It became once a wonderfully sunny, moderately cool September day in northern California as Lights On Fest 2021 kicked off its two-day match. Upon arrival, I felt unexplainable vitality floating within the air as hordes of folks would possibly possibly perchance perchance properly be seen ready to get into the Concord Pavilion. Lines of anxious tune fanatics trailed forever throughout the busy parking space from each the VIP and Frequent Admission entrances. With their blankets and umbrellas in tow, it regarded many arrived very early to snag a huge parking dwelling and maintain gigantic time to explore all Lights On Fest had to provide. As a local Contemporary Yorker turned Los Angeles transplant, I’d heard gigantic issues about The Bay, but nothing would possibly possibly perchance perchance compare to the all-encompassing, magnetic air of secrecy felt as I walked throughout the festival grounds.
DAY ONE
As I navigated past the meals trucks and folks of all demographics, to my left became once the Illumination Stage the put more contemporary acts showcase and in most cases debut their talent to followers and onlookers. Merely two years within the past—as an illustration—at the inaugural festival, R&B novices Fortunate Daye and Kiana Ledé each performed on acknowledged stage. This time spherical, they were made co-headliners on the Fluorescent foremost stage.
Rising singer, Lorea, became once one act who became once overjoyed to manifest that development for herself. Her dwelling purchased off to a rocky originate—in which her mic didn’t flip on and followers yelled at the stagehands to rectify the scenario straight. For Lorea, even supposing, she chanced on this ordeal to be hilariously befitting; VIBE spoke alongside with her after the efficiency.
“Of route, it can perchance happen to me,” she chuckled. “However after I came assist, all that vitality [fueled] me. It felt well suited.”
The Indiana songbird sang two covers— Lauryn Hill’s “Killing Me Softly” and Frank Ocean’s “Pondering Of You”— alongside with two customary songs, “Extra Of You,” which she teased as “coming soon” and “Secrets and methods,” a soulful ballad “from the coronary heart” currently accessible on all streaming platforms.
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Nigerian sister-duo, VanJess, additionally graced the Illumination Stage. New off the deluxe start of their EP, Homegrown, they performed songs from the project including “Dysfunctional” and “Behind Down”— for the principle time.
“Of us no doubt like R&B right here,” they outlined at the assist of the curtain referring to their Lights On Fest abilities. With the viewers being beautifully diverse, the women equipped up their personal concise intro to VanJess, which consists of the aforementioned “Behind Down”— (the remix parts fellow Lights On performer, Fortunate Daye)— their Kaytranada-assisted note, “Taste,” and “Honeywheat.”
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The highlight for several of the acts became once merely being ready to manufacture are living after a year of virtual performances and truly feeding off of the vitality from the equipped-out crowd (roughly 12.5K attendees to be exact). With this being her first festival efficiency, Joyce Wrice—a half-Japanese Angeleno plump of ‘90s R&B influence— couldn’t cease beaming about how “honored” she became once to be on the lineup.
“I no doubt feel honored to eventually be at this stage in my career and I explore ahead to continuing to blossom,” she gushed.
When introducing herself to unusual followers, she published that to no doubt value her, she’s a combination of Aaliyah’s “Loose Rap,” Brandy’s “By no scheme Explain By no scheme,” and Mariah Carey’s “Breakdown” featuring Krayzie Bone and Favor Bone from Bone Thugz-N-Cohesion. Wrice became once most mad to manufacture “On One.” She outlined, “My band has added some sounds to it that lawful no doubt introduced it to lifestyles […] they made it sound so infectious.”
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As I made my scheme to the Fluorescent Stage, classic R&B hits admire Usher’s “You Construct Me Wanna” and Tevin Campbell’s “Can We Talk blared from the speakers. Then, a transient tear of the turntables transported followers to the supreme ol’ days of E-40 and Mac Dre, which had the crowd “going stupid, tiring, and hyphy,” as H.E.R. later outlined.
The Bay Home native made obvious to steadiness out the weekend by incorporating aspects from the supreme parts of who she is—her Vallejo/Bay Home culture and R&B/soul roots.
Blxst [pronounced blast], a brand unusual hip-hop/R&B hybrid phenom out of L.A., performed singles admire “Be By myself,” “Overrated”—which samples Donell Jones’ “This Luv”—and “Gang Slide,” the theme tune from the Issa Rae-produced fact show veil, Candy Life: Los Angeles. A tranquil Masego slid through with his tender jazz melodies as he performed are living renditions from his 2018 debut album,Lady Lady.
