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ICECUBES: Backstage at the Roots Picnic
For four years, The Roots have turned the Festival Pier's stages at Penn's Landing into a picnic/concert worthy of attending, lineup unseen.
ICECUBES: Backstage at the Roots Picnic
For four years, The Roots have turned the Festival Pier’s stages at Penn’s Landing into a picnic/concert worthy of attending, lineup unseen. That’s something. You hear that The Roots are bringing their guests to the side stage or the main stage and you don’t have to consider whether or not it’s Nas, Public Enemy, Wu Tang Clan, Esperanza Spalding, TV on the Radio, whoever. You just go. But one thing that few (if any) report is the what-what regarding the inner sanctum of the Picnic’s backstage, a city unto itself where celebs like Zoe Kravitz and Bam Margera dodge basketballs (yes, I got hit in the head with one) and MCs from the smaller tent talk up their set and do interviews with Toure (all sorts of Flip camera crews were in the house). If you weren’t running into Philly music fellaheen King Britt, Aaron Levinson, Beanie Sigel and Freeway (the latter two attached at the hip) or bumping head first into Wiz Khalifa (get off my foot, Wiz) you were finding out some primo info about comings and goings within (and without) the Roots camp. Like the fact that David Grasso’s Beach and Cumberland Street House of Blues blueprint plans are nearly ready and the look of the mega-live-music club is akin to “Johnny Brenda’s and World Café Live only bigger and suited for 3,000-plus people” according to one Live Nation rep. Then there’s the flyer-ready info on the remainder of The Roots’ Fourth of July Jam 2011 plans where starting July 3, participating venues such as Legendary Dobbs, Johnny Brenda’s, TLA and Voyeur will host Roots-related DJ events with Work Dogs, Firm Tactics, Kuf Knotz and, at Voyeur, the DJ combo of Jazzy Jeff and ?uestlove along with Diplo and Spinna. The backstage is a ritual I’ve loved reliving year after year. In 2012, though, I’m wearing a helmet. Those basketballs smart when they land.
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