Tonight is Day 13 of Top of the Park, the popular, free (donations welcome) outdoor happening featuring music, movies, kicking back, running into friends, and a variety of other attractions.

Each day in cooperation with the Ann Arbor Summer Festival—which presents Top of the Park as well as main-stage ticketed events—AnnArbor.com is publishing a rundown of the night's happenings. Here's an overview of tonight's schedule, followed by a more detailed look at the events and attractions:

OVERVIEW

4:30 p.m. - Strange Fruit - aerial dancers
5-8 p.m. - KidZone - kids activity tent
5:00 p.m. - Hannah Winkler - folk-pop
6:00 p.m. - Dave Boutette and John Latini - Americana
7:00 p.m. - Lady Sunshine & the X Band - blues/soul
8:30 p.m. - Strange Fruit - aerial dancers
9:00 p.m. - Third Coast Kings - funk/soul
11 p.m. - After Dark: DJ Special K

ENTERTAINMENT DETAILS

Hannah Winkler - 5:00 p.m.
Hannah Winkler, an acoustic folk singer-songwriter from Bethesda, Maryland, sings original tunes inspired by her own stories and the experiences of others. Her music incorporates sounds from the city of D.C., from rolling fields of Maryland farmland, and from sunny springtime afternoons in Ann Arbor. Her soaring melodies and unexpected progressions make for heartbreaking ballads and joyful songs to sing along to.

Dave Boutette and John Latini - 6:00 p.m.
Boutette and Latini spin tales of adventure across our Great Lakes State and interpretations of old favorites. Blending many schools of American roots and popular music including folk, blues, swing, and old-time country, their songs testify to the power of true love, rebirth, snow plows, and migrating fish. Fun is the name of the game, and audience participation is always welcome.
Performing since: 1999.
Home base: Washtenaw County.
Style of music: American roots song-and-dance men.
Members: Dave Boutette, vocals and guitar; John Latini, vocals and guitar.
Backstory behind the band's name: Those were the names our parents had left after they named all their older kids.
Day jobs: Dave sells wine. John sings to the sliver-haired leisure set.
Favorite road food: Dave: Chocolate covered espresso beans. John: Ice cold lager.
Favorite stage outfit: Nothing too tight.
Musical hero: Dave: John Prine. John: Elvis Costello.
Website: www.daveboutette.net ("net" cuz it rhymes!)

Lady Sunshine & the X-Band - 7:00 p.m.
With lively shows that echo the Stax-Volt legacy, Lady Sunshine and the X-Band is a true product of the Motor City and is a reflection of the very essence of Detroit—emotion, fire, pride, and soul.
Performing since: 1994.
Home base: AnnArbor/Ypsi.
Style of music: soul, blues, funk, jazz and R&B (some gospel).
Members: Lead vocals - Lady Sunshine; guitar - Slick Rick Humesky; bass - Smokin' Joe Aranda; drums - Kito Pardo; keyboards - Tom Fossdog- Fosselman; tenor - Pat Padilla; bari/alto - David Maki; trumpet - Ken Ferry.
Band name backstory: The band got it's name because half of them were from another band, so therefore being the X-band.
Favorite road food: Arby's, Mongolian BBQ.
Website: ladysunshine.net



Third Coast Kings - 9:00 p.m.
The Third Coast Kings are a proper deep funk and soul outfit. In the tradition of '60s and '70s funk groups, the Kings detonate with a sonic force that is designed to make you move. Their gritty sound is a raw concoction of horn-driven hooks, a heavy rhythm and an overall tightness that has made them a favorite in the funk and soul revival scene.
Performing since: 2008.
Home base: Ann Arbor.
Style of music: Deep funk & soul.
Members: James Keovongsak - drums; Andy Filisko - guitar; Steve Barker - bass; Brian Lassiter - bari/alto sax; Alec Cooper - tenor sax; Ryan Dolan - trumpet; Terry Kimura - trombone; Sean Ike - vocals.
Day jobs: Ranging from teachers to butchers.
Favorite road food: Anything BBQ'd. Soul food.
Favorite stage outfit: Vintage retro suits.
Musical hero: James Brown, among many others.
Website: www.recordkicks.com/artists/THE-THIRD-COAST-KINGS
Twitter: thirdcoastkings



After Dark with DJ Special K - 11 p.m.
After Dark puts a new “spin” on festival moonlighting. Every Friday and Saturday night, The Grove at Top of the Park hosts a late-night chill lounge after the stage bands stop playing. An exclusive showcase of guest DJs will be spinning tunes, and drink specials will be offered until midnight in this cozy outdoor lounge. Ages 21+. Tonight: DJ Special K spins a mix of jazz, world, soul, hip-hop and electronica.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS

Strange Fruit - 4:30 and 8:30 p.m.
Strange Fruit, the hard-to-describe Australian troupe that entertained crowds at the Ann Arbor Summer Festival in 2007, is back this year for a return appearance. Today features two of six performances of a work called "The Three Belles" from the troupe of aerial acrobats/dancers who work on giant swaying poles. Performances are also scheduled Saturday. For more information, see this article from AnnArbor.com or the Summer Festival website.

Check out a slideshow of Strange Fruit at Top of the Park.

KidZone - 5-8 p.m.
As described by the festival, "An interactive area for our youngest concert-goers, the Kidzone tent provides a fun and safe area for children and their parents to discover and explore a wide variety of hands-on activities with different community partners. From getting temporary tattoos, creating homemade instruments, or jamming out rock band style, KidZone offers different nightly activities for families at Top of the Park. Open nightly ‘til 8:00 pm."

Special note — free wifi:
New this year, AnnArbor.com in partnership with 20/20 Communications is providing free public WiFi access utilizing WiMax services broadcast from the top of Tower Plaza at Top of the Park for the duration of the 2011 Summer Festival. Look for the AnnArbor.com Public WiFi SSID and get connected!

Top of the Park takes place in front of the Rackham Building on East Washington Street. In addition to the daily entertainment, a variety of local food vendors will also be on hand each night. For more information, see the Summer Festival website, and watch AnnArbor.com for complete coverage of festival events.


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MAINSTAGE TONIGHT

k.d. lang
Hill Auditorium, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $35-$75. Information: www.annarborsummerfestival.org
Preview article from AnnArbor.com