The African American Cultural Center of Long Beach is currently hosting “Black Cowboys: More Than A Myth,” an exhibition exploring the history and legacy of Black cowboys and their place in the story of the American West.
The premise is a particularly good one for an exhibition: the cowboy has become one of America’s most recognizable cultural archetypes, but the popular image of the American West has often left Black cowboys out of the picture.
“Black Cowboys: More Than A Myth” aims to broaden that picture by looking at the history behind the myth, and the people who were part of it.
The African American Cultural Center Long Beach inside the Expo Arts Center in the Bixby Knolls area exhibits and teaches Black history beyond the typical surface-level. May 25, 2024. (Photo by Tyler Shaun Evains, Daily Breeze/SCNG)
A new exhibit at the African American Cultural Center of Long Beach will highlight the legacy of Black cowboys. (Photo courtesy of AACCLB).
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The African American Cultural Center Long Beach inside the Expo Arts Center in the Bixby Knolls area exhibits and teaches Black history beyond the typical surface-level. May 25, 2024. (Photo by Tyler Shaun Evains, Daily Breeze/SCNG)
The exhibition’s subtopics include “Cowgirl Chanel,” “Black Cowboy Origins,” “History of the Old West,” “Cowboys in Black Cinema,” “Urban Cowboys Today” and “Buffalo Soldiers.”
Together, those subjects suggest a journey from the historical Black presence in the American West through the ways cowboys have been represented in popular culture and how that tradition continues in 2026.
While the African American Cultural Center is a small museum and exhibition space inside the Expo Arts Center in Bixby Knolls, its vision is vast, as evidenced by this current exhibition.
For anyone who hasn’t visited before, “Black Cowboys” offers an accessible introduction to what the space is doing: creating room for Black history and cultural stories to be presented on their own terms, right here in Long Beach.
“Black Cowboys: More Than A Myth” is free to visit and runs through October 24. Gallery hours listed for the exhibition are on the gallery’s website at aacclb.org/exhibits.
Gaslamp
Craving some increasingly loud music?
Gaslamp has a trio of concerts coming up that cover everything from country radio to some of the heaviest rock of the past few decades.
First up is “Summer Country Bash” this Saturday, Aug. 15, bringing tributes to three of the biggest names in modern country music: Morgan Wallen, Chris Stapleton and Miranda Lambert.
Wallen Outlaws will pay tribute to Wallen, The Staples will take on Stapleton’s blend of blues and Southern rock, and Sin 4a Sin will represent Lambert.
This lineup offers a snapshot of just how broad contemporary country has become. Wallen’s arena-sized country-pop sound, Stapleton’s rootsier approach and Lambert’s mix of classic country and emotionally direct songwriting represent distinctly different corners of the genre.
Next week at Gaslamp, though, things start to get louder: The Iron Maidens, the all-female tribute to Iron Maiden, headline a night of classic heavy metal on Saturday, Aug. 22.
They’ll be joined by Ozzmania, a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne; Dirty Deeds, a tribute to AC/DC; and Metal Health, a tribute to Quiet Riot.
If that wasn’t enough evidence that Gaslamp is getting heavy, the venue will follow it up with Toxicity and Renegades of Rage on Saturday, Sept. 5.
These bands pay tribute to System of a Down and Rage Against the Machine, respectively, bringing together two groups whose politically charged, rhythmically aggressive music helped shape an intense strain of late-’90s and 2000s alt-metal and rap-rock.
All three upcoming shows offer an entertaining tour through the tribute-band phenomenon: from the polished, genre-spanning world of contemporary country to classic metal and the furious stylings of System of a Down and Rage Against the Machine.
For concert times and tickets, head to gaslamplongbeach.com.
Landmark Theatre
What songs have stayed with you?
For the performers at Landmark Theatre, those answers are likely to have something to do with the shows they’ve performed, the artists who inspired them, or the moments in their own lives when a particular song became part of their story.
That idea is at the center of “The Songs That Built Us,” Landmark’s summer gala, taking place next Saturday, Aug. 22, at the First Congregational Church of Long Beach.
The First Congregational Church of Long Beach, home to the Long Beach Landmark Theatre, in April 2014. (Photo by Thomas R. Cordova, Daily Breeze/Press-Telegram).
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The First Congregational Church of Long Beach, home to the Long Beach Landmark Theatre, in April 2014. (Photo by Thomas R. Cordova, Daily Breeze/Press-Telegram).
The evening begins with a champagne reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by a 7 p.m. concert, with small bites and desserts served throughout the evening.
Rather than a traditional gala built primarily around speeches and fundraising, Landmark is putting its performers front and center.
The concert will feature over a dozen Landmark performers, accompanied by live musicians, singing meaningful pieces from their pasts, songs from previous Landmark productions, and selections connected to their lives and careers.
The evening will also offer a preview of what’s ahead for the theater company.
Among the performers scheduled to appear are Molly Schroeder, Brooke Wittenmeier, Charlie Carlos, Emily Morgan, Jadzia Kopp, Joey Krumbein, Lisa Bode Heard, Madison Brown, Matt Kopp, Matt Winkler, Megan O’Toole, Jocelyn Thalia Sanchez, George Carson, Heather Chambers, Melody O’Keefe and Lauren Chambers, with Curtis Heard accompanying on keys.
The event is also an opportunity to experience Landmark in the setting it calls home. The company is based on the campus of the historic First Congregational Church at 241 Cedar Ave., where it has established itself as one of Long Beach’s more distinctive small theater companies.
And because this is a fundraiser, there will be a live auction during the evening, with items including gift baskets, dining and entertainment experiences.
At its heart, though, “The Songs That Built Us” offers a chance to see and hear the power of Landmark on one stage for one special night.
For tickets, head to lblandmark.org/songs-that-built-us/