Last September, everything seemed to be going somewhat well (at least compared to now). One of the best things to happen was that after years of squabbling, The Fugees were finally putting their differences aside not just for a one-off, but for an entire tour commemorating the 25th anniversary of The Score. The trio even played a show in New York (where they showed up three hours late, but hey, who’s counting?). We had our doubts that the good times were gonna keep going, but the Fugees’ first show since 2005 was great and made our list of the best shows of 2021.

However, since we can’t have good things, the Fugees reunion tour disintegrated in January with a ho-hum announcement blaming it on COVID cases spiking (though it was reported ticket sales weren’t so hot). So, they went back at it on their own.

But on Friday night at Essence Festival in New Orleans, there was some good news to report. About a half-hour into Wyclef Jean’s set, Ms. Lauryn Hill showed up to perform a slew of Fugees songs including “Killing Me Softly,” “How Many Mics,” “Fu-Gee-La,” and “Ready or Not.” For those hoping that Pras would show up, well, sorry! He wasn’t there. However, two out of three ain’t bad, right?

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Essence Fest runs through the weekend.

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