Hip-Hop With Pop Let's face it. On your average Father's Day, Dad is lucky if he gets a fresh cup of coffee and a new weed whacker. This year, local kids music phenomenon the Imagination Movers (pictured) might just be starting a new tradition: the Father's Day kid-friendly arena rock show. "We're dads who write music for our kids, so it was a natural fit for us to celebrate our new CD by throwing a big party for the kids and their parents at the Arena," says band member Rich Collins, as if mounting an arena show comes as easy to a dad as changing out the batteries in the remote control. The Movers' FATHER'S DAY CONCERT at Kiefer UNO Lakefront Arena (6801 Franklin Ave., 522-5555) also serves as a launching party for Calling All Movers, the second CD for Collins and fellow Movers Scott Durbin, Dave Poche and Scott "Smitty" Smith. Like their first CD, Good Ideas (which had a hit single in "I Want my Mommy," 16 weeks and counting on the XM Kids satellite radio station's countdown), Calling All Movers should be a fixture in the family van CD player. Once again, smart and slyly instructional lyrics combine with eclectic beats and pop tunes, with a slightly heavier dose of hip-hop, funk and even go-go (perhaps owing to Collins' pre-daddy days hanging out in D.C. go-go clubs). Calling All Movers should expand the Movers' rep as one of the most musically savvy kids groups working today. Collins promises lots of surprises at the big show, which begins 4 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $7.50 for adults and $5 for kids. A little later in the day, dads (and their grown-up kids) can head to the SUMMER SOLSTICE/FATHER'S DAY CELEBRATION at Tipitina's French Quarter (233 N. Peters St., 985-TIPS). The Henri Smith Foundation presents an evening of jazz featuring Smith, Troy Andrews (trumpet), Fred Sanders (piano), Gerald French (drums), Jim Black (bass), Corey Henry (trombone) and Donald Harrison (saxophone). Visual artists and clothing designers will also display their creations. Tickets $10. -- Michael Tisserand

New Orleans Jazz Dance Festival Friday, June 18 through July 2 Newcomb College, Tulane University Department of Theatre and Dance, Elleonora P. McWilliams Hall, 314-7742 The eighth annual New Orleans Jazz Dance Festival is a 16-day summer workshop celebrating eclectic moves from tap to Afro-Brazilian, while featuring a medley of choreographers. Among them, special guest Jermaine Browne, the choreographer for Christina Aguilera's 'Genie in a Bottle' video, will teach classes implementing funk, hip-hop and jazz. Other guests from New York include Richard Gonzalez teaching Afro-Caribbean dance, Sita Frederick teaching African-based modern dance and Millicent Johnnie teaching contemporary, hip-hop and capoeira. On the other side of the map, Wade Madsen from the Seattle dance scene will come into town to fuse modern dance with lyrical theater jazz. Leymis Bolanos from Florida will teach a mixture of contemporary and African dance styles. The festival will make the first dance move this weekend with its Tribute to Swing Dance, featuring jazz legends Lindy Hopper and Franky Manning. Registration $25, by Friday. Call to register and for class times. -- Katie LaCorte

Summer Classic Movies Friday-Saturday, June 18-19 Saenger Theatre, 143 N. Rampart St., 524-2490 We haven't even actually made it officially to summer yet, and we've already been overwhelmed by such epic popcorn fare as Troy, The Day After Tomorrow and what appears to be the best Harry Potter movie yet. Any classics in this bunch? We'll see. But summer also means the Saenger's Summer Classic Movies series, offering a chance to see the truly classic Hollywood movies on the big screen. The series is spread out over two weekends with encore screenings. This week: Casablanca (7:30 p.m. Friday), An American in Paris (3 p.m. Saturday) and Rear Window (7 p.m. Saturday). Casablanca (1942), directed by Michael Curtiz, ranks No. 2 on the American Film Institute's 100 Greatest Movies. (Trivia question: What great New Orleans flick did Curtiz direct? Answer below.) Vincente Minelli's An American in Paris (1951) ranks No. 68, while Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window (1954) ranks No. 42. Tickets $6 adults, $5.50 seniors/kids ages 12-under. (Trivia answer: King Creole.) See next week's issue for second weekend listings. -- David Lee Simmons

UniverSoul Circus 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 15; 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, June 16-18; noon, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, June 19; 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, June 20 Lake Forest Park Plaza, 5700 Read Blvd., 522-5555 Equal parts traditional circus and hip-hop dance party, the UniverSoul touring circus was founded in 1993 by promoter Cedric Walker. 'I envisioned hip-hop musicals, a return to vaudeville and animal acts,' Walker has said. 'That's when the decision was made to create a full-blown big-top circus.' Two UniverSoul units now tour around the country (as well as international sites such as South Africa), and seeing the big top at Lake Forest Park Plaza is becoming a summertime tradition. Performers this year include Casual Cal the ringmaster and his sidekick Zeke, with daredevil motorcyclists from South America, a father-daughter contortionist balancing act from Germany, and champion double-dutch jump-ropers from the United States. Tickets $10-$25. -- Tisserand

