You’re reading Day 2 – be sure to check out what you missed on Day 1!
The start of my BottleRock Napa Valley Saturday found me at the Truly stage for OTTTO, a young band with “roots in thrash, funk, and metal.” Bassist Tye Trujillo always draws a big crowd, and while this year I only just learned he had moved on from his former band and joined a new one, I knew better than to miss whatever band he’s currently playing with. I enjoyed OTTTO’s set and even stopped to take a short video of the kids moshing in front of the stage, which was fun just to witness. I’ll be keeping an eye (and both ears) out for more from this band – they were awesome!
Before any more music, I needed to stop for a snack. I picked up a blueberry “smashed lemonade” from the Izzy’s Cheesesteaks truck and then opted for an order of classic poutine from Poutine Brothers. The two together were *chef’s kiss* perfect!
Later, I headed back to the Truly stage for The Happy Fits, a band I know from their 2020 song “Hold Me Down.” They’re an indie pop-rock band with a cello, and I was so excited to check them out. Not only did their energy and sound not disappoint, it was also fun to see them relish a crowd of the “most people we’ve ever played for!” This is a band I’m excited to hear (and see) more from – they were solid, energetic, and over-the-top entertaining.
Next up was Silversun Pickups at the Verizon stage. I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know nearly as much about this band or their music as I probably “should,” so I was excited to finally experience them live. They have a great “vibe” on-stage, and the crowd was eating them up right off the bat. I particularly enjoyed “Doesn’t Matter Why,” which may or may not be about the interesting dynamic of a relationship between fan and band. At any rate, I had a hard time taking my eyes off the fabulous lady bassist Nikki Monninger, who is equal parts fun, badass bass, and firecracker: I took so many pictures of her jumping up and down while jamming! Frontman Brian Aubert’s vocals upped the ante, and I thoroughly enjoyed their set. I often say that a band that’s better live is the cream of the crop, and that absolutely proved true with Silversun Pickups!
Not long after, I was over at the JaM Cellars stage for the first time all day getting ready to enjoy The Black Crowes. As soon as they took the stage, I noted the impeccable style of the band members – they were sharply dressed and clearly had brought their A game! Like many bands that play BRNV, the Black Crowes are no spring chickens, but rock like they’re still teenagers, somehow. Highlights from their set included “Twice as Hard” and especially “Hard to Handle.” I was really hoping to hear “She Talks to Angels,” but either they didn’t play it, or they did but it was while we were being escorted from the photo pit back to the media lounge and I missed it. Either way, their set was so much fun, I almost didn’t notice not hearing it anyway.
As the day wore on and the sun sunk closer to the horizon, I was anxiously looking forward to tonight’s headliner: twenty-one pilots. Before this weekend, I’d only ever seen this band once, almost a decade ago. I mention this because I happened to arrive late to that particular show, and neither I nor my editor (who happened to be my +1 that night) knew who was playing before PANIC! but when we got in, we were both instantly impressed with their sound right away. Their set was so fantastic that I knew we’d hear more from them in the future. I’ve never forgotten how sure I was about that.
Fast forward to now – they’ve had tons of success and absolutely exploded, just as predicted. I couldn’t believe that I knew song after song, and most of them were those I’d enjoyed over the years. Some favorites from their set included their breakout hit “Stressed Out,” as well as “Heathens,” “Jumpsuit,” and “heavydirtysoul.”
This band may be only two dudes, but what they “lack” in manpower they more than make up for in both energy and talent, and I left the day nearly as impressed as I’d been the first time I saw them long ago. I think I saw both drummer Josh Dun and frontman/pianist Tyler Joseph do flips on-stage at least once in the almost two hours they performed. Also, they did a little medley of some great covers that I have to mention, including “Benny & the Jets,” “I Can See Clearly Now” (with an accordion), and “Kiss from a Rose.” They were so much fun!
I’m so happy to see how successful this band has become, and I think they really deserve all of it and their Grammy award, too. Best of all, they ended right on time and I was able to quickly dart out among the crowd to where I had a ride waiting. I made it home with dinner by 10pm and was so happy to be in bed at a decent hour, since I still have one more day to do it all over again…
Stay tuned for Day 3!
