Smino, Herbie Hancock, Thundercat And Masego Headline Music At The Intersection Festival
During the weekend, more than 50 national, regional and local artists are scheduled to perform across four stages throughout Grand Center Arts District's outdoor festival
By: A.A. Cristi Apr. 11, 2023
Music at the Intersection returns for its third year with a diverse, genre-bending and decades-spanning artist lineup, as well as a special celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.
Headliners include St. Louis rapper Smino, 2x Grammy winning hip-hop / jazz artist Thundercat, Jamaican-American singer and saxophonist Masego and 5x Grammy winning jazz fusion group Snarky Puppy.
Continuing its tradition of booking foundational music royalty, the festival's lineup also features legendary jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, 3x Grammy winning blues guitarist Taj Mahal and St. Louis R&B singer / songwriter Angela Winbush.
In recognition of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop and its influence on contemporary music, art, fashion, and culture, Music at the Intersection also features artists spanning from the 1970s South Bronx to current day - including DJ and hip-hop pioneer Grandmaster Flash, NYC funk group Cameo, Atlanta's 2x Grammy winning Arrested Development, new school NYC hip-hop act Phony Ppl, and a wide array of St. Louis-based hip-hop artists and DJs.
During the weekend, more than 50 national, regional and local artists are scheduled to perform across four stages throughout Grand Center Arts District's outdoor festival footprint - a mix of urban streets and green spaces, stretching across Washington Avenue, just east of Grand Blvd. Tickets go on sale at MetroTix on Friday, April 14, at 10 a.m., and limited quantity prices start at $149 for all-weekend access or $79 for a day pass. GA+ and VIP options are also available.
"We're back for year three with a lineup featuring hometown heroes, new trending sounds, a celebration of hip-hop, and absolute legends across R&B, jazz and blues," said Chris Hansen, executive director of Kranzberg Arts Foundation.
"We received incredible feedback last year about the diversity of our festival, both regarding the performers as well as the attendees, who were a real representation of St. Louis, spanning all ages and races. Our aim continues to be the creation of a truly accessible, multi-dimensional and dynamic urban music experience. A ticket to Music at the Intersection delivers block-party vibes with top-tier talent in an environment primed for musical and artistic exploration."
Festival grounds open at 12 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, September 9-10, and performances will take place within that outdoor footprint until well after sunset.
With a special focus on "St. Louis Made," Music at the Intersection pays homage to the city's imprint on the American songbook, the relationship St. Louis has with its Mississippi River sister cities and the musical genres that have been birthed and fostered locally.
Several artists have direct ties to the St. Louis area. Saturday's headliner Smino came from a musical family in Florissant and graduated Hazelwood Central High School before moving to Chicago to found the musical collective Zero Fatigue (with fellow festival artist Ravyn Lenae). Angela Winbush, one of the biggest hitmakers in 1980s R&B, grew up singing in her St. Louis church and graduated Northwest High School. Trumpeter Keyon Harrold is from Ferguson.
Other artists hail from sister cities on the Mississippi River, from which St. Louis shares music and cultural style. Grammy nominated Tank and the Bangas - delivering a lively fusion of funk, soul, hip-hop, rock and spoken word - are from New Orleans.
Additional national acts are tied to St. Louis by musical genre. The influence of St. Louis-born or raised artists - like Chuck Berry, Tina Turner and Miles Davis - have had a lasting impact on the sounds of today. Now a legend in his own right, early in his career, jazz pianist Herbie Hancock was part of the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the post-bop sound.