Suplecs 10 p.m. Saturday, June 19 The Howlin' Wolf, 828 S. Peters St., 522-WOLF Fans of New Orleans sludge-rock will be happy to know that Suplecs has finished recording a new album. Produced by Pepper Keenan (of Corrosion of Conformity and all-star metal band Down), the new album continues in the same heavy groove vein of Suplecs' previous work, with some extra-aggressive tracks thrown in. The bad news is, the album won't be released anytime soon. Suplecs is shopping for a new label, one that will 'get us out of the van,' says guitarist/vocalist Durel Yates, 'or at least get us a nicer van.' The trio's first label, Man's Ruin Records, went bankrupt right after the release of Sad Songs ... Better Days, leaving the group scrambling, until This Dark Reign re-released the album. In the meantime, one song from the new album, 'Cities of the Dead' is out on High Times magazine's new stoner-rock compilation, which also includes tracks from Clutch, Nebula and Corrosion of Conformity. Hawgjaw opens. Cover $7. -- Cristina Diettinger

Maurice Brown/Curtis Fuller 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, June 18-19 Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro, 626 Frenchmen St., 949-0696 It's trombone month at Snug Harbor. Last week virtuoso Steve Turre graced the stage, and this week teaming with Maurice Brown is the great Curtis Fuller. Fuller came up in Detroit in the early 1950s with fellow Motor City musicians Tommy Flanagan, Donald Byrd and the late Elvin Jones. After his move to New York City, Fuller became the hard-bop trombonist, playing with Art Blakey, Wayne Shorter, Lee Morgan, and on John Coltrane's Blue Train. However, Fuller is an expert at any style from swing to bop to fusion, which makes him a good match for trumpeter Maurice Brown, who mixes styles from straight jazz to hip-hop and funk. Not only is Curtis Fuller a link to the time when 'Jazz giants walked the earth' (to quote pianist Mike Pellera), but he is one of those giants. Tickets $25. -- David Kunian

Patti Smith 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 15 House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 529-BLUE Legendary singer-songwriter Patti Smith performs Tuesday at House of Blues. Almost 30 years after her debut Horses -- still considered a rock classic -- punk-poet Patti Smith is still more interested in knocking down shrines than in having them erected in her own honor (how is it that she's not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, anyway?). Touring to support the newly released Trampin' (reviewed in last week's issue) the protest song-singer extraordinaire shows she's just as vital, and just as committed, as she ever was. She lends equal parts tenacity and tenderness to each of her new songs, whether they're about the profound pride of motherhood (hers and others) or the profound shame of the motherland (hers only). Word has it that she'll be using this tour to push a 'register to vote' message, one that echoes her trademark rally cry, 'People have the power.' With things going the way they have been lately, certainly we could all use a reminder. Tickets $25. -- Cynthia Joyce

"A Summer Solstice Eve Celebration" 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 20 Ashé Cultural Center, 1712 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., 569-9070 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, June 20 The Zhoux Zhoux Theatre Dance Company Inc. (ZZTDC) is taking the summer to raise money for its 2004-2005 season with this doubleheader of artistic events. The day starts at Ashé Cultural Center, where Yvette Sirker will host a staged reading of her latest work, Pink Collar Crime, about three women who decide to take action after realizing the impact of white-collar crime on their lives. The event is free and open to the public. Following the reading, the action moves over to a private residence, where the celebration proper kicks into gear with entertainment provided by Gregory Thompson and friends, acting performances by the ZZTDC Apprentice and Intern Col, tarot card readings by Owen Magenta and others, and burlesque by Lin Gathright. Suggested $12 donation at the door, with cash bar provided. RSVP by calling 864-0512, ext. 1. -- Simmons

Soul Fest 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, June 19-20 Audubon Zoo, 6500 Magazine St., (866) ITS-A-ZOO Legendary New Orleans funk band Chocolate Milk performs Saturday at this weekend's Soul Fest at the Audubon Zoo. Soul Fest at the Audubon Zoo will be multi-tasking when it entertains the public with music, delectable Creole cuisine, and local and national artisan crafts while raising awareness of African-American health care issues. The City of New Orleans Health Department will provide free screenings for cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes in addition to handing out information about nutrition, Medicaid, fire prevention and HIV. The American Lung Association of New Orleans, Great Expectations Foundation and the Louisiana Chapter of the American College of Cardiology will also be present to answer questions and give advice on health care. As for the entertainment, the Saturday sounds include Chocolate Milk and Lil'; Rascals Brass Band. On Sunday, Bamboula 2000 and Donald Harrison's Electric Funk will set the stage for smooth jazz and funk. Admission $11 adults, $6 children ages 2-12, $7 seniors 65-over, free for zoo members. -- LaCorte

