September 9 and 10, Music at the Intersection festival returns to Grand Center Arts District, in the heart of St. Louis. More than 50 artists are scheduled to perform across four stages, including St. Louis rapper Smino, 2x Grammy winning hip-hop / jazz artist Thundercat, Jamaican-American singer and saxophonist Masego and 5x Grammy winning jazz fusion group Snarky Puppy. Continuing its tradition of booking foundational music royalty, the 3rd annual festival also features legendary jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, 3x Grammy winning blues guitarist Taj Mahal and St. Louis R&B singer-songwriter Angela Winbush.
For 2023, Music at the Intersection is also celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, putting a special emphasis on the influential genre’s four elements (DJing, MCing, B-Boy/B-Girling and graffiti art) and packing the weekend with performances from artists spanning the 1970s South Bronx to current day – including pioneer Grandmaster Flash (who perfected beat looping and discovered some of the most iconic beats still sampled today), Cameo (who combined hip-hop influence into their horn-oriented 70s funk sound, resulting in 80s Billboard hits like Word Up and Candy), Arrested Development (the first hip-hop artist to win a Grammy for Best New Artist in 1993) and Pharoahe Monch (one of underground hip-hop’s pre-eminent lyricists of the late 90s / 2000s, who will be performing alongside Ferguson’s Keyon Harrold). Additionally, in between acts at the Washington Ave Stage and Field Stage, attendees will experience a special audio-visual celebration curated by St Louis’ own DJ G. Wiz (who first concepted the hip-hop videomix in 1994).
As festival organizers say, “this lineup features hometown heroes, new trending sounds, a celebration of hip-hop, and absolute legends across R&B, jazz and blues. A ticket to Music at the Intersection delivers block-party vibes with top-tier talent in an environment primed for musical and artistic exploration.” Other amazing acts include Ravyn Lenae, Tank and the Bangas, Peter Martin ft. Dianne Reeves, Nate Smith ft. Jason Lindner and Tim Lefebvre, Phony Ppl, The Teskey Brothers, Andy Frasco & The U.N., Samantha Fish, The Bad Plus, Say She She, Marquise Knox Band ft. Funky Butt Horns and dozens more. The official schedule is out (so you can make your own!)
Central to Music at the Intersection’s outdoor festival footprint – a mix of urban streets and green spaces, stretching across Washington Avenue, just east of Grand Blvd – is The Walls off Washington, featuring 20+ thought-provoking murals by renowned local, national and international artists. Between musical acts, festival-goers (of all ages) can enjoy The Wall’s large-scale art while shopping local artisan vendors, experiencing live street art activations, enjoying skate and breakdancing demos and tasting the city’s favorite food trucks. Plan your shopping and noshing here.
