Comcast Art & Soul Oakland delivers six stages offering simultaneous talent and diversity from 60 bands. Many of the stage lineups are still being formalized, but the acts are diverse and wonderful. The remarkable 40-year jazz veteran, John Handy plays Saturday, his music still fresh, colorful and innovative. Also playing Saturday is Tom Rigney and Flambeau. The son of former Giants manager, Bill Rigney, Tom mixes acoustic and electric instruments into a marvelous zydeco stew. Bursting with humor, eclectic rock music and fabulous outfits, Housewives on Prozac perform Saturday afternoon headlining the Mamapalooza stage, a national circuit event featuring moms who rock!
The ever popular Oakland Blues & Heritage Stage features terrific acts like guitar great Johnny Rawls, a true soul-blues renaissance man. Fillmore Slim brings his buzzing electric guitar and his growling blues vocals to the stage on Sunday. The World Music Stage brings Oakland ’s own Mo’Rockin Project and their jazzed up Moroccan melodies creating lyrical, funky, spirited music and Samba Ngo with his seductive African jazz funk. The World Dance Festival will present three days of the Bay Area’s hottest troupes showcasing a variety of dance expressions including traditional/heritage, world and new generation (hip hop). New this year – an exciting Latin Stage all three days featuring headliner Lefty Perez on Sunday and other great acts to be announced shortly. Featuring different styles of Latin music each day, this new stage is certain to generate some hip-shaking dance moves from the crowd!
Comcast Art & Soul Oakland has great music but that’s not all. A family paradise, the festival boasts the largest Family Fun Zone of any festival in the Bay Area, complete with kiddie rides, children’s entertainment and free festival admission for ages 12 and under. The ever-expanding Family Fun Zone is jam-packed with interactive activities for children of all ages, as well as kid-friendly carnival games, inflatable bouncers and hands-on activities to create their own art to take home. In addition, Comcast Art & Soul Oakland features art exhibits, artisan booths and a mouth-watering array of food reflecting the rich cultural diversity found in Oakland—the most diverse city in America.
The 7th Annual Comcast Art & Soul Oakland is Northern California’s most accessible festival offering direct service from BART (12th Street – Oakland City Center Station) and free parking for thousands of cars. Last year more than 70,000 people enjoyed three sensational days of music, food, fun and art in beautiful downtown Oakland . As Samee Roberts, City of Oakland Director of Marketing points out, “Art & Soul has burst onto the scene as Northern California’s multicultural mecca of music, art and food with the most wonderfully fun, diverse festival crowd you will find anywhere!â€
The 7th Annual Comcast Art & Soul Oakland takes place in downtown Oakland on Saturday, September 1, Sunday, September 2 and Monday, September 3, 2007 from 11AM–6 PM. The festival is centered in Frank Ogawa Plaza and City Center , encompassing 10 strollable city blocks. Admission is $10.00 per day at the door; $5 for young adults 13 to 18, and 12 and under free.
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) (http://www.comcast.com) is the nation’s leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services. With 24.2 million cable customers, 12.1 million high-speed Internet customers and 3.0 million voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of broadband cable networks and in the delivery of programming content.
For more information on the 7th Annual Comcast Art & Soul Oakland , log onto www.ArtandSoulOakland.com or call (510) 444-CITY.
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Media Contacts:
Michael Coats (707) 935-6203 or michael@coatspr.com
Lance Cutler (707) 996-5980 or lance@winepatrol.com
Harry Hamilton (510) 238-2107 or hhamilton@oaklandnet.com
Photo Credit: James Knox