Michael Eugene Archer, better known by his stage name D'Angelo, is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He first garnered attention after co-producing the single "U Will Know" for R&B supergroup Black Men United. His debut studio album, Brown Sugar (1995), was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA); and received widespread acclaim from music critics, who have credited the album for ushering in the neo soul movement. Its third single "Lady", reached the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100.
Erica Abi Wright, known professionally as Erykah Badu, is an American singer and songwriter. Influenced by R&B, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the late 1990s when her debut album Baduizm (1997), placed her at the forefront of the neo soul movement, earning her the nickname "Queen of Neo Soul" by music critics.
Neo soul is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from soul and contemporary R&B. Heavily based in soul music, neo soul is distinguished by a less conventional sound than its contemporary R&B counterpart, with incorporated elements ranging from funk, jazz fusion, hip hop, and African music to pop, rock, and electronic music. It has been noted by music writers for its traditional R&B influences, conscious-driven lyrics, and strong female presence.
A rock festival is an open-air rock concert featuring many different performers, typically spread over two or three days and having a campsite and other amenities and forms of entertainment provided at the venue. Some festivals are singular events, while others recur annually in the same location. Occasionally, a festival will focus on a particular genre, but many attempt to bring together a diverse lineup to showcase a broad array of popular music trends.
Jill Heather Scott is an American singer, songwriter, model, poet, and actress. Her 2000 debut album, Who Is Jill Scott?: Words and Sounds Vol. 1, went platinum and the follow-ups Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2 (2004) and The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3 (2007) both achieved gold status.
Raphael Saadiq is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He rose to fame as a member of the multiplatinum group Tony! Toni! Toné! In addition to his solo and group career, he has also produced songs for such artists as Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé, Total, Joss Stone, D'Angelo, TLC, En Vogue, Kelis, Mary J. Blige, Ledisi, Whitney Houston, Solange Knowles and John Legend. Music critic Robert Christgau has called Saadiq the "preeminent R&B artist of the '90s".
Merriweather Post Pavilion is an outdoor concert venue located within Symphony Woods, a 40-acre (160,000 m2) lot of preserved land in the heart of the planned community of Columbia, Maryland. In 2010, Merriweather was named the second best amphitheater in the United States by Billboard magazine. The venue was also ranked as the fourth best amphitheater in the United States by Rolling Stone in 2013. It was again ranked by Consequence of Sound at number 29 of all music venues in the nation out of 100 in 2016.
Floetry were an English R&B duo comprising Marsha Ambrosius and Natalie Stewart. The group recorded two studio albums, one live album, and sold over 1,500,000 records worldwide. Formed in 1997, Floetry started on the performance poetry stage. They have worked with many US musicians and artists including: Jill Scott, Queen Latifah, Michael Jackson, Common, The Roots, Bilal, and more founders of Neo-Soul.
The Pavilion at Star Lake, originally Coca-Cola Star Lake Amphitheater, is an outdoor amphitheater near Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, United States, 25 miles (40 km) west of Pittsburgh. The venue holds approximately 23,000 fans: 7,100 in a reserved-seating, open-air pavilion and an additional 16,000 on a general-admission lawn. It is owned and operated by Live Nation.
Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach, formerly known as GTE Virginia Beach Amphitheater, is a 20,000-seat outdoor concert venue, located in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
The Essence Festival, known as "the party with a purpose", is an annual music festival which started in 1995 as a one-time event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Essence, a magazine aimed primarily towards African-American women. It became the largest African-American culture and music event in the United States. Locally referred to as the Essence Fest, it has been held in New Orleans, Louisiana, since 1995 except in 2006, when it was held in Houston, Texas, due to Hurricane Katrina's effect on New Orleans and 2020 when it was cancelled. A spinoff iteration of the festival was also held in Durban, South Africa, in November 2016. The festival features artists simultaneously performing on a main stage as well as four standing-room only superlounge stages.
The Soul to Soul Tour was a concert tour through North America, Europe and Australasia, undertaken by American blues rock band Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble from 1985 through 1986. At the beginning of the tour, the band had finished recording their album Soul to Soul. Their commercial and critical acclaim had been demonstrated during the Couldn't Stand the Weather Tour in 1984, when they had played before a sold-out audience at Carnegie Hall. Longing for opportunities to expand the group's lineup, Vaughan and Double Trouble hired keyboardist Reese Wynans during the Soul to Soul recording sessions in Dallas, Texas. Throughout the tour, the band's success was confirmed as their performances consistently amazed and gratified their audiences.
The Real Thing Tour is the fifth concert tour by American recording artist, Jill Scott. Visiting North America and Europe, the tour promoted the singer's third studio album, The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3. The trek yielded the singer's first concert special for TV One entitled, Jill Scott: The Real Thing Tour . The tour featured singers Raheem DeVaughn and Bilal as opening acts.
The Sugar Water Festival was a music festival founded by American recording artists Erykah Badu, Queen Latifah and Jill Scott. The trek played to amphitheaters and arenas in the United States during the summer of 2005 and 2006. It began in 2005 as an event to bring awareness to health issues to African-American women. British duo Floetry opened shows during the 2005 run. The festival was relaunched briefly in 2006 with Kelis opening the show and comedian Mo'Nique hosting the festival. 2006 was the final year for the outing. The festival had plans to expand into Europe and Asia, however, this did not come to fruition.
Summer Block Party is a music concert tour by American R&B/soul artist, Jill Scott. Primarily visiting the United States, the tour supported her fourth studio album, The Light of the Sun. The tour was hosted by Doug E. Fresh and featured sets by DJ Jazzy Jeff, giving the tour the "block party" vibe. With 18 shows in 2011, the tour was extended with additional dates for a one-month run in June 2012.
The Voodoo World Tour was a concert tour by American R&B/neo soul singer D'Angelo in support of his Platinum selling album, Voodoo. The tour started March 1, with the first of five nights in Los Angeles, CA at the House of Blues. The singer's itinerary included two North American Legs, as well as dates throughout Europe and South America.
Małgorzata Babiarz, professionally known as Megitza, is a Polish singer, double bass player, and composer. She combines Polish and Eastern European folk music, Romani music and gypsy jazz with world music, Latin music, pop, worldbeat, Americana and reggae.
Somerset Amphitheater is the largest outdoor amphitheater and camping venue in the Twin Cities (Minnesota) and Western Wisconsin area. Located across the St. Croix River, the venue consists of 200 acres of land.
The London Sessions Tour is the eighth headlining concert tour by American recording artist, Mary J. Blige. The tour supports Blige's twelfth studio album, The London Sessions. Beginning June 2016, the tour started in Europe playing various music festivals. During the fall of 2015, Blige briefly performed in the United States.
The Book of Souls World Tour was a concert tour by Iron Maiden, held in support of their sixteenth studio album, The Book of Souls. During the first leg of the tour the band played shows in 36 countries across six continents, which included their debut performances in El Salvador, Lithuania and China. With 117 shows, it was the longest tour with Bruce Dickinson on vocals since the "Somewhere on Tour" in 1986–87. The group, their crew and equipment were transported on a customized Boeing 747-400, nicknamed "Ed Force One", which was piloted by vocalist Bruce Dickinson. The success of the tour led to the live album / video The Book of Souls: Live Chapter, released in 2017.
