Sol Blume music festival returns to Discovery Park in Sacramento this weekend with Oakland icon Kehlani as a headliner.
The annual R&B, soul and hip-hop festival, which originally was scheduled to take place in April, was postponed due to severe weather that led to the flooding of festival grounds.
The lineup for the fourth iteration boasts some of today’s most acclaimed musicians, including several Bay Area artists (mostly appearing on Sunday), making a weekend trip to Sacramento extra special for R&B music fans from the Bay.
Kehlani
Few artists represent Oakland and the Bay Area in the way that Kehlani has been since they came on the scene. Kehlani was born and raised in 510, attending Oakland School for the Arts as a teenager. Since those days, the singer went on to score platinum records and Grammy and BET Award nominations. Last fall, the star wrapped up the North American leg of their tour with a triumphant sold-out show at the Oakland Arena. Earlier this year, they returned to Oakland’s Fox Theater for an intimate homecoming show, where family and friends were in the audience. In case you missed those concerts or want to relive the experience, watching Kehlani perform at Sol Blume on Sunday might be your best bet to witness this Bay Area legend in the making.
Thuy
Born in Stockton and raised in Newark in the East Bay, Thuy became a true local icon when her song “Hands on Me” won a Bay Area radio station music contest in 2015. Since then, the singer has found success in broader R&B and pop music circles. Earlier this year, she released the deluxe version of her extended play “girls like me don’t cry” and supported fellow Sol Blume performer Ella Mai on her tour, which sold out two dates in San Francisco and Oakland in May. She takes the stage Sunday.
Marc E. Bassy
Marc E. Bassy was raised all over the Bay Area, including in Richmond and Mill Valley, before attending the University of California in Santa Cruz. This San Francisco-born singer and songwriter received mainstream attention when he collaborated with Oakland-born rapper G-Eazy on “You & Me” in 2016, scoring an international hit single. He has also penned songs for other artists such as CeeLo Green, Sean Kingston, Wiz Khalifa and Ty Dolla Sign. Marc E. Bassy will perform at Discovery Park on Sunday.
LaRussell
Vallejo rapper LaRussell will perform Saturday. His independent collective, “Good Compenny,” is pioneering change within the industry by supporting independent artists without requiring them to give up ownership of their art and providing artists with resources and opportunities to execute their ideas. LaRussell allows people to pay what they want for shows, merch, music and all other commodities. His movement is not free, it’s priceless.
Christian Kuria
Born and raised in the Bay Area, Christian Kuria first made a splash as an R&B and hip-hop guitarist, which later led to Kuria composing and producing his own original tunes. He has collaborated with fellow Sol Blume performer Thuy and toured the United States alongside R&B sensation Cautious Clay. You can catch Kuria’s performance on Sunday.
Samaria
Rising Oakland R&B singer-songwriter Samaria cites Aaliyah, Destiny’s Child and Justin Timberlake among her muses. The 24-year-old artist combines the ever-popular lo-fi sound with live instrumentation and raw songwriting. She performs Sunday.
NOODLES
San Francisco-born and Hayward-raised DJ NOODLES, who has often toured and performed alongside headliner Kehlani since they met in 2014, will take the stage Sunday. Her authentic and positive energy is sure to captivate the audience.
Sol Blume opens at noon Aug. 19-20 in Discovery Park, Sacramento. Entry will be accessible only from 140-170 Jibboom St. Two-day general admission is $250 and VIP tickets cost $400, plus fees. For tickets, lineup and more details, visit https://solblume.com/.