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Saturday at Meadows Festival was a day for dads and moms—from Damon Albarn's dad-bop dance moves to Future's tucked-in T-shirt and jeans look to Erykah Badu's lesson time directed at the '90s babies in the audience. It was a lineup that mashed together decades: MIA and TV on the Radio from the aughts, LL Cool J and De La Soul from the late-'80s/early-'90s, and some newcomers in rising rap outfit Flatbush Zombies and jazzy Canadian ensemble Badbadnotgood. With the day's numerous guest stars, it was as if each act was trying to outdo the last. Find out about those guests and more of the best things we saw on Saturday below.
RECOMMENDED: Full guide to Meadows Festival
1. Gorillaz's bonkers live show
Photograph: Nicole Fara Silver
With an opening collection of songs that highlighted Gorillaz's lowkey, acoustic side, the group set the stage for a blockbuster second half packed with guests. DRAM, Pusha T, yasiin bey (Mos Def), Savages' Jehnny Beth and Little Simz, who delivered a jaw-dropping performance on "Garage Palace," joined the band led by Damon Albarn, “one of the greatest entertainers in the world” as shouted out by a member of De La Soul. It was hard to argue otherwise as Gorillaz and their cartoon counterparts closed “Clint Eastwood,” featuring Del the Funky Homosapien, for the big finish.
2. The Future and friends show
Photograph: Nicole Fara Silver
Future seemed especially generous on Saturday, bringing out a handful of guests and letting fellow Atlantean Young Thug interject with a three-song mini-set. That included Thugger's features on “Pick up the Phone,” “Lifestyle” and “About the Money” and closed with the Future duet “Relationship.” But the biggest reaction came when Nicki Minaj arrived for a (painfully short) guest spot to rap her verse on “Rake It Up” with Yo Gotti.
3. Saturday was a day of guests
Not to be outdone, LL Cool J's set included songs with A Tribe Called Quest members Q-Tip and Jarobi, Run-D.M.C.'s DMC and the Furious Five. And even Tory Lanez brought out Busta Rhymes for a rousing run-through of “Pass The Courvoisier.”
4. Erykah Badu won't be silenced
Photograph: Nicole Fara Silver
After a Friday night show in New Jersey followed by a late-night recording session at Electric Lady Land Studio, Badu still had plenty of energy to run through her neo-soul classics at Meadows Festival. As always, it was part concert, part storytelling session, with the singer talking about aging, love and resistance to the crowd. It's a lot to cram into a one-hour festival slot and as her set edged over 70 minute mark, her mic cut before she could start another song. No matter: She brought the message to the people, coming down to the crowd to say goodbye.
5. Those air dancer things
Photograph: Nicole Fara Silver
All the fun of going to a gas station or used car dealership within the friendly confines of a music festival. Meadows' gang of air dancers proved to be a hit, still going strong into the second day.
See more photographs of Saturday at Meadows Festival below:
Photograph: Nicole Fara Silver
Photograph: Nicole Fara Silver
Photograph: Nicole Fara Silver
Photograph: Nicole Fara Silver
Photograph: Nicole Fara Silver