{"id":12486,"date":"2023-06-04T15:01:50","date_gmt":"2023-06-04T22:01:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=12486"},"modified":"2023-08-13T15:24:33","modified_gmt":"2023-08-13T22:24:33","slug":"bottlerock-music-festival-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=12486","title":{"rendered":"BottleRock Music Festival 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Napa Valley\u2019s Three-Day Event Sets the Stage Ablaze with Great Music<\/h3>\n

To paraphrase Smashing Pumpkins\u2019 frontman Billy Corrigan, BottleRock is most definitely a top-shelf music festival. Yes, the crowds at this annual Memorial Day weekend extravaganza are massive \u2014 more than 40,000 people per day invaded the Napa Valley Expo May 26-28 (that\u2019s close to half the population of Santa Barbara to give you some scale) \u2014 but the talent on stage is equally massive.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a recap.<\/p>\n

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Lizzo | Photo: Nicolita Bradley for BottleRock Napa Valley<\/p><\/div>\n

Day 1<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first day\u2019s headliners included the aforementioned Corrigan and the Smashing Pumpkins, who gave a full throttle, pedal-to-the-metal, balls-to-the-wall, pulse-quickening performance that most 50-somethings can only dream of pulling off, featuring a playlist of mostly old favorites like \u201c1979,\u201d \u201cBullet with Butterfly Wings,\u201d and \u201cSilverfuck,\u201d as well as newer songs like \u201cEmpires,\u201d from the 2022 album\u00a0ATUM-Act I & II.\u00a0<\/em>One of many highlights: an amusing cover of the Talking Heads\u2019 \u201cOnce in a Lifetime\u201d that sounded nothing like David Byrne.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Also on the bill that same night (and unfortunately at the same time) was Post Malone, who my friend Misty (and many others) ranked as one of the top shows of the weekend. Sadly I missed out on Posty, but the Pumpkins were worth it in my book.<\/p>\n

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Smashing Pumpkins | Quinn Tucker for BottleRock Napa Valley<\/p><\/div>\n

Another highlight from day one was Bastille, an indie British band whose strong lead vocalist Dan Smith added the beautiful voice of backing vocalist Bim Amoako to the mix for extra oomph. They made an excellent pair, and she even took on lead vocal duties on a cheeky cover of TLC\u2019s \u201cNo Scrubs\u201d \u2014\u00a0quite a departure from Bastille\u2019s sad\/happy songs like \u201cGood Grief,\u201d Pompeii,\u201d and \u201cThings We Lost in the Fire.\u201d<\/p>\n

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BottleRock 2016 | Credit: Wikipedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n

I also really enjoyed a set by Jean Dawson, who brought a super random juxtaposition of sweetness and scary to the stage. He looked like a full gangsta-rapper-style dude with a grill, bandana, etc., and then played in front of videos of Teletubbies. He even pulled a little girl (maybe 12 years old) up on stage with him to sing along and play the maracas for a while. This is the kind of thing you (or at I) only get at festivals, and it\u2019s so much fun to see what surprises are in store from stage to stage.<\/p>\n

There were 22 bands in all that day, including S.B. Bowl favorite Billy Strings, Thievery Corporation, Peter Cat Recording Co., The Airborne Toxic Event, Phantogram, Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs, War, and The Stone Foxes, among others.<\/p>\n

Day 2<\/strong><\/p>\n

As I wrote earlier,\u00a0they had me at Lizzo<\/a>. She\u2019s an incredible performer and her show was the absolute highlight of BottleRock for me. She owned that crowd from the moment she strutted on stage in her black leather catsuit with the curve-emphasizing green lace-up accents \u2014\u00a0joined by a fabulous five-piece, all-female band, three backup vocalists, and nine backup dancers she calls the Big Grrrls \u2014 she performed her long list of hits, including \u201cAbout Damn Time,\u201d \u201cJuice,\u201d and \u201cTruth Hurts,\u201d along with a terrific cover of Chaka Khan\u2019s \u201cI\u2019m Every Woman.\u201d I heard she played Tina Turner\u2019s \u201cProud Mary\u201d a couple days before in Phoenix, so I was hoping she would do a repeat of the song in honor of the late performer, but sadly she didn\u2019t, which was probably my only disappointment in a truly stellar evening.<\/p>\n

