Whether you’re a fan of Reggae, or you’re just here for Cocoa the Tour Dog, Stick Figure has always found a way to keep their fans happy. As one of modern Reggae’s more entertaining bands to see live, they put out an energy that just cannot be replicated.

Stick Figure dropped their newest single, Easy Runaway, just in time to start off the weekend.  Celebrating their current tour, the new single highlights the features we have come to expect from the group.

A transic, up-tempo beat and smooth percussion start the song in classic Stick Figure fashion.  With an aura reminiscent of many songs on their 2015 album Set in Stone, the song immediately grounds loyal fans to the band’s trademark vibe.  The song features humbling lyrics about personal transformation, and the never-ending quest we all are on to become a better person.  “I’m a hundred million miles from where I thought I was, I’m starting to become the person that I knew I could” are lyrics that serve as powerful reminders that we all have room for growth, but to not disregard how far we have all come from who we all used to be.

I choose to interpret this song as a status report to the personal development of the band.  While their journeys have taken them around the world, they still see the room they have to grow, but are not overwhelmed with the pressure to do so too fast.  An interesting introspective on life, and very close to the heart of all that Reggae stands for.

Easy Runaway is an easy listening experience that delivers what it promises, so, like the lyrics go, lets sit back and have a listen.

Stick Figure is currently on tour alongside Twiddle and Iya Terra.  Be sure to get your tickets when they pass through your home town.

1/24 - Delmar Hall - St. Louis, MO
1/25 - Slowdown - Omaha, NE
1/27 - Hangar House - Salt Lake City, UT
1/30 - Knitting Factory - Boise, ID
1/31 - Knitting Factory - Spokane, WA
2/1 - Showbox Sodo - Seattle, WA
2/2 - Roseland Theater - Portland, OR
2/3 - Fox Theater - Oakland, CA
2/7 - Crystal Bay Club - Crystal Bay, NV
2/8 - Fremont Theater - San Luis Obispo, CA
2/9 - Brooklyn Bowl - Las Vegas, NV

We see live music not to hear the same music we can easily hear at home, but to experience something we otherwise never could.  Whether that difference is an artist’s speech, surrounding ourselves with the energy of a positive crowd, or hearing a unique rendition of a song that has never been recorded in a studio, live music gives us something our headphones just can’t, and hometown shows always have a way of giving us just a little bit more.  Saturday, February 3rd Stick Figure performed to a sold-out crowd at Oakland’s Fox Theater.  For Scott Woodruff and his project Stick Figure, they call the Bay Area home, and with friends and family packing the house, phoning it in was just not an option.

Seeing a Reggae band live is an inspiring experience, and the culture it facilitates stays with you long after the show is over.  The crowd is uniquely genuine, and the artists always feed off that energy.  In fact, it is often hard to tell if the audience or the artists are having more fun.  This, coupled with how tight-knit the Reggae community now leads to some incredible onstage antics.  In the case of Saturday night’s show, it led to one of the most fabulous perks of going to a concert, artist collaboration.

When a band invites another musician onstage to perform alongside them, it is a humbling gesture. It shows the artist’s willingness to put their pride aside and take the spotlight off of themselves for the greater good.  The collaborations in this show were numerous and gave introspective to the nature of the show and the mentality of the artist.  TJ O’Neil appearing to play his part in Stick Figure’s hit Weight of Sound, Johnny Cosmic performed alongside Twiddle, and even Cocoa the Tour Dog could be seen onstage with Iya Terra hyping up the crowd as she always does so well.

To close out their set on, well, let’s just say a high note, Stick Figure finished strong with their single Smokin’ Love, complete with guest verses from opening bands’ Twiddle’s Mihali Savoulidis and Iya Terra’s Nathan Feinstein.  To see a headlining act, end a show alongside members of both bands to open the night epitomized what Reggae is.  It is a culture that values the music over self-glorification, and it is a culture proud to call Stick Figure one of our own.  Thank you to Scott Woodruff and Stick figure for representing Bay Area Reggae so well, and for showing us all the love you did this weekend in Oakland.

If you would like to read up even more on Stick Figure, check out our review of their newest single Easy Runaway here.

Ten days in a studio in Portland was all it took for Fruition to record their new album Watching It All Fall All Fall Apart, and the passion that drove them to get this album out in such a compact timeframe shows in every track.  In the modern Bluegrass band’s fifth studio album, they focus on the theme of heartbreak, and their experience of moving on after the end of meaningful relationships.  Instead of just focusing on the hurt, this album focuses on every emotion attached to a breakup; fear, anger, regret, and of course, hope.

In the single “I’ll Never Sing your Name,” they give an upbeat interpretation of the phase in a breakup of realizing the other party will no longer be involved in their life and the immediate wave of self-questioning that crashes down after this.  The song itself is the embodiment of the feeling that indubitably inspired the whole album, which is that life after a breakup is one of the hardest stages of life, but the tempo and tone of the song conveys the belief that staying positive and hopeful is the only way to get through it.  All the while, keeping in his mind that, although after a breakup there is always so much left unanswered and so many questions we have on why the relationship has come to the end, he remains confident that “someday the reasons will be clear.”

The track that resonated with me the most, “FOMO” is a song written for the new generation.  The heavily lyrically motivated song is nothing if not accurate social commentary on how jaded one can become with superficiality and life without deeper purpose.  Opening with the line “There’s wasted white girl in the basement, what am I doing here at all?” it offers in-depth commentary on an idea that everyone has most likely had at one time or another in their lives, that in 2018, the current youth have become shallow and the culture they promote is not as fulfilling as it is made out to be.  The song ends with the repletion of the line “You ain’t missing out on nothing.” Reminding listeners that there is so much more to life than being a part of something simply due to the fear of missing out.

Watching It All Fall Apart is music for a new age. It is an album created to make one think, and it is a soundtrack for self-reflection.  Whether you are listening to the album to help with a difficult time in your own life, or if you’re just listening for the smooth flow and pensive lyrics, Watching It All Fall Apart is an album well worth the time to hear.

One of the most esteemed rappers of this generation, G-Eazy returns home to the San Francisco Bay Area for a two-night installment on his “The Beautiful & Damned Tour.” The Oakland native returns home this week to show love to the city that raised him, and for fans on both sides of the Bay, the curtain call cannot come fast enough. Hometown shows are always special, but for an artist that mentions his hometown in what seems like every other song, G-Eazy’s homecoming promises to be a concert well worth the price of admission.

Proving that his 2015 “Me, Myself & I” was no fluke, Gerald’s latest album “The Beautiful & Damned” is all the proof we need that he is more than a one hit wonder. With millions upon millions of streams across all platforms, it is hard to find a music fan not familiar with his lyrics.

G-Eazy will be performing February 28 th at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, and at Oakland’s Fox Theatre March 1 st . Opening will be Trippie Redd, Phora and Anthony Russo.

Tickets for all of G-Eazy’s upcoming shows can be purchased Here. Don’t miss out on your chance to catch this artist as he stops by your home town.

The city of Oakland has an extensive pedigree of rappers to begin their career within its borders. From E-40 to Del the Funky Homosapien, the East Bay has long since held their rap community to nothing but the highest of standards. For Oakland native G-Eazy, his first show home since releasing his latest album was deeply personal, and an experience he repeatedly told the audience was the best night of his life. Thursday, March 1st, G-Eazy gave a show that blew away the crowd at his hometown’s Fox Theatre. As the line stretched several blocks from the venue, and fans waited for hours to see the man in person, it was clear that the Bay has as much love for him as he has for it.

His performance this night more than lived up to any expectations one could have had. As the lights dimmed, the stage was cloaked in fog, as Gerald swaggered to the center of the stage, wearing a jacket with the word “beautiful” written in various languages along both sleeves, he looked to the crowd with confidence and started his set with the titular single from his most recent album., “The Beautiful & Damned.” Afterwards exclaiming “I’m home right now, man. We can do this all night long if you want to” to the crowd’s excitement.

With lifelong friends throughout the audience, and his mother watching from the photo pit, this was not a show that would be phoned in. Much to the audience’s excitement, throughout the show G-Eazy invited several staples of modern Bay Area rap to perform alongside him. Among these names were Nef the Pharaoh, and Mistah F.A.B. each performing for one song. In possibly the most unique of these guest performances was that with California rapper Yung Pinch. The two performed a song they had written and has not yet been released. The song that can only be referenced by the auto-tuned chorus of “Why the fuck would I wait?” got the room on their feet, and left many wondering when the two will eventually go the studio with this piece.

As the night was wound down, G-Eazy took a moment to thank the Bay Area for all it has given him. Expressing his gratitude, he confided in the audience that he had in fact even taken Bart to the venue that day. Ending his show with “No Limit” he seemed just as energized as he was nearly two hours before when he began his set. Make no mistake, this was a show inspired by love for one’s hometown and fueled by the love they showed him in return.

Forget the one-man band, Zach Deputy is a one-man orchestra. The Georgia-rooted multi-instrumentalist has devoted his life to the pursuit of musical excellence, and the development of his feel-good funky sound. Saturday, March 3rd, Zach Deputy performed to a full crowd in San Francisco’s Boom Boom Room. By the time the show was set to start, an eccentric crowd of dedicated fans stood close to the stage in anticipation of the upcoming performance. As the voice of God came on through the loudspeaker announcing that the show was starting, the crowd could hardly contain its excitement when the curtain came up to reveal Zach Deputy sitting confidently, large and in charge at his battle station, opening his set with a quick cover of the classic Wu-Tang Clan line “Hey baby I like it raw” and from there, he was off.

Zach Deputy’s performances are less about following a specific set list, and more about keeping a general vibe going and while he performed many of his hits, much of his set that night was improvised. When watching him perform, you can really feel the song build up because he literally creates the song in front of you. With many looping pedals by his feet, several microphones to magnify as well as modify his voice, and computers to control every device, he created every layer of the song separately and put it together in front of the audience, not starting the lyrics to the song until the instrumentals were all put together. It was quite the experience to see, and very similar to how a good EDM artist would put their set together.

Over the course of his set, which lasted more than two hours, the packed house at the Boom Boom Room turned into a live dance floor where everybody was welcome. With music heavily influenced by Funk, Reggae and Calypso, he created an atmosphere where everyone felt welcome. With the clear passion for his talent that he had onstage, it was hard to not feel the same love for the music that Deputy did. A class act all the way, he ended the show with a long thank you to the audience for their energy and for inspiring him to play with his full heart. As he walked off the stage to cheering applause, it was clear that he had given the audience all they had wanted and more.

It’s that time again, folks. The one and only California Roots is coming around again, and this year’s festival promises to be the best one yet. Over just less than a decade, Cali Roots has evolved from a small get together into a family reunion of sorts for Reggae fans from near and far. For so many, Cali Roots is more than three days of Reggae music, it is a small peek into what life can be in a world with a little less animosity, and a little more love. In the festival’s 9th year, they have pulled out all the stops and look truly committed to making this the best Cali Roots yet.

With the lineup this year so full of Reggae powerhouses, I guess you could say The Bowl (stage) is packed with The Green and Chronixx. Fan favorites from last year such as Iration, Rebelution, and Darenots are coming back to give the crowd another taste, while acts like Dispatch and Alpha Blondy are making their Cali Roots debut. With a lineup so full of potential, it can be easy to get lost in all the choices. To help free up your mind during the festival, we at Grateful Web have combed through the lineup and put together a list of the sets we’re most looking forward to at this year’s Cali Roots. We hope you are as excited about this lineup as we are.

Brother Ali:

As a deeply spiritual and devout Muslim, a passionate Social Justice activist, and a general humanitarian, Brother Ali’s music has a way of resonating with audiences around the world. His lyrics are consistently raw and from the heart, and strive to break down boundaries and dissolve animosity across platforms. His energy and passion are sure to be fueled by the aura of Cali Roots, and we are eagerly waiting to see him take the stage.

J Boog:

After earning his most recent Grammy nomination just a few months ago, J Boog’s island sound is riding a wave of success all the way to the mainland. His fanbase has grown from a cult following to a mainstream fascination over the last several years as he has blossomed and truly discovered his sound. J Boog is sure to hype the crowd in Monterey this year.

The Original Wailers:

While nothing can bring back Bob Marley, we do have a chance to see some of the musicians who influenced him the most. Comprised of several members of the same Wailers who helped make Reggae more mainstream and so widely loved, the band has been actively touring recently, and will be stopping by Cali Roots for the last day of the festival. The Original Wailers commitment to remain a relevant and touring band keeps Bob Marley’s flame alive even though no one else can ever fill his shoes.

Stephen Marley:

…Except maybe his son. Stephen Marley is slated to perform during Saturday’s festivities, and I doubt many people are complaining about it. The eight time Grammy winner’s reputation speaks for itself, but his last name does not hurt his credibility. Channel those roots, Stephen. We’ll see you in May.

E-40:

The man and the legend who will forever be synonymous with Bay Area rap, E-40 will be making an appearance at Cali Roots. With singles like Choices, Function, and Tell Me When to Go, he has been a game changer in the rap world for decades. With his hometown of Vallejo just a short drive from Monterey, E-40 is sure to make this performance memorable for his Bay Area family.

