Instead, I found myself apologizing for hours.<\/p>\n
What Went Wrong at Roots Picnic 2025?<\/p>\n
Where do I begin?<\/p>\n
Try a four-hour wait in the VIP line. Meanwhile, my staff with general admission tickets got in within an hour. Once we finally approached the front, we were crammed in like cattle\u2014people passing out, people crying, people helping strangers use the bathroom while shielded by the crowd. It was grotesque. <\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_2425.jpeg\")
TikTok screenshot from 2025 Root Picnic<\/p>\n
The gold section was no better\u2014just a glorified patch of general admission with mud pits and zero hospitality. We unwrapped our own chairs. We carried them ourselves up slick steps. No staff in sight. No dry seats. Just vibes? Hardly.<\/p>\n
As for food and drinks? I won\u2019t waste too many words. Let\u2019s just say the \u201coxtail pizza\u201d didn\u2019t see a single oxtail, and the drinks tasted like juice boxes spiked with half a shot. The whole setup screamed: \u201cGet through it.\u201d<\/p>\n
So we tried. We stayed for Tems, then left before Miguel and Maxwell. Nothing against the artists, but no performance is worth standing in the cold for hours just to be gouged for a $100 sweatshirt. And to find out Miguel and Maxwell were literally weathering the storm on social media confirmed our decision. So\u2026 that was Day One.<\/p>\n
Day Two: Slightly Better, Still Not Right<\/strong><\/p>\n We gave it another shot. Showed up later, hoping to salvage some joy. The line was smoother\u201420 minutes\u2014but the energy? Gone. Still, we used up our drink tickets and waited for our favorites. And when Total hit the stage, things finally lifted. People danced. They sang. Jagged Edge and Adam Blackstone brought the energy as well. <\/p>\n Then came Lenny Kravitz, my childhood rock god. I wanted to be there for him\u2014but even he knew the tech was trash. \u201cThank you, shit keeps breaking,\u201d he said mid-set. He powered through like a pro, but the disconnect from the crowd was loud. It was hard to see. Hard to feel. And hard not to compare it to the joy I experienced just a year ago.<\/p>\n So yeah, we left before Meek. I knew the city would turn up for him, and they did. But I couldn\u2019t fake the energy. By then I was mentally and physically drained. And I couldn\u2019t help but to continue to total what I had spent to get there, and all the other ways I could have spent that money. I\u2019m interested to see what they will do to recover next year. Because based on what I saw and heard from other Gold ticket attendees, it\u2019s a wrap.<\/p>\n And Then Came Wu-Tang<\/strong><\/p>\n Fast forward to Fort Worth: Wu-Tang at Dickies Arena.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the thing\u2014I thought it\u2019d be more low-key. An older crowd, a chill vibe. But from the moment I walked in, it was everything I needed Roots Picnic to be. Entry was fast. Bars were stocked. The show started on time\u2014lights down at 8:01, Run the Jewels opening with a tight 45-minute set.<\/p>\n Then Wu-Tang entered. And they did not disappoint.<\/p>\n Flawless execution. Deep cuts. Classic bars. And an understanding of the audience they were serving\u2014grown folks who came to feel something. The climate control didn\u2019t hurt either. It reminded me that live music doesn\u2019t have to be a test of endurance. It can be intentional, respectful, and still hit every note.<\/p>\n Erykah Badu Made It a Juneteenth to Remember<\/strong><\/p>\n And finally, there was Erykah Badu. South Dallas royalty. Sara Bellum, Badoula Oblongata, Fat Belly Bella and or Lowdown Loretta Brown.. depending on her mood.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve seen her every year for the last four years, and yeah, she often sings the same songs. But this time? It was different. There was something divine in the air.<\/p>\n Tye Harris opened with a tuxedo and a piano, giving Dallas, Texas its flowers through melody and memory. My favorite was his rendition of \u201cSouthside Da Realest\u201d by the legendary Big Tuck.<\/p>\n Then Erykah emerged\u2014draped in psychedelic style and sonic mysticism. She twisted every track. She bent time. \u201cApple Tree,\u201d \u201cDidn\u2019t Cha Know,\u201d \u201cTime\u2019s a Wastin\u2019\u201d\u2014all remixed through the lens of a woman who\u2019s mastered reinvention. She then debuted her latest single, \u201cEchos 19 (mix 122),\u201d live for the first time. Badu surprised her digital fans by premiering \u201cNext to You,\u201d a new collaboration with iconic producer The Alchemist, which dropped online during the show. <\/p>\n Closing the night with new music from her own label, Control FREAQ Records\u2014immortalized her status as one of Dallas\u2019 most sacred sounds.<\/p>\n They not like us\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n So Here\u2019s What I\u2019ve Learned\u2026<\/p>\n I\u2019m 41 years old. I\u2019ve earned the right to say what I like\u2014and what I don\u2019t.<\/p>\n And I did not like this year\u2019s Roots Picnic. Not just because I spent over $1,000 and still owe my friend a make-up dinner. But because it felt like the organizers forgot what this festival was supposed to be about. A celebration of West Philly. Of music. Of us.<\/p>\n One day of rain should never sink an entire event\u2014not when millions were made. Not when lives could\u2019ve been at stake. Not when we\u2019ve seen what happens when crowds get ignored. (Astroworld, anyone?)<\/p>\n So no\u2014The Roots won\u2019t see another one of my hard-earned dollars. I\u2019m interested to see what that section will look like next year. From social media of course. <\/p>\n But Wu-Tang? You got me.<\/p>\n And Erykah? You can call me anytime.<\/p>\n Happy Black Music Month everybody.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Let me start by saying this: I love music. I live for the sound of live instruments, lyricism,…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6614,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5135],"tags":[8020,5229,8021,8022,8023,1596,8024,8025,8026,425,8027,8028,8029,8030,50,8031,8032,358,8033,8034,3187,8035,67,586,132,5230,68,2969,8036],"class_list":{"0":"post-6613","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-dallas","8":"tag-adam-blackstone","9":"tag-america","10":"tag-black-media","11":"tag-black-news","12":"tag-black-press","13":"tag-dallas","14":"tag-dallas-weekly","15":"tag-erykah-badu","16":"tag-lenny-kravitz","17":"tag-local","18":"tag-maxwell","19":"tag-meek","20":"tag-meek-mill","21":"tag-miguel","22":"tag-news","23":"tag-roots-picnic","24":"tag-tems","25":"tag-texas","26":"tag-the-roots","27":"tag-total","28":"tag-tx","29":"tag-tye-harris","30":"tag-united-states","31":"tag-united-states-of-america","32":"tag-unitedstates","33":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","34":"tag-us","35":"tag-usa","36":"tag-wu-tang"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114729816322914692","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6613","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6613"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6613\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6614"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_2142.jpeg\")
WuT-Tang Final Tour concert June 12, 2025 at Dickes Arena in Fort Wroth.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_2149.jpeg\")
WuT-Tang Final Tour concert June 12, 2025 at Dickes Arena in Fort Wroth.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_2424.jpeg\")
Erykah Badu performs on Juneteenth 2025 at the Bomb Factory..<\/p>\n