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[Music plays]
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
and welcome to Ft. Dupont Park
your theater under the stars.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy yourself.
Try not to lose your children, 'cause we don't have a lost and found.
[Music continues]
Happy 40th anniversary to the Summer Concert Series
here at Ft. Dupont Park
here in Washington, D.C.
and if you're not here- you blew it.
We have had everybody from
James Cotton
Betty Carter
Bobby Humphrey
Regina Belle
Ramsey Lewis
The Manhattans
Della Reese
Tito Puente, Jr.
Russell Thompkins, Stylistics
Mothers Finest
Parliament-Funkadelic
We had Mandrill last year.
The Delfonics
Just a lot of great bands
Confunktion
Zapp
The Impressions
Ray, Goodman & Brown
Jean Carn
Stacy Lattisaw
It was just so many artists that I really enjoyed
and was excited to come here to see.
[Music plays]
I've been coming to Ft. Dupont since I was 5 years old
This was the place that I came to for my first summer camp.
As a second generation park ranger
I have been literally here in Ft. Dupont Park
since probably the fifth or the sixth grade.
My mom's first assignment as a supervisor
with the National Park Service
was right here at Ft. Dupont Park.
Ladies and gentleman, it's an honor.
So, imagine the whole family- the kids, everybody, a cooler-
free parking, you can come out here early
and no violence.
Repeat after me: I,
state your name,
am here to have a good time.
[Music plays]
The people are very happy-
They're always dancing and singing
and having a wonderful time.
It's a special kind of event
and all the artists look forward to coming here because
of the acceptance of the audience.
They just go crazy.
And the price is right.
I don't remember the first time
But I've done this so many times.
It seems like every time is like a first time.
But I've had some great times
Wonderful times. People and just moments that we've had here.
["Ft. Dupont Park" plays]
Ft. Dupont- scream!
It's gotten to the point now where artists actually call me to play here
which is really great.
We've had some really major headliners here
We've had some really major headliners here
We've had some really major headliners here
in Southeast D.C. Outdoor Concert Series
and I'm quite proud to just be a member of the National Park Service
knowing that we have kept that tradition going.
Weeks in advance to months in advance,
I see people on the street and the first thing they say is
"What's the Ft. Dupont schedule?"
Out here, to some people this is real estate.
They rush out here at 4 or 5 o'clock
to get their spot.
This hill is covered.
You can see people all the way back up to the top of the hill.
By Friday morning it was just a big deal
Everybody was getting prepared.
The picnic baskets were coming, the lawn chairs were already out here
and you thought you were going to Central Park.
Life's not good for everybody,
But when you come out here, it's good for everybody.
There's no commitment, nobody pushing, nobody [saying]
"That's my spot," or this or that.
It's just like, you know, sacred ground
where they say, "We're gonna have a good time and I can't wait."
I can always assure you that coming out here to Ft. Dupont
I'm gonna run into a classmate, a church member,
someone from the community who says,
"Hey, I didn't know you were coming to tonight's show.
come on over and sit with our family."
So those are the things I remember most about Dupont
and what brings me back.
Welcome, welcome to Ft. Dupont
Thank you everybody, thank you for coming out here.
You know, it's just the perfect flavor.
It's just a wonderful place to be in the summer.
You can almost hear the people screaming right now.
I absolutely adore being here. It's a great time.
So, hats off to the National Park Service.
Hats off to National Artists
and especially the people that come out and enjoy all of it.
[Roy Ayers plays]
[Crowd cheers]
It's so good to be back in D.C.