Fans flocked to a new, one-day festival called Fool in Love, held in the parking lots adjacent to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The August 31, 2024, event was loaded with legendary performers, including Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Santana, Smokey Robinson, Al Green, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, and many more. The ambitious lineup drew thousands of fans who braved sweltering heat, unforgiving asphalt, and four stages that were spread far apart. Pith helmets and a caravan of camels would have come in handy, but seeing the amazingly talented lineup was almost worth the obstacles to getting there.
Live Nation and Redrock Entertainment produced the event in coordination with C3 Presents, all veterans of the outdoor festival circuit. One would think that pedigree would ensure that the logistics and creature comforts would be handled competently. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Fool in Love had many issues, including the usual long lines, high-priced food and drinks, and overlapping sets that meant you had to choose between your favorite bands.
All of that has become par for the course at multi-stage music festivals, but fans are still willing to shell out big bucks for tickets, food, and swag when there is the promise of popular, historic lineups. However, outrageously expensive parking, miles of hiking, and nightmarish bottlenecks at the entry points and the stages made things unusually difficult at Fool in Love. Aggravated masses of people formed near the outermost Cruisin’ and Bounce stages due to a poor layout, inadequate signage, and barricades that prevented attendees from flowing smoothly from one stage area to another. Once fans settled at the Fool and Love stages, the two main, adjacent stages, it became tough to move elsewhere as BYO chair zones formed unpassable walls with no designated lanes for entry or exit.
So, how was the music? Except for some sound mix issues at the Bounce stage, the twelve-hour marathon of performances was mostly impressive. Sadly, nothing groundbreaking occurred (among other possible collaborations, there was hope that Nile Rodgers would deliver his distinctive guitar jam from “I’m Coming Out” with Diana Ross; or Lionel Richie would team up with her to sing their classic duet, “Endless Love.” A Richie/Commodores reunion would have been epic as well.) While several legends needed help getting on stage and looked their age, many others defied Father Time and performed like they were in their prime. Some of the highlights included:
Eric Burdon & The Animals put on a quick, hit-heavy set that included “Spill the Wine,” “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” and “House of the Rising Sun.” Burdon’s vocals were solid, and if you closed your eyes, it was like listening to the band on their original albums.
Eddie Levert Sr. and Walter Williams Sr. of the O’Jays still have the vocal chops and swagger to woo a crowd. Along with singer Eric Grant, the group is on their final tour, and they presented some of their classic tracks to an enthusiastic audience, many of whom sang every word. Despite the intense afternoon heat, many in the crowd were dancing to their popular R&B songs, including “Give the People What They Want,” “Back Stabbers,” Special Lady,” “For The Love of Money,” and “Love Train.”
Ronald and Ernie Isley led their band, The Isley Brothers, through a short, tight set. Ernie Isley’s guitar still sizzles, and Ronald’s vocals were strong on tracks including “That Lady” and “Between the Sheets.” As expected, “Shout” became an interactive, thrilling affair with the audience.
It was too bad that Gladys Knight’s set was delayed and shortened because when she did come on stage, her glistening smile, energy, and still awe-inspiring voice elated the crowd. Her powerful vocals and the strong harmonies from her backup singers were on full display during “Nitty Gritty/Shake Your Body Down to the Ground,” Jim Weatherly’s “Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me,” and the celebrated “Midnight Train to Georgia.”
Chaka Khan had the challenging task of immediately following Knight on the adjacent Love stage. With her flaming red hair blowing in the breeze, she pulled it off masterfully. Her impressive vocals filled the air on memorable hits, including the Rufus tracks “Tell Me Something Good,” and “Sweet Thing,” plus her “I’m Every Woman” and “Ain’t Nobody.”
The brutal trek to the Bounce stage was worth it to catch Smokey Robinson and Al Green back-to-back. Robinson’s vocals were buried in the sound mix, an unfortunate trend most of the day at that location. However, the legend’s stage presence, seductive body movements and interaction with the members of the audience (primarily the ladies), made the show memorable. Robinson crooned “Second That Emotion,” “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” and “Cruising.” Later, the Reverend Al Green came out in a perfectly tailored suit. He greeted the audience and proceeded to throw long-stem roses to the ladies near the front of the stage. The crowd was thrilled that his fabulous pipes are still displayed on “Let’s Stay Together” and “Love and Happiness.”
