Another Successful Year for Music at The Intersection
–by Randy Thompson
Music At The Intersection, (MATI), is an annual entertainment institution in St Louis, and this year’s version at the Grand Center Arts District solidified that notion.
It has grown from literally meeting at an intersection to one that encompasses several intersections along Washington Avenue. MATI is an Art Center that is also host to Fringe Fest every year, and the Big Top Circus Tent, is a center point that is hard to miss.
This event presents a community inside of a community. There are beautiful paintings and murals everywhere on the walls in this neighborhood. It is a community built out of a love for music and art. It is composed of people of all races and varied musical interests, brought together by the beauty of art and music. There are local vendors who brought beautiful creations, whether it be colorful African style dresses, incredible handcrafted jewelry, paintings, or handcrafted food items. Something new this year at the festival were comfortable seating areas scattered along the street with padded couches and tiki torches for people to sit and relax, talk together, and feel as though they are part of one incredible mini community.
There were several businesses that had their doors open to welcome visitors inside for a chance to get out of the heat and sit, relax, and have a drink or a meal. Those businesses included Sophie’s Artist Lounge, Jazz St. Louis, The Hi-Lo and Urban Chestnut Brewery which were integrated into the event and became an important part of this well-oiled machine. Strolling the event was quite easy and it became a social event where we met many people with different interests, and it was easy to get around. Instead of paper maps that might end up as trash, it was simple to access information either electronically or by asking around to find what you were looking for. Several of the businesses hosted events inside such as a band, a DJ, or a poetry reading.
We traveled from one end of the festival to the other several times. There were vendor booths that exuded a deep interest and caring for the community at large. These are organizations that want to add to the quality and enjoyment of life in St Louis.
We stopped and chatted with many of the volunteers, and people who make up the heartbeat of this town. There were those who represented the Big Brothers organization which helps provide mentors to children who need them the most. WSIE radio in Metro – East which is a University-based multi-ethnic non-profit music station. We even met Eazy E and received a free Blues CD. We spoke with folks from Roots Radio who share a love of obscure music, and give you a break from the classic rock, spoon fed musical menus that are on many stations. The gang at the stand for PBS were busy passing out pins, stickers and important information. It was an easy going, strolling event surrounded by music.
Oh yes! The music. Now that we have given you an idea of the wonderful ambience at this event, it is time to discuss the most important part of the festival, the singular thing that brought everybody together in the first place, the music.
The music is representative of many cultures and musical genres, including the blues, jazz, R&B, hip hop, and some rock and roll. With three large staging areas at various points within the festival, there was always music playing from the over 100 bands that performed over the course of 3 days. We definitely could not see all the bands because it is physically impossible. But to give you a little idea of the layout of the festival and where the music was being presented we’ll share a little bit of our experiences from each area.
On Sunday afternoon at Strauss Park the music started for us. We were treated to the Gospel Park Jam with Harris Stowe State University Choir. This was an outstanding presentation full of energy, love and beautiful gospel music. It was electric with the audience singing and clapping along. It definitely started off our musical experience on a very positive note.
At the Field Stage we saw Eldraco + Free Love, a prominent band in the local music scene. They are an extremely talented, energy packed, musical juggernaut that presented an incredible array of sounds from the stage. The lead singer Eldraco, is a force to be reckoned with. All of the musicians on stage are equally talented in their own way, with horns, back up singers, lots of percussion, and excellent guitars. They were pounding out heavy beats and threw us all kinds of music from R&B, to funk, to a lot of soul. They were one of our favorites of the day. Later that evening at the Field Stage, thousands of people packed the area to see Patti LaBelle bring her special magic to MATI on Sunday night. She delivered exactly what everyone was wanting to hear. Patty was in full voice, a little stymied by the heat, but definitely ready to roar and work her special magic. The fans loved every minute of her mighty performance.
There were also performances at The Sovereign, a new music venue opened in a historic building in Grand Center. We went to hear Matt ‘Rattlesnake’ Lesh and his band. They ‘rattled the windows’ with some deep down southern blues. The band was tight and focused. There were a few sound problems initially and it was difficult to hear Matt when he was talking to the crowd, but eventually all that got worked out, and they presented their show flawlessly. The Sovereign seems like a really nice event space and we look forward to seeing more shows there in the future.
Next up was a musical interlude with Matthew Henry and Agbara performing at Jazz St Louis. This was a welcome stop in our day, a relaxed, comfortable space with great acoustics and an incredible band. Every musician on stage was incredibly talented. There were lots of horns, bongos, excellent acoustics, and one of the best piano players I have seen live in a long time. We will be back for a meal and drinks so that we can experience more of this jazz club in the future.
Finally, at the Big Top Stage we saw the Delvon Lemarr Organ Trio, an amazing band that plays their own “soul jazz” style. It was a tight combo of organ, drums and guitar and a few brave souls were up and dancing to the rhythm. Later on in the evening, the incredible Branford Marsalis and his band were also under The Big Top. Theirs was a straight up jazz set. Marsalis’s horn was blazing and the piano was almost bouncing on the stage. Both of these acts are incredibly professional, and offer up intense musical experiences. The Big Top seems to be a great venue for this type of event. There were no bad seats in the house and the sound was good in the building, and there was a sweet breeze coming through by evening.
As we left the venue, we stopped off for some cold drinks at the Narwhals stand and picked up some amazing food at one of the outstanding food trucks that lined the path between The Big Top and the Field Stage. As we were leaving MATI and the music lingered in the air, the smells of the food and the laughter of the people mingling around behind us, what was left was a solid reminder of what a great community can be. This event is full of hope, the sharing of music, and the joy of coming together. We look forward to coming back and being a part of it again. We certainly hope that you come and join us next year.