2006 SUMMER MUSIC ROADTRIP Essence Festival Bonnaroo | Photos Arctic Monkeys CMA Music Festival Radiohead HFStival | Photos

The music: The festival, in Houston after 11 years in the New Orleans Superdome, featured a vibrant cross-section of R&B, hip-hop and soul, with a few stand-up comics thrown in to keep it fresh. Standouts included a brilliant performance by local crooner Yolanda Adams, a tireless career mixtape of a set by LL Cool J, and side lounge sets by the Philly soul group Kindred The Family Soul. Headlining acts included Mary J. Blige, Jamie Foxx, Toni Braxton, New Edition, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, and Earth, Wind & Fire. One of the festival's musical peaks was an incomparable, profanity-free set by Doug E. Fresh and the Pioneers of Hip-Hop. Cedric the Entertainer and Mo'Nique provided the event's funniest moments.

The fashion: Men dressed in beige and tan summer colors — baggy short-sleeve dress shirts and loose pants flowing over slick black dress shoes. Big silver watches and square diamond earrings were the accessories of choice. Sunglasses were worn even when the lights went down. Barely a sports jersey, T-shirt or polo shirt was to be seen on any of the three nights. Women sported loose tops and short pants or skirts and carried large designer handbags or small clutch purses.

The crowd: 50,000 to 60,000, ranging in age from mid-20s and 30s to seniors. A group of 60- and 70-year-olds competed in a dance contest.

The merch: Artist-specific concert tees ran from $20 to $25, and Essence Fest shirts were in the same range, with posters going for $15 and hats fetching between $20 and $25. At the Essence Marketplace, concertgoers flocked to booths featuring homemade pottery, jewelry, clothes, hats and African art.

The inside scoop: Long-lost (but not forgotten) hip-hop duo Kid 'n Play helped with hosting duties each night. Minister Louis Farrakhan spoke to huge crowds at Sunday and Monday seminars. Bobby Brown reunited with members of his former band New Edition, leaving the stage after performing the hit Mr. Telephone Man. Brown's subsequent solo set included some raunchy talk about his sex life with his wife, singer Whitney Houston. Brown exceeded the 30-minute time allowance by nearly a half-hour. and the curtain was dropped on him. He crawled out from underneath and began to sing in the photo pit until he was finally cut off. By the time he was finished, a shirtless Brown was drawing boos.

Contributing: The Associated Press

Enlarge By Tim Johnson, AP Bobby Brown was a busy boy onstage. He reunited with New Edition, stripped — and, after his set ran long, climbed back from underneath the curtain to sing in the photographer's pit.