That phrase, which fluttered across social media like shawls in the breeze, was a mantra shouted by frustrated concertgoers on Day One of this year’s Roots Picnic. What’s typically a whirling celebration of Black culture, Hip-Hop excellence, and pride in Philadelphia felt on Thursday more like a survival course than a music retreat.
With a single ticket stapled onto my G.A. wristband, which was given to me at the last minute, I sauntered up to the Mann with a sense of skepticism. But that excitement dissipated quickly, much like the patience of thousands of people standing in epic lines. I, for one, stood from noon till 4:35 p.m., rain jacket donned, heart sinking. All around me, VIP ticket holders who had paid earnest money had the same expression or even a look of being more devastated. “We paid what for this?” one whispered.
Check out this Articles.
Weather apps all over town, from here to Timbuktu, had been blaring about the storm for days. But organizers appeared to have gambled on luck rather than preparedness. The result is Slippery hills, a soggy lawn, with no real sense of how or if to get out safely once the sky broke open.
We walked for nearly an hour, hunting for an exit after we finally decided to cut our losses after one set. We sought help from police officers, who looked as lost as we felt. There were no maps, signs, or staff in sight. Just puddles, anger, and a whole lot of “Where the hell do we go?”
The Fyre Festival comparisons may seem harsh, but when safety starts to feel like a guessing game, and thousands of paying fans are left without answers or shelter, it’s difficult not to draw comparisons.
And credit to Questlove, he went on Instagram about it, and what you get in his post is a candidness that perhaps few artists of his or anyone else’s stature would ever dare to attempt. “I know today wasn’t ideal,” he wrote. “We almost canceled The Picnic because it wasn’t safe.” The candor felt bracing, even consoling, but the damage and soggy shoes had already taken hold for many.
Day Two, thank god, was another story. Clear skies check, smooth entrance check, and an electric performance by Lenny Kravitz and a surprise Clipse reunion! It helped soothe the sting. “Sunday was 1000% better,” wrote one fan. But the difference between the 2 days was so extreme if you’ll excuse the pun, that it was like whiplash.
The Roots Picnic still represents something resonant for this city. And yeah, even after the mess, I’ll likely be back. But in the future, fans, especially the ones who arrived early, paid top dollar, and stood knee-deep in the mud, deserve more than a rain-soaked apology.
0 Comments