Essence Fest: 2007 Returns "home"!!!
 

Essence Festival to hit a high note
Nelly and 'P. Diddy' added to July lineup


Friday March 21, 2003


By Keith Spera
Music writer

The Essence Music Festival will feature some new faces when it returns to the Superdome for the ninth time July 3-5.

Nelly, the St. Louis rapper who scored massive pop hits with "Country Grammar" and "Hot In Herre," makes his Essence debut by headlining the festival's first night. Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, the hip-hop empire-builder, also will perform at Essence for the first time. He is scheduled to close out the main stage on July 4 with New Edition, Faith Evans, Carl Thomas and Loon, artists from his Bad Boy Records "family."


Actor and comedian Jamie Foxx is slated to appear on July 3. Chaka Khan and relative newcomer Jaheim are on the July 4 schedule.

Old-school R&B returns in force on July 5, the fest's final night. Maze, featuring Frankie Beverly, is back to close out the festival, as the group has each year. Vocalist Anita Baker precedes Maze on the main stage.

Soul singer Smokey Robinson also is scheduled for the main stage on July 5, along with host Tom Joyner and singer Heather Headley. Headley starred on Broadway as the title character of the Tim Rice-Elton John musical "Aida" and released her contemporary R&B debut, "This Is Who I Am," on RCA Records last year.

The four "superlounge" stages in the Dome's corridors will offer their usual mix of R&B, funk, blues, hip-hop and jazz. The schedule for July 3 includes R&B heartthrob Keith Sweat, jazz/R&B vocalist Dianne Reeves and veteran reggae act Third World.

On July 4, the superlounges feature hip-hop pioneers Biz Markie and Doug E. Fresh, smooth jazz singer Michael Franks and 1970s funk collective the S.O.S. Band.

Contemporary R&B singer Will Downing, hip-hop combo Nappy Roots, veteran soul man Bobby "Blue" Bland and Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers all appear in the superlounges July 5.

Additional main stage and superlounge artists will be announced for both July 3 and 4.

Essence Communications Partners, publisher of Essence magazine, owns the Essence Festival and produces it in association with Festival Productions Inc., the producer of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Initially conceived in 1995 as a celebration of Essence magazine's 25th anniversary, this "party with a purpose" has grown into one of the nation's premier urban music showcases.

In addition to the three nights of concerts, Essence presents "empowerment seminars" at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center covering popular culture, spirituality, romance and other topics. More than 223,000 people attended the concerts and seminars in 2002.

In January, city and Essence Communications officials announced an agreement to keep the festival in New Orleans at least through 2006, with a "rolling extension" for 2007 that would kick in automatically if incentive goals are met. Local hospitality industry officials initially balked at an extension negotiated by former Mayor Marc Morial that they felt was too costly.

Edward Lewis, the chairman and chief executive of Essence Communications, threatened to cancel or move the festival if the agreement was not accepted. Mayor Ray Nagin eventually renegotiated the deal to all parties' satisfaction.

Tickets to each night of the Essence Festival are $125 and $75 for floor seats, and $35, $45 and $55 for balcony seats. Tickets are on sale now at the Superdome box office and, with additional service charges, through Ticketmaster at (504) 522-5555 or ticketmaster.com.

Vote for Entertainer of the year:
http://www.essence.com/essence/awards/home_2003.htm

Thanks for posting this! I can already see I'm going to be broker than broke when I go down in July! :(
Oh lawd! :p

P. DIDDY?! Oh my goodness! I need to buy my tickets NOW!!! The man puts on one hell of a show!

Anita Baker, Frankie and Maze on the same night? I am there!!

The fifth is going to be on til the break of dawn. LMAO!

THEN, New Edition, too! AND Chaka!

RD, you didn't read this in Friday's paper?

I hope Nelly gives us our money's worth.

This year's festival was off the chain! :D

STevie Wonder: WONDERFUL, even at 3 am
Chaka: I love her!
Jaheim-did well as relatively new artist
LL-have mercy!
Gap Band-still trying to hang. :D
Erykah-went over her time :mad:
ANITA: did the dayum thing! Boris Kodjoe presented her with a bouquet of flowers after her encore. :D
Smokey: at 63, he thinks he's 23. :D LOL
Maze: always come correct!

