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The third annual Music At The Intersection festival took place earlier this month in St. Louis, Mo. and offered an array of great artists from across the country and beyond.
Held in the city’s Grand Center Arts District, Music At The Intersection is an attraction meant to bring visitors and residents together through art and live performance, and places a special emphasis on homegrown talent.
Presented by Kranzberg Arts Foundation in partnership with Steward Family Foundation and The Regional Arts Commission (RAC) of St. Louis, Music At The Intersection held its first festival in 2021. It has only grown since then, with an estimated 12,000 attendees at this year’s event. Showers were expected on the day leading up to the festival, but the sun prevailed.
More than 50 artists and groups made their way to Music At The Intersection this year, including representatives from a multitude of genres. Featuring four different stages as well as various vendors and street artists, the festival represented St. Louis’ sense of soul and community .
Though numerous sets piqued our interest, we were unable to catch them all. Still, there were quite a few performances that proved memorable and captured the essence of Music At The Intersection.
Here are the 10 performances from Music At The Intersection that left us raving for more.
Phony Ppl
Image Credit: Tyler Small
The first act that caught my eye upon my arrival at Music At The Intersection was Phony Ppl. I’d heard of the group before, and after witnessing their electric showing, I ultimately realized it was with good reason. Hailing from Brooklyn, N.Y., the quintet were the second performers to take the Washington Ave. Stage during the event’s opening day, but quickly got the crowd revved up.
Led by vocalist Elbee Thrie, with musicians Elijah Rawk (lead guitar), Matt “Maffyuu” Byas (drums), Aja Grant (keyboard), and Bari Bass (bass guitar) serving as the backing band, Phony Ppl proved that they are certainly the real deal, with a melodic, yet amped-up performance that spread a bit of Brooklyn love to Missouri.
The Suffers
Image Credit: Tyler Small
I was fairly unfamiliar with The Suffers prior to Music At The Intersection, but they left an indelible impression upon witnessing them live. They descended upon the festival’s Field stage for a set that took onlookers through a range of emotions. Hailing from Houston, Texas, the band, led by vocalist Kam Franklin, gave the crowd a healthy dose of rockish soul while running through selections from their third studio album It Starts With Love.
Wearing colorful, shimmering regalia, Franklin captivated with lush vocals as the group delved into fan favorites like “Could This Be Love” and “Take Me to the Good Times.” At an event filled with unity, The Suffers urged the crowd to remember the names of those murdered by police brutality with a performance of their dedicatory song, “How Do We Heal.” The moment served as a rallying cry that left those within earshot jolted. It was one of the more powerful displays of artistry during the weekend.
Arrested Development
Image Credit: Martell Stepney
Though one of the first Hip-Hop groups to appear on MTV Unplugged, Arrested Development is often an afterthought when listing barrier-breaking rap crews. The ensemble however, led by founder and frontman Speech, captured eyes and ears at Music At The Intersection with their festive jams and feel-good vibes.
With a crew of vocalists and musicians in tow, the Tennessee native and longtime Atlanta resident brought his Southern brand of music to the Midwest, entertaining the large crowd that migrated to the Washington Ave. Stage. Running through signature offerings from their catalog such as “Mr. Wendel” and “Everyday People,” Arrested Development took us to another place—sonically and spiritually—with their rhythmic stage show.
Keyon Harrold, Pharoahe Monch, Stout
Image Credit: Phillip Hamer
Prior to legend Angela Winbush’s headlining set at the Big Top Stage, Missouri-born trumpeter Keyon Harrold put on an enchanting performance that left both hometown and visiting fans in a trance. A veteran with over 15 years of experience, Harrold’s ease trading his trusty horn for a microphone served as a reminder that he’s among the more talented double-threats in the game.
As he’s done over his career. Harrold shared the mic and the stage with an All-Star cast, including esteemed emcee Pharoahe Monch and sultry songstress Stout. A capable lyricist and seasoned showman, Monch delivered rhymes with precision, all the while remaining lock-and-step with the backing band.
A powerhouse of a vocalist, Stout stole the show with a relentless string of awe-worthy octaves. All capable performers and artists individually, this triumvirate came together for the sake of soulful expression, and the result was nothing short of amazing.
