More live music is coming to the Burlington area, courtesy of the Flynn. On Friday, the performing arts center announced a new series called Hurly Burly, a string of free, outdoor, socially distant performances co-presented by the University of Vermont's Lane Series and the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival. Beginning on Saturday, August 15, with Latin jazz trumpeter, educator, bandleader and VPR host Ray Vega, the series will continue through September.

"Hurly Burly is an experiment," Flynn artistic director Steve MacQueen wrote in a press release. "If people can't come to the arts, then we'll bring the arts to the people, and we'll do it as safely as possible."

The series focuses largely on voices of color, as MacQueen pointed out, "in order to reinforce the Flynn's commitment to equity and anti-racist practices." Show locations will be announced via the Flynn's social media accounts on the day of, and artists will perform on an improvised stage affixed to a flatbed truck.



Subsequent performers include Middlebury College assistant professor of music Matthew Evan Taylor on Sunday, August 16; jazz singer Ro Freeman on Saturday, August 22; the Vermont Symphony Orchestra with an ensemble from Lyric Theatre Company on Sunday, August 23; Afro-fusion artist KeruBo on Saturday, September 12; percussive powerhouse Burlington Taiko on Sunday, September 13; cumbia band Mal Maïz on Saturday, September 19; and blues outfit Dwight & Nicole in collaboration with composer and activist Daniel Bernard Roumain (aka DBR) on Sunday, September 20.
"I love this group of artists," MacQueen wrote, "and I am really excited to see how the whole harebrained scheme works out."

Hurly Burly is the first live entertainment the Flynn has offered since it canceled the end of its 2019-20 season in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. In June, the venue confirmed that no Main Stage shows would be booked for the remainder of this year.