A warm breeze and hazy sky helped set the stage May 30 at Kanawha Plaza for the kickoff of the 14th annual Fridays at Sunset International Music Festival.

As director of events for the 13-concert outdoor series, Sherrie Thomas provides music lovers with an eclectic selection of jazz, hip-hop, gospel, R&B, reggae and neo-soul.

Haitian-born Grammy winner and social activist Wyclef Jean was this season's first guest artist. KJ of KISS-FM radio hosted the concert, which opened with SEE I, a reggae group from Washington.

The crowd was mostly adults, with a sprinkling of children. Food and beverages were available from vendors. Finger-licking ribs, crispy chicken and fries complemented the evening's laid-back mood.

By the time Jean took the stage at 8:30, the audience of 1,500 was fueled and ready to rock.

Sharing some tasty ribs with friend Patricia General, music lover Nathan Doctry commented enthusiastically: "Wyclef is the bomb . . . he's sak passe - Creole for 'what's happening.' He's the Bob Marley of his generation . . . we'll go see him anywhere . . . he knows how to get the crowd going better than anyone I know."

True to those words, the moment he took the stage Jean had his fans on their feet, swinging and swaying and singing along.

The star was joined by his sister, Melky Jean, and the team's high-energy, 90-minute gig of hip-hop, R&B and reggae music could be heard blocks away.

Kanawha Plaza, at Eighth and Canal streets on the Southern edge of downtown, is easy to access and offers plenty of parking.

Next up are Chrisette Michele and Raheem DeVaughn on Friday. This summer's lineup also includes Nas, Boyz ll Men, Jill Scott and Teena Marie. For more information and tickets, visit www.fridaysatsunset.com.