Cali Roots takes place at the Monterey County Fairgrounds Memorial Day Weekend, May 25-27. Tickets are still available and can be purchased here. https://californiarootsfestival.com/tickets Be sure to get your tickets now, and stay tuned for more about California Roots from the Grateful Web.

In 2002 Sum 41 released their career-defining LP “Does This Look Infected?” and took the world by storm. The merit of this album is widely celebrated, as you would be hard-pressed to find a fan of the genre who couldn’t give you a “Sum 41 Salute” without missing a beat. Going gold in America, and certified Platinum in their home country of Canada, DTLI helped define the genre of pop-punk in the early 2000s with hits such as “The Hell Song,” “Still Waiting,” and “Over My Head (Better Off Dead).” Now a decade and a half after the initial album release, Sum 41 stopped by San Francisco’s Warfield Theatre to kick off their tour celebrating the 15th anniversary of the release of this historic album. Fans young and old could not contain themselves as the band took the stage. As the curtain dropped and the confetti rained, Deryck Whibley and company took the stage to give the audience a show they would not soon forget.

The show began in classic Sum 41 fashion. Opening their high energy set with “The Hell Song,” they invited members of the audience up to the stage to stand alongside them, as they have come so accustomed to doing. The mosh pits opened up almost immediately as the crowd thrashed to heavier songs like “A.N.I.C” and “Never Wake Up.” The spirit of the early 2000s was well alive in the room that night as the band performed with as much energy as they would have 20 years ago.

As the night went on, Whibley took time to address the well-known events set in motion by his 2014 hospitalization following his battle with alcoholism. Losing his fight with addiction, he began the process of turning his life around. Knowing his best chance of recovery was emersion into music, Whibley’s first thought was to revisit old and incomplete songs from younger stages of his career. He mentioned to the crowd that after listening to a series of old cassette tapes, yes, cassette tapes, he stumbled upon a riff he had initially intended to premiere on “Does This Look Infected?” but in a rush to get the album to the shelves and begin touring, scrapped for time saving purposes. He revisited this riff years later and decided to give it the due attention he felt it deserved, eventually letting it become the song we now know as “Fake My Own Death.” Upon playing this song alongside a marathon of others from DTLI, it became clear that it was inspired by and intended to be released with Sum 41’s more classic works.

Famously, Whibley’s brush with death ultimately resulted in two milestones for Sum 41; it served as the inspiration behind their 2016 album “13 Voices” as well as acted as the catalyst for the return of the band’s original guitarist, Dave “Brownsound” Baksh. In 2006 Baksh left Sum 41 to pursue musical projects that he felt presented him with more of a challenge, eventually returning in 2015. Since his return, he has influenced Sum 41’s setlist to include representation of the music that has so inspired him. In this vein, the band played a rendition of Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid” to the audience’s overwhelming approval.

Whibley confessed to the audience at one point during the set that the album “Does This Look Infected?” was made over the course of only a few weeks because the band members were so eager to begin touring. After seeing Sum 41 perform live, one fact remains unambiguous; the love they have for performing these songs is the same today as it was 15 years ago when they first wrote them. As the band ended their set with one of their first singles to gain worldwide attention “Fat Lip” the crowd roared to thank the artists. If nothing else one thing was made clear at the end of the night, pop-punk is not dead.

Toronto band Seaway performed just before Sum 41, giving the audience their own blend of heavy and consistent pop-punk-rock. Commanding the crowd, the band inspired the audience to get on their feet. The high octane set grabbed the audience and held the room’s attention throughout their time onstage. With a live sound much more arousing and resonant than much of their recorded music, Seaway delivered a fun set and inspired a great deal of energy from the audience.

Newly signed Hopeless Records act Super Whatevr opened the show with a solid set of smooth pop-punk inspired tracks. The band delivered the mellowest set of the night, gently introducing the audience to the music to come. Calm and down to earth, the members of the band took time to converse with the audience, humoring questions ranging from song requests to “can I touch your mustache?” being directed to the band’s new drummer playing his first show with the band. Although young and still finding their sound, Super Whatevr shows promise, and is certainly a band to keep an eye on for future success.

For as long as most residents of the San Francisco Bay Area can remember, radio station FM 105.3 has had a significant impact on the local music scene. From featuring up and coming artists to facilitating some of the area’s most iconic concerts each and every year, their influence is well known, so naturally when the station’s ownership changed hands at the end of 2017 many were left wondering what the future of local music would hold.

With major and immediate changes to the radio station’s culture such as a new name and the unceremonious firing of popular morning DJ Kevin Klein, many were rightfully curious about what further cuts would be made and many more were especially concerned for the fate of its wildly popular one-day music festival, BFD. The Bay Area stood by anxiously until one Friday afternoon, the date and lineup for the day long extravaganza were announced. A city-wide sigh of relief was breathed with the news that the festival, while scheduled a little earlier in the year than in years past, featured a lineup packed with big names that left no ambiguity as to the importance the festival held for its new management.

While the lineup certainly held up to the standard we have all come to expect from BFD; the festival had a much different feel to it than in years past. With new hands on the project came some growing pains that were to be expected in this period of transition. The new Alt 105 struggled to fill the stadium to capacity for the events, fighting against the natural conflicts that come with scheduling a music festival on a Mother’s Day Sunday. The venue had a healthy audience, but was not as packed as it had been in years past. Also, the decision to move BFD from its longtime home at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View to the East Bay’s Concord Pavilion also brought some issues with it. The new venue allowed less room to set the festival up the way it had been in years past. Where as in previous years, Shoreline had facilitated the luxury of expanding the festival grounds into a nearby parking lot, and setting up an additional 2-4 stages while reserving the main amphitheater stage for the headlining artists. The new venue in Concord provided less room for many additional activities, giving BFD more of a concert feel than that of a true festival.

Despite all setbacks, those who attended BFD were greeted with a day of music and celebration fitting of the festival.

The day started with a performance by young band Mt. Eddy. Lead by Jakob Armstrong, son of Green Day Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong, Mt. Eddy delivered a solid set to start the day. With a young, upbeat, punk-rock sound, the band blended a classic sound with a young perspective for a raw and unfiltered performance. The audience’s energy then skyrocketed when Billie Eilish came onstage several acts later. The teenager from Los Angeles got audiences excited and on their feet with her animated performance. The combination of young performers and a younger crowd earlier in the day more than compensated for the emptier feel of the venue as fans trickled in throughout the day.

Although the popular “Local Band Stage” was not featured at this year’s BFD as it has been in years past, the lineup did not disappoint in terms of featuring local talent. The day’s lineup began with several well established local bands. From top to bottom, Bay Area natives were well represented. Mt. Eddy’s roots come from the South Bay, while Cemetery Sun started up in Sacramento. Even Frontman for The War On Drugs, Adam Granduciel, took time to tell the audience that he once lived in Oakland off of 66th Street.

As the day went on, more and more bands took time out of their sets to share stories of the impact Alt 105 has had on their careers. Acts such as AJR and Bishop Briggs recalled the station as being one of the first in the country to play their music and credited it with helping their career in earlier stages. As the day’s lineup progressed, the variety in the acts musical style created a pleasant juxtaposition and paired well with one another. From James Bay’s British charm to AWOLNATION’s energy, the lineup was very eclectic and had a little something for everybody.

Reggae-fusion band Dirty Heads gave the penultimate performance of the night. Although given at a slower pace than fans of the band might have been used to, it was not a low energy performance, rather it was a much calmer, more concentrated, and downright experimental interpretation of their art. Their set was performed in low light and began just after the sun had completely set, creating an ominous mood. Their musical style was a welcome mix of energetic and calm, and set the stage well for the headlining act.

Blink 182 closed out the day with an electric performance that lived up to all hype and anticipation. The crowd was ecstatic in the minutes leading up to the performance. The band wasted no time getting the crowd further excited, opening their set with “Cynical” a short and fast paced song from their newest album. They quickly commanded the room as they engaged the crowd often throughout their set. “Last night I played to a crowd four times as big, but tonight I’m having twice as much fun!” Bassist Mark Hoppus said humoring the audience. Their setlist did not disappoint as they played a balanced blend of new and old songs from various albums. Audience members began moshing with lighthearted nostalgia as the band played every hit from “What’s My Age Again?” to “Dumpweed” before eventually closing the band’s set with their early hit “Dammit.”

The day ended the same way it began; with the proverbial passing of the torch between generations and the performance of a music icon’s son. As an encore to end the night, Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker invited his young son, Landon Barker, onstage to perform one last drum solo before the crowd left the amphitheater. Barker Senior has famously supported his son’s musical ambitions in the past, and his recent decision to bring him along on his tours leaves audiences wondering what could be next for the young drummer.

As the crowd left the venue, there was a general sense of excitement in the air. For the Bay, this was not simply the end of one show, but the first of many. With the conclusion of BFD, one thing is clear among concert goers in Northern California; Summer in the Bay Area has officially begun.

One of Australia’s most unique ambassadors, Xavier Rudd, has always found a way to stay authentic and true to himself. A passionate musician, environmentalist, and cultural advocate, his ambitions carry an immense weight. Through his music, with a bold, resonant, and tribal sound he strives to pay tribute to his Aborigines heritage with every performance.

Despite several AIRA Certified Platinum and Gold certified records, he remains as humble as could be, and meticulously continues to make sure his music is of a standard befitting his reputation. With more than 15 years of experience to his name, he shows no signs of slowing down. He has continued touring consistently throughout his professional career and began his latest tour promoting his newest album, “Storm Boy” with a stop in Monterey, California.

Grateful Web was lucky enough to sit down with Xavier Rudd shortly after landing from his flight to begin his American tour with his set at this year’s California Roots festival. As we approached him, he had a stoic and composed nature about him, and greeted us with open arms, speaking candidly about his fears, his dreams, and so much in between.

Grateful Web: You have been around the world for business and pleasure many times. In your experience, where do you feel your music is best received?

Xavier Rudd:  To be honest, its received beautifully everywhere. I have beautiful, good-hearted, conscious kind of people come to my show, so it’s always a treat. Europe is a great place for me; I love the states, Australia, Canada, they’re always great. I really can’t complain about anywhere I go.

GW: Where do you think the best Reggae scene is?

XR: You know there is a pretty strong reggae scene, which I was surprised by, in Germany. It’s a pretty cool scene there.

GW: Between acts like yourself, Ocean Alley, Tash Sultana, and Sammy Johnson, Australia seems well represented at this year’s Cali Roots, but who do you feel they’re missing? Which bands from your local music scene do you really admire?

XR: There’s plenty of bands in Australia that are doing great, but as who is missing from this lineup, there’s this be guy called Baker Boy. He’s more hip-hop, but he’s a younger guy from the far North of Australia, he’s awesome. I reckon he’d be a great addition to our lineup.

GW: As a multi instrumentalist, how many instruments can you play?

XR: I don’t know man, something like 15. Don’t know if I can play any of them well though. I just have a go on them whenever I can.

GW: What was your first instrument?

XR: First instrument would be my voice, I could sing before I had any instruments, and then my brother had a guitar just kicking around, and I would play that. Then a Yidaki, or Didgeridoo was always something I played since I was little, but I was always happy to just have a go on whatever was given.

GW: What is your favorite instrument to play live?

XR: I like playing the slide guitar.

GW: What is your least favorite instrument to play live?

XR: Least? Don’t have one! I like them all, man.

GW: How have your experiences with music strengthened your appreciation for your culture, and visa versa.

XR: They are one in the same, bro. They live within each other. They’re constantly strengthening each other; the stronger one gets, the stronger the other one gets.

GW: What pitfalls have you seen others fall into that you most want to avoid in your career?

XR: Alcoholism.

GW: What do you like playing more? Festivals or concerts?

XR: I like ‘em both. I like festivals because people are charged up and ready for everything, but the setlists are always too short, so I prefer concerts in that sense. I always feel like I run out of time.

GW: What was the first venue or show you played where you thought to yourself “wow, I made it” afterward?

XR: I don’t know, man, there’s been a lot of those. One that springs to mind is opening for Neil Young in Lisbon, that was pretty wild. Neil Young is something else, and as a kid, my dad was always listening to him… he was a part of my childhood. To be there on stage with him was pretty surreal.

GW: What’s next for Xavier Rudd?

XR: We are on the road here in The States for six weeks, we had a new record (Storm Boy) come out a few days ago. Then we have a tour in Australia, Europe, and South Africa, so we have lots of touring happening.

GW: Anything else you want everyone to know before we go?

XR: The greatest medicine on this planet is love. It’s the only thing that the dictators can’t squash, and it will shine no matter what.

What started as a small reggae project in Sydney, Australia, has turned into the amalgamation of genres now known as Ocean Alley. Formed in 2011, their love for performing their unmistakable brand of music has only grown as they have been gathering momentum. Releasing a deep and personal album (Chiaroscuro), embarking on a long tour half the world away from home, and drawing inspiration from every experience along the way, the band is aiming to truly make 2018 their breakout year.

Currently at the beginning of their long overdue first American tour, the band is quickly making their presence known across the west and describe this international adventure as a “pretty obvious” decision. With performances in California, New York, and everywhere in between, Ocean Alley is on a mission to make their presence known in a bigger context than ever before.