The All star tribute to Luther featured:
Patti
Gerald Levert: always tears it up!
Usher: THE SURPRISE OF THE NIGHT. He tore the dome up!
Jaheim did well with "Bad Boy"
Tamia: she was so so
Ashanti: :confused:
Kelly Price: did well
Faith Evans: did well
Ronald Isley: did well

Steve Harvey will be the host of the show to air on UPN.
I believe the entire festival could be shown on HBO in the near future. :confused:

As always, you had to be there to really get it all. :D

Glad you had a good time. . . did you do the Keychain Swing? :D (I remembered that you showed me that dance in May). . .yeah they should show it on HBO.

Did they say approximately when it would air on UPN? Keep us posted. :)

Thank you for your assistance on yesterday! ;)

Naw, this was not keychain swing music. You don't do that or the P-pop, back that thang up at the Essence fest...LMAO!

Instead, during Maze I FINALLY did the bus stop. :o My assistant taught me during lunch one day. I searched all over the Superdome floor to find a group that was doing this instead of the electric slide. (NOW, I'm too good to do the ES! :o It's all about the BUS STOP!)
Native New Orleanians, don't laugh!

If anyone gets a chance to come down for Essence, you are in for a treat! :D

Prince was a guest backstage, according to our newspaper. Essence has tried to get him to perform. Hopefully, after he has witnessed what goes on, he'll sign-up for next year. :D

Terri Ellis Ross came on stage when LL invited females on stage.

Dr. Julianne Malveaux sat behind me on Friday night. :cool:

Oh, we were never told when the show would air. I would assume, in the fall. :confused:

Ain't this a blip....
 

While at Essence's website a few minutes ago, I came upon the air date. :p

September 12th on UPN.

:o

ttt

I **heart** Usher
 

Did anyone watch it on Friday???? I did, and all I can say is.....


USHER!!!!! :D :D :D

Oh. My. Word. Homeboy did the dayum thang singing "A House is Not a Home". I was surprised none of them ladies threw their draws on stage!!. LOL. :p

The rest of the show was pretty good too.

USHER!!!! I had to say it again y'all. :D

I didn't see it on TV, but I was there. I told ya Usher did the DAYUM thing. I hope it is shown again.

Re: I **heart** Usher
 

Man Usher DID his thang!!! I taped it so I can watch it again!! :D

I'm supposed to be going this year...is anyone else gonna be there?

Yup Yup i'll be there ;)

All of us are going to have to email or pm each other so we can try to meet up! :D

Where can we stay? :confused: Help a sista out!
I'm not familiar with N.O. at all, and I'm on expedia.com trying to get some prices. I see on the festival website that it's at the LA superdome, but where is that near? The French Quarter? Downtown?

If you want to walk you can stay:

In or around the French Quarter/Downtown
(Canal ST, Bourbon ST, etc)
New Orleans Hilton Riverside
Marriott
Sheraton
among other hotels

If you rent a car:
Westbank (pay $1 toll) Hotels:
Gretna, Harvey

(Eastbank) Metairie, Kenner (airport) (farther out)

New Orleans East (Six Flags) (farther out)

www.nola.com

oh oh I'll be there
 

Just to piggy back what she said: You want a hotel on Poydras because those hotels are right down the street from the Superdome. You are going to pay a grip, though, but you will be right in the middle of all the action. The W is really nice(and next to Harrah's if that's your thing) and the Hyatt is connected to the Superdome. I wouldn't recommend renting a car because parking and driving in New Orleans is murder and NOPD will tow your arse.

Thanks guys!! :D

We found some nice hotels for reasonable prices (given the occasion) within a mile from the superdome. The rates we found were between $165-$195 nightly. I think that it's worth it to be in the midst of everything and not having to drive from place to place.

I'm excited!

I'll be there too. . .
 

. . . secured a place to stay, now to secure flights.

Anyone been before? Let me in on the good restaurants, clubs, and the best Essence events/nights to I should buy tickets for and which nights are take it or leave it.

