Kick off Fourth of July festivities with the electrifying sounds of New Orleans collective Tank and the Bangas, making their Skirball debut.
DJ set by Tosstones.
Date and Time
Thursday, July 2, 7:00 pm
7:00 pm: Opening set by Butter Funk Family
7:45 pm: Intermission + DJ set by Tosstones
8:00 pm: Tank and the Bangas
Doors at 6:00 pm
About the Program
An oasis of soul, hip-hop, and forward-thinking R&B awaits at the Skirball with a special performance from New Orleans collective Tank and the Bangas. The 2025 GRAMMY Award winners lead a wildly interactive show packed with call-and-response moments, handclaps, and joyful grooves that turn the atmosphere into a shared celebration. Bold, uplifting, and built for the stage, Tank and the Bangas are here to kick off your Fourth of July festivities in the perfect way as the Skirball celebrates America250.
Butter Funk Family opens with the energy of classic funk for the twenty-first century and beyond.
Evening Schedule
Doors open at 6:00 pm. Concertgoers should arrive early to eat, drink, shop, and see current exhibitions. While relaxing in the Skirball's hillside courtyard before the concert, enjoy a set by DJ Tosstones.
- 7:00–7:45 pm: Butter Funk Family
- 7:45–8:00 pm: Intermission with set by DJ Tosstones
- 8:00–9:15 pm: Tank and the Bangas
About the Artists
Tank and the Bangas explore the most tender and true parts of life’s journey. Unique and with a vibrance that could only come from New Orleans, the lead vocalist, Tank, has stretched her vocals over quirky raps, poetry, and rich melodies since the release of their first album, Think Tank in 2013. Four years later, they had a viral breakthrough as the winners of the NPR Tiny Desk Contest, an eclectic performance that has since been praised by musicians like Miguel and Anthony Hamilton and has now amassed over 14 million views on YouTube.
Recent winner for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album for The Heart, The Mind, The Soul at the 2025 GRAMMYs, the concept of this album series came to Tank two years ago while traveling on a train with her group members. Its structure makes it different from the rest of the catalog, and so does the special emphasis Tank has put on her poetry, collaborators, and its cohesive sound. “It explores self-discovery, the journey to confidence, believing in your ability, matters of the heart, the mind, and just free thought flowing,” Tank says about the album.
You don’t just hear or see funk music. You feel it. It travels through your body like a surge of electricity, bringing you to your feet and right to the dance floor with a primal magnetism.
As if stepping right out of spaceship from the seventies and into a post-social media world in dire need of connection, the Butter Funk Family (BFF) channels the energy of classic funk for the twenty-first century and beyond. Led by two-time GRAMMY® Award-winning multiplatinum powerhouse artist, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Printz Board (Black Eyed Peas, Mark Ronson, Cee Lo Green), Butter Funk Family unlocks an undeniable and unbreakable groove with no shortage of grit and gusto.
With horns blaring, guitars bobbing and weaving, and vocals roaring straight from the gut, you’ve got no choice but to move.
Tosstones Aponte is a GRAMMY-nominated musician, composer, and producer. His artistry has no boundaries because of his ability to create, direct, and perform. The trail blazer has been able to build a successful career as an independent artist and band leader organically.
Growing up in Puerto Rico, the richness of percussion and dance shaped every aspect of his expression. Tosstones merges salsa, hip-hop, reggaeton, Caribbean music, Afrobeats, jazz, and more. Tosstones has made major noise in Hollywood for being a part of the creative team behind Bad Bunny’s 2023 GRAMMYs performance, Mexican icon Marisela's world tour (2021–2022), Elvis Crespo's “Suavemente” 25th anniversary on Univision TV (2020). He received Best Jazz Album (GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY) nominations for his collaboration on David Sanchez ’s Carib album (2019).