This past weekend the two-day Afro-Punk music festival was held in Atlanta, GA off of Windsor Street. On the Saturday show singer Miguel headlined and on the Sunday evening show singer, Solange headlined. The festival had multiple stages and vendors and food trucks. Also, artists such as Willow Smith, DJ Martina McFlyy, and Alice Smith performed.
I only attended day two (Sunday) and was able to listen to various panelists like professor and writer Melissa Harris-Perry and activist Michaela Angela Davis talk about various subjects from immigration to healthcare. I was also able to take a picture with the actress, Yvonne Orji who plays “Molly” on the HBO show “Insecure”. She was really nice and she is so funny. The panel was quite informative and inspirational. After the panel sessions, there were various stages and areas to dance and listen to different artists.
Afro-Punk began in 2003 as a documentary that highlighted the presence of African Americans in the American Punk scene. Now, Afro-Punk is now a multicultural event that celebrates and unites people through culture, music, film, and art. The festival began in Brooklyn, New York in 2005 and the festival has expanded to other countries such as Paris, France, London, England, and Johannesburg, South Africa.
I think Afro-Punk was affordable and worth my time and money. I liked that I had the option to purchase my ticket for an individual day instead of having to purchase tickets for the entire two days. I really enjoyed myself, except for standing up for hours because there are multiple stages and standing room only/no ticketed seating, but the best part is that I could get really close to stage without having to pay for VIP type tickets. There were food trucks and shaded breezy areas to sit down and eat, socialize, and shop. My favorite performances were by artists Willow Smith and Solange! Their energy radiated from the stage. Teenage Willow Smith played guitar and sang about life, love, and positivity. She even brought her mother, actress/singer Jada Pinkett-Smith out on stage to sing a duet with her and the crowd went crazy!
Later Solange performed songs from her “A Seat at the Table” album and other songs from her discography. The performance stage was set up with a reddish-orange moon and various multicolored lights. Her two background singers and band members were awesome too! I really enjoyed the musical transitions and her performance of “Cranes in the Sky”. Solange was full of energy and her voice sounds just like it does on her album. Overall, I had a great time and look forward to what the Afro-Punk festival does in the future. To find out more about the music festival check out AfroPunkFest.com
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I primarily stayed at the Main stage because I had a seat and was more familiar with those artists performing on that stage and I also didn’t feel like standing up for long periods of time in between sets. My favorite performances were from Jill Scott and Migos. I really enjoyed the crowd atmosphere and positive energy at the festival. From the various t-shirt, jewelry, and art vendors and food trucks and variety in performances, it was worth it and I recommend attending next year because the festival just gets better and better! For more information about the festival check out OneMusicFest.com
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