Recently, Grateful Web was able to exchange a few words with Ocean Alley’s Rhythm Guitarist Mitch Galbraith after his set at this year’s California Roots festival to hear his thoughts on his band’s transformation and ambitions.

Grateful Web: What prompted your decision to go on tour across the world? How has it been so far?

Mitch Galbraith: We have done a lot of touring around Australia since we formed as a band and it has been bloody awesome. It’s kind of our bread and butter. It pays the bills and its always been a good time on the road, we can’t get enough of it! It was pretty obvious that we needed to go explore overseas so in 2016 we went to Europe and now we’re here in the States and Canada. It’s very special for us to be able to share a live show with people that listen to our music but live so far away from our homes.

GW: What is the biggest difference between reggae in Australia and America, specifically California?

MG: The talent… We’ll leave that one up to interpretation.

GW: I think I first really started to understand Ocean Alley as a band after first hearing "Happy Sad". What was the process of writing that song and what does it mean to you?

MG: Happy Sad was one of the first songs we wrote for the album and definitely helped shape the theme of the record. Being one of the first I think we felt like we needed to write something with a big feel, almost anthemic, to announce mostly to ourselves that we were here and ready to write another record. After almost a year, writing the rest (of the album) and listening to the final product its still one of our favorites.

GW: When listening to your discography chronologically, I can really see your transformation from a more traditional Roots-Reggae sound to something all of its own and clearly more personal. What prompted your stylistic metamorphosis?

MG: Our changing sound has emerged from us wanting to always keep exploring and doing something different. We have always tried to stay true to our organic style while also trying to never write two songs that sound the same. We are just impatient and get bored easily, so we can’t stand still for long.

GW: How would you define your musical style now?

MG: We don’t, (and) can’t define it. There’s not much point really. Have a listen. You’ll either like it or not. If you like it come to a show and we’ll play it for you live and have a party. If you don’t like it hit the skip button or come to a show and throw something at us.

GW: What are your biggest goals? Musically and otherwise?

MG: We want to keep writing and performing music as long as we can. There’s many ways to do that I guess. We love writing music and performing it together, so we hope that stays the same for a while.

GW: I love that the sun started to come out right as you started your set at Cali Roots. How do you feel your environment affects both your performance and its reception?

MG: Playing in lots of different places is an amazing experience. The people are different and so is the environment. The thing that stays the same is the people around you in the touring crew. So, while I think the environment has a lot to do with the show, the most important part for us is the team around us and also the new friends we meet on the road.

GW: Between acts like yourself, Sammy Johnson, Tash Sultana, and Xavier Rudd, Australia seems well represented at this year’s Cali Roots, but who do you feel they’re missing? Which bands from your local music scene do you want to acknowledge?

MG: There are so many great bands we’ve had the opportunity play with back home. Let’s bring em’ all over and put on an Aussie festival! Right now, we are digging Crocodylus and Maddy Jane from back home.

GW: What’s next for Ocean Alley?

MG: Next we head back home to the southern hemi to play a festival in Australia called “Splendour In The Grass.” We’ve never played so we are very excited. Then back to Europe for 4 weeks and some writing and studio time chucked in there too.

GW: What’s one question you never get asked or one subject you never get to talk about that you want people to know about you?

MG: We never get asked about our love for country music. Someone hit us up please…

It is impossible to see Tampa Bay Florida based band The Ries Brothers perform live and not get excited about their future. The young duo has spent the entirety of their lives pursuing their musical dreams and ambitions to get to the level they are now at. From sleepless nights to pursuing alternative means of education more conducive to a musician’s lifestyle, the two have devoted their lives to their art and are now seeing the results of their sacrifices. In their recent history, they have released their debut album “The View from the Outside,” have toured in support of G Love & Special Sauce, and are currently gearing up to announce details of an upcoming West Coast headlining tour.

Growing up, the brothers both longed to be in a band but consistently struggled to find peers with their same level of musical ability and level of commitment. Determined to create music that met their standards, the two developed a one-man-band mentality that would put even Dick Van Dyke to shame. Charlie (22) sings while playing the drums with one hand and the keyboard with the other, while Kevin (19) provides complementary vocals while switching between guitar, bass, and a keyboard of his own.

Grateful Web met with Charlie and Kevin Ries at this year’s California Roots festival to get a better handle on their history and philosophy. Their humble attitude was a welcome demeanor to see in two who have so much to be confident about.

GW: Describe your home life and the influence music had on you growing up?

Charlie Ries: We’re brothers, and when we were younger we were huge into baseball, I won the Florida State Championship, and I was really serious about that, but then I slowly leaned toward music and started picking up the guitar and everything, then Kevin (became) a drummer, and then we realized “why don’t we start a band?” We’re brothers, so we don’t have to schedule practices, we can just go down to the living room and practice, so that’s how it happened.

Kevin Ries: It just became less and less of a hobby and more of a passion and a dream for us as we were falling in love with it more and more.

GW: How do you define your sound and what genres do you pull from the most in creating your music?

CR: We describe it as alternative rock with Reggae and blues influence. We have very different tastes which I feel really reflect in the music and come together in a really cool way. I’m into rock, and blues rock, Jack White, the Doors, the Smiths, then Kevin is a huge reggae fan, he brought all that influenced and introduced me to a lot of amazing bands, and a ton of them are playing this weekend.

GW: Kevin, I know you are the bigger driving force in incorporating a Reggae feel into your music and have often listed Slightly Stoopid and Rebelution as some of your biggest influences; how does it feel to be playing not just Cali Roots, but alongside this lineup in particular?

KR: Oh yeah, it’s insane. When I was growing up, well I’m still growing up, but when I think back Slightly Stoopid, Stick Figure, Rebelution, they’re all some of my biggest influences and seeing our name on the poster along with them is a dream come true. To be playing the same festival as them is unreal.

GW: What conversations do you plan on having with them this weekend?

KR: Hopefully we get to hang around with all the Stoopid guys. We’ve talked with them before, but hopefully, we get to have a conversation with them. It’s always crazy, hanging out with your heroes. I never really know what to say, but I hope it will go well.

GW: You were among the first artists that were announced to play the festival, was playing Cali Roots a specific destination and ambition for you to play, or did it just happen? Also, how has the long anticipation been of playing the festival?

CR: It’s been on our radar for years. We’ve been watching the (Cali Roots) live stream for like three or four years now, and just last year we had a party at our place just to watch the live stream, so we’re big fans of this festival. This is our first time coming to it, and we’re playing it, so this is a huge weekend for us. Ever since we learned about the reggae scene, we’ve been fans of this festival, so it’s been a long-time dream for us. (We’re) completely honored to be here.

GW: In starting to play music professionally at a young age, what issues did you run into in playing on such a large scale before the age of 18?

CR: It was particularly tough in High School because we started playing six years ago just going out into beach bars along the coast; learning how to play in front of a crowd, learning our craft, what worked and what didn’t work. I was still a Sophomore in High School when we started doing that. We’d play a few shows a week and then have to get up early for school, so as we got more serious, I did my senior year online so that we could travel a little bit, and Kevin is still finishing his senior year online, and he’s about done. It was definitely tough because kids your age thought it was a lot easier than it is. (We’d get comments like) “What are you going to do? Just go on American Idol” But no, we wanted to go out and tour. We didn’t have a lot of people we could talk to about it who knew about the scene, especially growing up no one was as interested in music as we were, that’s why we started the duo, really. So, we were in bands in the past with (other members) who didn’t have the same passion as us, and we were really serious about this, so we thought “Lets jut do this ourselves.”

KR: Yeah, it’s always really different when you’re in school as a musician because sometimes your friends and the kids you go to school with don’t understand what it takes (to do what you do.) Most High School kids don’t understand what goes into being in a band. It’s hard to explain, but it’s easier when they see you onstage and see what’s up.

GW: How far do you want to take this project? What are your biggest goals, musically and otherwise?

CR: We love playing live. We take more pride in our live show than in the studio because that’s when we really connect with people. We want to take it as far as we can, do what we love, and still be able to do it the way that we want to. Our goal is definitely to expand the band. I’m the singer, but I’m behind the drums most of the time, so I would like to have more of a front man roll; bring on another drummer or bassist for at least part of the show.

GW: What’s next for the Ries Brothers?

CR: We put out our debut album last November, we’re doing Surrounded by the Sound music festival in the fall, and we’re going to announce a West Coast tour in the coming weeks.

GW: What’s one question you never get asked or one subject you never get to talk about in interviews?

KR: We don’t get asked very often, and should get asked more often, why we do this and what is this all for? We do this because we love to spread music, and music is a good outlet for anyone who struggles with anything. It’s the world healer. Anyone can get some healing from music. That’s what we want, we want fans to be able to relate to us and tell us stories, and we want to relate to them.

CR: I feel like everyone has been saved by music at some point, in a small way or in a huge way, and I think every band playing here has as well.

When asking anyone the question “what is the most important thing in your life?” two of the most common answers one might expect to hear would be “family” or “music”. At their roots, New Kingston lives at this crossroads. Composed of members of the Panton family, their relationship brings an added layer to their chemistry to the band. The result is a show between band members who so clearly understand and care about each other on a profoundly deep level.

Growing up playing all types of venues in New York, the family eventually caught the eye of Easy Star Records, and from there, their careers took off like a rocket. With more artist collaborations than we can count, there are not many in today's reggae community who do not admire the East Coast band carrying the Caribbean flame.

Grateful Web met with the members of New Kingston after opening the last day of this year’s Cali Roots Festival in Monterey to ask them about their music and why they believe in their message so much.

Grateful Web: How does the reggae scene in New York compare to the reggae scene her in California?

New Kingston: (California’s reggae scene is) Nothing compared to the scene in New York City. When we were growing up like just starting music, early 2005, early 2006, we went to to reggae concert every week, and I miss those days. It's not the same anymore, but it's coming back and I love it right now. Artist coming from around the world to keep music strong in New York City.

GW: Your use of “Kingston” has always interested me. With albums named “Kingston University” “Kingston City” “A Kingston Story” etc. I have always interpreted these as concept albums, and by extension have seen New Kingston as a sort of concept band. Have I been correct in this interpretation?

NK: Absolutely, absolutely. That’s the case because we are our own band and write and play our own music. Everything is one thing. Our music is us, and we are our music, so if our music has a concept, it stems from us. You’ve come from far, and so have we, and that’s what we hope to say with our music.

GW: Your message has stayed consistent, but where do you see the next installment of this story going?

NK: It’s going to be a Kingston story. We’ve told you that we’ve come from far, and maybe we need to reevaluate in where we are now, so who knows what it's going to come to.

GW: As a person of Greek heritage, your song “Agape” has always interested me. How did you decide on the Greek language to translate “love” into?

NK: It's funny, our mom actually came up with a name, and we had to look it up. She just came up with it off the bat. We were trying to figure out a title with the message of love overall, and she just said “agape,” and I was like “what does that mean?” And we were like what and doing our homework all together in a mom is a part of this too. And the title is just one of those titles stemming from a beautiful word. The working together, my mom just felt that it was the perfect word and we thought that's it right there... Also, we have a lot of Greek friends in New York.

GW: I have always been interested in your song “You Are Mine” and often have wondered what was the process like in collaborating with Kimie Miner and how did this song come together?

NK: Between us and our former management who also used to work with Kimie, we decided to put this one together. We had never worked with a female (artist) before and it was just an organic thing that came together. When she came to us with those vocals it was just like "yes, that’s it" because she had the vocals, and we had to track and when our manager brought us to the studio (with her) and said “play something” we played that, it turned into this song, and we never looked back.

GW: You have been a band for more than a decade now and accomplished a lot, but what are some venues you still want to play?

NK: We want to play Wembley in London. Madison Square Garden is also on the list. Barclays too, we went to the first Reggae concert at Barclays the year it opened. It only had two Reggae concerts that year, but it was great to be there.

GW: What’s next for New Kingston?

NK: Life, more music, more love spreading, more unity spreading, and good vibes. We have a lot coming out, we have a video coming out soon, and check us out at NewKingstonMusic.com to find out all the intricacies.

Grammy-nominated reggae act Raging Fyah has traveled far from their home of Kingston Jamaica to spread their message. One of modern-day Jamaica’s most popular and successful bands, they have had no lack of a platform to display their music. Their classic sound is a constant reminder of the roots that founded reggae music. An interpretation of a genre that is untainted and pure focusing on themes of spirituality delivered with an optimistic view.

Grateful Web sat down with the members of Raging Fyah shortly after their set at Cali Roots to speak with them about the differences between Jamaican and American reggae, and their success both new and old.

Grateful Web: As touring musicians, there is always more to the process than performing and recording. What is one part of this process you are not as in love with?

Raging Fyah: Honestly, (most of the time) there are so many things we would rather be talking about in interviews, but I think it has to happen naturally for a deep reason. These interviews are all (the same) “How long have you been together” “How did you start?” It’s always the same things, so it becomes programmed. I don’t think it benefits the people asking the question because you can find that information anywhere on Google. To the reporters and journalists, find more creative ways to reason with musicians and artists. Find what sparks their interest.

