Night-and-day … the different scene at the the 2019 Fortress Festival, Day 2 with headliner Leon Bridges. I walked away from the show thinking of one word — LOVE.
That man is an entertainer! And seldom have I seen a guy who so loves being on stage and loves the audience and loves performing and loves creating beauty — in the form of blues, rhythm & blues and a touch of gospel.
Nothing but positive vibes at the final performance of Fort Worth’s best music festival. This, contrasting somewhat with the mood of malcontent/race/battle lines being drawn by a performance witnessed on the previous day on the Fort Worth stage.
No talk of race or separation for the LB Show. Music, as intended, to bring us together.
Leon … “My man!” … “Funky Town’s” man! Everyone’s man.
Leon Bridges Wearing Dickies
Fort Worth’s finest son and best brand ambassado(. Enter any coffee shop in the country and you will hear Leon’s hit, (Take Me To The) “River,” or maybe “Coming Home” … or maybe both, if you are lucky.
Fort Worth heard a pumped up live version of “Coming Home” as Leon traded in his Fort Worth baseball jersey from earlier in the day, to dance and swoon around a blue-lit stage, wearing a working man’s (Fort Worth’s Dickies Brand apparel, no less) suit of subtle brown plaid, slacks and jacket, topped off with a camouflaged fishermen’s bucket hat.
Politely, Bridges asked the “817 crowd” if he could add a little blues to the mix, and the crowd threw up more love.
Fortressites showed the kind of love befitting a young man who was a Grammy nominee for Best Rhythm & Blues album of the year, with his rookie release in 2016.
Me? One of the many photographers sardined into the photo pit for the first three songs. Amazing how quickly those songs flew by, and even more incredible how many shots I could fire off with the Nikon — only to capture a few good ones. I digress …
But … loving every minute of such a musical music event … the things that music festivals should exude … soul, harmony, guitar solos and funky bass from the support group on stage … catchy, meaningful, soulful and positive lyrics.
Overheard in the pit: an explanation of how Leon achieved the raw, bluesy, stripped-down textures and tones on his debut recording, “Coming Home.” The anonymous source (D Magazine photographer) shared with the group that Leon and his producers used only vintage equipment dating back to 1965 or prior. Pretty cool … (A bluesier approach to a similar raw sound found in the work of The Black Keys …)
Motown, and Staxx Records and Spotify — for that matter — would’ve been proud of Leon and this show.
Know what I sayin?
