April 28-May 1, 2022 – West Palm Beach, FL
The SunFest Music Festival was founded in 1982, and is Florida’s largest waterfront music and art festival. On the evening of April 28th, the festival kicked off its 2022 edition, and to say it was amazing would be an understatement!
Located in downtown West Palm Beach, on Clematis Street, people turned out in droves for the annual tradition. Although I’m an avid concertgoer and music lover, this was my first SunFest, and it did not disappoint. There were numerous vendors on site, and SunFest had numerous huge sponsors like Ford, Bud Light, Bank of America, and White Claw, but I was there for the music!
Citizen Badger, an energetic band that’s style can best be described as funky folk, was the first to take the stage, and kick off an unforgettable weekend. The group, originally from West Palm Beach, Florida, was formed in 2017, and has a made a name for themselves throughout the Sunshine State. The group had great energy, and had a strong showing as the opening band.
Throughout evening and the rest of the weekend, I was fortunate enough to catch bits and pieces from almost every set, but taking photos, jotting down notes, and dashing from stage to stage, made it difficult to see everyone that was scheduled.
Andrew Morris Band was the next to perform, and they had quite a few people lined up ready to hear them. Originally from Jacksonville, Andrew Morris is known in Florida for his country music, and his group’s first full-length album, “A Long Time Comin’”, which was released in 2018. Morris was joined on stage with his band, and had a huge smile on his face for the duration of his set.
The rest of the evening featured performances by Colony House, Kidd G, Flipturn, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Goo Goo Dolls, and Sam Hunt.
Kidd G, who has over 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify electrified the crowd, and had festival goers on their feet. I had never heard of G before, but after hearing him perform a few songs, I was an instant fan. Originally from Hamilton, Georgia, Kidd first gained notoriety on Soundcloud and TikTok. He’s got great energy, good looks, and a lot of musical talent. He sets himself apart from other artists because of his unique mix of Hip Hop and Country. He played quite a few songs including, “Dirt Road”, which has over 5 million views on Youtube, and my favorite, “I Don’t Wanna.” After seeing him live, I’m predicting big things for this kid. He was great!
Being able to see Goo Goo Dolls, which is my favorite band of all time, was magical. Thousands of fans looked on as John Rzeznik, Robby Takac, and the rest of the band played all of their hits, including, “Slide”, “Black Balloon”, “Broadway”, “Name”, and “Iris.” Since hitting it big in the early 90’s, Goo Goo Dolls have been producing music and entertaining fans all around the world. The group has been nominated for 4 Grammy Awards, and has won numerous Billboard Music Awards, and Radio Music Awards. They have over 10 million monthly listeners on Spotify, have released 14 studio albums, have had 19 top ten singles, and have sold over 15 million records worldwide. This was the third time I’ve seen them live, and they were phenomenal. Even through the rain, they had fans on their feet signing along to every song.
Sam Hunt was the last artist to play on opening night, and he was great! Playing on the Ford Stage, thousands of fans waved their cell phones in the air and sang along to Hunt’s catchy country songs. He performed all of his hits including, “House Party”, “Break Up In A Small Town”, and “Body Like A Back Road.” He’s been nominated for 4 Grammy Awards, has already won an American Music Award, 2 Academy of Country Music Awards, a Taste of Country Music Award, a Teen Choice Award, and a CMT Music Award. Hunt has over 6 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and it’s easy to see why. He has great energy and seems genuinely appreciative for all of his fans.
Day two of SunFest started with Indigo Dreamers, a music duo formed by iTunes Music Festival winner Jamie Craig, and composer Pouya Pourtahmasbi. They had a great sound, and Craig’s vocals were spot on. They played some of their newer songs, and quite a few tracks from their 2017 album, “Lessons of Blue.”
Throughout the evening, SunFest fans were treated to performances from Joey Calderaio Band, Sko Gudino, Fancy Hagood, GaTa, The Main Squeeze, Polo G, Counting Crows, and Slightly Stoopid.
Standout performances for me were from Counting Crows and Slightly Stoopid. I honestly never thought I’d get the chance to see Counting Crows in concert, so I was thoroughly excited. The band was formed in 1991 in California, and I wasn’t even aware that they were still touring, since their last studio album was released in 2014, but I’m so glad they are. Lead singer, Adam Duritz was joined on stage with David Bryson, Charlie Gillingham, Dan Vickrey, David Immergluck, Jim Bogios, and Millard Powers. They had an amazing set that included all their iconic hits like, “Mr. Jones”, “Rain King”, “A Long December”, and “Color Blind.” The band has over 8 million monthly listeners on Spotify, has been nominated for Grammy Awards, has won an American Music Award for Favorite Alternative Artist, and a MTV Music Award. Seeing them live was amazing!
Slightly Stoopid finished off night two of SunFest, and they were awesome! I’ll admit, I wasn’t an avid follower of the group, but their performance really impressed me. Originally from San Diego, California, the group consists of Miles Doughty, Kyle McDonald, Ryan Moran, Oguer Ocon, DeLa, Paul Wolstencroft, and Andy Geib. They had great energy, and the crowd at SunFest absolutely loved them. They’ve been entertaining fans since 1994, have 9 studio albums under their belt, and have almost 2 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Slightly Stoopid was a great way to end the second day of SunFest!
