Festival Review: The Roots Picnic, 2022

June 9, 2022

After a two year hiatus due to COVID (which included one virtual Roots Picnic in 2020), on June 4th and 5th, The Roots celebrated their 14th Picnic at The Mann at Fairmount Park, embarking on their first two-day festival in Philadelphia. (They did a two-day festival in New York with D’Angelo in John Mayer back in 2016, but we’re going to skip that for now.)

The festival, which first started in 2008 at Philadelphia’s Festival Pier, began as somewhat of an “alternative,” underground, Black music festival, curating a list of performers that included up-and-comers and a few, more established acts, but more than anything, the list of performers were mostly friends of The Roots. Hip-Hop was foundational to the Picnic, but there weren’t any limitations. For context, here are a few names that performed at inaugural Picnic: Esperanza Spalding, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Gnarles Barkley, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Diplo, J*Davey, The Cool Kids, Deerhoof, and of course, The Roots. More than anything, The Roots Picnic was, and is, a celebration of Black music.

In the years since the first Picnic, a lot has changed. They’ve left Festival Pier for a more spacious area at The Mann at Fairmount Park, and the festival doesn’t just have music anymore, there are film screenings, a podcast stage, and plenty else. But, interestingly, while the Picnic has grown in size, the essence of it remains in many ways.

For Kevin and I, we’ve been going to the Picnic since 2015, so this most recent Picnic marks our 6th go around with The Legendary Roots crew. After the Picnic, we talked about the state of the Picnic, what we liked and disliked, favorite performances, and what we’d hope to see from the Picnic in the future! Here’s our conversation:

Stanley: We've been going to these since 2015, but this was undeniably the biggest one yet. After a few years off because of COVID, we're back for our 6th Roots Picnic! What are some of your big picture takeaways from the Picnic?

Kevin: We back! 

But man, where do I begin. It's crazy that I have to start like this. Our beloved Roots Picnic may be cooked. I can't shake the feeling that I felt when we left after day 1. That feeling of dissatisfaction and shock at just how disorganized the festival was that day - was the only thing on my mind. This feeling only intensified during and after day 2! I'm sure we'll get into the specifics later, but man, what happened to our beloved Roots Picnic? 

I'm not sure how anyone can forgive the set time delays, long food lines, poor parking setup, shoddy stage sound, expensive alcohol ($21.75 for vodka lemonade!), and the fact that no one from Live Nation or Roots let the people know what was happening with the musical acts (i.e., Yebba dropped out unannounced). You would think this was the first year of the picnic, not the 14th! Okay, let me stop here because they will turn into a Yelp review style rant if I'm not careful. 

What were some of your big picture takeaways though?

Stanley: Yeah, I'd echo a lot of what you said. I had this feeling of persistent frustration during the Picnic, like a nagging headache lol. On Saturday, the first day, I was coming from my church, so I knew I'd be a few minutes late for seeing Tye Tribbett.

Man, I got there, asked my cousin, Troy, if Tye had gone on yet, and he said Tye was nowhere in sight. This was like an hour and a half after he was supposed to be on! I knew from that moment what the rest of the day would be hitting for.

On another note, I didn't like that they got rid of that third music stage - I think that really made a difference, for the audience and for the performers. Something we talked about offline that I wanted to bring here: I think there’s a bit of a disconnect between the artists selected and the audience in attendance. Like, I think about that moment where Glasper brought out James Poyser to perform Reminisce with him and Bilal, and it was just very…weird. Like, do you know what’s happening right now? The magnitude of this moment? lol. I'll say more on this later. Anyway, there were a few nice-to-great moments, but overall it was just frustrating and disappointing.

Coming into the Picnic, and knowing the lineup, what were your expectations? (If you could, think back to the day when the lineup was announced)

Kevin: Coming into the Picnic, I was definitely excited. I remember seeing a few artists (i.e. Kamasi, Yebba, Glasper/Bilal, and Alex Isley) and said to myself, "The Roots still got it." I thought they put together a really solid lineup and the headliners were legit A-listers (Summer, Mary J and Wizkid). I did also remember thinking that there was so much on the undercard (podcast stage, games, movies, etc.) that this thing was starting to feel less and less about the music. But to be the biggest Picnic yet, this was almost inevitable... maybe. So, my expectations were high but I did have some reservations that The Roots and its curators were potentially doing too much.

