SUMMER’S HERE: At long last, the sluggish final days of spring, with their heavy, foggy gloom, have dissipated, and S.B. will parade its true colors through the street of State in joyous fashion. Should all solar events go as planned, this paper will hit that very street on the longest day of the year, meaning you will have more daylight than ever in 2018 to peruse the Independent in print.
The weekend festival in Alameda Park features some of our area’s most beloved acts, many of whom are also Fiesta frequenters. Friday and Saturday are stacked with solid cover bands — the Super Stoked Band, No Simple Highway, Soul Machine, and Area 51, plus KCSB-sponsored performances and surprise guests. On Sunday, Cornerstone, Sideways, One Two Tree, and Derinkuyu Band give the park a chilled-out reggae vibe and original tunes. State Street itself, of course, will be positively radiant with costumes and festivities.
RISE LIKE THE SUN: Summer itself kicks off in a dazzling way on Thursday, June 21, when Nattali Rize and Jah9 will rock SOhO Restaurant & Music Club (1221 State St.) with their revolution-spirited reggae and soul songs. Hailing from Australia, Rize is a globally acclaimed artist who sounds the rebellious call of her music’s roots with a thumping contemporary aesthetic and ethos, asking us to reach within and without as we shake and sway to booming, bass-y beats. Jah9, from Jamaica, meanwhile, offers wisdom and strength through powerfully thoughtful and melodically beautiful tunes such as “Unafraid” and “Humble Mi” — it’s deep, courageous poetry. Together, as consciousness raisers and groove makers both, the two are the real deal. The show starts at 9 p.m.