The BeanTown Jazz Festival, Boston’s largest outdoor festival, returns for its ninth year with performances now through September 26th. Nationally and internationally renowned artists will be playing at venues all over the city culminating in the free festival on Saturday from 12pm-6pm on Columbus Avenue. View the full schedule here.

Lorenz Island Kuisine presents an Acoustic Soul Roots and Dinner featuring Jahriffe tonight from 8pm-12am. Tickets are $15 in advance and include dinner (veg. menu available). FMI call 617-506-6061. Lorenz is located at 657 Washington St. in Dorchester.

It’s showtime at Lorenz Island Kuisine. The Conscious Reggae Band will be performing at 8pm on Friday, August 15. Cover charge is $10. Lorenz is located at 657 Washington St. in Codman Square.

The Boston Caribbean Festival, also known as Boston Carnival, is still over a month away but it’s never too early to get your costume ready now. The carnival parade begins on Martin Luther King Blvd, goes along Warren St. and ends in Franklin Park. The parade begins Saturday August 23 at noon, Jouvert at 5am for the true jump up crowd.

See videos from last year and photos from 2006 and 2007.

TSM and HBNN are back it again with another night of poetry, music and art. Poetic Escape: The Relocation Party is at the Blue Wave (hence the “relocation”) next Thursday, April 23 from 8pm-12am. $10 Cover.  21+, no kiddies. 617.594.2000 or poeticescape’at’ gmail.com for more info.

[via Going]

The After party for the 3rd Annual Urban Music Awards is set to take place April 19 at Hibernian Hall beginning at 9:30pm. Tickets are $10 and can be picked up at A Nubian Notion or Funky Fresh Records. Admission is FREE with the stub from each $50 ticket from to the Urban Music Awards earlier that day at the Berklee. The After party will feature a hot buffet courtesy of Perry’s and Poppa B’s, cash bar, live music and networking.

Feel the spirit this Saturday with Gospel Fest. Eight local colleges will perform at the MIT Student Center including MIT, Boston College, Brandeis University, Harvard College, Northeastern, Wheaton, Tufts University, and Boston University. Doors open at 6:30pm. Tickets can be bought online at www.bostongospel.com. Email gospelfest@mit.edu for more information.

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The Roxbury Media Institute &
Nina LaNegra Presents

ArT iS LiFe iTsELf!

A performance series
Embracing Art, Culture & Spirituality

@ The Haley House Bakery & Cafe
2131 Washington St. in Dudley Square
7pm-8pm-ISH EVERY Thursday

www.Roxbury.Vox.com

FREE VERSE
is our feature this week at “ArT iS LiFe ItSeLf!”  JOIN US!  Tell yo’ frenz AND yo’ enemies,
they won’t be yo enemies after a night with us:::::sign up for the open mic.

See full calendar. 

Panelists:

Bakari Kitwana, moderator- Executive Director of Rap Sessions, author of The Hip-Hop Generation and Why White Kids Love Hip-Hop;
Rosa Clemente- hip-hop activist, The Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, Black August and The Hip-Hop Caucus;
Angela Woodson- hip-hop political organizer, co-chair of the 2004 National Hip-Hop Political Convention and director of Faith-based Initiatives for the Ohio Governor’s Office;
Jeff Johnson- BET’s Cousin Jeff Chronicles, director of Truth is Power and author of Let’s Get Free: Strategies for Organizing the Hip-Hop Voting Bloc;
Billy Wimsatt- co-founder of the League of Young Voters and author of How to Get Stupid White Men Out of Office.

Please RSVP to Brothers About Change at bac.neu@gmail.com

Don’t miss one of Boston’s hottest musical events!

The 2008
Urban Music Awards

With Performances by:
Tashawn King, D-Quest, Bre, Stephanie Millions and more

Tickets on sale now at A Nubian Notion, Berklee Box Office, and Ticketmaster.com.
Contact uma2008@bostonoffline.com for Sponsorship Packages

Stay tuned for more information