Charlotte’s Lovin’ Life Music Fest defined itself as music festival elite in its inaugural year

By Mark A. Leon

There are artists that have the potential to define a generation and moments that provide the backdrop.  This past weekend, Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina became a vessel for a musical event that may have cemented itself on the permanent landscape of the American musical festival scene.  

The Lovin’ Life Music Fest, behind the vision of Bob Durkin and his phenomenal support team, lifted the spirits of a city, who days before had been struck by tragedy.   In the cloud of 4 officers slain earlier in the week, Charlotte needed a voice to rise from the ashes and remind us of the resilience of this city.  That voice came at the hands of 30+ artists given their time and energy to powering the inaugural Lovin’ Life Music Fest.

Through careful tapestry and an idea that took nearly 3 years to become a reality, the Lovin’ Life Music Fest brought an atmosphere of love, harmony, hope and celebration.

On three evenings in early May, the City of Charlotte exploded in dance and song led by the fierce musical power of Post Malone, legendary icon Stevie Nicks and the soulful folk alt rock sound of Noah Kahan.  

That musical acts were only the tip of the of magic that ensued beyond the entranceway off of 7^th and College.

So many individual stories defined the collective  

When you uncovered the layers of the thousands of fans, national musical acts, food and beverage, vendors, DJs, Instagram moments and smartphone video capture, you found the moments that mattered; the memories lived.

During our three days, here are some personal experiences we will never forget:

• Stevie Nicks completing an emotional set capped by Free Fallin’ and Landslide as the night sky delivered a downpouring of rain.
• As an ode to Zepplin, Stevie Nicks opened her set with “Rock and Roll”.  Iconic!
• Post Malone shared a personal story of his two-year-old child and his passion to want to live for that little life as he sang “Too Young”, a song about dying young he wrote 10 years earlier at age 18.
• A soft kiss in the rain shared by two lovers.
• Fans from 12 – 75 gathering together in a celebration of music and community.
• New friendships discovered.
• A drone laser light show capped with “We Love You” over the Charlotte night sky.
• A celebration of individualism and inclusion in a way that has to be experienced first-hand.
• A moment of silence on day one to the 4 fallen local officers just days before.  In those brief few seconds, you could hear a pin drop in the middle of a metro surrounded by 20K+.
• With an infectious smile and voice of an angel, Maggie Rogers planted the seeds of an entire new fan base.

In the end, Lovin’ Life Music Fest stayed pure to its name.  It gave us an invitation into a world of iconic musical legends and legends still undefined.  It reminded us that love is truly blind, without prejudice or judgement.  It helped shared the foundation of co-existence where acceptance is the heart and soul of happiness and joy.  

Charlotte is a city wrought with life from its banking mecca to its urban artistic vision.  It breathes through its skyscrapers and sports, rejoices in faith and celebrates its athletics.  It is one of the crown jewels of the South.  Yet, for one weekend, the center of this city was transformed to a playground for music fans where lyrics echoes off the walls of the cityscape and love was the fuel that grabbed us all night long.