Friday Nights at OMCA with Soulovely
Live Music and Dance Party with Soulovely, Wh/aacking Dance Lesson with G-Funk, DJ Music Set by Brown Angel, and Gallery Chats
September 26 from 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Friday Nights at OMCA has the stage set for you to experience the vibrant energy of Soulovely, the beloved Oakland dance party uplifting queer and trans BIPOC joy through genre-blending sets, live performances, and radical community spirit. Founded by Aïma the Dreamer, DJ Lady Ryan, and Emancipation, this high-vibe experience transforms the OMCA Garden into a space of movement, music, and unapologetic celebration.
Jump into a beginner-friendly whacking/waacking dance lesson with G-Funk, who brings the expressive, story-driven moves of this queer street style to life. Learn to pose with power, hit arm rolls and strikes, and tap into your inner icon—all in a welcoming, movement-forward space.
Rounding out the evening, Brown Angel takes the energy even higher with a blended DJ set rooted in house, soul, and underground rhythms. A respected voice in the Bay’s music scene, Brown Angel creates a sonic journey that’s bold, fluid, and made for the dance floor.
Friday Nights at OMCA also offer a well-rounded gallery experience with Gallery Chats. Unlike traditional museum tours, Gallery Chats invite visitors to engage in meaningful conversations, ask questions, and connect with OMCA facilitators, who combine deep content knowledge with lived experience to encourage fresh interpretations of the Museum’s exhibitions. It’s a night to explore global traditions, find your flow, and celebrate community through music, dance, and inquiry.
Program Schedule:
5–9 pm Core Galleries and Special Exhibitions evening hours with Museum ticket
5:30–6:30 pm Wh/aacking Dance Lesson with G-Funk | Amphitheater
5:30–7:30 pm Gallery Chats | All Galleries
6–8 pm Live Music and Dance Party with Soulovely | Garden Stage
6:45-8:50 pm DJ Set by Brown Angel | Amphitheater
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About Friday Nights:
Join us for Friday Nights at OMCA, where Oakland comes together! Every Friday from April to October, bring your crew for an unforgettable night of free live music and activities for the whole family. Bring a blanket and settle down on the lawn, or take advantage of exclusive late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions (Museum ticket needed for gallery access).
Hungry? Grab a bite from any of the ten Off the Grid food trucks lining 10th Street between Oak and Fallon Streets, offering a delicious mix of rotating flavors. Beer, wine, mixed drinks, and non-alcoholic beverages are also available for purchase. Once you’ve fueled up, head to the OMCA Garden, where picnic tables and blankets await you to enjoy your meal. With lawn games, engaging museum programs, and a vibrant community atmosphere, it’s the perfect setting for making memories at one of Oakland’s most iconic spots.
OMCA also offers a $10 flat-rate parking in the OMCA Garage until 10 pm. Please note that outside alcohol is not permitted, and event details and performances are subject to change.
Accessibility
Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is committed to providing programs that are accessible, welcoming, and inclusive of our community. Wheelchairs, sensory inclusive devices, and additional amenities are available for checkout on a first come, first served basis at the Ticketing Desk. To request other accommodations, like American Sign Language (ASL), Cantonese, Spanish or another language interpreter, please email [email protected] at least three weeks before the event. Learn more about our accessibility options.
Performers
Off the Grid Food Truck Lineup
Performer BIOS
Soulovely is a monthly cultural event founded in 2011 by Aïma the Dreamer, Lady Ryan, and Emancipation to celebrate and uplift Oakland’s queer and trans-BIPOC communities. With over 14 seasons, it has become a vital hub for music, joy, and resistance, featuring more than 300 WOC and QTBIPOC DJs and performers. With a soundtrack spanning house, neo-soul, Hip-Hop, salsa, and Afrobeat, Soulovely creates an affirming space free of misogyny, homophobia, and transphobia.
Gail “G-Funk” Burks is a Bay Area-based performing artist and educator who hails from Chicago. Since entering the street dance scene in 2012, she has performed, choreographed, and taught in the States and internationally, along with placing in competitions such as Vancouver Street Dance Festival, Freestyle Session LA, and Hualien B-Boy City. You can currently find her as one of the rotating Wh/aacking teachers at In The Groove Studios in Oakland!
Brown Angel is a queer/trans Chicanx DJ/Producer based in Oakland and San Francisco. With roots in Wilmas and Long Beach, CA, they were immersed in music and culture at a young age, and started drumming at the age of 4. Their background has inspired and shaped them into one of the most respected DJs in the Bay Area’s underground music community.
Sponsors
Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid is sponsored by the Oakland Museum Women’s Board and Bank of America.
