Organizers of the inaugural “Music at the Intersection” festival recently announced the artist lineup and ticket packages for the event, which is set to take place Sept. 10-12 in the Grand Center Arts District in St. Louis. The event will feature six stages and 60+ acts including Lalah Hathaway, Gregory Porter and Roy Ayers.
More details from Music at the Intersection (www.MusicattheIntersection.org ):
Lalah Hathaway, Gregory Porter and Roy Ayers will headline Music at the Intersection, the inaugural three-day music festival taking place in St. Louis September 10-12. The R&B, jazz and soul legends are among more than 60 national, regional and local acts scheduled to perform across six stages throughout Grand Center Arts District. Tickets go on sale at MetroTix on Tuesday, May 18, at 10 a.m., and packages range from $160 for all-weekend access to $55-$70 for a day-pass (day-pass sales begin Tuesday, May 25). VIP options are also available.
Music at the Intersection is a civic-led effort presented by Kranzberg Arts Foundation and Steward Family Foundation. Originally planned for fall 2020 as part of a larger St. Louis Music Initiative, the festival – like most live music in St. Louis and across the world – was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, after a difficult year for musicians, event staff, technical directors and stagehands, Music at the Intersection – and its partner venues – is bringing the St. Louis music industry back to work.
“Our local music economy has taken a hard hit this past year, and it’s time to start healing,” said Chris Hansen, executive director of Kranzberg Arts Foundation. “We’re excited to have venues re-opening, our arts community reuniting and fans able to safely enjoy live music again. Our current mantra is ‘mask up and get down.’ With health and safety top of mind, we’re moving forward with a truly unique celebration of St. Louis musical heritage that we hope will have a long term economic impact for the region and its arts community.”
Music at the Intersection will take place at six venues throughout the Grand Center Arts District, including the Fabulous Fox Theatre, The Big Top, The Sheldon Concert Hall, The Grandel Theatre, Jazz St. Louis and the Open Air tent.
Artist Lineup:
With a special focus on “St. Louis Made,” the festival features national acts with ties to the St. Louis area. Sunday’s headliner, five-time Grammy winner Lalah Hathaway, is the daughter of soul singer Donny Hathaway, who was raised in North City’s Carr Square neighborhood. Trumpeter Keyon Harrold is from Ferguson; jazz duo The Baylor Project is from East St. Louis; and R&B rocker Nikki Hill, and her bandmate husband Matt, moved to St. Louis to launch their music careers. Gregory Porter’s rhythm section is from – and still live in – the St. Louis area.
Other artists hail from sister cities down the Mississippi, from which St. Louis draws music and cultural style. British-born funk and R&B musician Jon Cleary calls New Orleans home. Soul jazz band Don Bryant featuring The Bo-Keys were crafted by the sound of Memphis’ iconic Stax Records.
Several national acts are tied to St. Louis by musical genre. St. Louis birthed not just prolific artists but genre-bending artists – like Chuck Berry’s rock and roll or Mile Davis’ jazz – whose influence is still felt in music today. Musicians like Roy Ayers, Booker T. Jones, Lee Fields & The Expressions and The Soul Rebels ft. GZA embody St. Louis’ style of music, making the festival lineup deeply representative of the city’s musical heritage rhythmically, as well as geographically.
“This festival is meant to tell the story of St. Louis’ imprint on the American songbook, the relationship we have with our sister cities and the genres that have been birthed and fostered here” said Hansen. “If you love this form of music, you’ll get it. This lineup is deeply representative of St. Louis’ heritage and musical future. For those who don’t go deep on these genres, we hope Music at the Intersection can serve as an immersive education on St. Louis’ incredible musical roots and impact on our culture.”
Music at the Intersection also features more than 40 local artists – across blues, jazz, soul, R&B, hip hop and rock and roll. Each act was selected by a body of their peers. An independent programming committee made of community artists, venues and promoters crafted the local lineup.
The full artists lineup is as follows:
Friday, Sept 10 (6 p.m. – 1 a.m.) will feature Roy Ayers, Lee Fields & The Expressions, Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, Ikebe Shakedown, Mike Zito, Tonina, The Mighty Pines, Brothers Lazaroff, Naked Rock Fight, Beth Bombara, Dave Grelle’s Playadors, Ben Wheeler, Brother Francis & The Soultones and Heartcave.
Saturday, Sept 11 (12 p.m. – 1 a.m.) will feature Gregory Porter, Keyon Harrold, The Soul Rebels ft. GZA, Bettye LaVette, DāM-FunK, The Baylor Project, iLLPHONiCS, Blvck Spvde, Midwest Avengers, Kenny DeShields, Sample Kulture, Mark Harris II, Katarra, Be.Be & The Neosouls, 18andCounting and TheOnlyEnsemble, Brock Seals, Janet Evra, Ryan Marquez, Scooter Brown, Kaleb Kirby, Brady Lewis and Parisian.
Sunday, Sept 12 (12 p.m. – 11 p.m.) will feature Lalah Hathaway, Booker T. Jones, Don Bryant featuring The Bo-Keys, Nikki Hill, Marquise Knox, Funky Butt Brass Band, Huntertones, Denise Thimes, Selwyn Birchwood, Anita Jackson, John Henry, One Way Traffic, Clark Terry Centennial Project, Cara Louise Band, Hillary Fitz Band, Jr. Clooney, The Scandaleros, Roland Johnson, Western States, We Are Root Mod, LoopRat and Syna So Pro.
Ticket Packages:
Tickets are offered as all-weekend or single-day passes. Limited VIP tickets are available and include premium seating at The Fabulous Fox, parking and VIP bar service.
The all-weekend, three-day pass is $160 ($300 VIP). The Friday day-pass is $55 ($90 VIP). Saturday or Sunday day-passes are $70 ($120 VIP). All-weekend passes go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, May 18 at 10 a.m. Single-day passes go on sale to the general public the following week, on Tuesday May 25 at 10 a.m.
All tickets can be purchased 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 Thursday, May 13 at 10 a.m. For more information visit www.MusicattheIntersection.org.
All guests are required to follow Music at the Intersection, Kranzberg Arts Foundation and participating venue COVID-19 mitigations policies. Current policies (which may continue to evolve in the lead-up to September) are available at: https://www.kranzbergartsfoundation.org/covid-19/open-air-mitigation-policies/
Music at the Intersection is sponsored by Kranzberg Arts Foundation, Steward Family Foundation, World Wide Technology, Nine PBS, Edward Jones, DDI Media, Fabulous Fox Theatre, Jazz St. Louis, KDHX, MetroTix, St. Louis Magazine, STLMade, The Big Top, The Grandel, The Sheldon, Tunespeak, TOKY and WSIE.
