Ever have that feeling when you go to a music festival and it feels as if there’s just not enough time in the day? That’s exactly how I felt when I attended this year’s BottleRock Napa Valley Music Festival this past Memorial Day weekend. Attending only one day out of all three is not enough. However, I’m just glad I caught some amazing acts while I was there.
Panic is Perfect – 12:15PM @ Jam Cellars Stage
Panic is Perfect opened up the day on the main stage for all festival goers, hours before Florence + The Machine or The Struts. To my surprise, these guys were from San Francisco. I’m a sucker and huge supporter for local talent! The day hadn’t even fully started and the festival already introduced me to new music I otherwise would have never known about. In fact, “Go Go Go” has been marked as one of my songs of the summer for this year.
The Struts – 2:45PM @ Jam Cellars Stage
In all honesty, I have not heard a single track from The Struts before that day but damn they turned me into a fan. Lead singer Luke Spiller is a complete scene stealer. I was automatically hooked with his Mick Jagger vibes and his epic stage presence. How can you not be? Aside from Panic is Perfect, The Struts turned out to be one of the best hidden gems to take away from BottleRock.
Walk The Moon – 4:15PM @ Jam Cellars Stage
Walk the Moon absolutely killed it! As they should since this was their official last night of the ‘Talking is Hard’ tour. Walk The Moon is known to always put on one hell of a show and with their hit “Shut Up and Dance”… You were more than tempted to get in on the action even if you have zero dance experience. Their high energy bounced off into the crowd.
Ziggy Marley – 6PM @ Midway Stage
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I caught a snippet of Ziggy’s set as I was making my way through the festival. It was pretty much the perfect soundtrack to transition into the evening with the sunset as an accompanying background. Hundreds of people crowded the stage swaying, bopping their heads and waving their hands in support of the artist.
Alina Baraz – 7:30PM @ Lagunitas Stage
Alina Baraz was a last minute find when I was streaming BottleRock’s Spotify playlist in preparation for the festival. “Fantasy” was the track that pretty much convinced me to make it my goal for that day to see her live. Although her set started about twenty minutes later than expected while I was running around to see if I’ve gotten the stage wrong, it was worth it to stick around. She performed on one of the smaller stages and although Alina is not well known just yet, she made a memorable first impression for new listeners.
Florence + The Machine – 8:15PM @ Jam Cellars Stage
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As this was my first time to witness Florence + The Machine in concert, I had no what idea to expect. My jaw dropped pretty much 80% of the set I was able to catch. Frontwoman Florence Welch strutted the stage in her lime green flowy jumpsuit and barefoot. She completely embraced her whole performance. She’s literally an angel. You can just tell by her set that Welch is a full on advocate for love and equality. During the middle of her performance, she instructed everyone to hold onto a complete stranger. While some people might have screamed gross or stranger danger, you couldn’t resist getting caught up with the commotion and do what she says. It was the perfect way to end the night. Good vibes all around.
There are a few more acts and stages I wish I got to stick around to see but again, there is just not enough time in the day to see it all. BottleRock Napa Valley’s fourth year had an astounding lineup leaving music lovers anticipating for next year!
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