Roots Picnic Today

The third annual Roots Picnic goes off today at the Festival Pier. It stands to be something special: The Philadelphia hip-hop band's set with John Legend at the Noncomm Convention at the World Cafe Live last night was a killer, from the "Teddy Lives!" cover of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes "Wake Up Everybody" to a monstrous soul blues take on Bill Withers' "I Can't Write Left Handed." (Hear the original here.) Today, The Roots and Legend will do it again, and ?uestlove, Blck Thought and crew will also play thier own lengthy set and back Method Man, Ghostface and Raekwon of the Wu Tang Clan. Meyer Hawthorne (that's him below),who put on a particularly polished and entertaining soul-pop show of his own at Noncomm, is also on the bill, as are many other carefully curated and highly recommended acts, including Clipse, Nneka, Tuneyards, The Very Best and Vampire Weekend. More info here.

Previously: Dr. Dog Kick Off Noncomm Shorthanded