Highlights: Ozay Moore gets ‘Hook’ed into Turner Street Outdoor Theater

This will be the first time Turner Outdoor Theater will include live music before a feature, but Dominic Cochran, co-founder of the Capital City Film Festival, is well versed in organizing live peformances.

“We’ve always made music a huge part (or our presentations), and we wanted to incorporate it into (the Turner Street) event,” Cochran said. “Music is closely related in film, so it made sense.”

Moore previously worked with Capital City Film Festival under his former moniker, Othello and the Third Coast Kings. Upon his latest album’s release last month, Moore changed names trying to distance his new music from the older albums and create a brand for himself.

“I wanted a clean break from 18-year-old me to 30-year-old-me,” Moore said.

His new album “Taking L’s” was released last month, and focuses on the losses (the “L’s” of the title) that one may experience in life. Moore also runs the Lansing hip-hop academy All of the Above Creative, which gives kids a place to practice performing.

“Earlier in my career I had a few chances to tour the world, but I get more joy being there for the community,” Moore said.

“I’m trying to get artists to contribute to the city they live in and create opportunities for them to express themselves.

Unfortunately, we lose a lot of artists because they don’t have (that) opportunity.”

All of the Above looks to educate students about self discipline, artistic responsibility and community involvement. Moore is the first musical guest featured at Turner Street Outdoor Theater; other acts include the band Wisaal, DJ Ruckus and Gifts or Creatures.

And as for Moore’s connection with “Hook”?

“I love that chant,” he said. “Rufio!

Rufio!”

—ERIK FINKLER

Turner Street Outdoor Theater

July 18 & 25; Aug. 8 & 15 All concerts start at 9 p.m., Movies start at 10 p.m.

July 18: Ozay Moore “Hook” July 25: Wisaal “The Karate Kid” Aug. 8: DJ Ruckus “Gremlins” Aug. 15: Gifts or Creatures “Flight of the Navigator” Lot 56/Cesar Chavez Plaza, Lansing FREE

SATURDAY, JULY 19 >> TASTE OF DOWNTOWN

This year marks the 5th annual Taste of Downtown event along Washington Square in the heart of downtown. The event includes food samples from 12 local restaurants, wine and craft beer tasting and live entertainment. The event will also be a showcase for local talent, including 17-year-old Lansing singer/songwriter Taylor Taylor and soulrock fusion band Mighty Medicine. Each ticket comes with four food tickets, a keepsake Taste of Downtown wine tasting glass and six wine sampling tickets (with valid I.D.) Each child’s ticket includes two food sample tickets. 3-8 p.m. $5/ $15/ $20 children.100 block of Washington Square, Lansing. (517) 487-3322, tasteofdowntown.org.

THURSDAY, JULY 17-SUNDAY, JULY 20 >> ‘TYLER FAMILY PORTRAIT’ BY PEPPERMINT CREEK THEATRE CO.

“Tyler Family Portrait” is a dramatic play about the power of family. When the Tylers reunite to take their annual portrait, old wounds are uncovered and the family’s three daughters must deal with the consequences of the secrets they’ve kept. The script was the winner of last year’s Renegade Theatre Festival’s New Original Works contest, and this week it will get a special four-day run, produced by the Peppermint Creek Theatre Co. The play was written by Michigan playwright A.M. Brown; a Q&A session with the director and Renegade Theatre Festival representatives will follow the opening night performance. 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Miller Street Theatre, 6025 Curry Lane, Lansing. $10. (517) 927-3016, peppermintcreektheatre.org.

SATURDAY, JULY 19 >> EXPANDED WRITING: A POSTSCRIPT SYMPOSIUM

In March, the Broad Art Museum opened the “Postscript: Writing After Conceptual Art” exhibit. It explores the way we perceive language in all its forms through means of repurposing and re-contextualization. This Saturday, The Broad and the MSU College of Arts and Letters present “Expanded Writing: A Postscript Symposium,” an all-day event that explores the ideas put forward by the exhibit. The symposium features scholars, artists and poets from the student and professional level who will lead a series of discussion panels. Visit the site to register or for a complete schedule of the day’s events. 10 a.m. FREE. Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, 547 E. Circle Drive, East Lansing (517) 884-3900, cal.msu.edu/postscript.