While most of the performances throughout the day were brief, fans enjoyed 90-minute sets by the last few acts on the two main stages. The first up was Latin, salsa, and jazz fusion, which influenced rock superstar Santana. Carlos Santana may not be particularly energetic or flamboyant on stage, but his guitar pyrotechnics more than makeup for his lack of movement. His wife, Cindy Blackman Santana, still pounds out heavy drum licks, and the rest of the band, including vocalists Andy Vargas and Ray Greene, know how to keep an audience entertained. They ran through a career-defining series of songs, including “Jingo,” Evil Ways,” “Black Magic Woman,” and “Oye Como Va.” The closing sequence of “Corazon Espinado,” “Maria Maria” and “Foo Foo” featured virtuoso guitar licks from Carlos. Their encore opened with a cover of The Isley Brothers’ “Are You Ready People” that included a booming, spotlighted Blackman Santana drum solo before the show ended with the band’s huge hit “Smooth.”
Diana Ross is still a worthy Diva. She did four costume changes during her set of Motown oldies, disco and pop standards. The show opened with a montage of photos and videos from her illustrious singing and acting career. Ross filled the early portion of the set with a medley of Supremes songs, including “Baby Love,” “Stop! In the Name of Love,” and “You Can’t Hurry Love.” The hits kept coming as she belted out “Upside Down,” “Love Hangover” and “Ease On Down The Road,” which she famously recorded with Michael Jackson.
She closed the set with several recognizable covers. Ross strung together glorious versions of The Four Tops’ “Reach Out I’ll Be There,” Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers’ “Why Do Fools Fall in Love,” Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” and ended the show with a mighty interpretation of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.”
So close and yet so far. That’s what many were thinking as Ross finished her set while Lionel Richie was undoubtedly backstage nearby, waiting for the start of his set. Too bad the stars could not align (or at least hop in a golf cart and join the other on stage). Richie returned to his catalog of Commodores, solo hits and one historic collaboration during his set. The Commodores’ tracks included “Three Times a Lady” and “Easy,” which he performed while playing a gorgeous grand piano. He also busted out a “Brick House/Fire” medley.
Richie’s solo material received enthusiastic applause as he delivered fine versions of “Running With The Night,” “Dancing On The Ceiling,” and “Say You, Say Me.” The famous collaboration “We Are the World,” by the supergroup USA for Africa was another chance for Diana Ross to make a surprise appearance. The song was written by Richie and Michael Jackson. It was released as a fundraiser for humanitarian aid in Africa and the United States; the multi-platinum recording included a vocal performance by Ross, but while Richie performed it at Fool in Love, Ross was probably in her limousine beating the traffic. Richie closed his headlining set with the chart-topping “All Night Long.”
The night ended at the jammed Cruisin’ stage with George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, still a force of nature. While the crowd at Lionel Richie’s show seemed spent after the long hot day, the audience for Clinton’s ensemble was still ready to party hard. Clinton has threatened retirement for so long it is a running joke, but he remains the straw that stirs the Parliament drink. Their outrageous stage show and infectious music gave the people what they wanted. Clinton led the band of provocative dancers, backup singers, multiple horns, and longtime guitarist DeWayne McKnight through rowdy, high-energy versions of “Flash Light,” “One Nation Under The Groove,” “Give Up The Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker)” and the show ending “Atomic Dog.”.
There were unquestionably good and bad aspects of the Fool in Love festival. It was perhaps overly ambitious to book so many legendary acts for a one-day event, and the logistics certainly could have been better planned. But for the fans who attended, they will probably overlook the problems and remember the magical performances by an abundance of stars that will most likely never be seen in one place again.
Live photos courtesy of Andy J. Gordon ©2024
3 Responses
Hi, please correct your review to reflect that guitarist Dwayne McKnight did NOT perform onstage with George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic at the Fool In Love festival. The guitarist pictured is Michael Hampton.
Agree with all of the above. Hopefully the organisers will learn a lot for next year’s event, and with so many great acts to see, it needs to be held over two days.
Lionel actually left Endless Love out of his set at the festival…