Evolution Festival concluded its 2025 music showdown in St. Louis with ’90s R&B flavor, bluesy country rhythms and a nostalgic headlining performance from Grammy Award-winning musician Lenny Kravitz.
Like the first day, festival attendance numbers increased as the sun set. St. Louisans filled Forest Park with lawn chairs and picnic blankets to enjoy sets from Grammy Award-winning girl group TLC, folk-rock star Father John Misty and St. Louis band Still Animals.
The day’s best performances came from the mainstage. Following a strong vocal performance from singer Maggie Rose, the Marcus King Band brought dramatic musicianship, soulful melodies and honky tonk twang to Evolution Festival.
Frontman King is a unique performer who has mastered merging blues, country, gospel and soul music into one sound. Songs like “No Room for Blue” and “Beautiful Stranger” showcased his broad vocal range and ability to flow between alto vibratos and low tenor pitches with ease. King’s performance of “Carolina Honey” was sincere and true as he sang and rocked out on the guitar.
He was accompanied by his bandmates, who doubled as background vocalists for soulful harmonies. The Marcus King Band’s performance was a musical treat steeped in skill and talent, with guitarist Drew Smithers delivering an electric performance on “Here Today.”
A few hours after King transformed the mainstage into a South Carolina juke joint, multiplatinum-selling R&B group TLC came on to perform hit songs from their three-decade career. It was an hour-long set of fan favorites like “Girl Talk” and “Waterfalls,” with high-energy background dancers alongside Chilli’s crisp choreography and T-Boz’ s unforgettable vocals.
Aside from a dance break during “Kick Your Game,” there was a disconnect in dance energy during TLC’s set. T-Boz executed minimal choreography, while Chilli went full throttle with the dancers from start to finish. Still, the R&B duo teleported the crowd back in time with songs like “Creep” and a beautiful, slowed-down rendition of “Unpretty” that showcased the pair’s voices, closing the song with a memorable two-part harmony.
TLC brought a warm and welcoming experience to Evolution Festival. They took opportunities to interact with the crowd, with Chilli encouraging young women to listen to old TLC songs to find hidden gems about life.
Although Left Eye died in 2002, the “L” in TLC was still represented when audience members rapped along to her verses on songs like “Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg.” Following a cautionary message from Chilli about “guys hanging out their best friends ride on the passenger side,” fans erupted into song as TLC performed their 1999 smash hit “No Scrubs.”
As dusk fell in the park, festivalgoers again gathered around the mainstage, anticipating the arrival of headliner Kravitz. Right on time at 9:15 p.m., the rockstar hit the stage.
Accompanied by a seven-piece band and two background vocalists, Kravitz dived into records like “Again” and “Paralyzed” while rocking a blue jean jacket with no shirt underneath. He had a cool approach to rock ’n’ roll and that wasn’t too serious as he demonstrated world-class musicianship, switching between an acoustic, a bass and an electric guitar during the set.
Like TLC’s set, Kravitz’ performance was a time capsule of music memories. The crowd chanted the words to his 1999 cover of “American Woman” and 1998’s “Fly Away.” At the start, Kravitz jokingly said he probably hadn’t been in St. Louis since most of the audience members were children.
Kravitz’s band showed why they were on stage with the acclaimed musician from the start of the show. It was a guitar-riff-fueled experience, with Kravitz showing out alongside bassist Hoonch “The Wolf” Choi and lead guitarist Craig Ross. The latter kicked off “TK421” with wild rock fervor, with the Wolf producing slow, sultry basslines on “I Belong to You.” There were also standout performances from saxophonist Michael Sherman and drummer Jas Kayser.
Between hitting falsettos and high notes on “It Ain’t Over ‘til It’s Over” and executing excited dance moves on “TK421,” Kravitz allowed his band to shine while still showcasing his skills on the guitar. He gave a memorable acoustic performance on “Believe,” his vocals adding emotion and depth alongside the strings. Later, Kravitz brought disco grooves to the stage with the song “The Chamber.”
Kravitz concluded his set with the 1993 track “Are You Gonna Go My Way,” but the crowd began to cheer for an encore. Kravitz happily obliged, coming back out to sing an extended version of “Let Love Rule.” The song lasted nearly 15 minutes, with festivalgoers folding up their chairs and blankets as Kravitz sang his final notes.
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Jasmine Osby | Post-Dispatch
Music reporter
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