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Lizzo | Michael Drummond for BottleRock Napa Valley<\/p><\/div>\n

Lizzo is such a natural born superstar \u2014 she oozes so much charisma and talent, but is also so authentically herself \u2014 not to mention her unapologetic self love and sex positivity, that her joyful performance was something that truly transcended her show into a completely different realm than a typical concert. I got a little teary watching a trans teenager and their two moms dancing it out to Lizzo\u2019s show together. She\u2019s just that kind of an amazing performer, and it was just that kind of a night.<\/p>\n

That day wasn\u2019t too shabby either. While we missed Duran Duran playing on a competing stage (there were 27 bands playing that day), I was able to catch Leon Bridges, Lupe Fiasco, and Carly Rae Jepson on Saturday. I also saw Dogstar, Keanu Reeves and his band of buddies who were adorable and sounded like, well, Keanu Reeves and his band of buddies.<\/p>\n

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Paris Jackson | Mila Birtcher for BottleRock Napa Valley<\/p><\/div>\n

Among my other highlights of Saturday was an opportunity to hang out at the JaMPad, a special club-like venue from JaM Cellars, the winery who is the main sponsor of the event. I sat about six feet away from singer Paris Jackson (daughter of Michael Jackson), who did a short, angsty, coffeehouse-girl-and-her-guitar set, and then was completely blown away by Mac Saturn, a Detroit-based band with some 70s Rolling Stones meets Greta Van Fleet vibes. They are currently opening on tour for the Struts (who had a fun mainstage set on Sunday) but I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if we start hearing about Mac Saturn headlining shows on their own soon. I was tempted to text\u00a0Moss Jacobs<\/a>\u00a0myself, but I figured they\u2019re probably already on his radar.<\/p>\n

Day 3<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Keanu Reeves in Dogstar | Photo: Priscilla Rodriguez for BottleRock Napa Valley<\/p><\/div>\n

Another embarrassment of riches. In terms of the headliners, I recently saw\u00a0Los Lobos\u00a0<\/a>at the Lobero, so although I love the wolves, I decided to check out the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and damned if they aren\u2019t still smoking! I\u2019m always a little worried they won\u2019t live up to their past glory when I see my old favorite bands from my younger days, but the Chili Peppers are still one of the most exciting live bands that I\u2019ve ever seen, running and bouncing all over the stage like guys half their age.<\/p>\n

Anthony Kiedis looked a little like Spock with short black hair and a day-glow green tunic top, but his voice, enthusiasm and pure star quality were just as sexy and appealing as ever. And Flea, on bass, is still an acrobatic wildman up there, backed by Chad Smith on drums and John Frusciante as fabulous as ever on the guitar. They did an awesome set that included \u201cAround the World,\u201d \u201cSnow (Hey Oh),\u201d \u201cBlack Summer,\u201d \u201cCalifornication,\u201d \u201cGive it Away,\u201d and my personal favorite, \u201cUnder the Bridge.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Welcome to BottleRock | Photo: Zak Klobucher<\/p><\/div>\n

Because of the time conflict with the Chili Peppers, I was only able to catch a few Lil\u2019 Nas X songs, but boy does he make a sassy, spicy, show-stopping first impression. Between the sexy, scantily clad costumes and dancers, and the fun meshing of hip-hop, pop, and country music, he\u2019s definitely a performer I want to see again.<\/p>\n

