As the festival was slowly but surely coming to an end, there was one final performance everyone was waiting for: H.E.R. Making history as the first woman in decades to own and perform in their own festival, the Bay Area native reflected on a time where she was once in the stands of that very same arena. Now, she was the main attraction, pulling in fans as far as New York, Houston and London.
H.E.R.'s raw and authentic cover of Marvin Gaye's “Inner City Blues” was the perfect way to start off her set. After performing “I Can Have It All” and “Back On My BS” along with a couple of other hits from her debut album, she reminded us that the party was nowhere near over. She brought out fellow Bay Area natives Goapele (responsible for 2001’s “Closer”) and Saweetie who was a whole vibe rocking a hot pink fur and performing her single “Best Friend.” As if the fans weren’t already surprised by all the friends H.E.R. chose to bring to the stage, things got even more exciting when she performed “Come Through” with a guest appearance from Chris Brown.
Just when you thought the night couldn’t get any better, "Have Mercy" songstress Chlöe strutted onto the stage to rock out with H.E.R. on a cover of Led’s Zeppelin's “Black Dog.” Although this festival placed a heavy emphasis on R&B, H.E.R. thought it was important to emphasize that this genre is the foundation for almost every other genre, including rock. While she showed off her skills on the guitar, Chlöe complimented the performance, showcasing a vocal range that was otherworldly.
As the world gradually recovers from COVID-19 and the havoc it has wreaked, the Lights On Festival gave us something that we hope will become a consistent force and showcase for R&B music in the coming years. The festival’s slogan “R&B Is Not Dead” makes a bold statement, but it’s one that H.E.R. was successfully able to back up.
