Tonight is Day 16 of Top of the Park, the popular, free (donations welcome) outdoor happening featuring music, movies, kicking back, running into friends, and a variety of other attractions.

Each day in cooperation with the Ann Arbor Summer Festival—which presents Top of the Park as well as main-stage ticketed events—AnnArbor.com is publishing a rundown of the night's happenings. Here's an overview of tonight's schedule, followed by a more detailed look at the events and attractions:

OVERVIEW

6:30-8 p.m. - KidZone - kids activity tent
6:30 p.m. - Tree City and the ContraBand - hip-hop/R&B
8 p.m. - The Terraplanes - blues/pop
10 p.m. - Movie: "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial"

ENTERTAINMENT DETAILS

Tree City and the ContraBand - 6:30 p.m.

Tree City is an Ann Arbor-based hip-hop group consisting of 3 MC's and a DJ/MC (Cheeks, Clavius Crates, General P., and DJ Cataclysmic). Formed in 2005 after they met as teens at Neutral Zone, they've been supplying eardrums with their unique brand of hip-hop ever since, releasing their debut "The TreE.P." in June 2007 and the "Black Trees" mixtape in December 2008, both of which have received critical acclaim. Their video for "Classically Trained," directed by local filmmaker Peter Dean, screened at the 2011 Ann Arbor Film Festival.



The Terraplanes - 8 p.m.
The Terraplanes have been a staple of the Southeast Michigan blues scene, getting people up and dancing, for the past 20 years. Known for their irresistible mixture of rockin' blues and uptown swing, R&B, soul, and roots rock, their inspiration ranges from Chicago, New Orleans, Memphis, Detroit, and Texas to the Mississippi Delta.
Performing since: 1993.
Home base: Ann Arbor.
Style of music: House-rocking blues and uptown swing, R&B, soul, and roots rock-n-roll.
Members: Jerry Mack, vocals, guitar; Dave Fero, guitar, vocals; Al Kalaf, bass; Jim Merte, keyboards, vocals; George Eberhardt, drums; Joe Labeau, saxophones.
Backstory behind the band's name: The name "Terraplane" was borrowed from the song "Terraplane Blues" penned by the great blues legend Robert Johnson in 1936. The song is a lyrical suggestion associating the mischievous behavior of his partner with that of the performance of his car, a Terraplane, which was the name given to a line of aerodynamically designed vehicles produced by the Essex Motor Company in the mid-1930s.
Day jobs: Working on the computer, dealing with clients, providing services in the telecommunications and re-modeling sector.
Favorite road food: Anything that is the local rave.
Favorite stage outfit: Leisurely casual.
Musical hero: Anybody who performs from the heart with soul.
Website: www.terraplanes.net



Movie: "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" - 10 p.m.
1982, PG, 115 minutes: "E.T." is Steven Spielberg's heartwarming, magical family classic about an extra-terrestrial who is accidentally left behind on Earth and is befriended by a young boy, Elliott, and his brother and sister, Keys and Gertie. Elliott tries to help E.T. find a way back home, but there's a sacrifice at stake: Should he help his new friend or lose him? How can he keep him hidden from those already on his trail? A timeless story about friendship, loneliness and the bittersweet pangs of childhood.



OTHER ATTRACTIONS

KidZone - 6:30-8 p.m.
As described by the festival, "An interactive area for our youngest concert-goers, the Kidzone tent provides a fun and safe area for children and their parents to discover and explore a wide variety of hands-on activities with different community partners. From getting temporary tattoos, creating homemade instruments, or jamming out rock band style, KidZone offers different nightly activities for families at Top of the Park. Open nightly ‘til 8:00 pm."

Special note — free wifi:
New this year, AnnArbor.com in partnership with 20/20 Communications is providing free public WiFi access utilizing WiMax services broadcast from the top of Tower Plaza at Top of the Park for the duration of the 2011 Summer Festival. Look for the AnnArbor.com Public WiFi SSID and get connected!

Top of the Park takes place in front of the Rackham Building on East Washington Street. In addition to the daily entertainment, a variety of local food vendors will also be on hand each night. For more information, see the Summer Festival website, and watch AnnArbor.com for complete coverage of festival events.


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