February 10, 2025
Jazz saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin to perform Feb. 26 in Eisenhower Auditorium
Lakecia Benjamin will bring her fiery sax work to a Penn State debut at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, in Eisenhower Auditorium. The evening will feature a red-hot performance of songs from “Phoenix” as well as its Grammy-nominated follow-up, “Phoenix Reimagined (Live).”
Credit: Elizabeth LeitzellUNIVERSITY PARK (Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025)— As the alto saxophonist tells it, Lakecia Benjamin’s Grammy Award-nominated recording “Phoenix” was inspired by a car accident.
“I started getting the sounds of this phoenix music in my head,” Benjamin said. “Which is why the album starts with sirens … it was the first sound I heard coming to get me out of the woods.”
Benjamin will bring her fiery sax work to a Penn State debut at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, in Eisenhower Auditorium. The evening will feature a red-hot performance of songs from “Phoenix” as well as its Grammy-nominated follow-up, “Phoenix Reimagined (Live).”
Tickets are $34 for an adult, $10 for a University Park student, and $15 for a person 18 and younger and are available for purchase online.
You can avoid the $4-per-ticket online service fee by calling 814-863-0255; or buying in person from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays at Eisenhower Auditorium.
Visit Lakecia Benjamin online for more information.
Visit Discounts for information on available ticket-discount programs, including the Arts Engagement Family Program, a free ticket program for Penn State students, and a ticket discount for Penn State employees.
As the alto saxophonist tells it, Lakecia Benjamin’s Grammy Award-nominated recording “Phoenix” was inspired by a car accident.
“I started getting the sounds of this phoenix music in my head,” Benjamin said in a Center for the Performing Arts interview. “Which is why the album starts with sirens … it was the first sound I heard coming to get me out of the woods.”
Credit: Elizabeth LeitzellThe charismatic and dynamic musician fuses traditional conceptions of jazz, hip-hop, and soul with her roots in Latin salsa and merengue music. She has unleashed her electric presence and fiery sax work on stages with intergenerational artists of legend, including Stevie Wonder, Missy Elliott, Alicia Keys, Santigold, and The Roots; as well as at President Barack Obama’s Inauguration.
“Equally melodic and assertive, her sound feels rooted in tradition, yet broad enough to encompass R&B and Latin music; its pronounced funk suggests allegiances to hip-hop and dance,” wrote a reviewer for The New York Times.
In the past year, Benjamin and her band have performed a set on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” and an NPR Tiny Desk Concert. She said her bold fashion sense matches her dynamic performance style.
“I’m always in some kind of bright colors in my shows,” Benjamin said in a Center for the Performing Arts feature. “I’m probably gonna be wearing something bright. So I encourage audiences to wear gold, like a phoenix.”
Watch Benjamin perform an NPR Tiny Desk Concert.
Sensory accommodations
The center welcomes patrons of all sensory sensitivities to its performances. Eisenhower Auditorium is certified by KultureCity as a sensory-friendly venue. Upon request, patrons can sign out a variety of items to accommodate your visit, including noise-reducing earmuffs, anti-strobe glasses, lap pads and fidget toys.
Learn more about the center’s available Accessibility services.
Acknowledgements
A grant from the University Park Student Fee Board makes Penn State student prices possible.
Support for accessibility services is provided by the William E. McTurk Endowment for Program Support.
For more information about the season, visit the Center for the Performing Arts online, Facebook and Instagram.