As soon as I saw the Roots Picnic advertised on
Okayplayer I started making plans to head down to philly for the show. At the same time I was happily daydreaming of what this Roots Picnic would look, feel, sound, and taste like. The music events I experienced while living in philly were comfortable, intimate, and personal- like hanging out at your favorite cousin's house on a lazy afternoon. I had no doubt the Roots would put together an eclectic and seriously fun picnic.
First things first I just have to say- the day of the picnic, June 7, was a freakishly hot day with temps close to 100. The heatwave did not put on a damper on the fun but it did put a glossy layer of sweat on everything. But really everything is better in the summer. The sudden heat did make it necessary to dress like you were exploring the Amazon or deserted on a tropical island near tahiti. The coolest people were decked out in sarongs, bathing suits, big ol sun hats, sandals or even bare feet. Shirts were off, shades were a necessity, and water was the #1 accessory. The most popular tee of the day was anything
Obama related. In between music acts we all flocked to the pavillion/dj tent (which was air conditioned) as it became the unofficial cool down lounge.
The picnic offered a musical sample of some highly creative groups.
DeerHoof, who I was wholly unfamiliar with, shook things up quite a bit with their indie rock/pop/hybrid sound. They definitely offered a unique (and very loud) sound that stood apart from every other act. They reminded me of some bands I used to listen to in the 90s when i was loving bratmobile, shonen knife, and pizzicato five.
As Mdot mentioned,
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings expertly showed off their classic, soulful sound. Sharon Jones works her powerful voice with so much finesse you would swear you had been transported back to the heyday of classic soul. Sharon Jones= timeless sound. The band kept it real classy with a serious serving of funk and soul. They were the only musical group that inspired picnic- goers to couple up and start dancing. Plus one of the band members (guitarist) was sportin a very svelte three piece suit. I can't imagine how he survived the vicious heat in that getup but he sure looked the part.
After the sun had set and The Roots had performed their final exuberant set, I heard some heavy, heavy bass coming from the dj tent. I had a hunch it was
diplo so we rushed into the tent to catch some bmore club classics mixed in with dance tracks so raw you couldn't help but shake n pop. Diplo played an energetic and crowd-moving set that featured Rye Rye and Naeem (from Spankrock) on vocals. There was also a very talented male RnB singer who was on the mic quite a bit. We had no clue who this singer was but he did have a philly beard so we assumed he was a local artist. Folks were wu-tanging and two stepping as a life sized elmo circulated through the crowd pausing for pictures and high fiving picnic-goers. Diplo tore through songs with a ferocious energy that made his music impossible to ignore and he successfully turned the pavillion into a sweaty baltimore house party.
All the rumors are true- the Roots always deliver a phenomonal live set and their picnic delivered a truly talented ensemble of musicians. My day dreams about the picnic may have been slightly different but the outpouring of energy and love from all of the acts involved surpassed my expectations. -CleverGypsy
[24K Godz- by Rah Crawford- 40" x 30" acrylic on canvas]
Blogging is super hard in the summer. There's waaaay too many other things to do outside in the sunshine. And when you live in upstate ny you know how to take advantage of good weather. So please don't be alarmed by the delay in my posts just know i've been truly enjoying this summer.
Looking back at July- it's been a great month. I spent the 4th in Philly with my girl Queen and yes- we celebrated freedom, liberty, and justice- oh-8 style. If you haven't heard- the 4th is a BIG deal in philly. It becomes an 8-day event with several nights of fireworks, NBA events, music, food, fundraising and of course some history lessons thrown in for good measure. The musical acts this year included John Legend and Boyz II Men. Queen and I caught Boyz II Men and let me tell you they still got it- dance moves and all! I was instantly transported back to '95 as soon as they they started singing.
On the 4th we caught the fireworks from Fairmount St. and then headed to my favorite spot on Spring Garden- one of the streets I lived on in college. Silk City is a diner attached to a beautifully decorated lounge/bar. Cosmo Baker's dj set was the musical highlight of my 4th of july weekend. His hometown mix of Will Smith, Eve, Freeway, Beenie Siegel, Musiq SoulChild, and Jill Scott had everybody in the spot going crazy.
Next up we headed to Denim on Walnut street. This spot stays open past 2 so it's become one of the places to be afterhours. Mind you this spot is pricey- minimum tab is $30- but who's thinking about that at 2:30 in the am? Denim is modern and a bit pretentious, but late night the vibe switches up. You never know who you will bump into and that's a beautiful thing.
As soon as I saw the Roots Picnic advertised on Okayplayer I started making plans to head down to philly for the show. At the same time I was happily daydreaming of what this Roots Picnic would look, feel, sound, and taste like. The music events I experienced while living in philly were comfortable, intimate, and personal- like hanging out at your favorite cousin's house on a lazy afternoon. I had no doubt the Roots would put together an eclectic and seriously fun picnic.
All the rumors are true- the Roots always deliver a phenomonal live set and their picnic delivered a truly talented ensemble of musicians. My day dreams about the picnic may have been slightly different but the outpouring of energy and love from all of the acts involved surpassed my expectations. -CleverGypsy
Ok, so The Roots have always been one of my favorite hip hop groups and bands period. When we (CleverG and I) heard two months ago that they were organizing and hosting the first ever Roots Picnic in Phila, PA we were all over it. Believe me it wasn't a disappointment. There was a plethora of artists from all ends of the musical spectrum including J Davey, Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings, The Cool Kids, Gnarls Barkley, Diplo, and of course The Roots. It was an all day affair and started around 2pm. We didn't get there until around 4pm. We missed J Davey, but got there right in time to hear the last few numbers of The Cool Kids set. I must say their show game was pretty on point, even if their music was louder than they were. Of all the acts and distractions throughout the day I must say that Sharon Jones and her band were the standout act of the day. Absolutely amazing. If I had to make a comparison I would say she is the female version of James Brown.
About 40 min. later they were followed by The Roots. It was their event so it was no surprise that they stole the show. They started with some classics like "Mellow My Man" and "You Got Me" and kept progressing. Leonard "Hub" Hubbard (who recently exited the group) made an appearance for some joints before Dice Raw came on stage to rip his verse on "Get Busy". The Roots' chemistry on stage is insane. Standing in a crowd of thousands, even though I was pretty close to the stage, I could see how much the band was enjoying themselves with one another. Black would look over at Kamal while he was ad libbing for songs and give him a little smile. Quest was in the background doing his thing- as always keeping the pace for the rest. 
The new additions to the band (bass, guitar, percussion, sausophone) fit right into place like they were always there. The camaraderie that exists in their band is evident and clear every time you see them perform live. The Roots haven't missed a step even with the lack of staple members. Their movement is one that many have followed and many more continue to jump on the bandwagon. They hosted their own festival, I wonder whats next, a label maybe?? If this is to be an annual event they definitely set it off right. The location was decent, right on the water which may have helped with the heat, because it was hot as hell. The alcohol and food were expensive. But at the end of the day hands down the best time I've had at a larger festival style show in quite some time. Do you want more? You know we do.
