You might not be able to tell by the weather, at least in Napa today, but it’s almost summer! Memorial Day Weekend marks the unofficial start of summer and the arrival of BottleRock Napa Valley’s 10th festival! The day started out pretty chilly, which had me worried that the weekend might be colder than I’d hoped for a festival weekend, but thankfully it eventually warmed up to a nice breezy, sunny day.
For this first day of the festival, I arrived just as the gates were opening so I could get to the Truly stage in time for local rock outfit The Band High Noon for a nice little full-circle moment. The band’s lead guitarist, Ian White, was my editor when I wrote for Napa Valley Life Magazine. To discover that he’s in a new band and that they’re playing BottleRock, I knew I had to get there to check them out. My favorites from their set included a song about leaving California (“Preacher Man”), “Ghost,” and “Dawn,” their current single from their newly-released EP Swell. I enjoyed their set and look forward to hearing more from this band in the future!
Up next was Jean Dawson, who I’ve seen classified as “experimental pop.” Despite having heard his single “SICK OF IT*” I wasn’t sure just what to expect. When Dawson took the stage in a bomber jacket and kilt over jeans, I smiled – certainly, this man isn’t afraid to be just exactly who he is. During the first few songs of his set, he was experiencing significant technical difficulties, but by song three, he finally had a microphone that was working as expected. At any rate, I can say this much: I’m not sure what to make of Dawson yet, but given the personality he conveys onstage and in general, I’ll give it some time and see what becomes of him. So far, I like what I’ve heard, and I get the impression that he’s not afraid to push the envelope, which speaks to massive potential in my mind. I’ll be keeping an ear out for more before I make up my mind.
With a bit of time to myself before the next band I wanted to see, I spent some time wandering around, looking at all the insane food options. Eventually, I settled on sliders with bacon and gorgonzola cheese sauce from Me So Hungry Too and a lemonade from a nearby unbranded booth. Later, I hit up the always amazing Humphry Slocombe for a scoop each of malted milk chocolate and cherry elderflower – which were beyond delicious together!
Before long, it was time to head to another stage for Bastille, which is one of the bands I most wanted to see today. I’m happy to say that they did not disappoint! Frontman Dan Smith’s voice is even more lovely in person than I’ve heard when it’s recorded – he’s got quite a range and a beautiful vibrato. (Also, you know how so many people say no one sings with an accent? Smith sings in his natural British accent, and I think it sounds great.) Anyway, favorites from Bastille’s set included “Survivin’,” “Quarter Past Midnight,” “Happier,” and their fun cover of TLC’s “No Scrubs.”
Next came Phantogram, which turned out to be a fun surprise. I’m familiar with at least a single or two of theirs but don’t really consider myself a fan or even someone who knows their music. Female lead singer Sarah Barthel has some fantastic energy; it doesn’t hurt that she’s also stunning. The crowd was really eating up her sexy, fun energy, and it wasn’t hard to see why.
I made my way across the festival to see KennyHoopla next, whose energy was bananas. I really enjoyed his alt/indie rock vibe. Undeterred by not getting to hear either of the two songs I know from this artist, I bopped around to the music with the rest of the crowd for as long as I could, and I’ll be looking for my chance to see a headlining set soon!
Somehow it was already time for Smashing Pumpkins. This band calls strong high school memories to mind, but I had never seen them live before. While over the years I’ve enjoyed the band less than I used to, they’re still absolutely iconic, and I particularly loved hearing “Bullet with Butterfly Wings,” “Today,” and a cover of Talking Heads’ “Once in a Lifetime.” Later in the set, I was happy to hear “Tonight, Tonight” and “1979” as well. Overall, it was fun to see them in action and to cross a legendary band off my bucket list!
I would have liked to have watched more Smashing Pumpkins, but the time had come for me to get myself back over to the main JaM Cellars stage in time for Post Malone (who reminds me of my time at another high school, except by that point I was a school therapist and no longer a student). However, I was not at all prepared for this guy’s stage presence. He makes an effort to connect with fans as soon as he steps on the stage, and I really appreciate that. Not only did I see him stop to blow a kiss to a woman with a pizza box turned sign handwritten for him, but twice I realized he was stopping directly in front of my camera so I could get shots of him – what a guy! His energy is phenomenal, and I didn’t know he could dance like that either – Post has got the moves! My favorites from his set were “I Like You (A Happier Song),” “Better Now,” “Circles,” and “Stay,” during which he let a fan play the guitar for him. Post was a treat and one I’ll remember to catch again in the future.
Finally, I made my way across the Expo grounds to the Allianz stage for War. I grew up on a lot of 70s bands, and I was excited to check this one out live before calling it a wrap on Day 1. Right away, I was hyped by the tightness of this band – sure, they’ve had 50+ years of practice playing together, but that’s absolutely evident, as they sound fantastic live. I enjoyed “The Cisco Kid” the most, but I have to say that “Spill the Wine” is just too good for a Napa Valley festival. All in all, War was a great band to end my first day with, and I headed home tired but satisfied. I’ll be back tomorrow to do it all over again, so stay tuned for Day 2 and Day 3!
