For the second year in a row LouFest will wed 18 local and national bands with two stages in Forest Park, August 27-28. The musical line-up has an Indie-Americana taste, with the headliners adding their own savory flavors to the mix. The main act, The Roots, bring hip-hop funk to the LouFest gumbo, !!! (pronounced chk chk chk) gets the pot stirring with their dance-rock-electro mix, Cat Power throws down the southern soul and TV on the Radio are the musical cha- meleons of the group (for the complete lineup, go to www. loufest.com).

In addition to bringing great bands together in St. Louis, LouFest tries to down- size the footprints festivals leave on an environment. Not only does the festival encour- age eco-friendly travel (walk- ing, carpool, Metro, biking), it has complimentary valet bike parking. Although the bik- ing distance from Kirkwood to Forest Park might be im- possible for the average KHS

student, the gesture is nice. A more feasible way for Kirk- wood residents to get to the event might be taking Metro- Link. Metro has extended its service to the Forest Park trol- ley, which shuttles spectators to their spectacle every twenty minutes. For food, all contain- ers are recyclable and LouFest provides recycling stations with knowledgeable staff to help festival attendees dispose of their waste. Finally, Loufest hopes to continue its offset pro- gram, which last year helped erase more than 500 pounds of carbon emissions.

Area K also helps set LouFest apart from its com- petitors. The Area at first looks like the Magic House, mainly because the Magic House staff will be there with activities for kids. The resemblance ends when the righteous sounds of six local high school bands rocking out smacks the ears of those in Area K.

With its mix of indie, envi- romentally conciousness, and family-friendliness, Loufest has something for everyone. Tickets are available at Loufest. com, 38 dollars for a day or 64 for the whole festival.