Remind yourself to take an early lunch this Friday: From 11 to 2 in Northeast’s Langdon Park, a ribbon-cutting and grand-opening ceremony will be held for the Chuck Brown Memorial Park, honoring the local music legend and “godfather of go-go,” who passed away in 2012 at the age of 75. The ceremony, which falls on what would be Brown’s 78th birthday and will be attended by Mayor Gray and several of Brown’s relatives, is open to the public.
Designed by the local firm Marshall Moya Design, the park includes a memorial wall engraved with Brown’s discography; a timeline of significant points in his life and career; a photo-mosaic tile wall showcasing images of his performances; and musical toys for children, among other features. Michael Marshall, the firm’s design director, grew up in the Langdon Park area, where the memorial is located; he and his team are also behind the redesign of the Howard Theatre, where Brown performed so many times.
Can’t make the ceremony? This week offers two more ways to celebrate Brown: Beautiful Life, a nine-track album of his music featuring his band as well as guest spots from artists such as Doug E Fresh and Wale (for even more hometown flavor), was released Tuesday on iTunes and Amazon; the Howard Theatre is also hosting a concert in Brown’s honor on Friday at 8 PM (tickets are available online).
Regardless of how the unveiling ceremony goes, the park’s design will doubtless go over better than the beleaguered Eisenhower Memorial, whose development process has been so complicated it caused one former federal official to quip that “winning World War II was easier.”
Find Tanya Pai on Twitter at @tanyapai.