GW: In his day and age, we have seen a shift in Reggae culture where the majority of mainstream Reggae bands are from America and not Jamaica. How do you feel Jamaican music is represented today?

RF: We’re (Jamaica) the roots (of Reggae), and Jamaican music is what inspired Cali Roots and a lot of these festivals. Reggae music, in general, is a Jamaican thing, so coming here and representing the on an international stage what’s been happening for almost ten years is good. (Reggae) Stretches back 30-40 years with what’s been coming out of Jamaica, and we’re really pleased to know that it has transcended out borders. We’ve been touring with these bands (on the lineup) also, so we’re not strangers.

GW: In the Cali Roots lineup this year, we see several artists that were nominated for a Grammy this time around such as J Boog and Cronixx. I’m curious, who were you pulling for in that category this year?

RF: It’s not really that we were pulling for anyone, they were all great albums. I personally listened to a few of the albums Damian Marley, Cronixx, Morgan Heritage, everybody had good music, but we were really rooting for Cronixx because we wanted to see some shift in the demographic, but Damian Marley is well deserving of his Grammy because he’s phenomenal.

GW: What does Cali Roots mean to you?

RF: Cali Roots is roots and chalice or reggae music. It is unity, love, and everybody coming together for three days, spreading vibes. It is the number one festival in America, so it’s the place to come and showcase what you’ve done all year.

GW: What are some pitfalls you have seen other artists fall into that you are conscious to avoid yourself?

RF: Well, I mean, drugs. Drugs. Number one, drugs and alcohol. You don’t want to fall into substance abuse.

GW: What advice would you like to pass on to the next generation that looks up to you?

RF: Don’t do drugs, smoke weed, and fly, and practice as musicians. I think we should advise younger musicians to practice their instruments. Also love what you do because if you don’t love it, it makes no sense.

GW: Do you like playing festivals or concerts more?

RF: Both! Who doesn’t like being onstage?

GW: What’s next for Raging Fyah?

RF: We have a new single out, Rebel, we have a new album coming out soon, we have our own headlining tour coming up across the U.S. this summer, and there’s a lot in the pipelines, so check out RagingFyah.com and see what’s going on.

Australian born and New Zealand raised, Sammy Johnson, is an interesting person to describe. From homeless to a household name, his story is inspiring, and his passion for his art shows in every facet of his life. With wisdom beyond his years and an over the top personality to match, there are not many who meet him who do not immediately form a strong opinion of him, far more often good than bad. An extrovert, to say the least, he makes it his mission to make his audience feel the same love for music that he does.

“If they’re not entertained, then I’ve failed,” he told us after his set at this year’s Cali Roots festival. Truly committed to his fans, he strives to make every show unique and memorable. Whether he is performing on the biggest stage of one of the biggest music festivals in the country or sitting down to talk one on one, he makes strong interpersonal connections everywhere he goes.

Grateful Web met with Sammy Johnson after his set at Cali Roots to ask him about music and how his love for music, his perception of himself, and his experiences with fans who can sometimes be a little much.

Grateful Web: You've recently changed your stage name from “Sammy J” to “Sammy Johnson.” What prompted this rebranding?

Sammy Johnson: Ok, it’s money. There’s this comedian called “Sammy J,” and I’m not trying to make him any money. That’s it, nothing crazy, no life-changing story behind it.

GW: You have said you want to make every stop on your tour "a unique and interactive experience" what do you mean by that and how do you plan on following through?

SJ: Well, when I do shows, it all depends on the crowd. Whatever you’re giving me, I’m going to take that, recycle it, and give it back to you… But more so, there’s no point in going somewhere and giving the same show every time. I’m not going to say bands’ names, but you know there are bands out there where at four minutes and thirty-three seconds they’re going to jump, flip their hair, and smile. So my thing is I don’t have anything like that. I don’t play the tracks; I don’t have backing vocalists, just a three-piece and me. So with that comes a lot of “F-ups” and a lot can go wrong, but a lot of spontaneous in the moment things happen, and that’s where I like to live.

If I see someone in the crowd and they’re miserable, I’m going to call them on it, if people are getting their laughs in, I’ll acknowledge it and go extra long on a hook because they like it. It’s just having fun with people. That’s what I mean by unique. More tailored to the people, because at the end of the day, if they’re not entertained, then I’ve failed.

GW: Any memorable fans that have changed the experience of your show?

SJ: A lot of people jumping onstage, groping, it is what it is. Anything can happen, and usually, I allow it to happen. If you go on my Instagram, there is (a picture of) some lady crawling onstage and, yeah. It’s on my Instagram. If it’s genuine and they’re not creeping me out, I say why not?

GW: You have been described by your publicist as "Somewhere between the charisma of Frank Sinatra, (and) the empathetic tone of Bob Marley." Today before your set, while being introduced you were compared you to Jesus. Why did you believe you leave these tremendous impressions on people?

SJ: It’s because I was born without a filter, and I’ve lived a lot of lives and experienced a lot of things before this. With that comes a lot of life lessons and I’m good with people, and I know how to connect with people. I’ve been this, I’ve been that, you name it I’ve probably been it, well there’s a few things I haven’t been, but it is what it is, and with that I love people. Part of the reason I do what I do is that I love people. I’m always interested in what makes a person tick, and if I don’t like you, you know it really quick.

GW: Between acts like yourself, Ocean Alley, Tash Sultana and Xavier Rudd, Australia seems well represented at this year’s Cali Roots, how do you feel about this culture shift?

SJ: Well, New Zealand is home, but yes I am Australian born. In New Zealand in particular, there is so much talent, and it’s just amazing over there. I don’t know what it is, but I think living there on that end of the word, we look at America, we see artists like Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, and we’re like “if we don’t sound like those people, we’re shit.” And so, there’s a lot of amazing talent because the bar for us is (so high.) We look at Hollywood, and we just think that the standard is so high. Having anyone over here notice you all the way over there.

GW: How does it feel to be recognized over here then?

SJ: It means a lot. I’m a perfectionist, so I’m always going to downplay every accomplishment I’ve ever had, but it means a lot because I think the fan base here is outgrowing (the fan base) back home. Obviously, there are a lot more people in this country, but in New Zealand, obviously they’re my people, and automatically I got fans because of who I am and where I’m from, but over here you have some real die-hard followers who really creep me out, but I love them. That’s a new thing for me, and I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.

GW: You have a large personality both on and offstage both in very different ways. How do you see the difference in your identity when you are or aren’t performing?

SJ: Offstage, I know that everything I say is passive and sarcastic, so I obviously can’t be like that onstage all the time because they just won’t catch it quick enough, but onstage, and when it comes to music, I know this (opportunity) is a gift, so when I use it correctly the blessings that come from it come ten fold.

GW: What’s next for Sammy Johnson?

SJ: Touring and promoting my latest EP “Sleepwalker.”

Cleveland Ohio might not be the reggae capital of the world, but the grit and determination to establish themselves despite locational barriers made the men of Tropidelic all the more eager to make their dream a reality. From dorm room project to a nationally touring band, their momentum shows no sign of slowing down.

The band’s style is one all of their own design, blending reggae with hip hop, rap, and a healthy horn section, they have no issue with making their sound resonate throughout a room. Staying humble every step of the way, they pride themselves on always being open and accessible to their fans.

Grateful Web had a chance to meet with Tropidelic frontmen Matthew Roads and James Begin at this year’s Cali Roots festival to talk with them about how they felt about opening up the festival, their peers in the industry, and their personal and professional transformations throughout the years.

GW: Your song “Alcoholic” delivers a message I am sure is close and personal to you. What prompted that song, and what was the process of making that song in how it relates to your life?

Matthew Roads: Well, I think it’s true to most of what it says, that being said I’m drinking a LaCroix now, so I’ve been almost two years sober, but back then it was just a testament to some of the things I was going through. I didn’t want to make it in a depressing way, so it’s kind of upbeat, and it seems that a lot of people were able to relate to it, which is always the intent. So I guess it is more of a dictation of where my life was then.

GW: Since you mention in the first line of the song that you went to college, where did you go?

MR: Kent State. It’s mostly known as where the four kids got shot in 1970. Now it’s in the media more recently because a girl walked across campus with an AK. (Other than that) Great time.

GW: How does it feel to not only be playing Cali Roots, but opening it?

MR: It feels good. It’s good to be out here rubbing shoulders with the people we have been able to. A lot of these bands we’ve played within the Midwest and in the east, but never out here, so it’s great to be in the same place at the same time with all these people we listen to and love.

GW: Your audience this morning was quite large and enthusiastic compared to the average audience of a band playing as early as you did. How do you feel this is a testament to how well you can relate to your audience and how committed your fan base is, especially across the country from your home town?

MR: I like to think pretty well. We pride ourselves on being accessible. After every show, we’re out there meeting everybody, and we like to. The best part about all of this is the people and being able to interact. Maybe that’s the reason, they know we’re about being there for people.

GW: Your band has a unique way of blending genres. Your added layer of rap and unique horn instruments add an interesting level to your music. How do you define it?

James Begin: How do I define it? I guess funky reggae hip hop I suppose. (But) We’ve been called a lot of things.

GW: How did you settle on which instruments you would feature in the band?

JB: Roads actually found (me) I play the trombone, and then Derek plays the trumpet, but we learned those instruments to be in the band. Derek was playing the tuba, and I was the singer for another band, but we both learned our horns to be able to start playing (with Tropidelic.)

GW: I particularly enjoyed your use of interludes albums like “Go Down with the Ship” and how they added to the story of the album. How did you make the decision to include them?

JB: We had them on “Police State” as well. It was us and our tour manager Vinnie that did the voices. We just like having fun, I guess. Me, Vinnie, and Roads would jump in there, and the three of us would record them.

MR: It was just an easier way to tie in a theme, and I think it worked out. Especially on (Go Down with the Ship.) People really liked them.

GW: One thing I noticed in your live show is how you chose to pay respect to other lyrically motivated bands of comparable sizes and genres such as Bumpin Uglies and Passafire by wearing their t-shirts while you play. What do those bands mean to you and why do you feel it is so important to show them this respect?

MR: We talk about the whole wearing band t’s onstage frequently, and we wouldn’t wear them if we didn’t have the respect (for them) but Bumpin Uglies is like our brother band, we love those guys. I’ve listened to Passafire for more than a decade, and they’re a band we all look up to. It’s just a sign of respect.

GW: As a band from Cleveland, how do you feel playing reggae in the Bay Area compares to back home?

JB: Oh, it’s crazy different. Everybody out here loves it. We do well in Cleveland too, but not a lot of people do what we do in Cleveland, so it’s definitely cool coming out here where people love reggae and thrive on and look for. With (the bands) we’ve met here, not everybody comes to Cleveland because of that reason. We met some of our Label-Mates today that we’ve known about for a very long time, but we’ve never met in person because we’re on different sides of the country, so it’s definitely cool coming out here.

GW: What’s next for Tropidelic?

MR: We’re working on new material for our new record, hopefully (coming out) this year or early next year. We’ll be on tour throughout the summer. For a month we’ll be back here in California, we’re coming back with Ballyhoo! and Bumpin Uglies, and we’ll hop on the last week of the final Warped Tour at the end of July and early August. It’s going to be a busy summer.

GW: What’s one question you never get asked or one subject you never get to talk about in interviews?

MR: Somebody asked me earlier about what I do in my downtime, but what people don’t ask much is what the real life is like. It’s not all here; we spend a lot of time on the road but a lot of time at home as well.

JB: We’re just a couple of regular dudes out here doing the thing, you know what I mean? We all have personal lives at home, and being out here doing this, we don’t forget how lucky we are.

Memorial Day weekend, Monterey Fairgrounds played host to the ninth annual, three-day reggae movement known as Cali Roots. In the three days, Grateful Web was at Cali Roots, there was one word we just kept hearing over and over again; “Homecoming.” From fans we met in the crowd to artists we spoke with behind the scenes, it seemed to be the magic word that everyone could relate to. But to say Cali Roots is a homecoming would be if anything, an understatement. There is a captivating aura throughout this festival unlike any other. It draws you in with open arms and instills a sense of family and community among those who attend. Artists who have performed in previous years such as Beebs, Alborosie, and Nahko (of Medicine for the People) could be seen wandering the fairgrounds as a friend of the festival as opposed to artists. Their presence was a constant reminder of the transcendent nature of the festival’s mission. In our time at Cali Roots, we experienced more than words could ever describe, and by the weekend’s end we truly felt changed and inspired to live every day of our lives with a little more love in our hearts.

The Cali Roots family came bright and early to celebrate day one. The line stretched around the fairgrounds as fans waited eagerly for the gates to open, some showing up hours beforehand. When Tropidelic inaugurated the Cali Roots stage to play the first song of the festival, the crowd looked healthy and fuller than a typical morning set. If one thing was immediately clear about Cali Roots 2018, it was that there would be no lack of enthusiasm.

The day featured artists young and old but particularly given credit to reggae artists from a generation ago. In the spirit of the second word of the festival’s name, Alpha Blondy and Steel Pulse represented the roots of reggae to a crowd made up mostly of people too young to have been around for the birth of the genre. Immediately after Alpha Blondy opened his set with an extended rendition of his song “Jerusalem,” we could feel the passion that had founded the reggae movement. Steel Pulse followed up this performance in support of classic reggae several hours later with a strong set of their own at the larger, Bowl stage.

