On June 28th, Lenny Kravitz showed exactly why he is a bona fide rockstar, despite the soggy night in Halifax. Day 2 of the Halifax Music Fest featured a talent-laden lineup that included Ben Harper, Amanda Marshall, and Terra Lightfoot, in addition to Lenny. All day, the clouds hung low in the sky, threatening to dampen the spirits of concert goers, eventually opening up during Ben Harper’s set and persisted through the remainder of the evening performances.
Kicking off Day 2 was Hamilton, Ontario’s own Terra Lightfoot. This was the first visit in a few years for the powerhouse singer-songwriter and her band, and even with the darkening skies overhead, she and her band ripped through a set that got the crowd moving and enthralled more than a few newly minted concert goers in the All-Ages section who looked to be having the time of their lives. It was a great way to kick off the second day of Halifax Music Fest.
It was then time to welcome Amanda Marshall back to a big stage in Halifax, as it had been nearly 30 years since the ubiquitous blues-rocker last played the Nova Scotia capital. With those distinct curly locks flowing behind her as she worked the stage in her Bluenose Baby shirt, silver jacket and shades, Marshall broke out some gems from her late 90’s heyday, including “Darkhorse” and “Let It Rain”. While she may not have been basking in the spotlight for the past couple of decades, Marshall’s voice was as powerful and identifiable as ever. This Saturday afternoon set served as a great reintroduction to the Halifax crowd, and here is hoping to seeing more of Amanda out on the East Coast in the coming months and years.
Then it was time for the Halifax return of the legendary singer-songwriter Ben Harper, who last graced the Garrison Grounds as part of 2012’s SummerSonic festival as the Saturday Night headliner. That 2012 was a near-perfect affair, as the weather, crowd, and artist were all in perfect alignment, 2025 was a different story. The already grey skies started to spit on the concert patrons throughout Harper’s performance, and certainly dampened the spirits of the folks in attendance. Harper’s mellow, laid-back set was perfect for a steamy summer evening, but missed the mark for many of the chatty concertgoers on this damp afternoon. It was a set that didn’t have a great deal of fanfare, as Harper quietly walked out on stage, sat down at his piano and started playing “Before the Rain Dried”, catching some patrons off guard, and eventually took a seat centre stage, surrounded by 6 guitars (a set-up reminiscent of his 2012 performance) and worked some gems including “Diamonds on the Inside”, “Another Lonely Day” and “Excuse Me Mr.”, it was also a treat to hear Harper perform a dialed back take on the Springsteen classic “Dancing in the Dark”. For this writer, it was a treat to see Harper perform live again, but the set didn’t hit the mark for the majority of those in attendance.
When Lenny Kravitz emerged for his headlining set, he welcomed Ben Harper back out to the stage and gave Harper the respect that he deserved, talking about his legacy and being honoured to perform on the same bill alongside him. It was a classy display by Kravitz. Then we were off to the races. When the Halifax Music Fest was announced, there was a delay in announcing the line-up for the 2nd night of the three concerts and when Lenny Kravitz was announced, there wasn’t the same excitement that surrounded Nickelback and The Killers, especially considering Lenny has been making genre-spanning music for over three decades, and recently released his 12th studio album that is as musically vibrant as ever. Even with a steady drizzle falling throughout the set, Lenny Kravitz proceeded to put on an absolute clinic for the Halifax Music Fest patrons, drawing from the entirety of his catalogue. It wasn’t a full-on face-melting rock show, which isn’t what you want when you see Lenny Kravitz perform, as his body of work is loaded with classic soul and funk sounds dating back to the ’60s and ’70s, and on this night Lenny demonstrated his enigmatic swagger while he performed “Honey” and “Paralyzed” ( a pair of cuts from Blue Electric Light), that further showed that he is still at the top of his game.
On this night, some of those in attendance were not even a glimmer in the eye of their parents when Lenny Kravitz unleashed “Are You Gonna Go My Way” on the masses back in 1993, and only recognized Lenny from his appearances in the Hunger Games film franchise. Those younger attendees and the fans from back in the day were treated to an amazing night on the hill, with a set loaded with massive hits such as “Fly Away”, “Are You Gonna Go My Way” and “It Aint’ Over ‘Till It’s Over”, but also seduced the Halifax concert-goers with those slower soulful gems such as “I Belong to You”, “Believe” and “Let Love Rule” which served as the encore of the show. Upon reflecting on this evening, it was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen on the Garrison Grounds, and perfectly showcased that Lenny Kravitz is a bona fide rockstar, from his massive stage production to his singular stage presence, and while he has surrounded himself with a top-tier group of musicians, including the talented Craig Ross, Hoonch ‘The Wolf’ Choi, Jas Kayser and so many others. For those folks who went into this show lukewarm on the headliner, I am willing to bet that they left having renewed their Lenny Kravitz fan club memberships.
