The 6th annual California Roots Music and Arts Festival will take place at the historic Monterey County Fair & Event Center from May 22-24, 2015. The top tier national festival has become the premier gathering for the progressive US Reggae and positive roots movement, bringing in over 40,000 fans to the bay area over the Memorial Day weekend.
The 2014 edition was a landmark year for the California Roots brand by breaking record attendance and expanding the festival into the legendary “Bowl Stage” to accommodate the growth. An economic impact report by research and consulting firm Beacon Economics calculated that the festival brings in an impressive $12.1 million to Monterey County’s economy. National media outlets featured the event including The Wall Street Journal, Billboard, and Pollstar, while the San Francisco Chronicle and Large Up highlighted it in their summer festival picks. View the festival recap here: http://youtu.be/wLkSMZHqyLo
Headlining 2015’s California Roots Music and Arts Festival will be SOJA, The Roots, Michael Franti and Spearhead, and Slightly Stoopid, amongst 34 others. The festival will also feature other notable artists from the reggae, hip-hop, and blues genres delivering a blend of good vibes and positive roots music. Among the lineup comprising 39 artists, the festival will include Jamaican reggae breakout Chronixx, Los Angeles hip hop group Dilated Peoples, reggae-rock band Dirty Heads, and multi-platinum hip hop group Cypress Hill.
The full lineup includes:
Friday, May 22nd
- SOJA
- JOHN BUTLER TRIO
- STEEL PULSE
- NAHKO AND MEDICINE FOR THE PEOPLE
- TREVOR HALL
- DILATED PEOPLES
- GIANT PANDA GUERILLA DUB SQUAD
- BLUE KING BROWN
- THE SUPERVILLAINS
- DUSTIN THOMAS
- JON WAYNE AND THE PAIN
- LEILANI WOLFGRAMM
- SUN DRIED VIBES
Saturday, May 23rd
- THE ROOTS
- MICHAEL FRANTI AND SPEARHEAD
- DIRTY HEADS
- COLLIE BUDDZ
- CHRONIXX
- JOHN BROWN'S BODY
- THE SKINTS
- MIKE LOVE
- ETHAN TUCKER BAND
- BEEBS AND HER MONEY MAKERS
- SOUL MAJESTIC
- ARISE ROOTS
- KBONG
Sunday, May 24th
- SLIGHTLY STOOPID
- IRATION
- CYPRESS HILL
- TRIBAL SEEDS
- G-LOVE & SPECIAL SAUCE
- COMMON KINGS
- FISHBONE
- FORTUNATE YOUTH
- PACIFIC DUB
- CAS HALEY
- FEAR NUTTIN BAND
- E.N YOUNG
- ANIMO
“We are thrilled and humbled about the success of the California Roots brand, but we have just touched the surface on how we are going to grow and expand. One of our goals is to continue to innovate and bring fresh takes on the music festival experience. We take pride in presenting an eclectic mix of expected and unexpected artists to 2015’s festival,” says Festival CoProducer Dan Sheehan. “The ability to bring back essential artists to our festival, but at the same time continue to add sensational and relevant artist to the ‘roots’ movement goes to show how far and wide our musical and artistic communities reach. Being able to book top tier reggae, hip hop and blues artists all under the unifying term of ‘roots’ music proves that the California Roots movement has no boundaries.”
For more than a decade, U.S. Reggae artists have been organically building a solid foundation from the Hawaiian Islands to the west and east coasts. This new generation of Reggae artists continue to reach new heights of success through prolific music releases, relentless touring, and collaboration. The budding American scene will make you sit up and take note with impressive album sales, sold out shows in top tier venues and savvy social media skills. The California Roots Music and Arts Festival was the first major event to take these likeminded artists and showcase them in a festival setting. The US scene is so impressive it has made Jamaican and Caribbean artists take note with more frequent collaborations in the studio and stages. 2014’s headliners included Steel Pulse, Damian Marley, and Ziggy Marley, proving that the ‘California Roots’ stretch far past the state’s border uniting kindred spirits worldwide.
FESTIVAL DETAILS
The 6th Annual California Roots Music and Arts Festival
Dates: Friday, May 22, 2015 – Sunday May 24, 2015
Time: 10:00 am – 11 pm PDT
Venue: Monterey County Fair & Event Center
Address: 2004 Fairground Road, Monterey, CA 93940
Admission: Varies (Purchase Link: http://bit.ly/crf2015)
Age restrictions: All Ages