Can't wait! :D

Steph~

I got my tickets for Saturday and Sunday...still debating on Friday.

WHAT???!! DEBATING FRIDAY??!! Girl I am going Friday just to see Prince! Anybody know what night New Edition is performing?

I know but I'll have to take off work and all that. Trust me I'm seriously leaning towards going. 9 times out of 10 I'll be there.

We're staying at the Crown Plaza on the corner of Bourbon and Canal... what about everyone else??

...at my apartment! :p :D

To get a "heads up" of what's going on during that weekend, visit www.neworleansblack.com.

Oh we are? I'll have to cancel my reservation then! :p

J/K

Ain't no room in the AKA2D Villa...
 

Unless you want to sleep on the roof.

I know I'm early, but I started thinking about this the other day.

Performers this year so far:


Aretha Franklin *
Destiny's Child
Alicia Keys *
Kanye West *
Maze featuring Frankie Beverly
John Legend *
Mo'Nique *
Terence Blanchard * Floetry *
Jeffrey Osborne *
Vivian Green *
Talib Kweli *
Regina Belle *
Mint Condition *
The Wailers

My baby's daddy Kanye will be there? Girl, I need tickets NOW!!

John Legend? They might do something foolish like putting him in a Superlounge. :rolleyes:

I can't wait to see Soror Alicia! I am LOVING "Karma" right now! As much as they play it, I'm surprised that I am not sick of it yet!

My friends and I are going and I can't wait!

I have gone once before as a poor college student, but this time we will all have jobs this summer as law clerks so we are trying to stay at the W. I am getting married the end of July, so I am counting Essence as one of my bachelorette parties (yes I said one of) and I want to do it up!:D :cool:

So what's the deal with the Superlounge? What does that mean, you know I've never been.

It looks like a good lineup. I'll definately go this year.

The Superlounge is separate from the regular, main stage venue. The Superlounge is like a little room the size of a hotel conference room where they have mini-concerts. It's hard to describe. All I know is that those rooms are sometimes too small for the artist. Then, to make it worse, they will usually put several people that you want to see on at the same time.

See, that's what I'm afraid of. :(

Many times with the SL, the act will have more than one set. Also, there are SEVERAL SLs.

With almost 70,000 peeps in one place, you will need ANOTHER venue to hold most SL acts. I'm sure JL will be a SL act. I'm :mad: DC is a headliner. :rolleyes: I hope that one of the SL acts will be on during their time.

You just have to plan and coordinate your Essence "schedule" accordingly. LOL


If the Lord says the same, I'll be there again. :D

I think I am going to pass on this year's show. They have added LIONEL RICHIE. Ummmmmmmmmm, if the Commodores aren't reuniting with him, I don't wanna see it.


*sigh* Not really interested.

:(

Yea...I thought it was just me. Fantasia? On the Main Stage? After one album? She has a good album but I wasn't expecting to see her at Essence JMO. I wasn't too excited about the lineup. I think I was expecting Essence to top itself after last year's Prince-tastic time:D ! Then again...how do you top Prince? I'll probably go Destiny's Child night but that's probably it. Instead of having Rueben on the main stage, they SHOULD HAVE put Doug Fresh and Slick Rick out there. THAT Superlounge is going to be rockin! :cool:

It will. I predict most folks will walk out on DC after Teena performs.

IF I go. I'll go the first night.

Relocates to the "Bayou City" Houston, Texas

This will be quite interesting. As a native Houstonian who loves going to NO to Essence, I am kind of sad. The festival won't be "Essence" it will just be a music festival.

I mean no one will be drinking starting at noon:cool: and there is nothing even equivalent to the French Quarter where so many reveliers will be housed together. I am guess downtown will be where most people will party and it has a lot of clubs in a concentrated area, but its not the same.

Clearly I know no place will be the same, but Houston just has a whole different feel. I guess I just don't see people letting loose in Houston the way they do in NO- I think Las Vegas would have been a better place. I know it is far away, but I think they should have picked a city which is a 24 hr party town and has the idea of what happens here stays here.