Donning a graceful pink ponytail and all-pink ensemble, Keyshia Cole took the stage for the principle time since her mother, Frankie Lons, passed.
In a sure tribute, the Oakland epic took a second to thank her followers. “Y’all know she passed away lately and I wanna convey thanks guys for looking at the reveals, seeking out the albums, supporting me,” she expressed. “Me and my mother maintain each done so grand and I’m pleased that she had me and I’m pleased that she became once a a part of my lifestyles and I became once ready to abilities her. I’m pleased that you guys were ready to abilities her ‘cause she became once so humorous, so hilarious. So, I wanna get into these next two songs; admire I acknowledged, assist her in ideas.”
Cole, then, blew every person away as she dedicated her tune, “Heaven Despatched” and Giv?on’s “Heartbreak Anniversary” to her gradual mother. Her dwelling concluded with the everlasting crowd-pleaser and one amongst the supreme R&B songs from the early 2000s, “Be pleased.” With every person’s mobile phone illuminating the crowd, Keyshia Cole barely wished to yelp as we knew every single note.
Ty Dolla $ign ran through his laundry list of parts and flexed his manufacturing skills. The melodic crooner became once joined by the aforementioned Blxst for his or her hit collab, “Chosen,” and later, Dolla introduced out fellow Bay Home native, P-Lo and followers completely went berserk.
In case you’ve by no scheme seen Erykah Badu are living, it’s an abilities all on its personal. Total with laser beams, background singers, and a band rocking plump white hazmat suits, always predict the surprising when going in “BADUBOTRON.”
Badu aka Mary Magnum aka Cruise Na Manufacturing unit aka Badulla Oblongata (and that became once easiest a handful of monikers the singer listed eventually of the outlet of her dwelling), rounded out Day One with an acoustic establish of “Hello.” She added classics including “On & On,” “Be pleased of My Life,” “Subsequent Lifetime,” “Window Seat,” and “Procure Lady” alongside with an intergalactic interpolation of Prophe-C’s “Got Me In The Zone.”
I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Badu are living multiple instances and at any time when became once varied than the final. In case you were looking at for to merely hear album cuts of her chart-topping hits and even her B-aspects, straight rid your self of that conception. She presents you very varied manufacturing and instrumentation admire well suited artists attain. Potentially one of the most realistic scheme to insist it is dynamic and summary.
DAY TWO
>After a tiny prolong at the doorway, it became once no doubt H.E.R. who surprised the crowd to kick off the festivities.
“I’m so pleased. I will’t imagine y’all are right here well suited now. I will’t imagine right here is going on; I no doubt feel so blessed. Honestly, all these artists are mighty,” she exclaimed gleefully while carrying a refined low ponytail alongside with her signature shades, an outsized royal blue jacket, distressed shorts, and dark bustier. “I am for my piece keen on every single one amongst the artists on this invoice and rather heaps of them maintain no longer been called to play other gala’s, but Lights On Fest is the stage the put we provide that for these artists.”
Within the midst of focusing on the experiential aspects admire the bumper vehicles and mini roller coaster, I did purchase glimpses of Maxx Moor—a newcomer from the Bronx, NY—who stroke a chord in my memory of an edgy D’Angelo. I’d heard nothing but gigantic issues referring to the BX crooner from several festival attendees and fellow artists. I would possibly possibly perchance perchance merely were drowsing on his tune prior to, but between him reviving neo-soul with the Maxwell Urban Hold Suite afro, his overall mystique, entrancing tone, and are living band, I without a doubt grew to was a fan and would additionally admire to listen to him on a note with Masego.
Songwriter Priscilla Renea, who’s since rebranded into singer Muni Lengthy, swayed the crowd with a quilt of SWV’s “Old” and customary singles, “Sneaky Link” and “Hour of darkness Snack.”
Non-public favourite, Tone Stith, debuted his single, “One thing In The Water,” from his drawing shut EP, Peaceful FWM?—slated for an October start. The tune samples Carl Thomas’ “I Favor” and parts his labelmate, singer Maeta.
As I made my scheme to the principle stage, I became once stopped in my tracks eventually of a tearful rendition of Snoh Aalegra’s “I Favor You Around.” Over at the Protégé gross sales problem, followers were welcomed to audition for MBK Leisure—the crew within the assist of H.E.R.—to was the singer’s protégé.
The performer, Cierra, had a tone that felt it had gospel roots. The judges joked that the Sacramento resident sounded admire Jazmine Sullivan. Jeff Robinson— founder and CEO of MBK—additionally talked about her quilt became once his favourite efficiency. She additionally outlined that even supposing the audition became once “nerve-wracking,” once she became once pleased, it became once admire doing one thing that felt traditional for her.
