Photojournalist: Mack
Labor Day weekend on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront is always special, as it feels like the last true weekend of summer. This year, it meant something much bigger. From September 5-7, the Super Girl Pro Series brought its women’s surf, sports, and music festival to the East Coast for the first time in its almost 20-year history. Since 2007, this festival series has been committed to empowering and uplifting women. Featuring multiple women’s sports competitions, wellness classes, guest speakers, tons of vendors, and 20+ free concerts, this weekend was a hit.
I spent the majority of the weekend at the main stage discovering incredible new bands and artists. It was great to see such women-forward performances, as it really reinforced the meaning of the festival: celebrating women who are absolutely killing it in their field.
Saturday kicked off with great energy from artists including The Band Monarch, a folk-rock band based in Virginia Beach. I was happy to see a few local acts in the mix, kudos to the Super Girl team. Anora and HIRIE played great sets as well, bringing out the beach vibes with their unique reggae-pop sound. The first night rounded out with performances from Collie Buddz and Gym Class Heroes. By the time the sun was setting, the crowd had grown and anticipation was buzzing. Gym Class Heroes ended the night with a mix of nostalgic hits and newer songs that kept the energy high through the whole set. Frontman Travie McCoy even had the crowd doing the two-step, working the stage well after a day of beachfront activities.
Sunday brought a different energy to the festival, with acts like Flailing Idiot, Hello Sister, and Hannah Wicklund starting the day off. Flailing Idiot is an all-girl pop-punk trio from San Diego with an insane stage presence. They are so fun to see live, and at such a young age, they have serious potential for their careers in the industry. Another high-energy set followed from Hello Sister, and as the name suggests, they are actually sisters. They have a great tracklist and were among my favorite performances of the weekend. As if the lineup wasn’t already great, Hannah Wicklund kept the momentum going with her uniquely bold sound. If you haven’t heard these three names yet, do yourself a favor and give them a listen.
B.o.B and Lupe Fiasco closed out Sunday night with a big, multigenerational crowd that seemed to know the words to every song. B.o.B started his set off strongly, stepping offstage into the VIP pit right against the barricade. Lupe Fiasco had great interactions as well, bringing a fan onstage to go bar-for-bar. These were two sets that had you questioning what year it was; lots of household-name throwbacks had the crowd moving.
Labor Day itself brought us to the final lineup of stellar performances. Platinum Moon took the stage midday with an attention-grabbing, gritty rock sound. Switching to a more Gen Z, pop mood, McKenzi Brooke put on a great show with her magnetic presence onstage. Between the catchy music and fun choreography, it was hard to stand still. Bryce Vine was the last set I caught before wrapping up the weekend, although Switchfoot officially closed out the night. Vine's performance was amazing, bringing in the younger crowd with songs like "La La Land" and "Sour Patch Kids." This was definitely a hit with the Virginia Beach crowd. Whether it was at the main stage or farther down the beach, people were singing along and vibing with the music.
Super Girl brought the heat to the Oceanfront just in time to close out the summer right. After speaking with some of the staff on-site, it sounds like they're hoping to be back next year, which is great news. If you get the chance to catch this festival series at any of its stops, you'll find a weekend full of fun. There's something for everybody here, and so much more to experience beyond the musical performances.
You can find information on all of the Super Girl Pro Festival stops and locations at https://supergirlpro.com/
photos by Mack
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