WONDERFRONT 2024

Written By: SALOME
Photos By: Salome

(@thehomelandobscurity)

Day 3. 

The final day of Wonderfront Festival weekend should have experienced a lull in atmosphere as weary guests returned yet again for more live music. It was not. Today San Diego’s Band of Gringos held sole responsibility for the robust dance arena that doubled as the Harbor Stage at only 2pm.  

Composed of Cody Sherman, Spence Noble, and Kasey Dring, the trio’s blend of alternative rock and psychedelia captured the hearts of San Diego locals at the 2019 Oktoberfest. Their discography consists of two live studio albums and an LP “B.o.G II” that would propel Band of Gringos (B.o.G) forward to win this year's San Diego Music Award for Best Rock Artist. 

Like moths to light, entering festival guests congregate around the Harbor Club Stage as B.o.G performed favorites “Don’t Let Me Go” and “Feel Today Tomorrow”. The overcast of the past few days had remained absent, which was helpful as this day offered yet another roster that had San Diego County fire marshals on standby. The rich warmth of Samm Henshaw’s baritone homogenized pleasantly with the spring as he took the Park Stage in the late afternoon. 

Raised a reverend's son in Peckham, South London, Iniabasi Samuel Henshaw captured the hearts of international fans first supporting the triple Brit Award winner James Bay’s tour in 2015, and then with singles ``Broke” and “How Does It Feel?” in 2018. Samm developed a reputation of consistently combining hip-hop, gospel, nostalgic pop, jazz, and blues elements into a luminous alloy that magnetized the attention of listeners everywhere. Collaborations with EarthGang and Smoko Ono brought him new fans as he continued to impress with singles ``Church” and “Pull Up”. 

By 2022 Samm had toured with the likes of Tory Kelly, and Chance The Rapper, and worked with Pharell Williams before releasing his own LP “Untidy Soul '' under the record label Dorm Seven. He performed tracks from this album along with newer singles, before appeasing fans with “Church” and “Broke”. The sounds of Samm’s bandstand grandiose party rang across the festival grounds as the sun climbed higher above it. 

Shortly after 4pm PST, Black Thought (Tariq Trotter), Questlove (Ahmir Thompson), Captain Kirk Douglas, James Poyser, Ian Hendrickson-Smith, Dave Guy, Kamal Gray, Stro Elliot, Jeremy Ellis, Mark Kelley, and Ray Angry take their spots on the Marina Stage.

Questlove and Black Thought founded the first draft of The Roots in 1989 as teenagers. Initially known as “The Square Roots”, the group dropped ‘square’ from their title and relocated from Philadelphia to London in pursuit of a wider audience. Here, The Roots would experience a swift ascension toward legend status as they caught the attention of the Universal Music Group in 1993. The Roots signed a contract and released the LP “Do You Want More?!!!??!” shortly after. 

Their influence across the diaspora of rap, jazz, alternative, and rock music fans alike been endorsed by the likes of Common, Erykah Badu, Sufjan Stevens, and Elvis Costello through collaborations such as “Act Too” from album “Things Fall Apart” and “I Want You”. Along with fourteen Grammy nominations and three wins, The Roots have become household names after regular television appearances on The Late-Night Show with Jimmy Fallon. 

Enchanted by the instrumental mastery of the band with the boom of Black Thought’s lyricism, the hour felt like moments and had fan’s pleading for an extended performance. To the right on the Ocean Stage, a red neon sign of looping cursive was being hung in anticipation of the next scheduled show. 

Marcus King – from Greenville, South Carolina hails from a family of musicians with notable achievements in blues and gospel music. His career began playing guitar with his father, blues musician Marvin King before a YouTube video of King singing at Norman’s Guitars in Canada, would go viral on YouTube in 2014. Now he is performing songs “Beautiful Stranger” and “It’s Too Late” from albums “El Dorado” released in 2021 and “Young Blood” released in 2022.  The rugged fluidity of his singing voice had fans swaying lazily in the grass. 

That evening there would be five more alums from Philadelphia. Mt. Joy was formed in 2016 by Matt Quinn, and Sam Cooper. The duo released “Astro Van” and “Sheep” with the help of bassist Michael Byrnes to massive streaming success. They recruited keyboardist Jackie Miclau, and Sotiris Eliopoulos joined the group on the drums. Together they would release a platinum certified album “Mt. Joy”, from which the song “Silver Lining” proceeded to occupy the #1 spot on Billboard’s Triple A chart in 2017. Tracks “Jenny Jenkins”, and the re-released “Sheep” journeyed toward their own top 10 positions on the Triple A chart.  Mt. Joy has since signed with Dualtone Records and has shared stages with The Lumineers, The Head And The Heart, The Shins, and others.

Now they captivate Seaport Village as boats slow their pace along the harbor to relish the rasp of Matt Quinn’s deep baritone against the glossy acoustics. They end their set with dance friendly favorites “Orange Blood”, and “Strangers”. Beyond the shore the wave of bodies redirects itself around the lawn as Beck takes one stage and Natasha Bedingfield takes the other.

Beck’s booming vocals projected brain bending psychedelic imagery from the Marina Stage while on the Park Stage, Natasha Bedingfeld is enchanting crowds in a stunning green and fuchsia pink outfit. The crowd, boisterous and denser than ever, became an off-key choir to Natasha’s conducting. 

Originally from West Sussex, Natasha Bedingfield studied at University of Greenwich after growing up in Auckland, New Zealand. She left after a year to debut her musical production skills for the Hillsong Church franchise in the early 2000’s. She attracted the interest of Phonogenic Records in 2003 and released her first LP “Unwritten” the next year. 

An electrifying power-pop album, “Unwritten” debuted at number one on the UK albums chart. The song “Unwritten” won a New Music Award for Single of The Year and gained Natasha her first Grammy nomination. Her second album “Pocketful Of Sunshine” (the North American derived release of her LP titled “N.B.”) would earn her a second Grammy nomination, as she performed songs at major events like Wembley Stadium’s Concert For Diana, and The American Music Awards. 

Natasha Bedingfield’s lyrics articulate themes of female empowerment and personal growth, which was digested heavily by young women everywhere across all age groups. Alongside winning a 2005 TMF award for Best International New Artist, she was also nominated for Best Female Breakout Artist in the Teen Choice Awards, and song “Unwritten” was nominated in the Radio Disney Music Awards as “Best Song To Get Ready For School” in 2006. 

In the nearly two decades since then, Natasha has continued to inspire the youth through on-screen appearances in shows Degrassi: The Next Generation, True Jackson, VP, The Naked Brothers Band, and worked on the soundtracks for Lipstick Jungle, and Tangled: The Series. Natasha’s appeal across generations was evident as the 2024 Park Stage lawn held a diaspora of ages that were all screaming her lyrics word for word. 

She invited a fraction of the crowd present to close the night onstage with her singing “Unwritten”. Beach balls were flung to the moon and voices went hoarse as fans gave this Y2K anthem everything, they had left from the three-day marathon of live music events. 

Wonderfront Festival is expected to return next year to San Diego’s Seaport Village and if this review stirred up any feelings of regret for missing out, try not to avoid this by grabbing a pass when they go up for sale next winter.