Throughout the weekend, but especially the first day, artist Beebs had full control of the pop-up stage located in the center of the fairgrounds. Switching between acting as the stage’s emcee, performing her original music, and interviewing musicians throughout the day, she found a way to make herself the center of attention in the best way possible, all the while promoting her newest single “Life is too Short.” The center pop up stage was its community throughout the weekend. With more bean bag chairs set up than could be occupied, and live streams to many of the bands on the other stages, it became a natural spot to relax throughout the day.

Although Cali Roots is known for being a Reggae festival through and through, they always make a point to feature a healthy representation of rap and hip-hop. As the sun began to set, local hip-hop icon E-40 took the stage. From Mac Dre to G-Eazy, the Bay Area has a lengthy history of rappers to start their careers a few hours up the roads from Monterey, but arguably none have had more of an impact on the industry than this boy from Vallejo. Being a hometown crowd, the audience showed him all the love in the world as he played every hit from “Function” to “Choices.” Always eager to engage the audience, he was quick with commentary and memorable quotes throughout his set. Before launching into his single Snap Yo Fingers, he remarked to the audience about its inception, commenting that he and Little John “Came together like a booger to the nose” to make the single.

This was not the only rap act of the day. Directly supporting the headliner, Atmosphere gave a set on the Cali Roots stage that uplifted through positive and clear vocals. Halfway through their set, they surprised the crowd by inviting Brother Ali, who had already given a full and exciting set of his own earlier that day, onstage with them to perform a pair of songs with them.

The spirit of Cali Roots was epitomized in the middle of headliner Iration’s set. During a relatively slower song, a seemingly out of place cheer came from a group amidst the crowd. When we turned to see what prompted the excitement, whispers of “they got engaged” made their way throughout the crowd, supported by a couple hugging in the middle of the commotion. This sight was the perfect embodiment of the love the festival strives to promote.

Toward the end of the set, Iration singer Micah Pueschel announced to the audience “I feel that at a festival, Friday is when you go way too hard... and go out when you know you shouldn’t” We decided to interpret this as advice instead of a cautionary tale, and following his performance walked across the street to local music bar Planet Gemini to take in the official Cali Roots after party, headlined by yet another Bay Area legend, Del the Funky Homosapien.

Across the street, the venue was packed with fans and artists alike looking to unwind after a long day of reggae. Once again emceed by Beebs, she started the night with an acoustic set before allowing hip-hop duo Down to Earth to open for the headliner. Del’s set was incredibly well received by the crowd. An Oakland native known largely for his work with Gorillaz, Hieroglyphics, and countless others, he is arguably most celebrated as an icon for his dedication to his message and his refusal to sell out. Playing a mix of new and old songs, he went through his discography giving the crowd everything from “Mistadobalina” to a few freestyled bars. With Del’s set closing with the bars, the crowd could be heard voicing their satisfaction with the full day they had packed into day one of Cali Roots, and their excitement for what was in store for the rest of the weekend.

The last day of a festival is always bittersweet, but fans came to the fairgrounds early to take in as much of Cali Roots as they could. Day three began as festival goers trickled in just as New Kingston wrapped up their sound check. Walking through the gates of the fairgrounds with this live music already playing earlier than usual proved an uplifting and exciting experience to the festival. Starting the day with New Kingston set a positive tone for the rest of the day. The New York-based, Jamaican-minded family band made up of the members of the Panton dynasty put everyone in a good mood. The love they felt for their home, and each other radiated throughout their whole performance. Also representing Kingston, Raging Fyah brought a Caribbean flair with their set later in the day.

Toronto based hip-hop/reggae/everything else in between band Darenots performed an afternoon set that got the audience dancing. To see Darenots is an experience one is unlikely to forget. The group has created a genre entirely of their own. A show as visually stimulating as musically, vocalist Rev did not spend much time standing in one place as he confidently swaggered about the stage. The high energy set was among the highlights of the day.

In the middle of the day, one band, in particular, touched some hearts. Comprised of many of the same musicians who famously toured with Bob Marley, The Original Wailers drew a full crowd as they brought us all back to the beginning of Reggae. While they covered many of the same Bob Marley songs as Stephen Marley did the day before, the performance did not feel repetitive. Instead, they felt more like two eulogists honoring the same friend. Where Stephen Marley strived the day before to channel his father’s passion and spirit, The Original Wailers worked to simulate the whole experience of the show.

Sunday was among many things, a day which heavily showcased some of Australia’s most talented musicians. Tash Sultana and Xavier Rudd both gave extended sets with dedicated audiences who took every opportunity to vocalize their excitement. The juxtaposition of these two musicians highlighted just how diverse of a musical pallet the continent down under has, and both musicians’ sets focused on a central theme that motivated their careers. Tash Sultana’s message largely promoted feminism and female empowerment, while Xavier Rudd’s music is prompted by his love for and dedication to his aboriginal heritage. Both shows, however, had one significant thing in common, a sincere and dedicated audience that encouraged the musicians to play with their full hearts.

From Oahu Hawaii, The Green had some surprises planned for their set. The upbeat island influenced band gave a show as high energy as could be and made it clear their ambition was to be one of the louder groups of the day. As the show began, lead Singer Caleb Keolanui walked onstage with a big smile that never left his face throughout his performance. Later, in a moment that came seemingly out of nowhere, Rebelution frontman and lead singer, Eric Rachmany came onstage to join The Green for a quick song. While it is always an exceptional experience to see a festival’s headliner give so much of themselves to the fans, his reason became apparent when observing the chemistry between himself and Keolanui. Hugging onstage like the old friends they are, their duet was a welcome reminder of the humanity of music, and that deviation from a pre-packaged and stale setlist is commonplace at Cali Roots.

One of the weekend’s most anticipated acts, Slightly Stoopid, pulled out almost all the stops to make their set a success. Confidently strutting onstage to open with “Devils Door.” The multi-instrumentalists, frontmen Miles Doughty and Kyle McDonald switched guitar and bass throughout the set, much to the audience’s enjoyment. Around halfway through the set, the band honored Tom Petty with a cover his song “You Don’t Know How It Feels” covering the piece with as much heart as Petty himself would have put into it. In what came as a complete surprise to the crowd, and in keeping up with the theme this year of artists including other artists in their act, Alborosie joined the band onstage for a few bars during the song “If You Want It.” The band left the stage to roaring applause and was well received set despite the band’s glaring omissions of some of their most popular songs such as “Collie Man” or “2 am.”

The festival ended with a band, not a fizzle when 311 took the stage to close out the weekend.  Lead singer Nick Hexum quickly whipped the audience up into a frenzy when he came onstage with a mic, screaming out a loud and elongated “Cali Rooots!” prompting a roaring cheer. The band closed out the festival with a setlist that missed nothing. Every hit was played, from “Amber” to “Beautiful Disaster” and everything in between. Aesthetically, the performance was breathtaking. The coordination of the lighting was impeccable and helped showcase the energy of the band. Ending the set with a passionate rendition of “Omaha Stylee” Hexum could not help but shout out to the local Golden State Warriors before the band joined hands to take one final bow. A fitting end to the incredible weekend.

As the show ended and we all began our journeys home from Monterey, a drum circle broke out in the concourse outside of The Bowl’s amphitheater. A perfect embodiment of the love and good vibes that had been spread throughout the weekend. With Cali Roots #9 officially over, there was just one thing on everyone’s mind; just what tricks will the festival have up its sleeves next year to celebrate the end of their first decade?

As Monterey woke up for day two of Cali Roots, there was a heavy overcast throughout the neighborhood. Thankfully clouds and thick fog are nothing new to reggae enthusiasts, and the festival proceeded without missing a beat. Day two was a day which focused on roots, both of Reggae and heritage. The artists that played Saturday had a much more thematic tie to family bonds, both those that we are born with, and the family we chose as we go through life. Saturday proved to be a much-appreciated reminder of how music can celebrate a deep and multi-layered message.

The day opened with the Ries Brothers’ set on the Cali Roots stage. A young fraternal duo from Tampa Bay Florida, they won the hearts of the crowd in the early morning by giving a new meaning to the term “multi-instrumentalist.” Older brother Charlie Ries played drums with one hand, played the keyboard with the other, and provided vocals, while younger brother Kevin Ries switched between guitar and bass while simultaneously playing a keyboard of his own. The ambidextrous duo was quite the crowd draw and brought fans out to the festival early in the day to give it momentum from the get-go.

While Cali Roots has always represented culture, few artists can do so in the same way as Xiuhtezcatl. An internationally recognized activist, he might be more commonly known for his advocacy for environmental issues. As a younger child, he first began his relationship with music to facilitate the spreading of this message. His set at Cali Roots, however, primarily focused all issues through his celebration for his connection to his Aztech and Mexican roots. The lyrically motivated set prompted a wide variety of emotions from those lucky enough to see it.

Roots ran deep throughout the day in many ways, and above all, the day celebrated the icons who helped create modern Reggae. Stephen Marley gave a powerful set dedicated to his father, Bob Marley, as well as the music he has built on his merit. His presence served as a reminder of the influence the Marley dynasty on reggae music and culture. After a set of his original songs, he closed his set with a series of covers from his father’s repertoire. A well-received memorial to the foundations of the genre.

Although they were not a band of the reggae variety, Latin rock band Ozomatli gave the crowd a much needed second wind late in the day with their incredibly high energy performance. The high tempo dance music was a welcome change of pace from the laid-back mood of the day so far. The shift in genre served as a reminder of the open-minded mission statement of the festival, wherein that California and the whole reggae music community was made by those of all backgrounds coming together to create something meaningful to a larger community.

Dispatch, a band that has genuinely written their own legacy across decades, played late in the day to a full house at the Bowl stage. Masterfully blending pensive lyrics and mellow moods, strangers in the audience began to feel like fast friends thanks to their inspiration. By the time the band performed their career-defining song “The General,” the crowd was fully invested. The Bowl turned into an arena of voices harmoniously singing along as one. The lyrical single’s message of peace, love, and self-discovery rang as true to the audience’s ears in 2018 as it did 20 years ago. Following up the theme of violence inspiring peace, and in a powerful moment toward the end of their set, they then presented the audience with one of their newest songs “Dear Congress” after a heartfelt speech from frontman Chad Urmston on why they felt so compelled to produce this song after our country’s recent trend of school shootings. The piece understandably left the audience feeling emotional and raw moving forward in the night.

J Boog, the penultimate performance of the night, drew in an enthusiastic crowd. For the pride of Wash House, the stage was set for him to showcase just how far he has come in his career. From a developing a dedicated cult following to the top-billed performer to play the Cali Roots stage, he has taken his island sound to new and inspiring heights in the last few years of his career. His set enthralled day one fans and newcomers alike. For the first few songs in his set, he stood like stone, glued to his mic stand with stoic physical composure. It was a treat to see his evolution throughout the set as he warmed up to the crowd and eventually moved from his stand at center stage to great the audience as he became more comfortable with the way the show was unfolding.

Cali Roots veterans Rebelution ended the day with a set which festival regulars could and would never grow tired of. Although the band has been known for playing at almost every incarnation of the festival, they played with so much energy one would think it was their first time getting to experience the festival. The night faded away with the music, leaving the crowd in a noticeably positive mood. Feeling a close bond to the friends made throughout the day, the crowd left the fairgrounds enamored with the experience so far and oddly prepared for the bittersweet feeling of starting the last day of the festival the next morning.

The impact that Vans Warped Tour has had on music culture is undeniable. For almost a quarter century it has toured across the country, highlighting most cities’ summer concert lineups every step of the way. As most of us know by now, Warped Tour 2018 will be the last time the festival embarks on its ambitious cross-country journey, prompting a whirlwind of emotions from those who grew up benefiting from its impact. The decision to make this year the final run of the festival is surely one that will impact us all for years to come. Warped Tour creator Kevin Lyman has spent the last several decades synonymizing his legacy with Warped Tour’s and is finally ready to bring this chapter of his career to an end, citing that he is simply too “tired” to give this festival the attention it deserves.

For so many children of the 90’s and 2000’s, Warped Tour has been a tool that has been used to help discover musical tastes. With a consistently diverse lineup, there has always been something for everyone and much more, something that not everyone knew they would like. From Ska to Pop Punk, to Metalcore, to rock, every genre has always had a voice. From DIY garage bands to established Grammy winners, it has celebrated music at all levels as well. It has been known as the “Punk Rock Summer Camp” by bands and fans alike.

It has been a festival that epitomizes accessibility in every possible way. While ticket prices have been on the rise for most music festivals universally, Warped Tour has kept ticket prices relatively affordable across the board. Fans almost never need to take a long trip to get to Warped Tour as opposed to other stationary music festivals, as it comes to most every city in America. It has also made a point of not just making entry into the festival accessible but facilitating access the artists themselves. What has made this festival, so special throughout the years is that it has never just been a concert or music festival, it has always been an interactive experience. With every band hosting a meet and greet at some point throughout the day, any dedicated fan will have the chance to meet their favorite artists. With this legacy, it is clear why Northern California, in particular, showed up in droves to show their enthusiasm to be a part of this festival.

