I think CD Enterprises has found the solution to restarting the economy...create dope line ups full of artists who create dope albums and give RAWKIN shows! On August 7th the DMV took a break from the recession as over 12,000 music lovers poured into Merriweather to see one of the hottest line ups of 2010: Erykah Badu, The Roots, Chuck Brown, Common, BOB & Janelle Monae...HEAVEN!
Gypsy Soul was first introduced to the Summer Spirit Festival last year where another great line up was presented featuring Erykah Badu, Raphael Saadiq, and Chrisette Michelle...they also introduced the DMV in a big way to a group that would be nominated for a Grammy a couple of months later, The Foreign Exchange.
When the 2010 line up was announced Gypsy Soul was EXCITED to say the least and pleased to be able to cover the show once more.
Ladies of Gypsy Soul at The Summer Spirit Festival
Ok so lets get to the good stuff...
Janelle Monae opened the show with cloaked band members and a funky sound. She moved and grooved her way across the stage belting a huge voice for such a small lady. She elegantly displayed her vocal capabilities while adding soul to the song "Smile". Throughout the show her dancers engaged the crowd and came off stage to boogie with those that caught the beat. By "Tight Rope" she had the crowd on their feet moving and shaking...once again CD Enterprises introduced some mainstream DMVers to a talent worthy of iTune downloads and cd purchases that many just would never have heard on the radio.
B.o.B took the stage and though I can understand the reasoning behind him not opening...he should have opened especially when he came out thanking BOSTON for having him...He had a good set but nowhere near as energizing as Janelle Monae. Surrounded by pretty ladies dancing and singing, B.o.B. certainly added eye candy to the event and got the crowd to their feet with "Nothing On You" & "Airplanes".
I had never seen Common perform, so he was a special treat for me. He performed favorites like "The Light" and "Go" and his set was surrounded by a Love of Hip Hop Theme. He channeled hip hop favorites like "C.R.E.A.M.", "I Need Love" and took us to the West Coast with Dr. Dre. A great part of his set was DJ Dummy who got the crowd hype and added a great DJ demonstration - dude showed off. I appreciated the show and was glad to see Hollywood hadn't gotten in the way of hip hop.
Chuck Brown, the godfather of go-go, graced the crowd. EVERYONE took to their feet. But what would you expect? His set hasnt deviated much but included on this night was his tribute to Little Benny. As a person from the midwest, if you want to fall in love with go-go get more than familiar with Chuck Brown make sure you see a show!
How I Got Over is one of the best hip hop albums of 2010 if not THE BEST hip hop album of 2010. So I was anticipating hearing several songs up close and personal. New and old, The Roots conjured up a few of my favorite songs: "Hustla", "You Got Me", and more. For some reason it seemed as if their set was cut short. Maybe I was expecting more or maybe I was distracted but thankfully The Roots show in Baltimore is on my calendar so Im looking forward to a do over.
Make sure to check back next year for info on tickets for the Summer Spirit Festival 2011. Make sure you're there to SOULCIALIZE!
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