Music icons like Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, The Spinners, The Animals, Santana, Dionne Warwick and many others made the inaugural Fool in Love Festival impossible to resist.
There were so many acts that top-selling groups like The Jacksons, The Pointer Sisters, and SOS Band were only allotted 15 minutes to shine.
Shine they did. Although some attendees complained about the way the one-day festival was organized, awkwardness of the fact people could bring their own chairs and plop them where ever they wanted, or Los Angeles summer heat, no one criticized the sparkling performances.
Or the lineup: just bask in that.
Look at all those artists with platinum, gold and Grammy-winning albums. How many of those R&B, Soul, and Motown stars will be staples in the soundtrack of our lives and future generations for eternity?
Speaking of sisters Ruth, Issa, and Sadako Pointer (which if you squint, made it to the second bottom row on the poster); they've won three Grammys (their first was in 1975 for Best Country Performance), had three platinum records, and saw 13 of their singles reach the Top 20.
Fool in Love was so chock-full of performers, the Pointer Sisters were one of the 19 acts who got less than 20 minutes of time on the Bounce Stage.
Yet they only got to play for nine minutes before the stage rotated for The Mary Jane Girls.
Was the stage named that because you gotta bounce quickly?
Over on the Cruisin Stage there were 15 artists who got less than 20 minutes, including The Commodores, headliner Lionel Richie's former group.
The Commodores are so important to Bruce Springsteen, of all people, he's covered "Nightshift" at nearly every concert he's done over the last two years. The Boss has played the post-Richie 1985 hit more than his own "Streets of Philadelphia" - a tune he won an Oscar for as well as multiple Grammys including Song of the Year.
No matter: They too were granted 15 minutes for their fans dancing on the parking lot asphalt next to the Inglewood football stadium
Minneapolis' The Time, who have far fewer hits than the Pointer Sisters or The Commodores, were given a half hour for some reason. Morris Day et al are still entertaining, and were out in Inglewood, but for their entire career they only have one platinum record and two gold ones.
Meanwhile The Commodores have sold 70 million records. They have five #1 albums. Even their live record went to #3 on the pop charts. "The Bird" and "Jungle Love" took up a little over 9 minutes of The Time's set. Did they really need 21 more minutes?
On the flip side, headliner Diana Ross had so much time for her 90 minute set, she devoted the first 10 minutes to a video presentation of her long and glorious career beginning in the '60s fronting The Supremes.
Now 80, the Motown icon seriously does not look like she's lost a step. She was dancing, smiling and singing through her endless parade of radio staples and covers.
In a red glittering gown looking like the belle of the ball, between costume changes she told the adoring crowd, “I’m shaking my body like I’m 47. You know I’m 80, right?"
In that audience was one of the most diverse collections of people you'll ever see at a festival. Young, not-so-young, and from all backgrounds. One of the added benefits to vintage R&B and classic rock can do is also bring out both Black and Latino fans.
One of the artists whose audience has consistently been diverse is Mexican guitar hero Carlos Santana who delivered a scorching set.
“We’re grateful to be in your presence,” Santana told the large crowd that gathered for his hour.
“We are in a time and place where we need to stop acting like animals and start acting as spiritual beings. We need to bring kindness, love, unity, and peace to this planet, because we are worthy of it. If you learned anything from this set today, it’s that you are worthy. We can manifest blessings and miracles. Be prosperous. And make somebody happy," he said.
Carlos also gave a little stage time to his wife, drummer Cindy Blackman, who delivered an impressive drum solo.
After hearing that, no one would argue that Santana is a fool for falling in love with her. Catch both of them at Carlos' Vegas residency this fall. Get tickets on Santana's website.
As it happens in many festivals there were some missed opportunities.
No greater ones occurred than when Lionel Richie performed his headlining set.
The 75 year-old superstar sure seems to still have some drama with his old group the Commodores. But for one night they couldn't have patched things up for a few numbers? They were literally right there.
The same goes with Diana Ross.
According to our database, the only time the Motown heartthrobs ever performed their #1 debut together live was at the Oscars, 11 miles north in downtown LA in 1982.
Lionel has sung it nearly 250 times. Diana, 135 times. But just once together.
Why, oh, why didn't someone suggest they sing the theme of the film Endless Love at the Fool in Love Festival?
Maybe I'm a fool for believing in the possibilities of beautiful ways of breaking the Internet.
Diana it taking this month off but then hitting the road again in October. Maybe Lionel can pop into one of those gigs and right this wrong. Get tickets via her website.
Or there's this: Lionel has a Vegas residency at the classy Wynn with dates this month. Perhaps Diana can slide on stage and make some beautiful memories? Get tickets on Lionel's website.
Meanwhile here's some love and happiness from the Rev. Al Green:
