Second Time Around: Oakland Music Festival 2014
The city of Oakland has been on the rise in the music industry for the past several years. As recent breakout artists such as Sage the Gemini and IAMSU! make their mark in the entertainment world to follow suit of fellow Bay Area natives such as E-40 and Too Short, Oakland a.k.a. “The Town” is known for showcasing the best talent and supporting its people. To give more local artists a stage to gain a wider audience and increase positive momentum within the Bay Area, the city held its second annual Oakland Music Festival.
Keeping the event rooted in Oakland’s Uptown District, the festival featured four indoor and outdoor stages with over thirty acts. The daylong event infused eclectic sounds of hip-hop, soul, punk, reggae, electronic and indie that all exhibit the city’s vast artistic culture. Whether one wants to groove to classic songs being spun by DJs, support their favorite artist, or hear sounds from an unfamiliar band, each stage was equipped to give the audience something to talk about.
Partnering with local venues and companies such as Oaklandish, Pandora, and Expression College, each stage was named after Oakland lingo: The Town, High Sidin,’ Hella Tight, and Side Show. As fans came through the main entrance, they were exposed to food trucks, graffiti art, and street vendors, but were also drawn to the sounds coming from the Side Show Stage. With DJs such as Mr.E and Chuy Gomez keeping the crowd dancing to classic hits throughout the day, headliners Trackademicks and 1-O.A.K. moved the crowd with their hip-hop, funk, and R&B set.
As fans moved along the street to purchase an Oakland T-shirt or a classic vinyl record, they moseyed around the corner into Era Art Bar to the indoor Hella Tight Stage. Whether music lovers wanted to hear the reggae and pop sounds of Brazilian band Namorados da Lua, the hip-hop verses from Queens D. Light, or the classical and jazzy edge of Mara Hruby, the intimate ambiance helped fans familiarize themselves with different genres.
Fans also flocked to Club 21 for the High Sidin’ Stage that featured acts such as Hi Scores, So Super Sam, and ESTA, before making their way to the main stage. The festival also partnered with other surrounding local venues for free showcases featuring blues and folk artists.
Radio personality Sterling James and local artist Tyranny hosted the main stage properly titled, The Town Stage. Fans rocked out with the reggae and punk sounds by Clear Conscience, the pop rock tunes from San Francisco natives Part Time, and the electropop beats from Oakland band The Lovemakers.
Although the festival’s premise was to showcase local talent, the lineup also included more nationally acclaimed artists. Next to take over The Town Stage was soulful R&B singer Jesse Boykins III. Boykins ignited the crowd with his sensual rockstar dance moves as he performed tracks from his latest album, Love Apparatus. Midway during his performance, he jumped off the stage to shake hands with his fans as they hung on to his every note. Boykins showed his fans some California love with his timeless sound and left them with a prominent message, “Live your life Oakland, live free.”
Before the main headliners took over the show, the Bay Area’s own DJ D Sharp made sure to keep the crowd hype by spinning the hottest songs of today. Next to hit the stage was alternative R&B singer SZA. Known for her larger-than-life hair, SZA came out on stage rocking a comfortable jacket, shorts, and an oversized airbrush T-shirt adorned with rapper Cam’ron’s face. Her eccentric yet laidback style became an afterthought once she pulled the audience in with her girl-next-door personality and soothing vocals as she performed songs from her latest mixtape, Z.
As the sun began to set, the crowd grew larger as fans migrated to The Town Stage to hear Los Angeles rapper Dom Kennedy close out the show. Kennedy mentioned to the crowd how this was his first time performing in Oakland, so he was sure to show the Bay Area some “South Central Love.” Known for repping his hometown at every performance, Kennedy walked out cool and collected sporting a L.A. Dodgers fitted cap. He had the whole festival jumping to songs from his Yellow Album, like his ultimate turn-up anthem “My Type of Party” and songs from his latest album Get Home Safely. His narrative rap style and catchy hooks evoke the signature West Coast sound, making it the perfect finale for the diversified show.
Since the Oakland Music Festival is a community-sponsored event, the festival in turn believes in giving back to its people. A portion of proceeds from ticket sales was donated to Beats, Rhymes and Life, a local non-profit organization that uses hip-hop as a form of therapy for at-risk students. So what’s the melody behind the Oakland Music Festival? To gain national recognition as a thriving city filled with talented artists and innovative businesses, as well as to brand Oakland as a world-class destination for music events.