Mountain View played host to one day of Warped Tour this summer early on in this year’s tour. Bay Area fans came early and enthusiastic to see the tour on its final stop in Northern California. For any event to sell out the high capacity Shoreline Amphitheatre is an accomplishment, but the level of dedication the fans brought was all of its own as ticketholders came by the thousands to try and get inside the venue in time for the first band. The queue stretched blocks from the gates of the Shoreline Amphitheatre and well into the Silicon Valley as lines reached far from the venue, even passing distant Google-owned offices.

The first band to perform, Ice Nine Kills opened the day on the Mutant Red Dawn stage to an audience befitting the festival’s anticipation and hype. Delivering a high energy set that

Among the highlights showcasing their newest single “The American Nightmare” which they released just a few days prior in honor of the upcoming Warped Tour. As fans were slow to get past the bottleneck at the entrance gate, the general disorganization of the festival caught up to the performances. Shortly after starting their set, Ice Nine Kills frontman Spencer Charnas retreated to the side of the stage then returned to inform the audience that all bands had been asked to take an intermission by the festival organizers to allow more people to pass through the tightly congested line outside, a move Charnas called “A Warped Tour First.”

The heat and general discombobulation of the day took its toll on everyone in the first few hours and the day was not without a few little slip ups here and there. Notably, this was seen in Tonight Alive’s set when singer Jenna McDougal first addressed the crowd with an enthusiastic “San Diego… Is one hundred percent not where we are!” after realizing her mistake, which was answered with an eye roll from her guitarist. After the initial mix up, however, McDougal and Tonight Alive did go on to deliver a high energy set that elated the crowd at the amphitheater.

Throughout the day, bands took every opportunity to address the influence Warped Tour had has had on their musical tastes throughout the years and paid homage to the tour’s history in any way that they could. This culminated in the middle of the day toward the end of Mayday Parade’s set. After a long and heartfelt speech to the audience on how much Warped Tour has meant to them and the music industry as they’ve seen it, they gave a very lively cover of Blink-182’s hit “The Rock Show” where the audience could not help but scream along with those iconic lyrics ‘I couldn’t wait for the summer and the Warped Tour.”

Possibly the best example of Warped Tour’s ability to expose audiences to a wide variety of musical genres and tastes, Southern California Ska band Reel Big Fish performed to one of the fullest audiences to perform on the “Journey’s Left Foot” stage. They opened their set on an energetic note as they started with their well-known cover of A-Ha’s “Take On Me” with great approval from the crowd. Their high energy set came full with their brand of comedic banter that their fans have come to know so well.

For the festival’s final year, Kevin Lyman made a point of bringing back some of the bands who helped define the tour as we know it today. Montreal band Simple plan has long been associated with Warped Tour for countless reasons.  The band famously had a presence on the tour for a six-year run (1999-2005) and appeared on it sporadically for several years following. Throughout this tenure, they helped define Warped Tour and Alternative Punk-Pop-Rock’s legacy. Performing as the sun began to set on Journey’s Right Foot and main stage, Simple Plan took the audience back to Warped Tour’s Alternative roots with their set. Lead singer Pierre Bouvier performed energetically, exciting the already enthusiastic crowd at the festival’s main stage. The feeling was somewhere between nostalgia and euphoria as they packed so much energy into the half hour they were allotted, starting with their turn of the millennium hit “I’d Do Anything” up until closing with the much softer coming of age work “Perfect.”

One of the highlights of the day came late in the day on Journey’s Right Foot stage when We the Kings backing vocalist, guitarist, and keyboardist began the band’s set with a soulful and passionate cover of Celine Dion’s signature hit “My Heart Will Go On” which was performed to the overwhelming approval of the crowd. In so many ways, starting their set with this cover optimized what Warped tour has always represented, a fun-loving expression of art that can sometimes just border on silly; art for the sake of art.

So much of the charm of Warped Tour has always been its mission for helping evolve musical tastes and no act of the day better symbolized change and evolution than the late-day performance by UK Pop Punk band As It Is. Fans of the group have come to know them by the band members’ universally blonde hair and generally softer and uplifting sound in their music, but their set on the Owly.fm stage showcased a new era of their identity. Frontman Patty Walters emerged from backstage sporting a freshly dyed head of jet black hair, giving the band a classic Emo feel. Their music reflected this new look while debuting their newest single “The Stigma (Boys Don’t Cry)” which featured a much harder tone than the music they have been known for in the past.

The crowd flocked to Journey’s Right Foot stage to watch as All Time Low headlined the evening on the amphitheater platform under dim lighting, but the glow of a few thousand cell phones brightened up the venue starting during their performance of “Something’s Gotta Give.” It was a bittersweet moment to watch the final bows of the day because with it we all know what the music world is losing with it. The nostalgic feeling of the Myspace era becomes just a bit further removed as this curtain call prompts a generation to let go of another part of their youth, but through it all, we remain thankful for all it has done for us. For the friends, we have made, for the music we have learned to love, and for everything in between. Thank you, Warped Tour. We promise not to forget you.

“We’re not going to make you cry; we’re not going to make you sad. We’re going to make you smile, we’re going to make you laugh, we’re going to make you laugh at us and yourself. We’re going to make you say the “F”-word” Would be a lot to experience in a show, but this is exactly what Reel Big Fish veteran Johnny “Christmas” Christianson promises from the audiences who find themselves at their concerts. Since the 90’s Reel Big Fish has been traveling the world with their uplifting message, dedicated to keeping their genre alive as best they can.

Ska band Reel Big Fish gained popularity more than two decades ago, and the bandmates have taken full advantage of the demand audiences around the world have for them ever since. Averaging around 250 live shows each and every year they are constantly touring, determined to never let their fans down. True showmen at heart, they strive to embody all that Ska stands for, and have successfully written their legacy as one of the most recognizable names in the genre.

We had a chance to sit down with Reel Big Fish’s Trumpet player and elder of the Ska community Johnny Christmas on the last cross country Warped Tour to talk to him about his time on the tour, his relationship with Ska, and the musicians who inspire him.

Grateful Web: With songs like “Sell Out,” “Don’t start a band” and “Everything Sucks” I have always been curious about your almost morbid take on your own success. Could you explain that a little?

Johnny Christmas: It’s a part of growing up in Southern California in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. It was just something that came out of the Southern California Ska scene that Aaron (Barrett) saw. People like to have fun at Ska shows, and somehow that warped into his sense of humor, and he wrote those songs. As you see other bands, you see that they’re jaded, or people that like to knock you down for having success, and Reel Big Fish was lucky enough to have a little bit of success and be a part of that wonderful Ska scene with bands like The Aquabats, No Doubt, and Sublime. It’s just his slightly warped view of the world. He definitely sees that the ability to laugh at your situation and being able to laugh at the world is the most important thing that you can possibly do for your mental health, which is not to take yourself so seriously. We are all really sincere musicians that have a commitment to our craft, but we are silly funny guys, and we like to show that off so you can “lighten your load” as we like to say and laugh at yourself to have a good time.

GW: Traditionally, you’re a band that does upwards of 200 shows a year. How do you find the energy and motivation?

JC: It’s crazy, this year is really unusual. We’ve had about four months off, and I’m really happy to be back out on the road and doing what I do best. While we may be goofballs on the stage, we are not goofballs off the stage. (Offstage) It’s a lot of reading books and taking some quiet time for yourself. Three of us are in our 40’s, one of us is in our 30’s, and we have two guys that are in their 20’s. We enjoy seeing the young guys drink until they throw up, not our young guys because our guys are professionals. We save it all up for the show, and we give each other our personal space, you can’t be all up in each others’ area and playing practical jokes on each other, we’re not that kind of band. We save it all up for the stage and give you 100% when we’re onstage.

GW: It’s been a while since your last album dropped. Anything new in the works?

JC: There may or may not be a Reel Big Fish record. I cannot confirm or deny that we recorded the new Reel Big Fish record this winter. I’m not going to say that we recorded a new Reel Big Fish record and that it’s in the can just waiting to be mixed and mastered. I’m not saying that. I’m not saying that this is going to be the best Reel Big Fish record that we’ve ever put out, because I can’t talk about this record that may or may not exist, ok? I’m just letting you know that Reel Big Fish may or may not have a new record coming out this fall. But I can’t talk about it.

GW: You came out with a very creative Holiday album a few years back. What inspired the tracks on the record, specifically “Carol of the Beers”?

JC: That was all Matt Appleton. Aaron knew how talented and wonderful Matt is, and what a great engineer he is, and he told Matt “I want you to do Carol of the Bells, but do it as Carol of the Beers.” Aaron let Matt go away into the studio in his house, and Matt did it all by himself. It’s really really awesome, he’s so talented, and it always makes me smile to hear that (song).

GW: We’ve all heard your cover of A-ha’s “Take On Me” but if you could pick any artist to cover any of your songs, which would they?

JC: I think the Rolling Stones should do a Reel Big Fish song. I want to see Mick Jagger make the entire stadium raise their middle fingers and do “Another F.U. Song.”

GW: What are your thoughts on the present and future of Ska?

JC: Everybody keeps saying that there’s going to be another wave, but it’s going to take another band to have a radio hit, because that’s what makes the magic and that’s what makes the scene. We are happy to be a part of whatever scene there is. I think the great thing about Ska music is you come to the show to have a good time, that is our modus operandi. We’re not going to make you cry; we’re not going to make you sad. We’re going to make you smile; we’re going to make you laugh, we’re going to make you laugh at us and yourself. We’re going to make you say the “F”-word once or twice, maybe three times, and not take yourself so seriously because people that take themselves too seriously cause all the problems in the world.

GW: As Warped Tour veterans; obviously the festival was not started with Ska in mind, but you have made yourselves a staple here and one of the crowd favorites. Why do you believe your music resonates so well with this crowd, and how do you feel about the niche you’ve carved out for yourselves here?

JC: We did an autograph signing yesterday, and maybe ¾ of the people in that autograph signing had never seen us before. I think we’re such an anomaly like bands like “The Aquabats” (Because) when I say “The Aquabats” I smile from ear to ear. They’re not only great musicians, but they’re great entertainers, and I think that’s something that Aaron, our lead-singer-boss-man has always stressed. What we do is entertainment. It’s entertainment, and we’re putting on a show for everybody, and I think that’s why we’re here, because it’s a show. You’re going to laugh, you’re not going to cry, well unless your girlfriend has left you for another girl, but we’re going to make you smile and laugh at that. I think it’s this “have fun” factor that we provide that keeps us coming back to Warped Tour.

GW: You’ve brought up your relationship with The Aquabats a few times. I have often been curious about their history. With your perspective as their friend and peer, how did you observe their direction pivot back in 1998 with the heavily publicized loss of their drummer Travis Barker.

JC: The Aquabats have been doing what they’ve been doing the whole time (with or without) Travis. I played with Travis at the Back to the Beach Festival with Goldfinger, and he did a great job. Wonderful Drummer and I’m glad that he’s doing well with Blink-182, but the Aquabats are the Aquabats. You can’t change those guys; they’re hilarious. I watched the Super Rad video recently, and there’s something about the Ska fans being the underdogs, not being the cool kids in the school, and feeling that you need to fight for your place in the world. Ska music is this beautiful, uplifting music that helps you do that. We as musicians are the heart in the heartless world. The first place that people turn to when they have something go wrong in their life; they turn to music. You’re going to put on “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” when your girlfriend breaks up with you, and you’re going to put on “Everything Sucks” when you lose your job. We are lucky and privileged to be a part of everyone’s life who shows up to a show or listens to our songs and back to the Aquabats’ Super Rad, you’re fighting, you’re overcoming the obstacles of life by laughing and smiling instead of crying. You smile about it, and you say “Life’s going to go on another day,” and you go with it.

GW: How do you feel about Warped Tour coming to an end this year?

JC: It’s sad. This is such a unique opportunity, not only for the bands on the tour, but for the fans who come to the shows. There is no traveling festival like this anywhere in the world. Not one that goes for six weeks, that goes all over the entire country. That’s the great thing about Warped Tour is that we come to you. We’re going to come to where you only have to drive a short while. You don’t have to get on a plane to Ontario California, then drive an hour and a half to get to Coachella. We’re going to come to you, and you’re going to get sunburnt, you’re going to get sweaty, and you’re going to see some great bands, and you’re going to have an experience of a lifetime. I’m sad that it’s going away.

GW: How do you feel you’ve left your mark on the festival?

JC: I hope that we’ve made some people think about their lives in a different way and that we’ve made some people smile when they want to cry. That’s all you can hope for as a musician, that you have a positive impact on the world. I hope that we’ve done that.

GW: What’s something not a lot of people on the tour know about you?

JC: I talk about everything if you can’t tell. I don’t shy away from any subjects. But I love Motorcycles. Love them. All shapes and sizes. They’re so beautiful it makes me want to cry. Also, I’m a dad. I have a five-year-old daughter, and she has a motorcycle that she doesn’t want to ride yet, she’s afraid, so I’m trying to coerce her into going out and riding with me. Someday it’ll work.

