Smokin Grooves Festival 2022 Top 3 Performances (Festival Review)
By Nabeel Saifi | March 23, 2022
After a 3 year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Smokin Grooves returned with a bang this past Saturday at the Los Angeles State Historic Park. The lineup was absolutely stacked, featuring the likes of artists such as Erykah Badu, Nas, The Roots, Thundercat, The Internet, Smino, and so many more. In my experience, some of the best festivals diversify their acts, ensuring something for everyone. Smokin Grooves was able to achieve this with flying colors by including hip-hop, R&B, soul, and jazz artists on the bill.
As is the case with most festivals, you have to pick and choose between multiple stages to catch all the artists you came to see. This time around there were two stages: the Jupiter Stage and the Smokin Grooves Stage. The vast majority of the acts that I was eagerly anticipating were performing at the Smokin Grooves Stage, so I stayed there for most of the day. It wasn’t until after the event that I saw the uproar on social media about the disappointing sound quality. I can only speak for my experience though, which was very positive since I was at the front of the crowd. Although there were a few logistical hiccups along the way (delays in between acts cut down set times for some of the artists), such a massive event warrants a little leniency towards the organizers.
There were so many fantastic acts throughout the course of the day, but I felt the urge to narrow it down to the 3 best ones (yes, it was very tough). The two biggest deciding factors were the performance itself and the production quality. So without further ado, here are the 3 best performances at Smokin Grooves 2022:
3. Miguel
I had never seen Miguel live prior to this event, so I had no idea what to expect. But it was evident very early on in the set that I was in for a ride. Donning a biker jacket and a large metal chain around his neck, Miguel immediately gave off rockstar energy from the moment he stepped on stage. His appearance wasn’t just for aesthetics either – the clothing and accessories were aptly paired with the rock-influenced renditions of his original music. Energetically dancing around from one end of the stage to the other, Miguel flawlessly executed several hits such as “Sky Walker”, “Waves”, and “Adorn”. It’s rare for an artist to sound the same live as they do in their music because of autotune, reverb, and many other effects, but Miguel proved that his vocals aren’t a facade. The production quality of his set was also on par with his performance – a wall of color changing lights on the stage combined with a copious amount of artificial fog created a very dramatic scene. When it came to sound, Miguel’s live band made sure that each song he performed felt unique. For example, during “Do You…”, drums were completely absent and instead were replaced by an electric guitar as the instrumental, causing a nearly 10 year old song to sound fresh as ever.
2. The Roots
Black Thought is a legend. I’m simply reiterating a known fact amongst all hip-hop connoisseurs. What I didn’t know up until this past Saturday is how powerful his stage presence is. In an era where rappers let their track run in the background while they mouth off 50% of the lyrics, Black Thought did not miss a single beat. You really can’t help but marvel in awe when “Clones” is playing and everyone from the bassist to the sousaphone player is jumping in unison before Black Thought obliterates each of the 4 verses on the track. Questlove on the drums and Captain Kirk Douglas on the guitar deserve just as much praise for their contributions during the set. When I heard the iconic guitar riffs of “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N Roses towards the end of the performance, I instantly felt chills go down my spine because it was the last song I was expecting The Roots to cover, and they truly did it justice. After the set ended, I heard someone in the audience tell their friend, “that might have been the greatest thing I’ve ever seen”, and I smiled to myself because it reinforced the fact that this is what a hip-hop show should look like.
1. Jhené Aiko
After a canceled tour in 2020 (for obvious reasons) and not performing her songs live in over 2 years, Jhené Aiko made her grand return to the big stage at Smokin Grooves. The performance exceeded all my expectations, which were already through the roof. Her opening song choice, “Stay Ready”, was an appropriate one, almost as a means of letting everyone know that they were about to behold something special. As Jhené ran through more fan favorites including “Spotless Mind”, “The Worst”, and “Sativa”, her dulcet voice enveloped the crowd with a calming aura. She stopped her performance mid-song at one point to call a medic for someone who had passed out in the audience and periodically checked in with fans to make sure that everyone was alright. Jhené’s live band was just as responsible for the immaculate vibes of the performance. Gracie Sprout (harp), Bubby Lewis (bass), and Julian-Quán Viêt Lê (piano) all collectively elevated her angelic vocals through their involvement. By the end, Jhené had metaphorically lifted me up, transported me into another dimension, and brought me back down to earth in what felt like the fastest 30 minutes ever. Her set wasn’t just a show – it felt like a meditative experience, and I’m very glad I was able to witness it.
This was not only Airbit’s first time covering Smokin Grooves, but also my first time attending the festival, and it’s safe to say that it won’t be my last. Check out the gallery below to see some more of my photos from the day.
All images have been taken by myself on behalf of Airbit and are subject to copyright.
