Anita Performs at the Essence Music Festival

Maxwell, Anita Baker, Al Green, John Legend, Robin Thicke, Salt-N-Pepa, Ne-Yo and En Vogue will join previously announced headliner Beyonce at the 15th annual Essence Music Festival. The event will be held July 3-5, 2009 at the New Orleans Superdome.

Rounding out the bill are Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars, Teena Marie, Eric Benet, Jazmine Sullivan, Janelle Monae, Raphael Saadiq, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Zap Mama, The Knux, Irvin Mayfield, Lalah Hathaway, Blind Boys of Alabama, Ledisi, Marva Wright, Big Sam's Funky Nation, Brand New Heavies, Dan Dyer, DJ Soul Sister, Keri Hilson, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Rebirth Brass Band, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Ave.

The Essence Festival is also known for its empowerment seminars, which are free and open to ticket-holders on a first-come, first-served basis. Among the personalities participating in these events are Bill Cosby, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Donna Brazile, Tom Joyner, Hill Harper and Donnie McClurkin.

In addition, there will be a tribute to TD Jakes featuring CeCe Winans and Marvin Sapp, among others.

Tickets for the Essence festival are available from Ticketmaster. Weekend packages are discounted by 15% through Feb. 15. See the Essence Music Festival website for more information.

Anita to Headline 2009 Macy's Music Festival

Superstar singer/songwriter Anita Baker and Grammy Award-winning soul singer John Legend will headline the 2009 Macy's Music Festival, July 31 and Aug. 1 at Paul Brown Stadium.

Stars such as Baker, Legend, Robin Thicke and "American Idol" winner Ruben Studdard, along with popular "old-school" acts such as the Whispers and the O'Jays, will highlight the two-day R&B festival.

Legend, a six-time Grammy winning singer and pianist from Springfield, OH, will make his debut as headliner for Friday night's show. But it's not the first time he has walked on the Macy's Music Festival stage, says festival organizer Joe Santangelo.

"A couple of years ago, his brother (Vaughn Anthony) was the opening act. John Legend walked onstage, completely unannounced, and sang a duet with his brother," Santangelo says.

Friday's lineup includes Charlie Wilson, Fantasia, the popular singer Eric Benet and the Whispers. Wilson, former lead singer with the Gap Band in the `70s and `80s, has a new album out, "Uncle Charlie," currently No. 1 in R&B.

Baker is Saturday's headliner. She is bringing her own fully-staged, 90-minute production, including a massive light wall as a backdrop.

"Anita Baker has one of the most unique voices," Santangelo says. "She reminds me of a young Sarah Vaughan, who had one of the more operatic voices of the jazz performers."

Adding star power=2 0to the evening will be Thicke, who just performed at the Grammy Awards and next month embarks on a tour with Jennifer Hudson.

The show will include the Cincinnati debut of Ruben Studdard, second-year winner of "American Idol." The O'Jay's will get the crowd dancing to close the festival. (One more artist will be announced later.)

Even though the economy is struggling, Santangelo hopes that fans will decide to come downtown for two days of 10 acts, rather than "take that expensive vacation."
Organizers have lowered the price of the upper level stadium seats by $5, to $43 per night.

"It's an opportunity to say, if we're going to one concert during the summer, this will give us the biggest bang for our buck,'" Santangelo says.

Attendance last year was 37,500 for two nights – inching up since 2005, the year the festival returned after a hiatus when lead sponsor Coors pulled out following the 2001 riots. Macy's Music Festival has attracted avid music fans from all over the country since 1962, when it was an all-jazz event.

For the fifth consecutive year, Macy's is the title sponsor. Three years ago, the Santangelo Group Inc. partnered with Ohio Valley Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Cincinnati Bengals, to ensure the festival's longevity.

Macy's Music Festival will again be part of Music Fusion Week, July 26 to Aug. 2. City parking will be $1 during the Macy's Music Festival. Santangelo plans to meet with restaurants to arrange special menus and deals for festival-goers. Organized by the Regional Tourism Network, Fusion Week boosts the local economy with an added $25 million in tourism dollars.

In addition, Festival 513, a "festival outside the festival," consisting of food and retail vendors, will again take place outside of Paul Brown Stadium, starting Friday afternoon.

Shows will start at 7:30 p.m. each night, Paul Brown Stadium, downtown. Tickets ($43 to $88) go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday at Ticketmaster Ticket Centers, 513-562-4949, or www.ticketmaster.com. Information: macysmusicfestival.com, 513-924-0900 or 800-452-3132.