get lost! : new york city, part two! afropunk fest 2012

afropunk fest 2012 - brooklyn, new york city

one day during my nyc adventure, my friend's sister tipped me off to a free music festival, where, among many other artists, gym class heroes were meant to be playing. i do enjoy me a little gch, and love a live show, so i decided to head on down. knowing very little of what to expect, i navigated the subway system, and got off a stop or two too early, and wandered through brooklyn towards commodore barry park - on the way i got asked for directions... mistaken for a local! every traveller's dream. 

afropunk fest with brooklyn as a backdrop

i joined the colorful queue of people entering the park through a single space in the bordering chain link fence. filing into the park, i fell into a sea of incredibly stylish people... it was obvious that this festival was definitely not just about the music, but clearly a place to see and be seen. 

while a dj pumped an eclectic mix of hip-hop and rock, i found myself part of a large group of people encircling an impromptu dance-off. it was super fun and friendly, and all kinds of awesome! i took quite a few pics, cause it was a moment in time that i certainly didn't want to forget...

when the dj stepped aside, to make room for one of the event organizers to take the stage, we found out that due to illness, gym class heroes would not be playing tonight. i was a bit disappointed, but was presently distracted by the fact that they'd brought in pharrell williams to introduce the headliner... nbd.

pharrell turned up to say hey... 

janelle monáe

prior to afropunkfest, i'd only heard of janelle monáe as the lovely voice featured in fun.'s debut hit, we are young. i was absolutely blown away by this lady's incredible voice, seasoned showmanship, and her sneaky ability to turn me into a fan within minutes. i had an absolute blast at her show - a highlight was when she covered the jackson five's i want you back, which suited her voice and style perfectly. check out this girl's music here, you won't be disappointed, i promise :)

much love to brooklyn, janelle monae and afropunkfest for one of my favorite afternoons in nyc :)  

still a few more nyc pics to come!