Raphael Saadiq, Moby booked for free Century City concerts

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The heavy commercial district that is Century City will be getting an injection of rock ‘n’ roll this summer. In conjunction with the upcoming exhibit “Who Shot Rock & Roll: A Photographic History, 1955 to the Present,” KCRW-FM (89.9) has revealed the lineup for three free Saturday evening concerts outside the Annenberg Space for Photography. Raphael Saadiq, Moby, Band of Skulls and Portugal. The Man are among the artists scheduled to play the events, which will require an RSVP.

The concert series begins July 14 with a live performance from electronic artist Moby, who has dabbled in photography himself. Moby last year released a book of photos with his album ‘Destroyed.’ Moby will DJ, but will also perform an acoustic set, according to KCRW.

The evening of July 21 will serve as a tribute to glam rockers T. Rex, as the day coincides with the 40th anniversary of the band’s album ‘The Slider.’ In addition to a performance from rock act Portugal. The Man, who performed Wednesday night at UCLA’s Royce Hall, the event will function as a release party for the “KCRW vs. T. Rex Soundclash” EP, which features T. Rex remixes from KCRW DJs.

PHOTOS: ‘Who Shot Rock & Roll’ at the Annenberg Space for Photography

The free concerts will wrap up on Aug. 4 with a performance from R&B star Raphael Saadiq and English rock act Band of Skulls. Each artist appeared on the four-CD, 70-plus-song multi-artist tribute album “Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan: Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International,” and no doubt each artist will roll out Dylan covers.

Each concert will also feature DJ sets from KCRW personalities. All performances will begin at 7 p.m. and are free, but advance registration is required on the KCRW site. On arrival, those who RSVP-ed will be given wristbands to gain admittance to the concerts. The concerts will be staged on an outdoor plaza next to the Annenberg Space and the gallery will stay open for the performances.

The show, which originated at the Brooklyn Museum in 2009, features 100 photographers and some of the most vital and important images of the rock ’n’ roll era — including classic work by Diane Arbus, Jim Marshall, Annie Leibovitz, Pennie Smith and Ryan McGinley. “Who Shot Rock” was curated by author Gail Buckland and arrives in L.A. for a four-month run after showing in a number of art museums the last two years.

The exhibit runs from June 23 through Oct. 7.

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-- Todd Martens