With the god-awful summer temperatures finally cooling down and Electric Zoo officially wrapping up the summer music festival season, there’s no denying that fall and real life is back in full swing. We have some treats to help tide you over, though–pictures and a bit of a review (albeit a little late) from the last stop of the Rock the Bells 2010 tour in DC.
To call the final RTB show (8/29) at the Merriweather Post Pavillion an emotional rollercoaster would be an understatement. Up until the final hour were worries about the show being shut down due to the city’s 11 p.m. curfew, with festival-goers caught in a limbo of “will-she/won’t-he perform?” anxiety.
Few artist have the audacity of Lauryn Hill. It’s what happens when you sell a bazillion records, disappear for over a decade, come back, and people still fall all over themselves at your every word. But audacity doesn’t have to equal ego—which is why an interview with Ms. Hill is still a pleasure after all these year.
For the last six years, Guerilla Union has made it clear that festivals and hip-hop are not mutually exclusive. Seeking to establish themselves as a bankable promotion company with the longevity of say a Goldenvoice, Guerilla Union continues to expand by developing all of their groundbreaking festivals (Paid Dues, Smokeout). However, the foundation for Chang Weisberg’s company is Rock the Bells. From their reunions (Rage Against the Machine, Pharcdye, Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang Clan, last show with all original members) and surprise performances to their dedication to showcasing artists passionate about the culture, Rock the Bells is more than a festival; it is a historic experience. After each festival comes to a close, fans provide suggestions as to who they would like to see at the next installment, but somehow Guerilla Union is able to always surpass it. The …
This year at Bonnaroo, I found someone’s schedule and got the secret pleasure of seeing the bands that person had outlined as their choices, which is something I’d never, ever do, for fear that my selections could be traced back to me, revealing to the world that I am a total wanker. So how does one approach the task of making ten — or even one — festival recommendation(s) to a total stranger? Plus, various festival videos, from cell-phone clips to golf-cart vision.
Last month, URB let loose a whale of a news item stating that Lauryn Hill and A Tribe Called Quest would be performing at this years Rock the Bells. Then came the RTB press conference and neither artist was announced. Of course there was the expected pile-on of haters saying we blew the call—but it turns out we were just so far ahead of the curve suckas couldn’t see it. …MORE
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