Human encyclopedia of all things literature and cinema, Spencer Charnas, has enjoyed a successful career thus far embracing the cult following that accompanies his Metalcore band Ice Nine Kills. The band from Salem consistently finds a way to put a dark spin on their deepest passions with their lyrically motivated music that often take more than one listen to fully digest.

The band turned heads in 2015 when they released their album “Every Trick in the Book,” a concept album revolving around some of the works of literature that Charnas believed shaped his person journey, in a move that prompted the most commercial success the band had seen so far. In reflecting on this album, Charnas said “I think that we were trying to do something different. We’re by no means the first band to do a concept album, but in this world, I don’t think there are too many bands doing that.” An album with songs based on novels from as wide of an interest breath as Robert Louis Stevenson’s “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” to Thomas Hardy’s “Tess Of The d’Urbervilles” the album’s deeply personal nature was clear to listeners. “I’m a huge fan of literature” Charnas Recalls, “This is the stuff that I live and breathe, and your music should be an extension of who you are, I think that’s when you write the best material.”

Recently, Grateful Web met with Ice Nine Kills frontman Spencer Charnas at this year’s Warped Tour to talk with him about his thoughts on concept albums, the other genres that influence him, and the lighter side of him that he believes most of his fans rarely see.

Grateful Web: You recently released your new single “The American Nightmare” would you mind talking a little bit about the process of creating this song and why you felt this was the single to release before Warped Tour?

Spencer Charnas: That was one of the first songs that we worked on for the new record that we’re releasing in October, and the concept of the new album is that every song is going to be based on a different horror film. When we were writing that one, the chorus just hit and we were like “This has got to be the track we drop right before Warped Tour.” We crafted it in a way for it to be a real live banger, and it was so cool to really get involved in the lyrical content and really homage the film, so we watched the whole (Nightmare on Elm Street) franchise over and over again, I love Wes Craven, RIP, and we really got ensconced in the imagery and the mythology of Freddy Krueger, and how brilliant of a concept it was to have a slasher that kills you in your sleep, because no matter what you do; you can have a loaded gun, you can lock up all your doors, but you’re going to fall asleep eventually so your death is imminent.

GW: With this being your second concept album, why do you feel particularly drawn to these?

SC: I think that we were trying to do something different. We’re by no means the first band to do a concept album, but in this world,  I don’t think there are too many bands doing that. I’m a huge fan of literature and horror, the last one (album) was literature and this one’s horror. This is the stuff that I live and breathe, and your music should be an extension of who you are, I think that’s when you write the best material. We’ve done records where we’re talking about our own pain and our own sorrow, but I’m a pretty happy guy and with our music I don’t think that much happy imagery really works with it and I love the stories behind these films. If I can make art on a different platform to pay respect to these films, that just feels like the next step for us.

GW: I have always been curious as to why you re-released your song “The Greatest Story Ever Told” on Safe Is Just a Shadow. What prompted you to release it again with a more produced sound?

SC: When we first released this song, we were at the height of the Myspace and True Volume era. We were unsigned at the time and we really saw for the first time, an organic growth of our band. People were really responding to that song. We would be touring around the country and we would always be hustling CD’s. No matter if we were at a show or we had a day off at a mall. We would find people in rural Texas at some mall we would go to, we’d walk up to them say “We’re Ice Nine Kills and we have this album” and they’d say “Yeah, I have ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told’ on my iPod.” For whatever reason that song just struck a chord with people at that time. Then we got the opportunity to release the album “Safe Is Just a Shadow” a couple years later and we thought a lot of people loved it the first time… and we just thought it couldn’t hurt to release it the second time.

GW: What are you reading right now?

SC: Right now, I’m reading a Wes Craven biography that’s really cool. It details his life and how he came up through teaching at a college in New York to being one of the greatest and most celebrated names in horror. Then I’m reading another book called “Men, Women, and Chainsaws” which is a book about the slasher genre and the misconception that it’s a misogynistic genre. The slasher genre got so much crap in the 80’s (for their portrayal of how women are killed) but if you watch most of these movies, the person who ends up defeating the bad guy at the end is always a woman, so it touches on that and the importance of realizing that art is art and we shouldn’t be too PC about everything.

GW: I like how you have always made it a mission to incorporate, as you put it, “tattooable phrases” in your music. Particularly in your song “Alice” where you refer to drug addiction as a “Chemical warfare attack.” How did you make that connection in particular?

SC: That one was one of my favorite lines, I think it’s an underrated (song) and it was never a single, but every time we play it live when we’re on a headlining tour people go wild for it. I think that everything we do we try to be clever, we try to use turns of phrases and metaphors. I remember that line just sort of came to me, I thought it would be cool to use the imagery of war in (the context of) drug addiction.

GW: How strong are your ties to Salem Massachusetts?

SC: I’m originally from Swampscott which is a town just outside of Salem and I ended up moving to Salem about six years ago. Now I live in West Hollywood, but my family still lives in the Salem area. I love that area obviously because I’m a horror fan and the sinister nature of the (history) really fuels the way I write. I also have a clothing line called “Kleaver” which is based out of Salem.

GW: The reason I ask that is because I’ve always wondered, in picking the literature to inspire your album “Every Trick in the Book” did “The Crucible” ever cross your mind with those ties to your hometown?

SC: You know, that was definitely Arthur Miller’s great (novel) and we were going to (base a song on) The Crucible, but a band that we’re very good friends with, Motionless in White, had already done a song called “Abigail” which is a song about the Salem witch trials and obviously using imagery from The Crucible. I think if they hadn’t done it (we would have.)

GW: What has Warped Tour meant to you as a veteran of the tour?

SC: For me as a musician, it means everything. I grew up going to this tour ever since I was 12 or 13 years old. Going there and Idolizing bands like “Finch” and “Less Than Jake” or bands like “Fenix TX” and all these pop-punk bands, and now to be playing on a tour, on the last, quintessential Warped Tour is just an honor. Actually, speaking of, on our new album, we ended up getting guest spots from every single one of those (aforementioned) bands. Less than Jake plays horns on one song, Will from Fenix sings on one, and Randy from Finch plays guitar on (another).

GW: How have you seen Warped Tour change?

SC: I think that, for me, it pretty much feels the same. I think this year in particular being the last year, more people are coming out than in the past, but it always feels like a family-oriented thing. Kevin Lyman is just the nicest guy in the world, and he’s like the dad of the tour. He’s always been super supportive of our band when no one else would give us a chance. So, I don’t think it’s really changed, it just keeps getting better. This is the best one (yet) and I think we’re going to go out on a really high note.

GW: How do you feel you’ve left your mark on Warped Tour?

SC: I think that we strive to put on a great show and we always give 110% no matter what. We always give it our all and I hope our fans know that. I always try to get in the crowd and jump in there more so than most bands do, and for me that comes from watching John Feldmann from Goldfinger, he has always been one of my favorite frontmen… I think that intense showmanship is what we try to leave our mark with.

GW: Do you see Ice Nine Kills releasing another single through Pop Goes Punk?

SC: I think it’s really fun to do those I think some bands do it too much, but I think that every once in a while, it’s cool to throw in a cover there… But I think we will again in the future since our label does those albums.

GW: What’s next for Ice Nine Kills?

SC: We just came out with “The American Nightmare” which you can get on any digital platform now, we’ll be releasing another song in July that stars another icon of horror, then October 5th our new album “The Silver Scream” comes out and judging by this new song, I think our fans are going to love it.

GW: What’s something not a lot of people on the tour know about you?

SC: I think a lot of people don’t know that while I’m obviously a horror fan, I’m a really big fan of comedy. I love movies like the “Naked Gun” series or “Police Academy” and “Weekend at Bernies” or Wes Anderson movies like “Rushmore.” I think people see us as this dark and scary band, but there’s always tongue-in-cheek in what we do and even though Horror is at the forefront, there’s always that satirical element to us and I’m not sure that everyone knows that.

Cries of "Jesus" shouted toward The Artisanals frontman Johnny Delaware as he took the stage correctly foreshadowed the tone for the night. With a steel wire dangling from his instrument’s headstock, he left no doubt in the San Francisco crowd's mind that he was a tenured advocate of the 11-string guitar. Barefoot and grounded to the stage he stood on, he let the band tease the audience before plugging his instrument into the loudspeaker. With the level of dedication that was clearly put into the performance that followed, The Artisinals more than lived up to the adjective in their name.

Although they sing about how they could be a “one-trick pony” in their song “drag,” one would never assume that by seeing them live. Somewhere between the colorful appearance of Jefferson Airplane and the upbeat folk-rock sound of Dawes is where you will find The Artisinals. In a set without a low point, the band took every chance to engage the audience both musically and interpersonally. The musicians utilized the charm of the intimate and snug style of the venue to their advantage and frequently made eye contact with different members of the audience who were particularly enjoying a moment.

Having played their previous concert in the city right down the road at the Rickshaw, San Francisco’s Hotel Utah was clearly a memorable venue for the band as they constantly bantered about it throughout the night. “Do you think they still use this as a hotel?” “It’s San Francisco, they Airbnb it.” were among the highlights of their chit chat.

Their stop off in San Francisco was far from their first rodeo. The Artisanals have been actively touring largely to promote their upcoming self-titled album, which is scheduled to release on September 21st. Recently, Grateful Web was lucky enough to have the chance to experience this new album for what it is and the implications the 10-track record has for the band’s legacy.

The album opens with a minute-long sitar-style solo that transitions into the album’s single “Angel 42.” While the versatile piece might start off this album, it has become known as the one the band plays to end their sets. A soft but upbeat number with a wide variety of sound and unique instrumental features. In many ways, it is the kind of song you would want to play while lying down on the grass and shut your eyes on a summer day.

It is hard to take in the third track “First Time” without feeling a bit of whimsical nostalgia. Lyrically motivated and slow paced, it focuses on the story of a relationship long ended but with a refreshingly transparent twist. Instead of disingenuous embellishments of unrealistic situations, this song celebrates the beauty in the seemingly unremarkable quirks of a new relationship. It serves as a reminder that the most important moments we remember from a past relationship might be a little strange, but they mean a lot to you, lyrics such as “The first time I ever partied with you you were doing cocaine with the girls” and “The first time I made love to you it was on my friend’s couch.” It plays as a refreshing song that celebrates the subtleties of life.

Swedish producer Carl Garsbo, better known as Kasbo performed a marathon of a night on November 30th at San Francisco’s Mezzanine spanning two separate sets prompted by the community’s unwavering devotion. As his most recent “Places we Don’t Know Tour: Part 2” stopped by the Bay Area, his fans immediately illustrated their support. A second, earlier set was added to San Francisco’s agenda to accommodate the high demand of a first performance that sold out almost immediately. The late addition would prove to be more than justified as the audience to attend brought a passionate apatite for the music they were about to indulge in.

As the crowd arrived for the midnight performance, the energy was unmistakably enthusiastic. From fans who had eagerly bought tickets to both shows, to event staff commending the earlier performance, to newer followers anticipating seeing the artist for the first time, it was impossible to walk more than a few steps in the venue without overhearing a conversation praising the artist.

By the time Kasbo took the stage, the venue was packed from the front of the guardrails to the exits. The set that proceeded was one that more than lived up to the buildup by the audience’s vocal anticipation. The aura of the crowd was unapologetically euphoric from beginning to end as the fans in attendance never once stopped dancing long enough to catch their breath. The multi instrumental performance consisting of strings, percussion and electronics won the sold out house over early and kept the energy high all night.

Kasbo’s performance was filled with samples that showcased his talent and highlighted other artists who have clearly inspired his musical direction. Songs such as Kanye West’s “All Mine,” Jai Wolf’s “Indian Summer” and Ed Sheeran’s “Happier” all drew enthusiastic responses from the crowd and highlighted the artist’s ability to build on these contemporary musical staples.

As 1am rolled around, Kasbo took a moment to address the audience before closing out the night. In a short and humble speech, he thanked the crowd for what he called the “Most crazy show of the entire tour” and for their unwavering support that he credits with allowing him to pursue his dreams. After ravenous chants of “one more song” came from the house, he played one curtain call, which the crowd swayed along to zealously.

Be sure to check out Kasbo’s new full-length album “Places we Don’t Know” now available on all major streaming services.

Long-standing Bay Area music festival Noise Pop has been a staple in the Independent music scene since its inception in 1993. Now in its 27th year, it continues to prove its relevance and draw attention to itself as well as the artists it was designed to promote. Throughout this week-long festival, music venues of all sizes across the Bay Area open their doors and play host to a long list of talented independent artists. The celebration of emerging artists and DIY culture draws crowds young and old, as it consistently takes the city by storm and reminds us all of the humble beginnings of a musician’s journey. This year’s installment of the festival saw no shortage of excitement.

To truly christen the week of festivities, Noise Pop festival organizers hosted a Cannabis happy hour the Friday night before the festival at Hotel Kabuki in San Francisco’s Japantown. The venue was packed from wall to wall with excited guests, eager to take part in the fun. The event had a feel more alike a trade show than a happy hour, with no samples of any medicinal products being offered to the public. However, the energy was still high throughout the night.

