Though Friday was pouring rain, and I mean, seriously a little bit scary how much rain was coming down, Saturday was brighter and bolder than anyone could’ve expected in Virginia Beach. Veteran producer, collaborator, dancer, singer, and more, Pharrell Williams has wanted to host a music festival in his hometown of Virginia Beach for a long time and when it finally came to fruition, there was no shortage of celebrity friends, local food and drink vendors, sponsored activations by Sony, Adidas and Timberland, and so much more. Pharrell included himself on his Something in The Water festival lineup and teased a number of artists who would be joining him on stage simply as, “Pharrell and Friends.” Needless to say, audiences were blown away when Pharrell was joined on stage on Saturday night by none other than Jay-Z. Followed by Diddy, Usher, Snoop Dogg, Tyler, The Creator, Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, Timbaland, and Charlie Wilson. The 90-minute set featured a stream of bangers, from Snoop Dogg’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot” to Pharrell’s “Frontin” where Jay-Z himself showed up on stage.
Pharrell might be one of the only artists out there right now who is able to muster up such an extensive list of actual friends to show their support. From Virginia Beach natives like D.R.A.M to Pharrell’s protégé Maggie Rogers (who was unable to perform on Friday due to rain but still tweeted out her support), the collective group of talent who showed up in VA this weekend was nothing short of stunning.
Outside of the main festival grounds, there were a few sponsored activations including the Sony tent which featured a slew of tech-based moments including a 360 Reality Audio dome showcasing Sony’s surround sound capabilities. There was a demonstration tent featuring the newest Sony device: the Sony Xperia 10 Plus. The phone has an ultimate wide display, 2x optical zoom, split-screen functionality so you can multi-task easier, dual cameras, audio enhancements, and much more. The camera itself is probably one of the most obvious perks, complete with a 12PM + 8PM dual camera, high-res audio, and smart amp for even more impressive sound quality. Since the phone itself is longer than most smartphones, there is a side sensor you can tap to pull up a smaller app display for one-handed play. In addition to the Sony Xperia 10 Plus demo, the Sony tent offered a Playstation gaming area and even a stage that featured performances from Cautious Clay, Leikeli47 and others.
With the local community fully supporting Something in The Water, the weekend was a celebration of Virginia Beach and all of the talent that has come from the area, along with the talent that currently lives there. Despite the rain, the local community gathered together to make sure everyone was safe and that once the rain cleared, the music would play and the sun would shine. So, will Something in The Water return to Virginia Beach? According to Pharrell, count on it in 2020. Main image: @somethinginthewater
LEIKELI47 performs at Sony’s activation at Something in The Water on April 26, 2019 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images for Sony)
Guests dance in the 360 Reality Audio Dome to hear music from Pharrell and other Sony Music artists like never heard before at Sony’s activation at Something in The Water. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images for Sony)
Guests look at selfies taken at the Sony Xperia “Bullet Time” Selfie Smartphone Rig at Sony’s activation at Something in The Water. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images for Sony)