Smino
Image Credit: Phillip Hamer
Smino has proven to be among St. Louis’ latest hometown heroes. This was illustrated by a headlining set that saw him putting on for his city in a major way. The 31-year-old donned a White St. Louis Blues jersey while serenading the crowd with choice cuts from his catalog, with a keen focus on his acclaimed 2022 release Luv 4 Rent.
Surrounded by large mushrooms and flanked by a harem of female backup dancers, Smino displayed innate crowd control, communicating with his audience while staying in step with the band of musicians backing him. By the time the show was finished, the sea of attendees were dancing and bopping, leaving them no choice but to call for an encore.
The Shedrick Mitchell Feat. Christie Dashiell
Image Credit: Tyler Small
The Big Top Stage was a world of wonder for jazz and soul lovers, as an array of talented vocalists and instrumentalists put forth stirring performances. On Sunday afternoon, attendees were presented with the stylings of St. Louis-bred pianist and composer Shedrick Mitchell and his collective of musicians, as well as award-winning singer Christie Dashiell.
A veteran with decades of experience onstage, Shedrick led the charge, as Dashiell delighted with nimble vocals across the band’s layered soundscapes. Among the highlights of their performance was the “Diva” medley, which featured Mitchell, Dashiell and crew putting forth a sensuous and empowering string of renditions.
Say She She
Image Credit: Antonio Harris
The best compliment you can bestow upon a music festival is that it introduced you to an artist. Music At The Intersection did just that, as the woman-led eight-piece band Say She She instantly captured my attention with their stage presence and vocal chemistry.
Hailing from Brooklyn and London, the group includes singers Nya Parker Gazelle, Piya Malik, and Sabrina Cunningham, as well as NYMPH guitarist Matty McDermott, Durand Jones and The Indications keyboardist Steve Okonski, flutist Izaak Mills on the Indian-infused bansuri flute, bassist Nikhil Yerawadekar (of Antibalas), and drummer Andy Bauer (of Twin Shadow).
A favorite from Say She She’s set was “Don’t You Dare Stop” from their Echo In The Chamber EP, released this past August. Be sure to check out the ensemble’s 2022 debut Prism to get further initiated to their sound and style.
Herbie Hancock
Image Credit: Tyler Small
Being heralded as the godfather of a culture that’s exploded into a global force over the course of 50 years must mean you’re a pretty big deal. This is true for Herbie Hancock, who appeared on the Washington Ave. Stage on Sunday and took fans on a journey unlike no other.
“We’re gonna start off with some really strange kind of sounds,” the 83-year-old told the crowd, cuing up noises that conjured the extraterrestrial. Joined by a group of musicians to assist him in creating the vibe, the iconic maestro traversed genres, from the traditional to the experimental.
Andy Frasco
Image Credit: Antonio Harris
One of the more free-wheeling, yet refreshing sets at Music At The Intersection was that of Andy Frasco, who rocked out at the Field Stage on the second day of the festival. Joined by his band The U.N. – which includes his “son” Brandon “Taz” Niederauer, a guitarist that strikingly resembles Frasco – the vocalist and musician came with [TK adjective] tunes and a customary bottle of Jameson.
Performing songs from their vast catalog, including their most recent release Wash, Rinse, Repeat, Frasco & The U.N. gave fans a mix of humor and rollicking instrumentation. Oh, and food for thought to sop down what alcoholic beverages may have been in our belly as well.
Grandmaster Flash
Image Credit: Martell Stepney
The first time The Sugarhill Gang’s groundbreaking single “Rapper’s Delight” was played on the radio was in St. Louis, Missouri over 40 years ago. So it was only fitting that Hip-Hop be represented by one of its finest at Music At The Intersection. Grandmaster Flash was more than up to the task, as the icon brought his wheels of steel to the festival’s City Wide Stage.
Giving onlookers a crash course in the various songs and regions that helped define the culture over the decades, the Bronx native dug deep into the crates, pulling out a litany of classics. Placing an emphasis on the Midwest’s contributions to the genre, rap’s Grandmaster spun classics from the likes of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Eminem, and St. Louis’ own Nelly.
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