A true living Legend: Chaka Khan
Truly, one of the greatest performances I've ever seen was that of the great Chaka Khan at the Reno Tahoe Blue festival on Sunday evening. The festival was a two-day event sprawling from Saturday afternoon to Sunday evening at Rancho San Rafael Park.
I hurried to the festival around 6:30 p.m. just to catch this legend. As I said in a previous blog, Chaka has always been an important figure in my life. I grew up listening to her thanks to my parents and even had the nickname “Chaka” as a child because of my enormous untamed curly locks.
After parking near West Wood apartments I power walked as fast as I could down Sierra Street, through San Rafael, and towards the tents. It was a gorgeous evening that gave a light violet sky and a cool breeze, a nice aftermath from a scorching day.
7:30 p.m. hit and the crowd was getting anxious, a long day came with an exciting ending. The crowd began to simultaneously chant “Chaka, Chaka”. The familiar tune of “I Feel For You” began over the loud speakers with the infectious rap section, “Chaka Kahn, Chaka Kahn, Chaka Khan, let me rock you Let me rock you, Chaka Khan Let me rock you, that's all I wanna do”.
The crowd roared as the queen herself strutted the stage. She came out looking as beautiful as always, an explosion of maroon locks bounced all around her head and a sexy black dress wrapped around her curvaceous body.
I ran as close as I could to snap pictures of her but the security held me back. Okay, so I understood that I couldn’t get too close, it didn’t help that I lost my RGJ pass so I couldn’t prove that I worked for the newspaper. I apologized politely and backed away to a farther corner.
I snapped some more pictures when this moody security guard woman approached me screaming, “I’m going to take your camera away if you don’t stop taking pictures.” Excuse me? I looked around the crowd and saw hundreds of cameras flashing, including a few right next to me. “I can’t take pictures?” I asked. “No!” she snarled at me like a wild cat. How is she going to take my camera away when every one else has a camera?
I walked away furious but soon calmed down, I wasn’t going to let this crazy lady ruin my concert. I went around the other corner of the stage, still taking pictures (HA!) and dancing to all of Chaka’s hits.
She performed my favorite, “Tell me Something Good”, her 1972 hit with ‘Rufus’ and a group of fans jumped up to do the Electric Slide. Many came over to join the group including Mary and Barbara Stricklyn from the Bay Area.
The Stricklyns are long time fans of Chaka Khan and have seen her perform before at a blues festival last year. “She was great last year and she’s great this years; always great.”, they both agreed. "She still has the looks and still has the vocals." said Mary and Barbara Stricklyn from the Bay Area about Chaka Khan at the Reno Tahoe Blues Festival on Sunday. "She's always good, just look at her [many] followers."
They both agreed that Bobby Rush who performed earlier in the day should have also been a headlining act-along with Patti LaBelle and Chaka Khan of course. The show was amazing, but I wasn’t too surprised.
I was star struck peering over my camera staring at this legend. A beautiful woman with a beautiful voice, someone who I’ve always loved and admired. If you weren’t able to go to the festival this year than go next year even if Ms. Khan won’t be there. If you haven’t seen her perform live, you better cause it’s a must.
I wasn’t able to get the best pictures at the event due to my constant harassment, so if you readers were at the Reno Tahoe Blues Festival, I encourage you to send in your pictures so we can put them up here at It’s Your Weekend.
Until next time..
I hurried to the festival around 6:30 p.m. just to catch this legend. As I said in a previous blog, Chaka has always been an important figure in my life. I grew up listening to her thanks to my parents and even had the nickname “Chaka” as a child because of my enormous untamed curly locks.
After parking near West Wood apartments I power walked as fast as I could down Sierra Street, through San Rafael, and towards the tents. It was a gorgeous evening that gave a light violet sky and a cool breeze, a nice aftermath from a scorching day.
7:30 p.m. hit and the crowd was getting anxious, a long day came with an exciting ending. The crowd began to simultaneously chant “Chaka, Chaka”. The familiar tune of “I Feel For You” began over the loud speakers with the infectious rap section, “Chaka Kahn, Chaka Kahn, Chaka Khan, let me rock you Let me rock you, Chaka Khan Let me rock you, that's all I wanna do”.
The crowd roared as the queen herself strutted the stage. She came out looking as beautiful as always, an explosion of maroon locks bounced all around her head and a sexy black dress wrapped around her curvaceous body.
I ran as close as I could to snap pictures of her but the security held me back. Okay, so I understood that I couldn’t get too close, it didn’t help that I lost my RGJ pass so I couldn’t prove that I worked for the newspaper. I apologized politely and backed away to a farther corner.
I snapped some more pictures when this moody security guard woman approached me screaming, “I’m going to take your camera away if you don’t stop taking pictures.” Excuse me? I looked around the crowd and saw hundreds of cameras flashing, including a few right next to me. “I can’t take pictures?” I asked. “No!” she snarled at me like a wild cat. How is she going to take my camera away when every one else has a camera?
I walked away furious but soon calmed down, I wasn’t going to let this crazy lady ruin my concert. I went around the other corner of the stage, still taking pictures (HA!) and dancing to all of Chaka’s hits.
She performed my favorite, “Tell me Something Good”, her 1972 hit with ‘Rufus’ and a group of fans jumped up to do the Electric Slide. Many came over to join the group including Mary and Barbara Stricklyn from the Bay Area.
The Stricklyns are long time fans of Chaka Khan and have seen her perform before at a blues festival last year. “She was great last year and she’s great this years; always great.”, they both agreed. "She still has the looks and still has the vocals." said Mary and Barbara Stricklyn from the Bay Area about Chaka Khan at the Reno Tahoe Blues Festival on Sunday. "She's always good, just look at her [many] followers."
They both agreed that Bobby Rush who performed earlier in the day should have also been a headlining act-along with Patti LaBelle and Chaka Khan of course. The show was amazing, but I wasn’t too surprised.
I was star struck peering over my camera staring at this legend. A beautiful woman with a beautiful voice, someone who I’ve always loved and admired. If you weren’t able to go to the festival this year than go next year even if Ms. Khan won’t be there. If you haven’t seen her perform live, you better cause it’s a must.
I wasn’t able to get the best pictures at the event due to my constant harassment, so if you readers were at the Reno Tahoe Blues Festival, I encourage you to send in your pictures so we can put them up here at It’s Your Weekend.
Until next time..
posted by Alexis Gray at
11:36 PM
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