
Tag: erykah badu

The Music Millennials Make Love To: Smokin’ Grooves 2019 at the Queen Mary
Every year a festival comes to Long Beach, each a little bit different and improved from the previous model. Summertime in the LBC on their first try, was a fun but flawed fest, I told security I was with the Wu Tang Clan and they let me on stage. The next year I wasn’t as successful telling them I used to be in NWA so I had to be on stage with Ice Cube. In 2017, Goldenvoice claimed The Queen Mary as their testing ground for boutique music festivals. Having abandoned Orange County, Long Beach offers something missing from The Observatory, a destination. How can you beat listening to music with the ocean to your side and the legendary Queen Mary in your sightline, combine a destination with an experience and you have Smokin’ Grooves‘ sophomore year. Crowds don’t clap after the set is over. It’s the weirdest thing. Its like not tipping on a to go order, you feel kind of bad because they did kind of take care of you but not really because they just did their job. related content: Summertime In The LBC: This Is Your Dad’s Hip Hop House background makes Ravyn Lenae‘s music a little more

Black is Beautiful: Smokin’ Grooves Festival at The Queen Mary
Gates to the Smokin’ Grooves festival opened bright and early on Saturday morning with artists playing as early as 11:00am. There’s always a special group of people who hit the festival grounds as soon as gates open, intent on getting the full 12-hour experience but the early crowd gathering on the water’s edge consisted largely of people with young children. Relaxed vibes, diverse music and a behaviorally mature crowd sets Smokin’ Grooves apart from other festivals because it appeals to a broad spectrum of music fans. Headlined by timeless legends like Erykah Badu and The Roots, Smokin’ Grooves brings a sampling of the best of new and old R&B, funk and soul music to Long Beach. Because LBC is more or less equidistant from Downtown LA and Orange County, this festival drew an impressive crowd for a festival in its first year. And truly, as each person moved past me I couldn’t help thinking “Wow, that was the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen! No, they have to be the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen!” Smokin’ Grooves is a cultural celebration, a PRIDE festival and a big family picnic all rolled into one big, three-stage festival in the looming