New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Erykah Badu and
Gary Clark Jr. will headline
Music at the Intersection, taking place in St. Louis
September 10-11. The R&B and blues icons are joined on the festival's second-year lineup by international indie soul group Hiatus Kaiyote, blues guitarist
Buddy Guy, jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington, soul-rock band JJ Grey & Mofro, and St. Louis-bred alternative rock group The Urge, among others.
During the weekend, more than 50 national, regional and local acts 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, March 11, at 10 a.m., and limited quantity early bird prices start at $129 for all-weekend access or $69 for a day-pass. GA+ and VIP options are also available.
"Every year our aim is to make this festival more accessible, diverse and multi-dimensional," said Chris Hansen, executive director of Kranzberg Arts Foundation. "In addition to the blues, jazz and heritage genre, which was the core of our lineup last year, we have national to local acts across everything from hip hop and R&B to indie rock, soul and funk. Between acts, attendees can wander the festival's new outdoor footprint and enjoy local food offerings, unique amusements, live art activations and shopping with local vendors. An attendee may buy a ticket with a favorite like Erykah Badu,
Buddy Guy or The Urge, in mind, but that ticket gets them access to an incredible, dynamic urban music experience - and we hope they explore it all."
Festival grounds open at 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday,
September 10-11, and performances will take place within that outdoor footprint until well after sunset.
Throughout the weekend, Grand Center's world-class partner venues - including The Fabulous Fox, The Sheldon Concert Hall, The Grandel Theater and Jazz St Louis - will open their doors for official festival pre and after party concerts. Lineups and ticketing details for those events will be announced at a later date.
Artist Lineup: With a special focus on "St. Louis Made," the festival 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. The Urge's original (and still current) members, Karl Grable and Steve Ewing, were originally classmates at Webster Groves High School. Trumpeter Keyon Harrold is from Ferguson; indie band Foxing is from St. Louis; and Grammy-award-winning
Murphy Lee and Kyjuan of the
St. Lunatics (contributing to more than 20 million albums sold) are from University City.
Other artists hail from sister cities on the Mississippi, from which St. Louis shares music and cultural style. American blues guitarist and singer
Buddy Guy got his start in Baton
Rouge before moving to Chicago, where he fell under the influence of Muddy Waters and has since influenced generations of modern guitarists himself. Booker T. Jones was the leader of Memphis' famed Stax Records house band and is considered the architect of the
Memphis soul sound. New Orleans bass player
George Porter, Jr. of The Meters is recognized as one of the progenitors of funk.
Additional national acts are tied to St. Louis by musical genre. St. Louis-born artists - like Miles Davis - influenced today's most prolific jazz musicians. The rock and roll of
Chuck Berry spurred today's blues, rock, indie and alternative sounds, including that of headliner
Gary Clark Jr. who wrote a tribute to Berry for Rolling Stone magazine and credits the legend as a major influence.
Music at the Intersection will also feature tributes to St. Louis legends Tina Turner, Albert King, and Henry Townsend, as well as a special celebration of
Montez Coleman.
The full artists lineup is as follows: Saturday,
September 10 will feature Erykah Badu, Hiatus Kaiyote, Kamasi Washington, The Urge, Keyon Harrold presents "Jazz & The Birth of Hip-Hop" plus special guests, BJ The
Chicago Kid, Rose Royce,
Murphy Lee and Kyjuan of St. Lunatics, Foxing, The Bosman Twins, Seviin Li Honoring Tina Turner, Lamar Harris' Georgia Mae, The Kasimu-tet, Reggie Son, NandoSTL, Jazz St. Louis Celebrates
Montez Coleman, Saint
Boogie Brass Band, Dylan Triplett, Super Hero Killer, The Henry Townsend Acoustic Blues Showcase feat. Sharon Bear Foehner & Doug Foehner with Chuck "
Popcorn" Louden & special guest Eric McSpadden + St. Louis Steady Grinders: Ethan Leinwand & "Miss Jubilee"
Valerie Jo w/ Mat Wilson
Sunday,
September 11 will feature Gary Clark Jr.,
Buddy Guy, JJ Grey & Mofro, Robert Glasper with special guest Terrace Martin, Oteil &
Friends feat. Steve Kimock, Eric Kranso, Melvin Seals & Johnny Kimock, Booker T. Jones,
George Porter Jr. & Dumpstaphunk perform The Meters, John Scofield, Joe Louis Walker, Southern Avenue, Celisse, Taylor McFerrin, Seratones,
Peter Martin Trio, Hip Grease, Lady J Huston presents "The Albert King Alumni Tribute," Soulard Blues Band, Lydia Caesar, Emily Wallace & Adam Maness, Tracer feat. Ptah Williams, Ronnie Burrage & Holographic Principle featuring St. Louis All-Stars:
Oliver Lake,
Quincy Troupe, Greg Osby, Eric Person, Lynne Fiddmont, Kelvyn Bell, J.D. Parran &
Kevin Batchelor.
Ticket Packages: Tickets are offered as all-weekend or single-day passes. Limited quantity GA early bird prices start at $129 for all-weekend access or $69 for a day-pass.
Limited GA+ and VIP tickets are also available. GA+ ($325 weekend or $175 single day) includes private bar access, dedicated indoor restrooms 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 access to a VIP Village, dedicated VIP viewing area at all stages and a commemorative festival poster.
Starting on Friday, March 11, 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). Pre-sale tickets will be available through select venue partner e-blasts starting today, Tuesday, March 8. For more information visit www.MusicattheIntersection.org.
Music, Art and Professional Development: In addition to music for 2022,
Music at the Intersection will also put special emphasis on art and culture. Central to the festival's footprint, "Mural Market" will be home to local artisan vendors, as well as live street art activations, artist talks, large format mural walls and high definition projection mapping / immersive video art.
Leaning into the theme of Kranzberg Arts Foundation's The Big Top (a flexible 1200-2500 person circus tent-style arts facility serving as one of the stages), the festival will also feature a variety of carnival-inspired amusements and activities for attendees - including pop-up circus performances, workshops, dunk booths and a flying trapeze that festival goers will have the opportunity to ride.
Also new for 2022,
Music at the Intersection will host the Midwest
Music Summit on Friday,
September 9 at .ZACK (3224 Locust St). Presented by TuneSpeak and The Recording Academy, the event will be geared toward musicians and the music industry. In addition to five speaker panels, the summit will offer professional development and mentorship opportunities from industry professionals from across the United States.
Music at the Intersection is presented by Kranzberg Arts Foundation in partnership with Steward Family Foundation and The Regional Arts Commission (RAC) of St. Louis.
