Sitting under the shade of a tree at Discovery Park for some relief from the hot sun, Sacramento State communications major Harold Griffin waited for Brent Faiyaz to take the stage at the 2023 Sol Blume festival Saturday.
Griffin, like many other fans, endured the near 100-degree heat over the weekend with no proper shade available at the festival’s two stages.
“I’ve had, like, the biggest headache known to man waiting for Brent to be here,” Griffin, 19, said.
The heat was not a deal breaker for all the attendees at the festival who spread across the grass to enjoy artists like Jessie Reyez, Phony Ppl, Isaiah Rashad, Ella Mai and many more.
Sol Blume is an annual hip-hop, soul and R&B music festival in Sacramento featuring Faiyaz and Kehlani as headliners this year.
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Enigmatic R&B singer, Faiyaz, performed on a black and white set with bright lights shining on the crowd as he sang hits DEAD MAN WALKING, JACKIE BROWN, Rehab (Winter In Paris) and more. The day one headliner was joined on stage by violinists setting an eerie tone.
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Prior to the Sol Blume festival this weekend, organizers faced multiple obstacles. Originally set to be hosted in April, the dates were changed to August due to severe weather storms flooding Discovery Park.
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“I was actually really sad but it kind of ended up working out because this is my birthday month,” said Ariana Banks, 22, an attendee from Fairfield, California.
Additionally, Sol Blume announced UK artists Pink Pantheress and NAO would not be performing via an Instagram post Aug. 16.
“I was really excited,” Griffin said. “I was gonna have a great time listening to Pantheress and then I found out that she dropped out like yesterday and I wanted to cry.”
Despite the heat, rescheduling and last-minute lineup changes, attendees like Zsatia Vega, 26, from Hayward, California, enjoyed the atmosphere at the festival so much that she returned for a second year in a row.
“Today, I want to see Teyana Taylor and I love Chloe,” Vega said. “I feel like women are just dominating in R&B and I’m just so proud of it. I love it.”
Teyana Taylor known for Gonna Love Me and Issues/Hold On showcased her inner Janet Jackson through her choreography on stage and wearing a long yellow jacket, trousers with suspenders and a red fedora. Chloe, known for Have Mercy and Body Do, dressed in a bedazzled silver jumpsuit with black fishnet stockings.
Aside from supporting female artists at Sol Blume, Vega came prepared wearing a breathable white mesh outfit to display throughout the various photo opportunities within Discovery Park.
“So I knew it’s gonna be 100 degrees,” Vega said. “I made sure I wore something like I would wear on vacation, you know, airy, flowy and something comfortable so I can just move around.”
To go along with the festival’s “airy and flowy” theme, a Butterfly House was accessible to attendees during the event serving as a photo opportunity and educational experience.
“I love everything so far,” attendee Shannon Wilson, 21, from Maryland said. “I love the decorations. I love the Butterfly House, the food vendors and the people. It’s all fun.”
Tennessean and R&B lover, Wangui Muchiri, ran back and forth from the stages looking forward to performances from artists such as Mahalia, Coco Jones and Taylor.
Fellow Tennessean Coco Jones rose to prominence through Disney Channel’s movie “Let it Shine.” During Sol Blume, Jones performed hits Caliber and ICU and later danced alongside artist Arin Ray.
“It’s giving a little bit of jazz with so many memories,” Muchiri, 21, said of the music at Sol Blume. “The vibe is happy. It’s windy. I like it.”
