Oakland Rising Takes the Kennedy Center Stage

Pictured: Seven young adults stand against a colorful painted wall, holding musical instruments including guitars, drumsticks, and a saxophone. Credit: Oakland Rising

Oakland Rising Heads to the Kennedy Center

Musicians from the local collective Oakland Rising will head to Washington D.C. for a July 18 performance at the famed Kennedy Center. While some artists have canceled performances or declined invitations due to recent controversies surrounding the Kennedy Center, Oakland Rising has chosen a different path. The group sees this moment as an opportunity to hold space and bring their message of resilience and unity to a national stage.

Showing Up with Purpose

In a statement, the band shared:

“Right now we are all being asked to figure out how we want to show up in this world – and as artists who were brought together to bring our spirit into challenging circumstances, we feel like this is where we are supposed to be.”

Oakland Rising was launched last year through a collaboration with Follow the Music and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, with a mission to spotlight Oakland’s rich cultural legacy and the new generation of artists carrying it forward. As Follow the Music co-founder Philip Green puts it,

“These artists are bringing their music and their spirit to a world that doesn’t seem to have a lot of space for love and joy these days.”

Meet the Artists: Voices of a New Generation

The East Coast tour features a trio of vocalists and multi-instrumentalists:

• August Lee Stevens, called a “Star on the Rise” by KQED, recently sold out two shows at SFJAZZ/JHL and will release her new single “Tell Me” on July 18.

• B DeVeaux, fresh off the release of their debut single “Because You”, is preparing for a headline show at SFJAZZ/JHL in 2026 and is active in both Co_Llab Choir and the musical Co-Founders.

• NAIMA, a 15 year-old prodigy who has performed at Bottlerock, supported Valerie June, and contributed to Roberta Flack’s The Green Piano.

Together, they represent the heart of Oakland’s creative future bold, multilingual, and unafraid to take the stage! The show is TOMORROW JULY 18 at 6:00pm at the Kennedy Center.