Over on the principle stage, Fortunate Daye debuted his single, “Over” which samples Musiq Soulchild’s “Halfcrazy.” He suggested VIBE that his favourite tune to manufacture, even supposing, is “Be pleased You Too Worthy” this capacity that of he will get to join to followers and even throws roses. Yet, no well suited serenade is whole without one fan utterly swooning because the crooner made her no doubt feel admire the supreme particular person within the viewers.
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Ari Lennox, carrying plump classic Hollywood glam, had followers going up for her Shea Butter Little one album cuts. No topic the project being two years used, it became once evident that on the subject of every note is unruffled a fan favourite. Intelligent how Ari’s persona shines on Instagram Live, she introduced all that acquainted vitality to the stage. Fans giggled when she took off her stilettos no longer long into her efficiency and eventually of her commentary in-between songs. They rocked alongside when she stopped midway eventually of her efficiency of “Contemporary Condominium” this capacity that of she couldn’t hear herself. The venue’s digicam panned as every person regarded of their personal world while singing alongside to “Whipped Cream,” “BMO,” a quilt of Tweet’s “Oops (Oh My)”, and “Backstage” from her debut EP, PHO.
Snappily ahead to the second all of us had been awaiting—H.E.R.. The 24-year-used artist is without distress one amongst the supreme performers of this generation and I am going to gape her are living at any given likelihood. Wrapping up the festive weekend, she stepped onto the stage alongside with her long flowy curls, pink bodysuit, and denim shorts. At once, the budding epic performed hits— each used and unusual—including “Damage,” “Avenue,” “Every Kind Of Plan,” crowd-favourite “Laborious Relate,” “Slide” [sans YG], and “Focal point.”
Halfway through her hour-long dwelling, she declared the resounding message of the weekend. “R&B is no longer unnecessary. I don’t know why folks acknowledged R&B is now not realistic when R&B lives in every little thing. I undergo in ideas assist within the day when folks used to yelp songs admire—reducing to a gradual have of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On.”
Surprise company included Yung Bleu as they performed “Paradise” from her debut album, Help of My Mind. Bay Home epic Goapele performed “Closer” as sampled in H.E.R.’s “Closer To Me.” Fellow Dark Filipina, Saweetie came through with a transient sort of “Easiest Friend.”
H.E.R. spoke on a plump-circle second as she recalled sitting within the far assist of the Concord Pavilion at a Chris Brown dwell efficiency and how now she’s data superhighway web hosting her personal festival at the identical venue. The Virginia-bred inappropriate boy pulled as a lot as affix H.E.R. in a sultry efficiency of “Strategy Via”. All people lost it when Chlöe of Chlöe x Halle regarded to manufacture Led Zeppelin’s “Dark Dogs”, alongside H.E.R., in a sure laborious rock section. Yet, Lights On Fest isn’t whole without a efficiency of her 2017 ballad, “Lights On.”
Steve Jennings/WireImage
Steve Jennings/WireImage
With this being the second year of Lights On Fest, the Oscar-a hit singer exclaimed, “I became once so mad and pleased about feeling the vitality of the folk. And they also were over the pinnacle this capacity that of they’ve been awaiting reveals to reach assist assist. The Bay is dwelling for me, so it became once even more special.”
Compared with performing on the subject of, H.E.R. acknowledged, “There’s nothing admire the reference to an viewers. The screams, singing the total lyrics with me. the total folks. It makes it more fun this capacity that of you maintain one thing to feed off of.”
Even supposing the principle-ever Lights On Fest: Brooklyn became once dwelling to happen in gradual October, it’s since been canceled this capacity that of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. In an announcement, the Lights On Fest crew wrote, “… it’s was more difficult and more difficult for us to place collectively the form of festival abilities that you deserve. So we’re officially suspending this year’s festival to 2022.”
Nonetheless, we unruffled had to be taught how identical and varied the reveals would’ve been. She teased, “Brooklyn’s lineup would possibly possibly be moderately varied but equally DOPE!! The Bay became once plump-on festival vibes and Brooklyn is going to be an enviornment show veil. Of route the Bay Home viewers vibe and NY viewers is varied [but] I’m going to convey out some varied surprises!”
The dates for Lights On Fest: Brooklyn 2022 maintain yet to be announced. Peer H.E.R. exhibit the importance of Lights On Fest within the 2019 recap below.
