The first Roots Picnic in 2008 was one of those epic and memorable concerts that people will be telling their friends about for years to come. With an incredibly diverse lineup, equally exciting performances and heat that had to be experienced to be believed, the show was absolutely unforgettable. Entering its second year, the Picnic returned with another eclectic mix of artists spread across two stages and representing just about every genre under the sun. What didn't return this year, and thankfully so, was the extreme heat. Even surrounded by thousands of people, it never got nearly as hot as last year, leaving the massive crowd with just the music to focus on.
Writtenhouse kicked off the show early, taking the second stage at 12:00 p.m. The three man group, consisting of Charlie K on the mic, Chris Conway on the MPC and Kush Shalimar on keyboard, were in top form, and certainly showed why they earned a spot in the lineup. DJs King Britt and Dozia of the Back 2 Basics crew took the second stage after Writtenhouse, treating the crowd to a nice mix of mellow hip hop while Amanda Diva played host for the tent.
The first set from The Roots started promptly at 2:00 p.m. with the band running through a series of songs in quick succession. The Roots are veteran live performers, and seeing their stage show is like watching a well oiled machine. Each performance of theirs is so flawless, the only thing you can compare it to is their previous shows, and even then it isn't easy. About the only complaint for the group's opening set was the brevity, which made sense given that there were another 11 acts still slated to perform at that point.
After The Roots rocked out for a half an hour or so, ?uetslove directed the audience back to the tent, where Francis and the Lights had started up their set already while DJ Cash Money spun for those who chose to stay outside. Those who made the journey to the tent walked in to an excellent show, as the group's lead vocalist, Francis Farewell Starlite, showed ridiculous amounts of energy and some great dance moves reminiscent of Napolean Dynamite. Attention then shifted back to the main stage, where Elevator Fight was getting ready to rock the crowd. The band features vocalist Zoe Kravitz, and despite having only existed for a few months, they put on a decent show. The highlight was easily their song “Broken Glass”, an infectiously catchy tune produced by the group's bassist, Khari Mateen. While their stage show now is sold, these guys are going to be realty great after a little more time playing together.
Back in the tent, Bajah + The Dry Eye Crew were giving the second stage audience another excellent performance. The group, hailing from Sierra Leone, wowed the crowd with great afrobeat sound coupled with creativity not often seen in live music. One introduction for a song about soldiers had the group acting out a scenario in which they were captured at gunpoint and forced to prove they were musicians. Between this, Writtenhouse and Francis and The Lights, the second stage artists were really proving they weren't secondary at all. California native Bus Driver was up next on the main stage, and his performance took place at the same time as Bajah + The Dry Eye Crew were rocking the crowd in the tent. While none of the day's sets were bad per se, in comparison to the others Bus Driver's left a little to be desired.
