Reverend Barry and the Funk to headline Friday Fest at the Van Wezel on July 27

Event to begin at 5 p.m.

Photo courtesy of the Van Wezel

“Grooving into Friday Fest” on July 27 will be Florida’s own Reverend Barry & the Funk, the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall has announced.

“Featuring a Grammy®-nominated vocalist, keyboardist and drummer,” Reverend Barry & the Funk is an eight-piece band “bursting with talent,” a news release says. Formerly known as Reverend Barry & the Funktastic Soul, the band has a “high-intensity rhythm and soul [that] will be sure to bring the Friday Fest crowd [members] out of their lawn chairs and onto the dance floor,” the release adds.

The concert also will feature special guest singer Alana, a Sarasota crowd-favorite, the release points out.

Friday Fest, which is a free outdoor concert series, runs from 5 to 9 p.m. on the Bayside Lawn of the Van Wezel, which is located in the city of Sarasota. Concerts feature food trucks and beverage vendors, the release notes. “While blankets and lawn chairs are welcome at all Friday Fest events, outside food and drink, including coolers, are prohibited,” the release stresses.

Friday Fest takes place “rain or shine,” the release adds. In the event of inclement weather, the festival moves indoors to the Grand Foyer or the main stage of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.