Other day three highlights for me were Sheryl Crow, whose well-earned Wonder Woman t-shirt got a workout as the tiny dynamo with the big pipes sang and strummed her way through almost all of her classics, including \u201cStrong Enough,\u201d \u201cAll I Wanna Do,\u201d \u201cMy Favorite Mistake,\u201d and \u201cSoak Up the Sun.\u201d<\/p>\n

With 74 bands in total to choose from over the three-day weekend, I could have easily created a completely different and still enjoyable playlist, as I\u2019m sure many others did. There were so many aura delights to be found that despite listening to music from noon until after 10 p.m. each day, I still barely scratched the surface.<\/p>\n

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The Spa at BottleRock | Photo: Zak Klobucher<\/p><\/div>\n

The Rest of the Fest<\/strong><\/p>\n

That being said, I would be remiss in not reporting at least a little about the bounty of food and drink at BottleRock. We were in Napa Valley after all, and the many fabulous wineries pouring included title sponsor JaM Cellars, as well as Caymus Vineyards, The Duckhorn Portfolio, Miner Family Winery, Emmolo Wines, Schramsberg Vineyards, Silverado Vineyards, Mumm Napa, Robledo Family Winery, ACUMEN, Anarchist Wine Co., Oberon Wines and Art House Wines. There were also more than 40 different beers on tap, and loads of artisanal cocktails made with top-shelf spirits including Ketel One Vodka, Don Julio Tequila, Hendrick\u2019s Gin, Aperol, Monkey Shoulder Scotch Whisky, Bulleit Bourbon, Captain Morgan, and Baileys Irish Cream \u2014\u00a0all of whom had cleverly themed and sometimes quite elaborate booths to visit. On the non-alcoholic side, Liquid Death (a hip canned water brand) had its own club, complete with a D.J. and dance floor, Tarot Card readings, tattoos, and other fun accouterments.<\/p>\n

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Soaking up the sun with Sheryl Crow at BottleRock Napa | Photo: Zak Klobucher<\/p><\/div>\n

The food itself was also really good, with big name restaurants like Morimoto Asia, La Toque, Goose & Gander, Nash & Proper, and about 40 more serving up incredible fare.<\/p>\n

Another highlight for me was the Williams Sonoma Culinary stage, which brought out celebrity chefs and celebrities together to cook on the spot. Cooking bigwigs like Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s, Giada De Laurentiis, Aar\u00f3n S\u00e1nchez, and the Voltaggio Brothers\u00a0 were joined by musicians Lil Nas X, John Taylor & Roger Taylor of Duran Duran, Wu-Tang Clan, Sammy Hagar, Bastille, Tr\u00e9 Cool of Green Day, Dogstar featuring Bret Domrose, Robert Mailhouse & Keanu Reeves, and Dancer Derek Hough, among others. If the music itself wasn\u2019t so tasty, I definitely would have spent a lot more time at the culinary stage.<\/p>\n

The Wrap<\/strong><\/p>\n

BottleRock music festival was a sensory feast of sights and sounds, fun and festivities. It\u2019s truly an adrenaline-fueled rush of entertainment of the highest order. The crowds were friendly and mostly very well behaved \u2014 there was grass all over the place rather than the dusty fields of many festivals \u2014 and the food and the wine were top notch. It really is a first class festival experience. That being said, the whole event was still tempered by the unavoidable inconveniences of being surrounded by so much humanity.<\/p>\n

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Keanu Reeves in Dogstar | Photo: Nicolita Bradley for BottleRock Napa Valley<\/p><\/div>\n

Am I too old for this stuff was a question I asked both before, during, and after the festival. My conclusion: not quite. Being able to watch so many incredible artists in one place in just a few days is worth all of the inconveniences \u2014 but I definitely had to hang up my tiara in order to really enjoy it all to the fullest!<\/p>\n

Tickets are now on pre-sale for next year\u2019s BottleRock, which takes place May 24-26, 2024. Click\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0to access the information.<\/p>\n

This story originally appeared in the Santa Barbara Independent<\/em><\/a> on June 3, 2023.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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