The Summer Sizzle Series returned to the Palmdale Amphitheater at Marie Kerr Park on Saturday for the second installment of the three-concert series. The series proved to be true to its name, both literally with the 98-degree temperatures, and figuratively with big names like Keith Sweat and Chaka Khan set to light up the venue.

Series promoter and CEO of Wisdom 7 Entertainment Eric Wilson said the first event, featuring The Whispers, Tony! Toni! Tone! and Stephanie Ferret, was very successful. “We had a great crowd. We had about 8,700 (in attendance),” said Wilson. “We’re expecting a little more on this one. I’m looking forward to the turnout and see how it goes from here.”

The Antelope Valley Black Chamber of Commerce had a booth just inside the gates. Chamber member Richard Poston explained, “The chamber was instrumental in trying to help put the concert on… The chamber is here. We’re in the booth to educate the public that we are here to support their businesses, and [educate] some of the other people that don’t know that we (the Antelope Valley Black Chamber of Commerce) exist at all.”

“If you look around, as you walk around today, you’ll see that this concert (series), over the last couple of weeks, has put a lot of African American folk to work,” Poston said. “It is a positive thing for the African American community to have these concerts by Summer Sizzle... Lonnie (Stribling) of Bling 1 Entertainment is the one that’s really making this happen.”

Actor/comedian Faizon Love was emcee for the event. Love’s career covers roles in over 40 films, such as “Meteor Man,” “Bébé’s Kids,” “Friday,” “Couples Retreat,” and most recently, “Big Momma’s: Like Father, Like Son.” While Love’s acting chops may be up to par, his knowledge of his audience was not. His ‘R’-rated language and on-stage antics, peppered with frequent use of the N-word, was suited more for the nightclub than an evening concert. Several audience members had negative comments about Love’s lingo. One couple actually walked out of the concert until Chaka Khan came on.

Unseen DJ Craigy C. had the crowd dancing even before the show started, and kept the audience pumped up between sets as he spun the tunes. Prior to Keith Sweat coming on, even one of the cameramen was caught on the large screen getting his groove on. That fueled the audience to break out into the Electric Slide when the DJ played “Dazz” from Brick. 

Singer Eric Bellinger started things off at 6 p.m. His talents as a singer, songwriter, engineer and producer are known in the U.S. and across the pond in the U.K. Bellinger has music in his blood; his grandfather is Bobby Day, writer of several hits for the Jackson 5 back in the day, such as “Rockin’ Robin” and “Little Bitty Pretty One.”

Interviewed before the show, two of Bellinger’s dancers, Rose and Twy, described him as an R&B singer. “It’s kinda one of those things where you have to be here to see him. He’s amazing! He’s gonna give a blow-out show. He reminds you of the old-school R&B artists.”

However, Bellinger failed to connect with the crowd. His short, 15-minute set, comprised of mainly cover tunes, was panned by the audience. One lady even suggested that had this been the Apollo Theater, the late “Sandman” Sims would’ve come out to get him.

As the sun went down, Keith Sweat took the stage attired in an all-white suit. By this time, the crowd resembled a sea of people. All of the reserved seating chairs were filled and very few if any empty spaces remained on the lawn. Sweat had the crowd on its feet several times during his performance.

Sweat’s fast-paced set included many hits from his 10-album repertoire, including “Make You Sweat,” “I Want Her,” and “Twisted.” A couple of songs into his hour-long set, Sweat removed his jacket, eliciting screams from the ladies in the audience. Interestingly, even though temperatures were still in the 90s, Keith Sweat didn’t break a sweat.

Chaka Khan’s set began with a short instrumental medley of two of her hits. Then Khan walked out wearing blue jeans and an embroidered blue Indian tunic, fanning herself with a black fan.

The 10-time Grammy® winner, who first gained fame with Rufus in the mid-’70s, went all the way back to those days and gave the crowd a heavy dose of her hits. Khan’s set featured timeless hits like “Ain’t Nobody,” “Everlasting Love,” and “What ‘Cha Gonna Do for Me?” Early in the set Khan left no doubt that she can still hit those notes that make her so unique.

When the singer introduced “Angel,” she admitted that she was high when she penned it. During “Through the Fire,” she told the story of how a conversation with her daughter led to her decision to turn her life around. Khan says she’s been sober for seven years now. She gives the honor to God for her transformation. Khan seemed to strike the right balance between confession and preaching, and quickly got back to singing.

As the tempo picked up, the singer gave others a chance to shine. “You Got the Love,” a hit from her early days with Rufus, featured L.A.-based guitarist Yohei Nakamura, who probably wasn’t even born when Khan recorded it. When “Sweet Thing” began, Khan pointed the microphone at the crowd and invited them to sing, which they eagerly did. For an encore, Khan performed what has become an unofficial anthem for ladies everywhere; “I’m Every Woman.”

The final chapter in the 2011 series will be Los Tigres del Norte on Sept. 24th. Plans are already in the works for next year’s series.

For more information, visit www.summersizzleseries.com.