Known for its curated high-production live music experiences since its inception in 2018, In The City pairs international artists with local audiences in an engaging atmosphere, with previous performers including Ayra Star, 6LACK, and Snoh Aalegra. Now, considering their impressive resume, I was incredibly excited when I heard that they were bringing Summer Walker as a headliner for a great time, and what a time I had – a short time that is as she only performed for 20 minutes.
A Time In The City
For the first time, my experience at In The City was genuinely enjoyable – at least, at first. Having attended concerts at SunBet Arena in Pretoria before, I decided to go with two friends and book an Airbnb nearby, as we had no intention of making the long trip back to Joburg late on a Sunday evening.
After pregaming at the Airbnb with a hearty meal, we headed to SunBet Arena and, thankfully, skipped the insane food queues because we had just eaten. The show was scheduled to start at 4 p.m., and since we arrived just after 6, we were worried we’d missed most of it – but we hadn’t. The show started late, and there were growing concerns about whether this would impact the artists’ set lengths. It was a Sunday night, and I knew events there usually wrapped up by 10:00 p.m., so what would that mean for the rest of the lineup?
An RnB Cruise In The City
Anyway, we soon forgot our worries as we were swept up in what can only be described as the ultimate R&B experience. First up was Lordkez, an artist I hadn’t heard of before, but she gave an impressive performance. She even had the crowd on their feet when she performed Aweh, her song with Cassper Nyovest, who appeared as a surprise guest.
Next was Morêba, an Atlanta-born artist I also hadn’t heard of. She delivered a solid performance and impressed the crowd with her instrumental skills. Then came Jessie Reyez, an artist I’ve admired for a while. Her voice and raw talent were as powerful as ever – she delivered an electric, impassioned set that definitely won her some new fans.
Did I also mention that DJ Akio was in the building and on the decks? He’s grown an immense following thanks to his skills at Strictly Soul, where he has us drunk on nostalgia as we lose our voices. In classic DJ Akio fashion, his nostalgic R&B selections had us dancing, singing at the top of our lungs, and totally immersed in the moment.
A Summer Stint In The City
Then came the moment we were all waiting for – or so we thought. This is where it got weird.
Before Summer Walker took the stage, we got a surprise performance from amapiano artist Ciza, which felt completely random because there is no amapiano in RnB. Afterward, our MC Shamiso came out and thanked him, and many in the crowd misheard ‘Ciza’ as ‘SZA’, which led to some very confused cheering. If that wasn’t awkward enough, Shamiso then announced that Summer Walker’s set would be cut short, only to be drowned out by a chorus of boos. She did clarify that it wasn’t Summer’s fault.
When Summer finally came out, the 29-year-old singer rushed through a medley of beautiful hits, delivering a heartfelt but painfully short performance – about 20 minutes in total. Probably the shortest headline set I’ve ever seen. American artists sure love breaking records in South Africa.
Clearly upset, Summer Walker took to social media almost immediately after the show to apologize. She explained that she’d been prepared to perform for a full hour but was told her set would be cut entirely, blaming Steyn Entertainment for poor planning and an alleged refusal to pay the fines necessary to extend the event.
In an interview with The Sowetan, Jason Pienaar, project lead for In The City, explained that technical and scheduling delays earlier in the day created a ripple effect that affected all the artists’ set times.
“All of the artists ran late, and their performances went slightly over time. With the utmost respect for all the international teams, I do believe the sets should have been wrapped up earlier to allow more time for Summer Walker,” Pienaar said.
As for Summer’s claim about fines, the organizers, per News24, released an official statement on Monday confirming that all necessary permits had been secured to run a safe event.
“Schedule delays outside of our control during the course of the day unfortunately forced the team to adjust the running order of the entire show mid-event. With a non-negotiable hard 10:30 p.m. cut-off, the decision was made to shorten the stage time of all the performing artists, including Summer Walker’s. An option to pay a fine in exchange for an extension was never presented, and thus was never an option.”
In a sweet but slightly bittersweet gesture, Summer later invited fans to Tempo, located in Sandton, for an impromptu meet and greet. It was thoughtful, but also kind of painful, considering there were still hundreds of people stuck in Pretoria waiting for Uber surge prices to drop just so they could get home, or at least make it to Tempo.
Still A Summer Girl
Yes, I was annoyed at how things turned out, but I still enjoyed myself.
Summer Walker gave us a beautiful, albeit brief, performance, and the night as a whole was a tribute to R&B, which I truly appreciated.
That said, the experience once again highlighted how Johannesburg desperately needs an event venue that not only respects the art of performance and musical experience but also respects the people who love and support it.
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