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ARTS & CULTURE
KANSAN.COM
Festival Preview: Public Enemy joins fifth-annual Free State Festival lineup
OMAR SANCHEZ
@OhMySanchez
Public Enemy, a hip-hop group that drew acclaim with its interpretations of racial injustice in the 1990s, will be the headliner for this year's Free State Festival, organizers announced last week.
Public Enemy will perform a free outdoor concert for the fifth-annual festival, which is hosted by the Lawrence Arts Center to celebrate popular art and media. It runs from June 20-25.
Last year the big concert was George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic and the year before that Johnny Winter.
Public Enemy has a vast catalogue of music and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. Before that, Public Enemy garnered other achievements, such as placing 44th in the "Immortals: 100 Greatest Artists of All Time" list by Rolling Stone
"I think what we are trying to do is hopefully bring something to the community that hasn't happened before and that they'll find engaging and fun," said Ben Ahlvers, artistic director of art and music for the festival.
magazine.
This year the Free State Festival's theme is activism through art. Marlo Angell, artistic director of film and performance at the LAC said Public Enemy will satisfy in both entertainment and historical resonance.
Sarah Bishop, festival director and ideas programming coordinator seconds this notion. She said she believes Public Energy's visit to Lawrence will hit home many of the intentions the festival sets out for.
"Public Enemy is an extremely exciting group to bring in for a free concert, and we feel that their appearance is very timely as our state and our nation continue to think about issues of race and equality, as well as how art can play a role in galvanizing political change."Bishop said.
"They are a perfect fit for this year's programming as they have been a voice for racial injustice and several of the films in this year's program tackle the topic of race in various ways." Angell said.
The Free State Festival is about much more than free music. It provides activities to the community from film, art and educational activities.
These pillars support the festival's proceedings, which began in 2011, according to the Free State Festival website.
They have been a voice for racial injustice and several of the films in this year's program tackle the topic of race in various ways"
Sarah Bishop festival director
It began with LAC's artistic director of film and performance: Marlo Angell. She said she thought of the concept of the Free State Festival in 2011 and presented a five year plan to Lawrence Arts Center executive director Susan Tate and artistic director of performing arts Ric Averill.
"They responded right away and took the project under the wings of the Arts Center and allowed it to fly," Angell said.
with the help of people in and around Lawrence, she said.
What was once a small film festival grew to be much bigger
Somewhere in that five year plan, Angell constructed the map of what would become the Free State Festival of today: a series of communal events that bring the people of Lawrence to experience something powerful and engaging.
"I revisited that five year plan for the festival just the other day, and it was very rewarding to see that the festival has truly kept course with the vision as I intended: A weeklong celebration of film, music, art and ideas in multiple venues that captures the heart and soul of Lawrence, Kansas," Angell said.
Other acts announced include comedian Maria Bamford, who will donate part of her festival proceeds to a local LGBTQ+ charity Angell said. Others are: MacArthur Genius award winner Jad Abumrad, whose "Radiolab" podcast has won a Peabody award, author Thomas Frank of "What's the Matter with Kansas?" and nationally-recognized Langston - Hughes scholars, who will engage in a film screening and ideas panels to celebrate the life of the writer/activist.
The full schedule of acts will be available on May 1.
Passes for the festival are available on the Free State Festival website. The Free State Festival will be held in different locations and venues throughout downtown Lawrence.
- Edited by Michael Portman
Contributed photo
US Air Guitar Championships come to Lawrence
▶ JACKSON DODD
@snooopdodd
For the first time ever, Lawrence is hosting the US Air Guitar Championships at the Bottleneck on April 22. The event will be sponsored by KJHK and Student Union Activities.
US Air Guitar is an organization responsible for finding the best air guitar players, and will host the championships. Founded in 2003, the US Air Guitar Championships is a national event that has traveled to many different cities and garnered a unique fan base.
The show will be hosted by 2013 US Air Guitar champion and University alumnus Eric "Mean" Melin.
"I alerted the organization, based on the fact that Lawrence is an amazing arts town with all kinds of community support for fun,
Melin, a 2006 graduate, said he reached out to US Air Guitar because he recognized the potential that a type of town like Lawrence holds for a special event like this.
bizarre, fringe culture stuff like this," Melin said. "They opted to give us a qualifying round. The show is going to be like WWE crossed with Jimmy Fallon's Lip Sync Battle. It's big, showy, dumb, clever, and hilarious all at the same time."
The championships will feature 20 local competitors who will fight for a spot to represent the U.S. and compete in the World Air Guitar Championships in Oulu, Finland, in August.
The rules of the championships state that each performance must be exactly one minute long and the competition consists of two rounds. Round one is a freestyle round where each competitor performs a song of their choice. Round two, however, is a compulsory round, meaning that the top competitors from round one perform a surprise song.
