Brian Grant (left) and Cheryl Peart, directors of Live and Direc, pose in front of a banner promoting the staging of the upcoming concert during the event’s launch on June 4, 2025 at the Jamaica Pegasus. Brian McKnight and Dru Hill will highlight this year’s event. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)
Multi-platinum-selling acts Brian McKnight and Dru Hill, led by Sisqo, headline the third staging of Live & Direc, which takes place on Saturday, June 28 at Constant Spring Golf Club.
In an interview with the Jamaica Observer’s Splash at the event’s launch held at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel on Wednesday evening, Brian “Bryan Art” Grant, a director of Live & Direc, said patrons should expect a tightly run show and top-class production.
“You can expect greatness as usual and a tightly run show. We start at 8:00 pm and end at midnight, so it’s a tight concentration of high-end entertainment, the production is high-end and everything is just premium,” Grant explained.
Local acts will include singer Christopher Ellis, son of the late rocksteady legend Alton Ellis.
“Christopher Ellis will be performing and that is going to be a vibe within itself. Then we move into Dru Hill and then Brian McKnight,” said Grant.
Asked how easy or difficult it has been, to lock in the international performers for the event, Grant said “It’s not gonna be easy, but that’s what we do, so we have to do whatever it takes to get it done. It’s getting easy and easier as we go along.”
The Main Event Entertainment Group alongside experienced production manager Martin Lewis have been tasked to ensure that the production quality is maintained at international standards.
“As it relates to production, we are in very good hands and it’s just great expectations,” Grant added.
Brian McKnight is best known for the hit songs Back at One (#2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1999), Love Is with Vanessa Williams, One Last Cry and Love of My Life. He has released more than 15 studio albums to date, with 1999’s Back at One being his biggest seller to date, moving more than 5 million units globally.
The six member Dru Hill, which exploded onto the music scene more than 30 years ago, has throbbed hearts with a string of hits including Wild Wild West (the group’s sole #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart), How Deep is Your Love, We’re Not Making Love No More, Never Make a Promise, Tell Me, These are the Times and 1997’s platinum-certified In My Bed.
Supreme Ventures Limited is back on board as title sponsor of Live & Direc.
Kajay Rowe, the company’s assistant vice-president of marketing and innovation, spoke about the partnership.
“Our partnership with Live & Direc has been a great one. This is our third consecutive year partnering with them and as the leading gaming and entertainment company in Jamaica, we thought Live & Direc was perfect to partner with in order to bring exclusive experiences to our customers, outside of the regular gaming platforms that we usually provide,” said Rowe.
Supreme Ventures will be giving away 50 pairs of VIP tickets to Live & Direct to its customers.
“All of our customers who play our lottery games have a chance to win a pair of VIP tickets to the concert and all they have to do is buy a $300 ticket on any lottery game, then go to promotions.supremeventures.com and upload a photo of that ticket. On June 20, we’ll be choosing 50 winners. So whether you play in-store, online or through the Supreme Ventures gaming app, you have a chance to win,” Rowe explained.
Last year’s Live & Direc concert was headlined by another iconic group, Boyz II Men.