01 May Saturday’s Dance Off: Salt N Pepa, The Roots, and Capital Cities
We all know Florida’s weather is unpredictable and sometimes nonsensical, but all of our dancing this week has clearly put us in good graces with the weather gods. Every single day has been filled with sunshine, and Saturday was no exception. Running between stages, I made myself stop and soak in the remarkable breeze and rays. For just a minute, then I kept running.
Photo by Chris Salata for Sunfest | Copyright 2016
It’s hard not to break a sweat, when there are so many fantastic artists performing for almost 12 hours straight. Saturday’s top accolades belong to a handful of artists that made our hips move and shake. Yesterday was for dancing.
One of the acts I was most jazzed to see was the Grammy-winning female rap group Salt N Pepa, who took over the Ford Stage at 3 p.m. The trio, with DJ Spinderella, drew a massive crowd very early in the day.
Spinderella stole the show about half way through, spinning hit after hit, while Salt N Pepa danced about the catwalk, saying hello to fans. The crowd shimmied and shook to DMX’s “Party Up,” House of Pain’s “Jump Around,” The Sugarhill Gang’s “Jump On It,” as well as samples from Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” and Guns N’ Roses “Sweet Child O’ Mine.”
Backed by two back up dancers, Salt N Pepa led the dance off between fans, before eventually transitioning into their hits: “Whatta man” and “Shoop.” For their final song, they adorned their signature jackets and sang “Push It,” as we all danced on.
Photo by Chris Salata for Sunfest | Copyright 2016
On immediately after Salt N Pepa was neo soul legends: The Roots. The nine-piece hip hop group was such a solid lineup addition, and gave South Florida a really remarkable opportunity to see such talented lyricists and musicians up close. Tariq Luqmaan Trotter, better known as Black Thought, was dressed sharply in all white. Roaming the stage, his performance left me paralyzed. I didn’t even take notes. I just stood dumbfounded by the raw talent and passion before me, truly humbled to be in the crowd before such greats.
Damon “Tuba Gooding Jr.” Bryson was a highlight, taking his beautiful brass instrument up and down the stage and across the catwalk. QuestLove sat cooly perched upon his drumkit. I danced and swooned for just a few songs, before I had to run to interview the lovely Devon Baldwin.
Later that day, Los Angeles’ Capital Cities put on one hell of a show on the south JetBlue stage, as the sunset painted our sky shades of pink and purple. I have been a fan of the synthpop duo for a few years now, and love catching them live at festivals. At SunFest, Ryan Merchant and Sebu Simonian brought a full band and a trumpet player. I’ve got a soft spot for brassy instruments and it really makes all the difference to have one on stage accompanying songs.
Photo by Chris Salata for Sunfest | Copyright 2016
Drawing a large crowd, fans danced and waved flashing blue glow sticks in sync with the band’s beats. Between many of the band’s signature hits, like “Origami” and “Kangaroo Court,” we were treated to fantastic covers of artists’ past.
We laughed and sang along to Michael Jackson’s “Remember the Time,” and the Bee Gee’s “Stayin’ Alive.”
“We love coming to Florida because you guys really know how to move,” Merchant said, flattering the crowd.
We created a little dance ring to the likes of “Farrah Fawcett Hair,” “Love Away,” “Patience Gets Us Nowhere Fast,” “One Minute More,” and of course, their explosive hit “Safe and Sound.”
The group also gave two wild cover renditions of Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” and Madonna’s “Holiday.”
I honestly cannot wait for this indie pop duo to release a new album. After three joyous years, fans are ready for more feel-good, disco sounds. I, for one, am crossing all of my fingers and toes we get it in 2016.
There is just one final day of this fantastic festival. Last day, best day? Don’t miss all the wonderful acts we have today, and our headliners tonight!