Stanley: On paper, I thought the lineup was really strong! Especially since most of these other festivals (probably) just use some taste cluster algorithm to generate a lineup. But this felt like a classic Roots Picnic curation, with a little extra umph! Mary J Blige and the Roots were literally made for each other, Black Thought's Mixtape is a staple for the "real Hip-Hop heads," and having Jazmine Sullivan and Musiq Soulchild at the Picnic makes too much sense given their connections going back to Black Lily.

But yes, I'd also reiterate some of the same sentiments you expressed, it ultimately felt like the Picnic was spread thin. I went to the Podcast stage and the BlackStar space, and it didn't seem like people were really engaging with either of them during the times I was there.

I wanted to talk a little about some of the things we liked from the festival -- particularly Tank and the Bangas and Kamasi Washington -- what did you think about their sets? But feel free to talk about any sets you saw that I didn't mention!

Kevin: I'm really going to have to stretch the "what I liked" portion out some here lol. But nah, first and foremost, we cannot forget to touch on "audience corner." I loved that Black folk flooded the place. It was an amalgamation of all types of Black folk and I did love the idea of seeing this, even if in practice, navigating around so many bodies got a little tiring. 

Onto the sets, I mean it was hard to find music at a music festival lol. Kamasi and Tank and the Bangas put the festival on their backs though. Particularly for me, Kamasi and his band did not disappoint. There wasn't much of a crowd there for them, but it didn't matter. Kamasi plays with such urgency - you would think it could be tempered by such a small crowd but he gave us everything. And I have to say, Tank and the Bangas got a new fan out of me. I always respected them from afar but never really got into their music. A festival atmosphere seems to be the perfect conditions for them. Tank herself is in the 99th percentile of charisma and rightful owner of the "Tank" moniker now (sorry other, older Tank) - and the band sounded great. 

Otherwise, I'm looking up and down the set list and I still feel disappointment. Either I missed an act (Alex Isley, Masego) or their set was abbreviated (Glasper/Bilal). What you got? You were there longer than I was on day 2 - anything else you liked about the festival? 

Stanley: Kamasi Washington (and his band) single-handedly tried to will the Picnic to being enjoyable lol. I've seen Kamasi a few times now, but I think this was my favorite performance from him! I loved Tank and The Bangas! Like most people, I was disappointed that Yebba wasn't going to be there, but Tank absolutely killed it. The musicianship was extremely high level, and the performance was stellar.

I got a chance to catch some of Masego's set, and I really enjoyed him! He only had a two-piece: bass and drums, plus a performance track, but I thought he killed it, and the sound felt "big." The audience was super engaged, and he brought out Alex Isley for Good & Plenty! That was cool.

I thought Jazmine Sullivan's set was phenomenal (even though she had to stop midway through because no one could hear her background singers). She riffed on Send It On, and I honestly don't think I'll ever forget that moment for the rest of my days.

I caught Freddie Gibbs' set, too, and I really liked it. He had great stage presence, plus I just generally like his tunes. Glasper and Bilal were incredible, as always, but they only did 3 songs! Even though it took the stagehands 45 minuets to set up their performance.

And Summer Walker! I mostly stuck around to see my friends, Larry (keyboards and Music Director) and Remey (drummer) play, but I just really enjoyed seeing them play on that stage! The arrangements and transitions were exciting and interesting, and I thought Summer sounded good, too.

Stanley: I went and looked back at our review of the 2017 Roots Picnic. This is a question you posed and the subsequent responses:

Kevin: Do you like the lane the Picnic has carved out, or is it time to expand (leave Festival Pier) and get larger, more contemporary acts to headline? They bring in the stars to headline, no doubt, but they are technically “past their prime” stars.

Stanley: So, first, I like that The Roots Picnic is a B-level festival. Given who they are as a group, and their audience, they do a good job curating the Picnic. The Roots either get an artist before they REALLY blow up, or after they've cemented their legacy. You know they're going to get the trap-y, hot, turn up artists – 21 Savage this year, Migos last year, Rae Sremmurd the year before – your classic hip-hop, some indie R&B act, and an up-and-coming artist from Philly. I think they've created a nice niche as this, old school hip-hop, indie R&B-underground, music head festival. I think they could get more contemporary acts, but, in some ways, I'm not sure if they want those acts, at least for the headliner. The problem is that niche has a pretty low ceiling - but that's fine with me.

