- Red Bull Music Academy’s United States of Bass - July 19, 2016
- Red Bull Sound Select: Adrian Younge, No ID, Joey Dosik - April 14, 2016
- LA Red Bull Sound Select: Stormzy, Lizzo, and Kauf - March 28, 2016
This past Memorial Day Weekend, the Sacramento Music Festival once again brought out a diverse lineup of great artists, good food, and family fun. Held in Old Sacramento, the historical gold rush era section of the city, the festival really strived to branch out by including more country and rock music than any previous year.
At the Firehouse Lot stage we caught a few songs from the country-rock group Brodie Stewart Band, that played a tribute to the armed forces with the song “Born American,” as well as a cover of Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw’s “Feel Like a Rock Star.” After leaving that stage we ran into a full marching band playing “Swing, Swing, Swing,” in the middle of the street.
Friday night featured local funk-soul band Joy and Madness, who got the crowd at the Turntable On The Green stage pumped up for the headliner, Tower of Power. Their heavy grooves and crisp horn section was the perfect primer for TOP.
Legendary Soul (that’s soul with a capital S) band Tower of Power is one of the most popular bands to ever emerge from the Northern California area, and clearly felt at home in Sacramento (especially Roger Smith, Sacramento local and keyboardist for TOP). From the opening funky drum solo and horn parts on “By Your Side,” we knew that were in for a treat.
Tower of Power’s classic funky soul sound and all mighty horn section played throwback tunes like “You Ought To Be Having Fun,” and “So Very Hard To Go.” The most upbeat highlight of the night was “Diggin’ On James Brown,” which segued into various James Brown tunes that everyone could dig. Following an extended jam on “What Is Hip?,” TOP left the stage, but thankfully returned for an encore with the lush, pleading ballad “Still A Young Man,” followed by “Down To The Nightclub.”
At the Freeway Gardens Stage, which is literally under a major freeway in the city, we stumbled upon a Jimmy Hendrix tribute band, the Purple Haze Band. Just a trio of drums, bass, and guitar, they were completely vested in the look, the sound, and the essence of Hendrix with performances of “Foxy Lady,” and other classic Jimi Hendrix tunes.
Another crowd favorite that has performed at the festival for many years was Zydeco Flames. Their down-home blend of zydeco, funk, and gritty New Orleans party music mandated that the crowd get up and dance. Songs like “When the Saints Go Marching In,” and “Iko Iko,” spawned a second line that traveled up and down the aisles of the Freeway Gardens.
One of the best things about the Sacramento Music Festival (formerly known as the Jazz Jubilee) is the bridging of the gap between generations. The Next Generation stages give youth bands from the local area the opportunity to play and show their chops to the older generations. One of those young bands was Diversely Dixie from Elk Grove, CA. During their Sunday night set on the Delta King riverboat, they played classic tunes like “St. James Infirmary Blues,” and “Dippermouth Blues.” The talented group of high school students even engaged in a lengthy cutting session that every instrumentalist hopped in on.
The Sacramento Music Festival has certainly grown and changed from the traditional jazz and Dixieland festival that it once was, but it continues to offer some of the best live music you will find in the area, and remains a great event that families look forward to every year.
