The 2012 Summer Spirit Festival hit Columbia, Maryland’s Merriweather Post Pavilion with a stellar line-up of performers that included Eric Roberson, Estelle, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Common, and Erykah Badu.

Indie soul crooner Eric Roberson opened the show, bringing with him his charismatic charm that seemed to enhance his set that included him performing his underground hits, “Picture Perfect”,  “Mr. Nice Guy”, and “Dealing.”

A stylishly dressed Estelle was a victim of audio difficulties, but the Grammy Award winning singer bounced back, performing a go-go music inspired version of her song “More Than Friends” and a Baltimore club music version of her slept on dance track,”Freak.”

Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, were quite possibly the seemingly random act on the line-up, but they were clearly a welcomed act. Sharon Jones commandeered the stage wearing a yellow sequined tasseled dress, and matching shoes which she soon kicked off to dance across the stage.

Before his untimely death this past May, Chuck Brown was slated to perform at this year’s festival. What took the place of his set was a fitting musical tribute to the late “Godfather of Go-Go,” featuring his band, E.U., Rare Essence, Trouble Funk, and his daughter, Cookie.

A few minor technical issues delayed Common’s performance, but when the Chi-town rapper rushed the stage, tore through a dynamic set that mixed his older hits (“I Used To Love H.E.R”, “The Light” and “Testify”) and his new music from his newest album, The Dreamer/The Believer.

The show’s headliner Erykah Badu was late—25 minutes late to be exact. But when she hit the stage,  thumping on her ever-present drum machine, she gave a decent performance of her arsenal of hits that included “Apple Tree” , “20 ft Tall” , Me”, “On and On”, “Gone Baby Gone”, “I Want You” and “Love of My Life”. She made up for her tardiness, but how long will that be acceptable?

Photos: Victoria Ford/Sneakshot & Broady Brown/Nocturnal Charm

TAGS: CDEnterprises, Chuck Brown, COMMON, Eric Roberson, Erykah Badu, Estelle, Merriweather Post Pavilion, nocturnal charm, Red Grant, Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings, Sneakshot, Summer Spirit Festival