Kevin: And honestly, I tend to agree with you in that I like that it is a B-level festival. It fits the identity of The Roots as a popular underground super group, and it fits the identity of the city. Philly has always had that close-knit, gritty feel as a city, and this festival fits that bill in my mind, especially in comparison to other festivals around the country. I do wonder how long this festival will go on and if the baton will soon be passed on to other curators but still be labeled as “The Roots Picnic.” The next couple of years will tell us which direction the Picnic will be head in, in my opinion.

There's not necessarily a question in here per se, but your thought on this bit of prophesy (from you) and irony (from them)?

Kevin: Not often are old takes exposed for good - so I appreciate you for that! But listen, who in America doesn't succumb to the "growth potential" ethos. It wasn't really a prediction, but more of me using what we see in everyday life as a barometer for what The Roots wanted to do in future years. Obviously, I don't think it is a bad idea to want to grow but I would say that growth sometimes comes with a price if it isn't done with intention. And, not to say that The Roots and their collaborators (LiveNation looking at you) didn't think through their growth plan, long-term goals, etc. but it feels like the Picnic is caught in between wanting to be this alternative festival experience where they have their ear to the ground to bring in artists that the mainstream music world may not be entirely privy to - but also wanting to bring in a mainstream audience with acts that would sell out 20,000 seat venues. 

Ultimately, I think it's fine that they are in this position as I hope it helps them think through what they want to be - but a part of me feels like LiveNation is steering this vehicle now. And that's not really great - evidenced by the main "Toyota Soundstage" at the Picnic complete with running commercials as we wait 45 mins for them to set up for the next artist. 

Stanley: This is the exact opposite of a freezing cold take! You were spot on! You know, I think back to those years at Festival Pier, the old location for the Picnic, and remember thinking, 'man, if there was just a bit more space, this would be great!' They've got more space, but now it's like, what will you do with it?

But I think you hit on a really interesting, and central idea; something we see in America, and the west, more broadly: "growth" is the name of the game at every turn. It's a bit ironic in this context, though, I guess you could say.

We love The Roots, what they mean to the city, and what they’ve done with the Picnic. So, how do we fix The Roots Picnic?

Kevin: The answer isn't really an easy one! Years ago, I kinda agreed that they needed to move the Picnic from Festival Pier as it was too tight of a space for what they were trying to do. But at the same time, this thing doesn't need to be Made In America lite. The first step as I mentioned in the previous question is for their team to recognize and acknowledge their flaws (we have yet to hear a response on IG about the struggles this past weekend - all we see are positive IG posts/stories from The Roots and their folk). Then, they should think through if they want to be this immersive experience where the #vibes take center stage or if they care about the music again (and add a third music stage like in the past!).But honestly, the answer may just be to unplug from LiveNation. They are at the center of so much that is wrong with the live music experience. So maybe that's my answer lol. Start there and maybe start caring about the music again.

Stanley: It can't be stated enough how bad Live Nation is for the concert-going experience.

Something I mentioned earlier that I wanted to riff on, is that that third (MUSIC!) stage is crucial for the performers and for the audience. There's no reason why Kamasi Washington should be playing to -- what was basically -- an empty room (not complaining because that just meant we could be right in front). By that same token, having Bilal and Glasper on the main stage felt weird, too. Not because they weren't good, but because you could feel the disconnect between the audience and the musicians on stage. That third (MUSIC!) stage could also help with the scheduling - I've never seen the Picnic run this far behind on time!

Another note, something you mentioned about The Roots needing to decide what they want to be. So, I think the wide range of performers is an interesting manifestation of this type of festival purgatory they find themselves in. Some performers have instruments, a 4-7 piece band, others just have a DJ. I think all of the different types of acts puts a lot of pressure on the sound team that's expected to set the stage(s) up in a relatively quick window, because there’s so much inconsistency with the types of performers.

But ultimately, like you said, I think they need to decide what they want the Picnic to be. Oh, and get rid of Live Nation.