Then he signed off with an understated “River,” playing guitar as he shared the spotlight with his longtime backup singer Brittni Jessie, accompanied from the shadows by his keyboard player. The funk songs grooved with real authority, from the aptly titled “Steam” to the “Shaft” guitar of “Bad Bad News” and the seductive funk of “C-Side” from his collaboration with Khruangbin.Īt one point, Bridges asked his bassist: “Can you play something so funky so that they can smell it all way in the back?”Īfter bringing the set to an overheated climax with the upbeat funk of “You Don’t Know” and “Smooth Sailin’,” Bridges told the crowd: “I shared my heart on this stage with you guys.”
They even held their phones up, as requested, when he brought the tempo down again on “Sweeter.” He drew a massive crowd that didn’t seem to mind the sudden drift into more grown-up fare.
The neo-soul sensation set the tone for his main-stage performance with a deeply soulful “Shy” and wasn’t the slightest bit shy about bringing the set to a simmer on slow-burning ballads as beautifully sung as “Beyond,” which made the most of his falsetto, and “Brown Skin Girl.” No one brought more ballads to the mix than Leon Bridges. Musically, it's almost always worth the loss of feeling in your toes. It's not the first time staying for the final act has felt like punishment at M3F, just from a comfort standpoint. That was followed by "Weasel," a rocker that got funkier as it went it along.Īfter five minutes or so, it was nearly 11 p.m., and 57 degrees can feel like running naked down the road to hypothermia in Phoenix, so I left before the song was through. The epic funk jam gave way to a rootsy cover of the Lumineers song "Brightside" with Fairless on vocals and Moss on soaring lead guitar. And guitarist Brian Moss is a master of pulling out of a flurry of notes with a sweet sustained note and letting it sing.
Spafford's rhythm section is phenomenal with bassist Jordan Fairless somehow staying on top of the groove while improvising like a man possessed. It just kept building, like a Phish song, where you think "OK, that is definitely peak intensity" and then you realize they were bluffing. He just happened to be playing at the same time as the jam-rock pride of Prescott, Arizona - Spafford.īy the time I rolled up on their set, they were knee-deep in the funk of a jam that went on for another 12 minutes without seeming overly long. His animated dancing also added to the energy. Other songs featured video footage of Kaytranada acting like the charismatic goof he clearly is. He rolled scenes from the music video on "10%," and you would, too, if it was your song. Not when he could pack his set with tracks as undeniable as "Chances," "Oh No," the hypnotic "Look Easy" and the song that couldn't help but win Best Dance Recording at the Grammys, "10%." And his stage show wasn't nearly as elaborate.īut Kaytranada didn't need the bells and whistles. Unlike ZHU, who headlined Friday, Kaytranada didn't flesh out what he does with live musicians. Saturday: Kaytranada, Spafford close out M3Fįor the second time in two days, the headlining act on the main stage at M3F Fest was a DJ-producer. Phoenix local music picks: Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers, Paper Foxes and more 11:30 p.m. We'll be updating this blog all weekend long with photographs and highlights of the music festival in downtown Phoenix. We'll be updating this blog all weekend long with photographs and highlights of the music festival.Īnd if you haven't left yet for the festival, you really should consult our M3F survival guide with everything you need to know before you go. M3F has raised $3.2 million for charity since launching in 2004, including $1.1 million donated in the last two years alone.ĭon't miss out! 10 acts you can't afford to miss at M3F in 2022 set by the Higgs with much-anticipated sets to follow from EDM star Kaytranada, indie-rock from Parcels, soul from Cautious Clay and Leon Bridges, jam-rock from Arizona's own Spafford. The nonprofit festival formerly known as McDowell Mountain Music Festival got off to a crowd-pleasing start with great performances by Jungle, ZHU, Jai Wolf and Goth Babe, among other less-expected highlights - we're looking at you, Modern Eyes. View Gallery: M3F, formerly McDowell Mountain Music Festival, in downtown Phoenix