For 2023, Music at the Intersection is also celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, putting a special emphasis on artists from the culturally influential genre, spanning from the 1970s South Bronx to current day. The festival will feature performances from pioneers Grandmaster Flash (who perfected beat looping and discovered some of the most iconic beats still commonly sampled today), Cameo (who combined hip-hop influence into their horn-oriented 70s funk sound, resulting in 80s Billboard hits like Word Up and Candy), Arrested Development (the first hip-hop artist to win a Grammy for Best New Artist in 1993) and Pharoahe Monch (one of underground hip-hop's pre-eminent lyricists of the late 90s / 2000s). A variety of unique, modern-day hip-hop sounds will be represented through Smino, Thundercat, Masego, Tank and the Bangas and Phony Ppl, among others. There will also be a celebration of St. Louis' imprint on hip-hop spanning the last five decades.
In addition, the festival's DJ Village (the DJ Stage) is expanding, featuring national and St. Louis-connected DJs and MCs. The Washington Avenue Stage and Field Stage will also activate internationally notable DJs, spinning tracks from jazz, blues, soul and funk that informed and influenced the sounds and samples that became the backbone of iconic hip-hop records.
Saturday, September 9 will feature Smino, Masego, Snarky Puppy, Cameo, Angela Winbush, Arrested Development, Ravyn Lenae, Peter Martin ft. Dianne Reeves, Nate Smith ft. Jason Lindner and Tim Lefebvre, Keyon Harrold with Pharoahe Monch and Stout, Phony Ppl, The Suffers, Denise Thimes, Earthworms, Mai Lee, Sir Eddie C, Jazz St. Louis Celebrates Willie Akins, St. Louis Blues & Soul Showcase ft. Boo Boo Davis, Renee Smith and Big Mike Aguirre, DJ Alexis Tucci and the House of Tucci, Sage ft. Agile One, DJ Nico Marie and Makeda Kravitz, Umami, Mark Lewis, Lusid, Eric Donte and the Maxi Glamour Experience, and Mo Egeston All-Stars.
Sunday, September 10 will feature Herbie Hancock, Thundercat, The Fearless Flyers, Taj Mahal, Tank and the Bangas, Grandmaster Flash, The Teskey Brothers, Andy Frasco & The U.N., Samantha Fish, The Bad Plus, Say She She, Marquise Knox Band ft. Funky Butt Horns, The Mighty Pines, The Shedrick Mitchell Collective ft. Christie Dashiell, Blvck Spvde & The Cosmos, Kendrick Smith Quartet, Root Mod, DJ P, DJ Nune is Lamar Harris, Biko, Paige Alyssa, and St. Louis Music Box with Janet Evra, Anita Jackson, Will Buchanan, Andrew Stephen, Dusty Carlson, Duane "Jingo" Williams and Tim Moore.
Tickets are offered as all-weekend or single-day passes. Limited quantity GA prices start at $149 for all-weekend access or $79 for a day pass.
Limited GA+ and VIP tickets are also available. GA+ ($325 weekend or $175 single day) includes speed lane festival entry, private bar access in Sophie's Artist Lounge, dedicated indoor restrooms at 3333 Washington and access to exclusive programming in Sophie's Artist Lounge. VIP ($650 weekend or $350 single day) includes all the GA+ perks as well as dedicated VIP viewing areas at all stages (with dedicated restroom and bar), a food truck VIP speed pass, VIP bar line and a special merch package.
Starting on Friday, April 14, at 10 a.m., all tickets can be purchased at www.musicattheintersection.org/tickets or directly at www.MetroTix.com (or by phone at 314-534-1111). For more information visit www.MusicattheIntersection.org.
In addition to music, the festival will also put special emphasis on art and culture. As part of Elemental (a year-long, community-facing event series celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, presented by Music at the Intersection and The Walls off Washington), there will be activations paying homage to the four elements of hip-hop. In addition to DJing and MCing (rapping) - which will be taking place across Music at the Intersection's four stages - the festival will feature breakdancing (B-Boying/B-Girling) demonstrations and graffiti art.
Central to the festival's footprint, "Mural Market" at The Walls off Washington will be home to local artisan vendors, as well as live, immersive street art activations. Food trucks will also be available for attendees, curated by Sauce Magazine.
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