by Gypsy
Photos by Nocturnal Charm
The Summer Spirit Festival presented by CD Enterprises has become an annual tradition at Merriweather Post Pavilion
and I am always amazed to see every seat occupied and every inch of the
grass (or in this year’s case- mud) covered with a colorful spectrum of
bodies, blankets, chairs and umbrellas. The unrelenting rain wasn’t
enough to damper the mood of the guests but the news that D’Angelo was
in the hospital and would not be taking the stage as anticipated but a
brief cloud over the show.
Most disappointed feelings began to get massaged with Hiatus Kaiyote, an Australian future soul group, hit the stage. Nai Palm
wore regalia that resembled a coyote, which grabbed peoples attention,
and her raspy yet strong voice and smooth band kept everyone’s
attention.
Apparently Hiatus Kaiyote was a big hit judging from the rush on
products at the merch stand.
Next up was one of my favorite go-go bands, Black Alley. I was excited that these young musicians would get a chance to be seen by such a diverse audience and hopefully propel their already growing career higher. From “Virgin Suicide” to my personal favorite “Push Play”, Black Alley was able to show their range and style that surpasses go-go and incorporates several types of musical sources. They paid homage to older go-go groups with “Pretty Girls” and “Keep It Gangsta.”
Rare Essence continued to crank the crowd with some classic go-go. At this time, I was experiencing my first henna creation from one of the MANY vendors that have become part of the fabric of SSF and didn't see the stage but those around me in the park were dancing and having fun. When Rare Essence hit the stage it felt like a huge family reunion was taking place. Ms. Kim did some covers, my favorite being Ashlee Simpson's "Pieces Of Me".
After some comedic musings by Mike Epps, Busta Rhymes hit the stage. THIS was probably one of the most exciting and adrenaline filled performances of the day. Busta not only gave it all (evidenced by the massive amount of sweat the poured from his body) but the crowd gave it back to him. People visibly jumped out of their seats shouting hooks and getting hype. While performing his piece on Chris Brown's "Look At Me Now" he smoothly and effortlessly ripped his verse, letting the crowd know he doesn't need studio tricks to diversify and then later perform live his verses. He performed classics and new hits and even got a lil nasty with a preview of a yet to be released single...yeah and many of the audience members were not afraid to let their ratchet flags fly!
Taking the place of D'Angelo was Raheem DeVaughn. I have liked Raheem for years but was not particularly looking forward to him filling D's spot. Mr. DeVaughn quickly changed my mind about this. His show, especially the beginning was energetic and VERY different than what I had imagined it would be like. One of the most significant songs of the night for me was "Bullet Proof." In the wake of Trayvon Martin and the amount of violence that happens in both Baltimore and DC, its a song that needed to be sung and heard. I was pleased with the high level of energy, song selection, and crowd interaction. The hometown hero brought his A+ game!
Finally, the woman of hour, the closer of the night, Erykah Badu hit the stage...beautiful as always. She intro-ed with "20 Feet Tall" and transitioned into "My People" and "The Healer (Hip Hop)". After seeing her performs SEVERAL times, it has dawned on me that her performances seem effortless. Not complacent, but that she has so much talent that she doesn't have to strain, it just flows. I was excited to see Durand Bernarr and Nocturnal Charm was geeked to see Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner on the bass. But not much more than that is too different than past performances.
One of the growing powers of The Summer Spirit Festival
is the ability to introduce thousands of music lovers to new music that radio
just doesn’t play. SSF did that this year with the introduction of Hiatus
Kaiyote and Black Alley to a few thousand new fans. We look forward to what 2014 has in store for SSF. Thank you for CDE for the access and for always accommodating us.
To view more photos please click HERE.
To view more photos please click HERE.
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