Madison McFerrin + The Seshen at YBGFestival

With every EP, single and video, soul-steeped vocalist Madison McFerrin has offered an alluring look at her sensuous musical world. With lapidary textures, predatory grooves and a beguilingly low-affect delivery, the San Francisco native has established herself as more than a performer. She turns public spaces into emotionally welcoming zones where rhythm serves as a balm and dancing liberates the spirit. Her 2023 debut album, I Hope You Can Forgive Me, gave a wider spectrum look at her capacious lyrical gift (a quality she shares with her legendary father, Bobby McFerrin). 

In a double bill overflowing with grooves, the Seshen heats up the stage with an opening set. Illuminating the liminal spaces between dusk and dark, dreams and consciousness, ego and collectivity, the six-piece band is anchored by sultry Haitian-American vocalist Lalin St. Juste. With her sleek vocals floating over sinewy grooves designed by producer-bassist Akiyoshi Ehara, the Seshen’s music draws from a deep well of electronic influences, R&B and indie rock, blending live and digital instrumentation to create a shimmering textural palette activated by kinetic beats.

Host or Publisher Yerba Buena Gardens Festival