Day 3 of SunFest, which also happened to be my birthday, was my favorite. Talk about a star-studded lineup! Saturday’s lineup included Bre Kennedy, Levi Hummon, De’Wayne, Brett Young, Melissa Etheridge, Chase Atlantic, Chris Pierce, Public Sounds, iDiaz, Rogue Theory, Justus Bennetts, Elena Rose, Selfish Sons, Adam Lambert, and Lil Wayne!
With so much talent packed into one day, it’s hard to pick out a favorite moment, but I’d say Adam Lambert and Lil Wayne stood out.
One of my bucket list performers to see has always been Adam Lambert, and he didn’t disappoint. Adorned with a sparkling outfit and makeup and hair that would make anyone jealous, Lambert appeared on the Ideal Nutrition Stage, and the crowd went ballistic. He performed all of his iconic songs including, “For Your Entertainment”, “Whataya Want From Me”, and “If I Had You.” He even gave a nod to his band Queen, with an awesome version of “Another One Bites The Dust!” Lambert was clearly happy to be performing, thanked the fans several times, and just as you would imagine, had amazing stage presence. He has almost 3 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and since 2009, has sold over 3 million albums and 5 million singles worldwide. I’ve always been a big fan of Adam Lambert, but after seeing him live, he proved why he’s been a heavy hitter in the music scene since the early 2000’s. In addition to being nominated for a Grammy and winning numerous other awards, Lambert’s won two GLAAD Media Awards, a Teen Choice Award, three O Music Awards, and a Young Hollywood Award! He put on a fantastic show, and definitely added some sparkle to the already stacked SunFest lineup!
Lil Wayne closed out the night with a blunt in his hand, and a smile on his face! Seeing him live was another check off my bucket list, and he put on a great show. Decked out in gold and silver bling and a white tracksuit, Wayne wasn’t shy about “lighting up” on stage. He performed all of his hits including, “Lollipop”, “A Milli”, “Got Money”, and “Mrs. Officer.” The Grammy Award-winning rapper has a whopping 27.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and has been entertaining fans all over the world since his debut solo album, “The Block Is Hot”, was released in 1999. He was in great spirits, thanked the audience for their support, and was the perfect choice to end another memorable day at SunFest!
Day 4, the final day of SunFest, was also packed with amazing entertainment. Ric Wilson, Spencer Sutherland, Steve Aoki, LANY, Crush Company, Topless In Tokyo, Matt Brown, Mihali, Alex Mali, BabyJake, Black Pumas, Boyz II Men, and AJR all put on memorable performances.
Steve Aoki was really fun to watch, especially when he threw a couple of his signature cakes into the crowd. His performance was packed with energy, and had the crowd dancing from start to finish.
LANY was another group I was really excited to see, and they didn’t disappoint. Lead singer, Paul Jason Klein, has such a unique, smooth sounding voice. My favorite song from the group, and their most successful single to date is, “ILYSB”, which was released in 2015. I was so happy I got to see them live. The group has released 4 studio albums and have quite a few singles being released later this year. They performed all of their hits including, “ILYSB”, “Super Far”, “Dancing In The Kitchen” “Mean It”, and the catchy, “Ex I Never Had.” They sounded fantastic!
Boyz II Men was another big highlight for me. This was my second time seeing them live, but the last time was in the early 2000’s. Dressed in all white, group members, Nathan Morris, Shawn Stockman, and Wanya Morris took the stage, and the crowd went crazy. These guys haven’t aged a bit, and they sounded great! The iconic boy band group has won 9 American Music Awards, 3 Billboard Music Awards, 4 Grammy Awards, and 7 Soul Train Music Awards! They treated fans in attendance to all of their massive hits including, “End Of The Road”, “I’ll Make Love To You”, “On Bended Knee”, “Water Runs Dry”, “Motownphilly”, and a few cover songs. At one point, each member even handed out roses to lucky females in the crowd. The group has over 4.6 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and it’s easy to see why. They’ve been entertaining crowds for over three decades, and don’t show any signs of slowing down anytime soon. Their hit songs have stood the test of time, and watching them perform them live had SunFest attendees on their feet with their cell phones in the air, singing along to every word!
To close out an unforgettable SunFest weekend, AJR rocked the Ford Stage! Originally from Manhattan, New York, the trio known as AJR, consisting of brothers Adam, Jack, and Ryan Met, was the perfect way to wrap up the festival. Talk about an infectious energy! These kids know how to put on a show, and had fans in attendance dancing, singing, and jumping up and down for the duration of their set. They have a whopping 11.6 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and in their short career, have already been nominated for numerous awards, and won a Billboard Music Award for their song, “Bang!”, in 2021. You could tell the brothers were having a lot of fun, and thanked the SunFest crowd for being there. AJR was a powerful, fun way to wrap up the weekend’s festivities.
All-in-all, SunFest was absolutely amazing. The unbelievable entertainment, combined with great food, amazing art, vendors, a beautiful location, and post-festival fireworks extravaganza, SunFest 2022 created memories that I’ll hold dear for a long time. A huge thank you is in order for the volunteers and SunFest staff for putting on such a great festival. I’m already making plans to attend next year! If you have the opportunity, you should too. I guarantee, you won’t be disappointed! SunFest is amazing!
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