Over the weekend, Brooklyn was treated to a host of events. From Spike Lee’s Michael Jackson tribute Bed-Stuy’s Restoration Plaza to celebrating the 10th anniversary of AFROPUNK, there was no shortage of history making going on in Kings County.
If you’ve never been a part of the alternative festival at Commodore Berry Park, the celebration commemorates live music, vibrant art, good vibes and multicultural excitement. Synonymous with open-minded activism, AFROPUNK continues to set the standard of being diverse, anti-establishment, and the place to see your favorite stars in person. I was on-hand as a regular participant covering the event for Black Enterprise.
Since this wasn’t my first time at the rodeo, I navigated pretty easily between the four stages of non-stop music. From witnessing SZA perform her ambient tunes for the first time to almost getting caught in a mosh pit with Ice T’s Body Count rock band, the event was everything it has been the past few years: erratic, energetic, and flying by the seat of its pants.
Engulfed by the sea of independent distributors looking to sell their afrocentric wares, small business owners like Nubian Heritage were front and center attempting to make good with the swath of people coming from all over to participate in the two-day festival. For me, I was concerned whether or not AFROPUNK headliner, D’Angelo, would actually show up. The past few weeks in preparing to attend the event, I battled the will-he-or-won’t-he speculation that lives on the web, but was reassured by a close friend that there’d be an 80/20 chance of him showing up.
The enigmatic R&B voodoo child wasn’t even listed in the actual show list at the event. Billed as a “special guest,” it was up to the ones with the discerning eye to figure out who would be closing out the 2014 AFROPUNK festival. But ask anyone who was packed by the stage last night (Aug. 24) and they knew it was D’Angelo who would be wrapping up the event. I was there with a few friends, us all anticipating the golden goose of Funk and R&B to grace us with his presence.
Read more about D’Angelo’s performance on the next page …
As the area packed to the gils, BRIC Arts was chronicling the whole entire thing with a rig set. “What time is he supposed to go on?” a fan questioned as we listened to a DJ try to keep us engaged. “8:30,” I responded. But by around 9:45 p.m., there were a few people in our area who had enough with waiting for the unicorn-esque singer to appear and left frustrated. I was not going to miss this opportunity, so waiting an hour (for whatever reason) was made moot since those who stand were really fun.
The first person to hit the stage was Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson of the Legendary Roots Crew. The crowd instantly perked up, knowing that all those fables and lore about D’Angelo were about to come true. Guitarist Martin Luther took the stage, the background singers held their marks, it was all beginning to take shape. The crowd increased their fervor, awaiting the moment the Prodigal Son would take hold of our ears, and we hoped he’d never let them go.
And then, boom! He showed up. D’Angelo appeared less “How Does It Feel” and more ready to shake up the ground with his brand of ominous funk. The hour-long set was mired in topics relevant to the Black way of living, as his first song was a stirring rendition of Bob Marley’s “Burning & Looting,” which touched on police brutality. The new, improved D’Angelo would only give his starving fans one tiny bit of old soul in the form of “Greatdayndamornin,” which separated the hardcore fans from the casual.
See a bit of the performance below:
Immediately after I pressed ‘stop’ on my phone, a would-be fan shouted out in the midst of the dead air, “Play a song that we know!” It managed to elicit a few laughs from those around, but really I believe that D’Angelo heard it because his next few songs appeared to be more apt in showing just how dope his new work is instead of reflecting on his past successes. I can even understand the crowd agitation, as no one has really heard anything from the man born Michael Eugene Archer in 14 years. So, to witness the man, live and in living color, you can expect many to want a nostalgic show, but that wasn’t how D was gonna give it to us.
On the next page, witness just how funky this new, improved D’Angelo really is…
Many believed that D came back and made a statement of his return during the 2012 Essence Festival. I’d like to say that they were wrong (even though I wasn’t there). His true tour de force was made in Brooklyn, at Commodore Barry Park, in front of thousands of adorning fans who were mystified by his alluring power and captivating performance. Throughout the hourlong set, D, backed by members of The Roots, performed this hodge-podge of ElectroSoulFunk, mixed with Hip-Hop and dripping with sex appeal.
His spirit still captured the essence that we all knew and loved. It was alive, conquering, and eager to show new and veteran fans alike, that he was more than his former Neo-Soul self. Even if he only played one song from Voodoo and nothing from his 1995 debut, Brown Sugar, his performance of The Ohio Players’ classic “Our Love Has Died” had the masses feeling the rougher edges of D’Angelo’s soulful sound.
Watch the full performance below:
For me, one of the major highlights was hearing the awesomely psychedelic rock version of Fishbone’s “Black Flowers,” with the band’s own Angelo Moore coming out to perform the track. The cut was music to an audiophile’s ear and a moment of pure humility, a s D’Angelo dedicated the song to a close friend of his. With Questlove leading the melodic troops, every note was soaked in D’Angelo’s signature emotion and powerful yells brought even the staunchest critic to appreciate his God-given talents.
Enjoy “Black Flowers” shot by NERD ERA below:
As the night inched towards the witching hour, the band closed with an impressive and astonishing take on Prince’s “She’s Always in My Hair.” The people to the right of me as I attempted to capture the groove, mentioned amongst themselves that they had never heard this D’Angelo song ever, but it “sounded like the funkiest thing of the evening”. Even if D’Angelo never again shares with us his previous work, his sound, skill, and showmanship are as strong as it was in 1995. I enjoyed myself greatly and hope that all those who did attend this year’s AFROPUNK did as well.
Watch the “She’s Always in My Hair” performance below: