatepark will also have a presence, a new partnership for the Neutral Zone. Visit their information booth for the latest on the forthcoming public skate park - planned to be built this summer.

Rosenfeld promises some good food at the festival. "We are having all local food vendors. The restaurants we've partnered with have been really supportive and will give us a percentage of the money," she says. Food vendors include San Street (of Mark's Carts), Ray's Red Hots, Pilar's Tamales, and Bearclaw Coffee.

All of the teens and staff who spoke with AnnArbor.com agreed that they hope the new outdoor festival format will attract a wide demographic—not just teens, but everyone who loves community events in Ann Arbor. If all goes well, expect the event to become an annual one.