Sol Blume: A Recap
Jessie Reyez | Image by Holland Colvin
Many industries took a huge hit as a result of Covid and the live music industry was no different.
I wouldn’t say I was an avid festival attendee but I did enjoy my fair share of waiting in lines, standing in the heat, and experiencing the big payoff of seeing some iconic artists perform in-the-flesh.
So, as music festivals regain their momentum after years of inactivity, I’m reminded of the thrill and vibrancy that comes from shared admiration and the willingness to spend money, time, and energy to get yourself on-site.
Specifically, I had the opportunity to attend the Sol Blume music festival in Sacramento, California this past weekend. One of my best friend’s fiancé does event management for the festival and was kind enough to bring a few guests, including your girl. ;)
The amount of skill, time, work, energy, etc. it takes to put on something of that scale is hard to wrap your head around. Especially when you get a peek into the inner workings——a behind-the-scenes experience, if you will.
Channon Nitz | Image by Holland Colvin
*** The juiciest of shoutouts to Channon for her incredible work and patience and generosity. She’s the cream of the crop.***
Channon went above and beyond to give her babe (Erin) and her babe’s friends (Tivi and me) an experience that you simply cannot buy or smooth-talk your way into.
If you’ve ever attended a medium– or large–scale music festival, you know that there’s a lot of standing, shoulder-touching, sitting-on-the-ground, sweating, waiting, porta-potty-using, etc.. SO when we’re given the opportunity to post up in the guest lounge, I don’t take that shit lightly!
Braggadocious? Perhaps a little. But mostly because I’m proud of who I was associated with, seeing the work from a totally different perspective, and experiencing it all with ease and joy.
And also, being in that space/around certain groups of people has its own interesting social dynamics. For example, you can feel eyes scan you from top to bottom, calculating image and perceived status from the first step in the door.
But alas, these are simply mental notes as I’m seeing different sides of the same coin. A coin I’m grateful to have at all.
Let’s move on to the MUSIC, shall we?!
Official 2023 Sol Blume lineup
Some of my faaaave artists performed (oh hey Amber, Sabrina, Jessie, Kehlani, Teyana). These leading ladies stole the show, IMO.
Yet another exciting opportunity was photographing some of said fave artists from the press pit (some were with my pro camera, some were with my phone). You heard that right, friend! Check it:
All of the performers were absolutely incredible. Some highlights:
Teyana Taylor retired from music/performing in late 2020, so her attendance in the lineup was HUGE! She was the only artist that came down off the stage and into the pit which was beyond iconic. She stopped right in front of the 4 of us. We were giddy as fuck.
Jessie Reyez brought us all to tears with her intro to and performance of “Gatekeeper.” I turned around to see Erin also wiping her eyes and we both chuckled because neither of us were expecting to WEEP!
Amber Mark had great energy and pulled out some of my fav songs—though most of her songs are my favorite ;). I also love how she dances/moves on stage, she’s forever a vibe.
Sabrina Claudio stunted on stage in her shimmery blue dress which deserves a moment of its own. She was also so lovely and goofy with the crowd which we love.
Ella Mai closed out one of the stages on night 1. I haven’t ever seen her perform (live or on video) but she was super fun to watch. Cool, calm, collected. Fun as hell!
Kehlani closed out the festival. So. so. so. good. She also hosted an after party at a club downtown (the building was surrounded by people trying to get in. It was wild!). We were let in in the side door *smirk*. She performed a few songs and the DJ Noodles played some bops.
I’ll be steeping in the delight of this experience for a good while. <3