One of the contestants is Travis Arey, who is performing under his stage name "Eddie Hans Flailin." Arey, a University graduate, is also the lead singer for local punk rock band Stiff
Middle Fingers.
Arey said he initially met Melin in 2013 when Melin was hosting "aireoke," a type of air guitar karaoke, at the Bottleneck.
"I am of the opinion that everyone is into air guitar whether they compete, perform or not, its a natural instrument that everyone is automatically equipped with whether they realize it or not," Arey said.
Arey said the competitiveness of the championships will be different to adjust to after a two-year absence from air guitar.
"I actually have some mixed feelings about the competition angle." Arey said. "I really like jamming to the entire song like Aireoke requires as opposed to the one minute cuts required for this competition."
Another contestant, Whitney "Glory Wholesome" Young, has been performing for over four years all over the Midwest.
Gracie Williams/KANSAN
Young said that she could foresee Air Guitar getting bigger in the future because it is already popular in Finland, where the world championships are held. Young added that behind all of the fun and costumes, air guitar is ultimately about something you wouldn't think of: world peace.
Gracie Williams/KANSAN Eric "Mean" Melin shows off his air guitar moves. Melin won the 2013 Air Guitar World Champion title in Finland.
"I will gladly put on my cat leggings and perform air guitar for as long as it continues to promote that [world peace]." Young said.
Young got into air guitar through the same "Aireoke" shows that Arey went to.
Other contestants in-
has doors opening at 8 p.m. with the competition beginning at 9 p.m. All ages are welcomed and tickets are still going for $8 on The Bottleneck's website. The Bottleneck is located at 737 New Hampshire.
"I think it's awesome when heterosexual and cisgender people do come to these events because it really does show a visible support for a community that is underrepresented," Delgado said.
Edited by G.J. Melia
Queer Prom will be at 7 p.m. on April 22. Cox said he hopes the event becomes annual.
Although the event was not organized for straight
clude CindAIRella, a University graduate who is currently ranked ninth in the world after her Finland debut last year. Also, the LattAIR-Day Saint is another University graduate who placed second in K.C. last year and moved on to the Chicago semifinals.
"This is something we will try to strive to keep going every year," Cox said. "It needs to happen."
SUA approached Delgado about its idea to host a school dance that was "a queer space that is accepting of allies, rather than a straight space that's accepting of the LGBT community," said Crafton.
Friday, April 22's show
"It really gets people thinking about the fact that your typical prom is predominantly heteronormative," Crafton said. "You don't really think about that unless you have a negative experience with prom."
and cisgender students, allies are welcome to attend.
BISHOP WILKEN
AT GRINDERS
QUEER PROM FROM PAGE 7
"Even just calling it 'Queer Prom' I think is huge, because it really does say something specific and intentional," Delgado said.
- Edited by Mackenzie Walker
One of the most important pieces of advice Carlton and Cox said the center gave to them was on the usage of the word "queer," which is an umbrella term for sexual and gender minorities. Since the late 1980s, much of the LGBTQ+ community has been working to reclaim the word from its pejorative origins.
"One of our biggest struggles was how to make this event an all-inclusive
WICK-IT THE INSTIGATOR
THURSDAY, MAY 12
TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE
SHARON JONES & THE DAP KINGS
FRIDAY, APRIL 29
BRO SAFARI
event while not making it seem like it's just another prom," Cox said.
SATURDAY, MAY 14
DISCLOSURE
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8
TRAMPLED BY TURTLES
SUNDAY, JUNE 12
ZIGGY MARLEY
TUESDAY, JUNE 14
SATURDAY, JUNE 18
SAMANTHA FISH
THE CLAYPOOL LENNON DELIRIUM
WEDNESDAY, JULY 6
311
MATISYAHU
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15
BRANDI CARLILE
TUESDAY, JULY 19
SUBLIME
DIRTY HEADS
TRIBAL SEEDS
TUESDAY, JULY 12
PHILLIP PHILLIPS
MATT NATHANSON
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3
UMPHREY'S McGEE
THE MAIN SQUEEZE
THURSDAY, JULY 21
DR. DOG
SHAKEY GRAVES
THURSDAY, AUGUST 4
SLIGHTLY STOOPID
SOJA
TUESDAY, AUGUST 16
WILCO
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17
WALK THE MOON
MISTERWIVES
What is Catholic about the Clergy Sexual Abuse Crisis?
Dr. Robert Orsi
2016 Friends of the Department of Religious Studies Speaker
Monday, April 25th, 2016
7:00pm
Summerfield Room, Adams Alumni Center This event is FREE. Open to the Public. Seats are Limited.
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