Sarah WallockBottleRock Festival. Wine country, legendary artists, incredible food and unique drinks, and the first weekend of summer. What more could you ask for? BottleRock Festival is an annual music festival in Napa Valley, which happens each Memorial Day Weekend (May 25-27). Past headliners have included: OutKast, Foster the People, Imagine Dragons, Foo Fighters, Bruno Mars, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica… the list goes on.
Getting a Day-Pass For BottleRock
Since going to Coachella in 2014, I’ve wanted to see what BottleRock has to offer. A few months back, I managed to grab day passes for Saturday. I would’ve loved to attend the entire weekend, but 3-day passes were sold out.
The Game Plan
The #1 band we wanted to see was Rainbow Kitten Surprise, so we filled in the gaps around that performance. First, Nick and I hopped between the Chelsea Effect and Motherfolk. Both had a chill energy and were a good start to the day. Then The Suffers were easily the best new band we watched of the day. By new band, I mean, new to us. The lead singer, jumped across the stage with vibrance, enthusiasm and joy. It was an absolute party at the main stage at 2pm under the hot sun. She matched the strength of her 7-piece band behind her and we could’ve listened to them all afternoon.
We headed straight to Gerard’s Paella for lunch. Something about it just called out to us. Luckily, I followed the instructions from my BottleRock wristband and received $10 for linking it to my Venmo account. Free money is always a great way to start the day! Then we enjoyed drinks from the bar to cool off. Nick had a Hazy and I went for a gin, aloe and honeydew cocktail.
The Afternoon Highlights
Next, we caught the end of the Silversun Pickups’ set and Noah Kahan’s. Finally, we made our way back to the main stage to camp out for the duration of Rainbow Kitten Surprise’s set. It seemed like everyone else had the same idea! The crowd was bumping, singing, and dancing along to some of the band’s more popular hits and they put on an incredible show.
Following that, we hung around the Verizon Stage for BANKS. Her act was the most alternative and dark of the day, but her strong voice and intriguing dancers brought her performance to life.
In the late afternoon, we grabbed ice cream from the famous Humphry Slocombe. It was smooth, delicious and worth the long wait. For dinner, Nick tried the famous LA Pizzeria pepperoni pizza and I got Korean BBQ tacos. We washed it down with a Strawberry Agua Fresca from a Mexican spot and waffle fries from the Best Food Truck Ever. Now, we were reenergized and ready for the headliners.
The Legendary Headliners
And last, but certainly not least, was Mount Westmore. Mount Westmore is a new group showcasing the founding fathers of West Coast rap: E-40, Too $hort, Ice Cube and of course, Snoop Dog. This was sure to be an unforgettable show. It was one of their first performances ever as a new group. All four men shook the stage and had tens of thousands of people dancing, jumping, screaming, singing, and smiling. With a sprinkling of new music and a lot of 90’s classics, it was an iconic scene. Between the cancelation of events for over 2 years because of Covid and the fame of these Californian rappers, the festival was alive with giddiness and liberation.
The Consensus
BottleRock Festival was one for the books. I would most definitely go again, but next time for all 3 days. Going for just one day was upbeat and fun, but I left wanting more!