Crazyface 11 p.m. Tuesday, June 15 Shiloh, 4529 Tchoupitoulas St., 895-1456 This summer, Shiloh provides a rare opportunity to watch a band develop as Crazyface figuratively and literally comes together. Initially featuring Karl Denson's Tiny Universe drummer Eric Bolivar before he went on tour, the young band integrates hip-hop beats, electronica loops, and New Orleans' funk guitar and bass rhythms into trip-hop. Sets begin when DJ Kinetic, one of the club's resident DJs, starts the party with rare groove and hip-hop and spins as the band joins him at a wide spot on the floor that serves as a stage. He continues, stepping up the scratching, as Dennis Hartman (guitar and synth loops), Sean Carry (bass and MC), and Steve Reichlen (drums) join in, creating songs around Kinetic's tracks. The results slightly echo Galactic and DJ Logic, bereft of horns and experience. As the band exits, Kinetic spins back to a DJ set, blurring the distinctions between live bands and recorded music, and between musicians and DJs. No cover. -- Reuben Brody

Second Annual Summer Solstice Festival 5 p.m. Sunday, June 20 3 Ring Circus' The Big Top, 1638 Clio St., 569-2700 Leave it to the 3 Ring Circus gals to turn a negative -- the encroaching heat and humidity of summer -- into something positive, as they did with last year's inaugural Summer Solstice Festival. Call it a thumbing of the nose at the weather, with air conditioning inside and playing in sweat outside. There's much more, of course: there's an outdoor market with music courtesy of Apolkalypse Now! and a fashion show courtesy of Cree McCree and Howlpop (with music by Cambe and Capello). Dance troupes Pussy Footers and the Iron Maidens will also perform, along with The White Bitch and others. Then there's the usual food and drink, with plenty of surprises promised. We'll hold 'em to it. Cover $5 inside (a cheap price for cold air). -- Simmons

The New Orleans Bloomsday Centenary Celebration 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 16 O'Flaherty's Irish Channel Centre & Pub, 514 Toulouse St., 529-1317 The notoriously complicated James Joyce masterpiece Ulysses is actually quite simple when you think about it: two guys (Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus) walking around Dublin, doing stuff and thinking thoughts. It's a day in the life -- a June 16 in the life, to be exact -- and Joyce fans the world over have traditionally gathered each summer on that date (affectionately known as 'Bloomsday') to celebrate what many believe to be the greatest novel of the 20th century. This year is especially special, as 2004 marks the centenary of every bibliophile's favorite fictional holiday. While the biggest blow-out will be ReJoyce Dublin 2004, the New Orleans Gulf South Booksellers Association has put together quite an evening right here at home, featuring readings from local authors, a trivia contest and specialty drinks. There will also be Bloomsday Idol open-mic dramatic interpretations (costumes and teams encouraged; call Deb Wehmeier or Ted O'Brien at 895-2266 for more information), music by Danny O'Flaherty, and a special appearance by Tulane music professor and member of the revered author's family, John Joyce. -- Shala Carlson

Richard Jolley: Sculptor of Glass Through September Ogden Museum of Southern Art, 925 Camp St., 539-9600 An interesting side benefit of the recent Glass Arts Society national conference being held here is that our galleries are now awash in glass. While most of it is by local artists, a major exception is the Richard Jolley show at the Ogden Museum. A longtime resident of Tennessee, Jolley for the past quarter century or so has been known for his boldly intricate aesthetic as well as for his innovative technical accomplishments. Rooted in modern sculpture as much the traditions of art glass, his work displays a populist flair that keeps it accessible; his series of Busts recalls Robert Gordy's expressionistic portraits of regular folks, and his Totems are whimsically colorful concoctions that would look as much at home on MTV as in major museums. The result is a fun show that fulfills the Ogden Museum's down-home vision of high art. -- D. Eric Bookhardt

Brian Auger's Oblivion Express 10 p.m. Wednesday, June 16 Tipitina's, 501 Napoleon Ave., 895-TIPS Brian Auger and Julie Driscoll's 1967 Swinging London recording of 'This Wheel's on Fire' helped introduce Bob Dylan's then-unreleased Basement Tapes to the world. As Auger Rhythms, 2003's two-disc retrospective shows, he spent far more of his 40-year career playing jazz than he did making pop. The Oblivion Express, so named by Auger because that's where he thought it was bound when it formed in 1970, was one of England's pioneering jazz-funk combos. Auger and his trademark Hammond B-3 lead the current lineup, but the band now features his son Karma on drums and daughter Savannah on vocals. On a version of Richie Havens' 'Indian Rope Man,' Karma shows himself to be the funkiest drummer Auger has played with yet. With his daughter singing, it's easier to hear how contemporary acts like the Brand New Heavies found Oblivion Express influential. The Joe Krown Organ Combo opens. Tickets $15. -- Alex Rawls