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Thousands packed into San Francisco’s Stern Grove Sunday to enjoy a free performance by Masego and East Bay soul singer Satya. However, some people were turned away.
Organizers stopped admitting visitors with general admission tickets before the headliner, eclectic Jamaican-born multi-instrumentalist Masego, took the stage just after 3 p.m.
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“We’ve reached venue capacity and can no longer allow additional attendees for today’s event,” the festival said in a post on Instagram.
Festival officials did not respond to questions about why the number of ticketholders exceeded the grove’s capacity.
For decades on summer Sundays, the Stern Grove Festival, which bills itself as the country’s longest nonprofit music festival, presents free concerts in the natural amphitheater at Sigmund Stern Grove at 19th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard in the Sunset. Since the pandemic, guests must register online to acquire a ticket for entry, which is free.
Those who got in were treated to an afternoon of Masego’s versatile blend of R&B, jazz and hip-hop tunes. The musician has cultivated his own genre he calls “TrapHouseJazz.”
Masego’s music incorporates smooth vocals, saxophone and hip-hop with strong African influences. He drew a diverse crowd and was happy to see many people of color in the audience.
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“We got various ethnicities, it feels like a pool,” Masego said before playing “Afraid of Water” from his 2023 self-titled album. “I’m seeing a lot of melanin in the crowd.”
“His concert felt like a celebration of African heritage,” said Veronica Simpson. “It was so much fun to dance and see all my Black brothers and sisters having a good time.”
People in the packed audience covered every inch of the amphitheater up to the very top. Crowds also relaxed on the grass outside of the main venue where they could watch the performance on a large screen and still hear the music.
As Masego concluded the set with his hit song “Tadow,” the large audience roared with an overwhelming seal of approval.
“This has been one of the highlights of the summer,” Simpson said. “It’s so nice to have a few hours away from all the craziness going on in the world and just be in the moment, among the trees and listening to good music.”
The post Stern Grove crowd exceeds capacity at festive Masego concert appeared first on Local News Matters.
