If you consider yourself a fan with a diverse musical palette (count us here at SoulBounce among that group), the place to be this past weekend was the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, the venue for the 15th edition of the Summer Spirit Festival. The annual event (postponed the last two years due to the pandemic) was hosted by CD Enterprises, Inc., which is celebrating a very impressive 50 years of promoting and hosting live music events in the DMV area.
The 2022 Summer Spirit Festival’s lineup showcased a nice variety of artists representing soul and R&B (J. Brown, Marsha Ambrosius, Anthony Hamilton and Erykah Badu), go-go (Junkyard Band) and hip-hop (Method Man & Redman).
Jas Funk from Rare Essence, one of the greatest go-go bands to ever do it, was the emcee for the day. DJ Dirty Rico from WMMJ Majic 102.3 FM kept the good vibes going between performances with his on-point selections. Merriweather Post Pavilion was packed to the brim, both in the pavilion and on the lawn as thousands used umbrellas to shield themselves from the hot sun and caught the performances on the venue’s monitors.
Smooth R&B crooner J. Brown was first up, and he delivered a strong performance considering his limited time on stage. The Detroit native has a lot of momentum thanks to his debut album Chapter & Verse, which he released in May. He performed several songs, including “Don’t Rush” (a song that features Tank, one of his idols growing up) and the bop “Vibe” with its infectious bass line that got the crowd hyped and ready for the rest of the festival.
Gifted singer-songwriter Marsha Ambrosius was up next, and she brought the heat. Her set included a mix of songs she has written, songs she’s recorded as a solo artist and songs she made as a part of the iconic duo Floetry. Marsha co-wrote Michael Jackson’s legendary song “Butterflies,” and she delivered a version to the capacity crowd that would have surely made the King Of Pop proud. She followed that up with several songs, including “La La La La” and the heartfelt “Far Away” before shutting it down with the timeless Floetry hit “Say Yes.” Marsha put so much passion and emotion into her performance, and the audience made sure to let her know that was appreciated.
After a brief delay to get the sound system right, go-go greats Junkyard Bard commenced to crankin’ as only they can do.
With festival attendees giving them the energy they needed, JYB performed several of the hits they are known for, such as “Loose Booty” and “Uh Oh!” The group wanted to make sure the crowd was ready when they performed their legendary cut “Sardines,” so a few band members each took a side and began asking different sections of the audience to sing back parts of the song. Once it was time, everyone went crazy when the beat dropped and they heard “Sardines! Hey! And pork and beans!”
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Next up to rock the mic was hip-hop legends Method Man and Redman who were primed to deliver. Before they took the stage, Wu-Tang Clan DJ and producer Mathematics made sure the vibe was right with a dazzling display of skill on the 1s and 2s.
Meth and Red hit the stage on 10 and kept that same energy for the duration of their almost hour-long performance. Attendees went bananas as they rapped in total sync and commanded the stage with their skill and presence. The duo performed songs like Redman’s “I’ll Bee Dat,” Method Man’s “I’ll Be There For You/You’re All I Need To Get By,” their duet “How High” and Wu-Tang classics like “C.R.E.A.M.” They even performed other hip-hop staples like Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” and “The Choice Is Yours” by Black Sheep.
- Advertisement -They continued their ritual of bringing a case of bottled water on stage and throwing water at the crowd near the front. Given that temperatures were in the 90s, that water was a welcome sight to most.
As day turned to night, it was time for a soul takeover by Anthony Hamilton. AHam and his band always deliver, and this performance was no exception. He had a great rapport with the audience and engaged them by asking who was from the South, right before singing Nappy Roots’ “Po’ Folks.” He then flipped it and took everyone on a journey through his catalog as he transitioned into his first hit “Comin’ From Where I’m From,” his gritty ode to his humble beginnings.
- Advertisement -It wouldn’t be an Anthony Hamilton show without him performing “Charlene,” and he delivered it flawlessly. One of the showstopping moments came when Anthony and his background singers sang an amazing cover of Daniel Caesar and H.E.R.’s duet “Best Part,” much to the delight of attendees who sang along like a soulful choir.
After a full day of performances, it was a little past 10 p.m. when neo-soul goddess Erykah Badu blessed us with her presence. Her band arrived on stage several minutes before her, and everyone in attendance was buzzing with anticipation to see when (and from where) she would appear. Those on the left side drew the lucky straw, as she emerged from the shadows, much to the delight of the patient crowd.
- Advertisement -Sporting a black hat adorned with flowers and feathers, a colorful coat and thigh-high black boots, Badu’s eccentric style was on full display. She started off her set with a snippet of the track “Green Eyes” from her classic album Mama’s Gun. She and the band also performed a funky version of Faith, Hope & Charity’s “To Each His Own.”
World-famous, D.C.-based harmonica player Frédéric Yonnet sat in with Erykah’s band. She gave the musicians a break at one point when put in some work on the drum machine and made her live beats.
- Advertisement -Badu performed more of her classics like “On & On” and “Other Side Of The Game,” which had her fans in their feelings as she took everyone back to Baduizm.
Towards the end of the show, Erykah made a young man’s night when she invited him to come on stage for a hug and a selfie. She ended her performance with the anthem “Tyrone” and left the entire festival feeling groovy.
- Advertisement -The 2022 Summer Spirit Festival came back strong with a solid lineup that had a little something for everyone. The DMV showed up and showed out, with everyone coming to have a great time, enjoy the music and just vibe. This year’s Summer Spirit Festival has us already looking forward to next year.
