Hometown Happenings

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By Jason Andreasen

Essence Festival celebrates 15 years in NOLA

For the past 15 years, the Essence Music Festival has celebrated contemporary African American culture with a bevy of the most popular names in music - and except for 2006 when Katrina prevented it from being so - it's held the celebration in New Orleans. This year, the weekend festival returns to the Louisiana Superdome with an incredible slate of performers.

The lineup includes Beyonce, Al Green, John Legend, Lionel Ritchie, Ne-Yo and the triumphant return of Maxwell. Also on the bill are some great talents that might not be household names (but ought to be) like Raphael Saadiq and Janelle Monáe. The festival will take place from July 3-5 with weekend passes starting at $153. To find out more, visit EssenceMusicFestival.com.

Superheroes punch LSU Student Union Gallery in mouth

Given the recent box office numbers over the past five years, it seems like a safe assumption that comic book heroes (and villains) are no longer just the love of losers living in basements. In fact, they have begun to be recognized for what they are: art which oftentimes offers us a look at who we are as a society. You can tell a lot about a society from their heroes and their villains: what they value, how they define right and wrong, what is acceptable behavior and what is not, and the list goes on.

For decades, comic books have played an important role in both American cultures and cultures around the world. Now, LSU's Student Union Gallery offers us "Kapow!: Superheroes in the Cartoons and Comics" which brings us to these beloved characters in a new context. The exhibit features drawings, action figures, video games, cartoons - all from the Toonseum in Pittsburgh. To find out more, contact the gallery at (225) 578-5117.

Then superheroes kick Zachary Library in groin

Not enough superheroes? Fret not. Take a drive up to the Zachary Branch Library (1900 Church Street) to get a better look at the beginnings of some of the best-known superheroes. During the month of July, the library will be showing comic strips from the 1940s and '50s featuring Superman and others.

It won't cost you a penny to see these underappreciated works of art, though the gas might cost you more than a penny. But, if superhero history is what you're after, Zachary is where you'll have to go. Tiger Weekly strongly discourages attempting flight, regardless of whether or not you own a cape. To learn more about the exhibit, call (225) 658-1850.

Originally Published: Issue 806 - July 1, 2009

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