{"id":6703,"date":"2019-07-04T06:00:45","date_gmt":"2019-07-04T13:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/?p=30000000294"},"modified":"2019-07-05T10:18:18","modified_gmt":"2019-07-05T17:18:18","slug":"the-7-things-to-do-in-long-beach-this-weekend-including-the-8th-annual-uptown-jazz-fest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/the-7-things-to-do-in-long-beach-this-weekend-including-the-8th-annual-uptown-jazz-fest","title":{"rendered":"The 7: Things to do in Long Beach this weekend including… the 8th Annual Uptown Jazz Fest"},"content":{"rendered":"

Looking for things to do post-Fourth of July? We have a hodgepodge of Long Beach arts and culture that have a little less to do with red, white and blue celebrations, and more to do with, well, self-expression for the sake of summer.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. SWIM SKOOL WITH SUMO HAIR, CAPTAIN PLANET (Sunday)<\/b><\/p>\n

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In case you haven\u2019t noticed, it\u2019s officially summer, and what better way to pretend like you\u2019re on vacation than to relax poolside at a hotel to the worldly sounds of well-traveled music collectors? We asked Long Beach artist DJ Eusebio Akasa, host of Swim Skool, why he\u2019s geeking out about Sumo Hair and Captain Planet playing at the Renaissance Hotel on Sunday.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBringing Captain Planet and Sumo Hair to Swim Skool feels a little unreal at the moment,\u201d Akasa said. \u201cI DJ these guys\u2019 songs all the time\u2014I have their records\u2014I geek out over their tracks with friends endlessly. They live lives DJs and producers mostly only dream of: traveling the world collecting records and recording local musicians, then turning out products that slide into every world music DJs\u2019 setlists.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sumo Hair, is a self-described Mexican expat exploring the African diaspora through music, Akasa said, whose \u201ccolorful tones, rich melodies, and driving beats fused together create a tropical panorama around the dancer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Captain Planet\u2019s trademark \u201cGumbo Funk\u201d style was created from frequent trips to the Lincoln Center Public Library\u2019s World Music section and flipping those records the way Hip Hop producers traditionally sample music, Akasa said. <\/span><\/p>\n

Since releasing his debut 12\u201d in 2005, the artist has gone on to create remixes for the likes of Little Dragon, Erykah Badu and more, while his cassette mixtape \u201cMystery Trip Vol. 1\u201d was included in the New Yorker\u2019s \u201cBest Music of 2012.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThroughout every Captain Planet song, you can hear his inspired appreciation for breaking the boundaries between genres and bridging continents through rhythm,\u201d Akasa said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another great thing: <\/b>Not quite ready to call it quits? Towel off and head to Chadwick Bishop\u2019s Sunday Evening Cool Down Session at 4th Street Vine (2142 E. 4th St.) where every first Sunday in July the Alabama-born singer\/songwriter raised on gospel and Motown performs his soulful sounds. More info <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Giving us a moment\u2019s pause: <\/b>Wetness.<\/span><\/p>\n

Swim Skool takes place at the Renaissance Hotel; 111 Ocean Blvd. from noon to 6 p.m.; $5, 21+.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

2. UPTOWN JAZZ FESTIVAL (Saturday)<\/b><\/h3>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ZXo_CH1gqkg<\/p>\n

Headlining the eighth annual Uptown Jazz Festival will be funk heroes Con Funk Shun with their heartbreakingly good choreography, spine-tingling vocal harmonies and feel-good, humorous stage presence. Then there\u2019s festival favorite DW3 readying to give Saturday\u2019s crowd an upbeat performance of R&B, contemporary jazz and funk.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor eight years, the Uptown Jazz Festival has brought Long Beach together to celebrate summer, spend time with neighbors, and listen to incredible music,\u201d Councilmember Rex Richardson said in a statement. \u201cThis year, I am thrilled to bring the high-energy funk band Con Funk Shun, festival favorite DW3, and an exciting line-up back to Uptown. The festival will, once again, be a great event for all ages to enjoy!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Also included in the lineup are DJ Mr. Quick, Tatiana Tate Quartet, Boxcar Seven, Susie Hansen Latin Band and Biscuits & Gravy Live.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another great thing: <\/b>The festival is free! There will be food trucks, vendor booths, a Kids\u2019 Zone, and a beer and wine garden. Bring low-back lawn chairs and blankets.<\/span><\/p>\n

Giving us a moment\u2019s pause:<\/b> Press releases are usually pretty stale, but this fun statement from festival partner and councilwoman Jeannine Pearce was, uh, interesting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs Thelonius Monk once said: Writing about music is like dancing about architecture. I\u2019m thrilled to partner with Councilmember Richardson to bring music to Long Beach, especially jazz music that inspires so many pop, rock, punk, and country musicians.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This sounds like something I would say to sound cool at a party after <\/span>one too many swigs of Malort<\/span><\/a>. But, at the risk of sounding nit picky and getting a rock thrown at my glass house, it\u2019s actually up for debate who exactly implied that writing about music is a stupid thing to do since the quote has been attributed to everyone from Monk to Martin Mull to Elvis Costello to Mile Davis to George Carlin. Smart money is on Mull as the originator, still, i<\/span>t just isn’t clear how quoting it exactly helps with the promotion of the jazz fest.<\/span><\/p>\n

Senator and former councilwoman Lena Gonzalez, also a festival partner, was a little more to the point with her contribution: \u201cI\u2019m so excited to support this year\u2019s Uptown Jazz Festival. The event is a great way to bring communities across the city together to celebrate the importance of live music in Long Beach.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The festival takes place from noon to 7 p.m. at Houghton Park; 6301 Myrtle Ave. For more info, check out the Facebook event <\/span><\/i>here<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

3. LA CAGE AUX FOLLES (Friday – Sunday)<\/b><\/h3>\n