The first concert of the week, Teenage Fanclub opened the festival with an electrifying set at the historic Fillmore. Apart from the music, the venue itself reflected the aura of the festival. From the Noise Pop decorations scattered throughout the building to the poster hall where the poster commemorating The Monkees 2001 Fillmore performance having been enshrined with roses in reverence of the recent passing of Peter Tork just a few days prior. The mood was set for Teenage Fanclub as they took the stage. Throughout the night, the band made light of their age and 29 years together numerous times throughout their performance. “We only play to venues that have defibrillators” Lead singer and guitarist Norman Blake announced to the crowd as a part of the slew of jokes at their own expense. Despite their references to their old age, the band played a long set that went well past the venue’s curfew. The energizing night set a high bar for what was to come in the week that followed.

The next night at the Swedish American Hall, a lineup of young women who echoed the embodiment of empowerment. Australian opener Meg Mac took the stage and quickly set the tone for the evening. Accompanied by a guitarist and backing vocalist, the harmonies and smooth melodies created a sound and feel comparable to the Dixie Chicks. Charlotte Lawrence’s headlining performance that immediately followed highlighted details that make small venue shows special from every end of the spectrum. While her fans’ high energy carried throughout the night, the venue’s equipment could not live up to the same standards, as the microphones and amplifiers malfunctioned multiple times throughout the night, turning the second halves of many songs into acoustic sing-alongs with the support of the audience. Eventually, the technical difficulties became too much of an obstacle for the artist to overcome, and Lawrence was forced to cut her set short, opting for a fan meet-and-greet to compensate attendees for the shortened night.

While the mood was light-hearted and easy going at the Swedish American Hall, downstairs, however, at the hall’s sister venue “Café Du Nord” the theme of the night took on a more of a trap feeling. A night of Hip Hop headlined by Kodie Shane drew an impressive crowd to the intimate speakeasy-themed venue. The night consistently maintained an informal and low maintenance vibe, as multiple friends joined each artist to feature during several songs throughout the night.

Later that same night, My Brightest Diamond gave what was arguably the best set of the festival to an enthusiastic crowd at The Rickshaw Stop. Classically trained artist Shara Nova stole the limelight as she gave a high energy and universally stimulating performance to the late-night crowd. A classically trained opera singer with a tenured career, Nova’s vocal ability was at no point on trial, but her ability to give a visually provocative performance at such a small and limited venue proved to be the distinguishing factor in the show. She demanded the audience’s full attention from the moment her set began. As the lights dimmed, the music began to the discombobulation of the audience as the band had not yet appeared onstage. The double meaning of the opening number immediately made sense as more and more audience members noticed Nova emerge from the crowd and walk toward the stage, repeating the titular line from her first song “It’s Me on the Dance Floor.” What followed was a set that started with and sustained a high level of energy throughout. Nova’s setlist was comprehensive of her band’s repertoire, including hits both new and old, even throwing in a cover of The Strangeloves’ “I Want Candy” just to bring some nostalgia to the show.

Northern California native Jason Lytle, mostly made famous from his tenure as frontman of indie band Grandaddy played an acoustic set to an audience at the Swedish American hall that was all too excited to take part in the performance. As Lytle took the stage, he sat in front of a piano as a white backdrop appeared behind him, onto it personal pictures and home movies were projected during the music, while video of a burning campfire played in between his songs as he addressed the crowd. After the second piece, he jokingly held his hands up to the projected flame to warm himself up. The set took on a deeply personal feel early on. In lieu of merchandise, Lytle decided to hold a fundraiser in memorial of his late dog, Tippy. He announced that he was releasing new music as a part of a fundraiser to benefit San Francisco charity Muttville, an organization facilitating adoptions of senior dogs. The rest of the long set was filled with hits prompting the audience to sing along to most songs throughout the night.

Noise Pop 2019 ended in a specular and fitting fashion. Sunday night at The Chapel, The Marías performed to a sold-out crowd and epitomized Noise Pop’s artistic mission. The band itself played a multilingual set that drew continuous roars from the audience. Their smooth pop aura encouraged a positive vibe from the house well into the night. Good vibes were sent and received from the minute they opened with Spanish song “Cariño” to the unexpected moment when they covered Britney Spears’ classic “Baby One More Time.” In so many ways, this night reflected the mission of the Noise Pop movement; a young and light-hearted crowd eagerly waiting for a band with nothing short of a bright future destined on the horizon. It seemed fitting for this to be the last show left on our pallet before the festival went away for the next year. Until then, we can only wait to see what comes from the emerging artists we have just met, to the new and emerging ones who are destined to appear on the bill next year.

Tenured Vermont jam-band Twiddle, in a sentence, is truly an ensemble without a peer. Something about the soft but powerful vocals of lead singer Mihali Savoulidis combined with the band’s chemistry dating back over a dozen years to the dorm room where they first began, meet to facilitate their mission to hypnotize audiences while never giving them the same show twice. Their passion for the music they create has taken them all over the world, earning accolades from casual festival goers to even Senator Bernie Sanders (who has in the past been very vocal of his support for the band) and virtually everybody in between. Recently, the winds blew them west to San Francisco, as Twiddle played a marathon of a show to an intimate but enthusiastic crowd to the historic Fillmore as a part of their humbly titled “Winter 2019” tour in a well-received performance that was anything but phoned in.

Having released two new live albums in the month before, the fans in attendance were undoubtedly well aware of the energy Twiddle brings to their concerts, but even the most seasoned zealot could not have predicted every turn this night would take. An evening that truly justified the price of admission, Twiddle gave a performance consisting of two sets and an encore, tallying several hours in length, and holding the Bay Area’s attention all the way through.

As the band took the stage, one detail in particular caught the house’s eye. Mihali Savoulidis’ signature waste-length lion’s mane was not atop his head, a move that was made just a few days prior, and one that surely was intended to showcase the artist’s intention to mature and show his growth. The sign of Savoulidis’ evolution was, however, not a deterrent in the audience’s reception of the band’s grand entrance. The crowd roared as the quartet took their places onstage. After a brief acknowledgement of the crowd, what followed was an extended opening jam that foreshadowed a well-received night of musical extemporization.

In a concert elapsing several hours, time almost seemed to lose all meaning. As the band jammed on, their music flowed seamlessly, captivating the house for hours on end. Rarely taking any kind of a break that would interrupt their flow, their first set was curated in true jam-band fashion with frugal use of lyrics, but impassioned instrumental improvisation featuring heavy use of the keyboard and guitar solos from Savoulidis that were as long and magnificent as he is Greek.

While the volume of the crowd may not have filled the venue’s capacity, every person in the Fillmore that night made it clear that there was no place on earth they would rather be. The crowd took full advantage of the extra space, whimsically dancing throughout the night. As Twiddle finished their first set with a glittering light show behind them.  Savoulidis announced that they would be back for a second set and that the show would continue soon. Despite it being close to 11:00pm on a week night, the crowd stayed intact, with very few leaving the venue for the night.

After a brief intermission, Twiddle returned for their second set of the night. While their second act was still incredibly jam-heavy, it had a much heavier lyrical presence. The band opened with a long rendition of their hit “Lost in the Cold” which quickly turned into an audience sing along. Presumably inspired by the crowd’s vocals, Nathan Feinstein, lead singer of opening band Iya Terra, joined Twiddle on stage for an impromptu verse. Taking center stage, arms open wide in his usual animated fashion, his flamboyance was a welcomed presence from the already enamored crowd.

Like “I Dreamed a Dream” in Les Mis, the chord progression for Lost in the Cold replayed several times throughout the set, helping with transitions and anchoring the piece. The group showed their comfort with each other as performers and once again spent much of the set having fun with spontaneous experimentation. The music took a more defined direction well into the set as Savoulidis turned to each member of the band and touched the top of his hat to signify he was about to solo, the rest of the band followed in suit, each soloing at their own luxury.

After a full show spanning several hours, Twiddle finished their second set just after the stroke of midnight, but still obliged the audiences pleads for an encore, returning to the stage for a long rendition of “Hattibagen McRat,” ending the night with an upbeat and enthusiastic feel. After the last cord was struck, Savoulidis had a grin that stretched from ear to ear. Throwing his pick into the crowd, he thanked the audience and took his leave, but the audience lingered just a few minutes longer, soaking in the energy of the night. In a show that could not have possibly given the audience any more, Twiddle once again proved that they alone lead the pack in today’s jam-band community.

Summer time is almost here in California, and residents are counting down the days. It’s no secret that Southern California is famous for beaches and music, and one event promises to highlight these hallmarks in spectacular fashion. Music industry legends Travis Barker (Blink-182) and John Feldmann (Goldfinger) are coming together once gain to produce their second annual Back to the Beach Festival. An activity-filled weekend hosted on the sands of Huntington State Beach on April 27-28, Back to the Beach promises to be even more exciting than last year’s inaugural jamboree, promising fun for the whole family featuring “a carnival midway, beach games, great food (with vegan options), craft beer and cocktails, and more.”

The festival organizers will be putting their money where their mouth is on this one, as both Blink-182 and Goldfinger will be performing sets at this year’s festival along an incredibly flushed out lineup including The Used, Reel Big Fish, and The Story So Far. The full day-by-day lineup is as followed:

Saturday:

Blink-182

Goldfinger (with special guests)

Reel Big Fish

Streetlight Manifesto

The Aquabats

Save Ferris

The English Beat

The Drowns

Sunday:

The Used

The Story So Far

Anthony Green

The Wonder Years

Less Than Jake

Story of the Year

Teenage Wrist

Lowlives

As John Feldmann, put it, “What could be better than a mostly ska festival?” and with this year’s lineup, who could blame him? From The Aquabats, to Streetlight Manifesto, this year’s lineup is full of some of the biggest names in the genre.

As many may have heard, earlier this month Travis barker sustained injuries resulting in a broken ankle. Despite these setbacks, Barker insists that this injury is just a “bump in the road” and has announced he has full intentions to play during Blink-182’s headlining set. One can only wonder what surprises he has in mind for this year’s festivities. Barker, known for his zealous relating to all thing’s music, dazzled the Back to the Beach crowd last year with a dramatic reunion with The Aquabats and is sure to have more surprises up his sleeve for this year’s festival.

In this age of high-priced festivals, tickets to Back to the Beach are surprisingly affordable. With weekend GA passes costing just $86 and weekend VIP access at $250, all before added fees of course, and admission is free for all children under 10. Back to the Beach is proving to be quite the cost-effective alternative to all the pricier festivals that have been so heavily publicized as of late. A Travis Barker meet and greet package is also available each day of the festival for $200 plus fees. Be sure to get your tickets now to this sure to be spectacular festival.

Classically trained DJ and Producer Douglas Appling, better known as Emancipator played a cleansing set to a sold-out house at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall that was nothing short of hypnotizing. His music, if not genuinely describable as trance, was certainly trance-esque, and highlighted electronic music’s evolution and maturity in recent years. Breaking away from stereotypes of raves, the set showcased Electronic music’s validity in the modern era.

The openers, who’s sets totaled almost three hours in length, were all artists with lengthy histories of collaborating with the headliner, including violinist and producer Lapa, perhaps best known for performing alongside Appling during most every Emancipator performance. The familiarity among artists generated a continuity to the feelings invoked during the performances throughout the night.

As the lights dimmed and the evening began, 9Theory, the evening’s first opener came to the stage and began his set by saying “Every show on this tour has been super fun and super dope… This show is going to be too.” These words to nobody’s surprise proved to be true

The music of the evening had a calming yet focusing effect. Every musician’s sets could have easily been recorded and slipped into any playlist titled “electronic music to study to” and no one would ever be the wiser. The momentum of the night flowed smoothly, with no intermissions amongst the openers and only a 15-minute break in between the last opener and the headlining set.

Just as the clocks struck midnight, the headlining duo took their place center stage. Emancipator performed mostly under a dark blue and purple hue, which symbolically complimented the sensations sounds of the violin aptly. Shining over the slowly dancing audience as well, the blue light provoked imagery of an ocean when looked down on from the balcony, which coupled with the pensive music showcased how well rounded the production values that went into this show were.

Throughout the night, there was an amazing aura throughout the house, unlike a typical concert. Even the staff at times caught wind of the infectious good nature. At multiple times throughout the set, members of the audience jumped up onto the stage and started dancing, but instead of forcibly removing them from the stage or venue, the security merely walked over and motioned for them to hop back down to their spot at the foot of the stage.

Experiencing Emancipator live was like listening to an entire orchestrated movie soundtrack, it built consistently throughout the night, and once their message was delivered, the duo said a quick thank you, closed their laptops, took a bow, and exited the stage as nonchalantly as they had entered. No encore, no embellishment, nothing the artists felt unnecessary. As the house lights came up, the audience stayed and applauded for several minutes before leaving the theatre.

In a weekend full of chill vibes and great music, Travis Barker and John Feldmann’s Back to the Beach Festival returned to Huntington State Beach for its second annual installment. Featuring a “mostly ska” lineup unlike most of today’s mainstream festivals, it showed just how populous and dedicated today’s ska community is.  Back to the Beach’s Day one lineup offered an unparalleled introspective into the influence and relevance the genre has in this day and age. While ska is so famously known for being a culture that takes pride in not taking itself too seriously, the festival was incredibly well organized, and selling out a festival with a capacity of over 20,000 really does lead one to to legitimately wonder if we are on the verge of a resurgence in mainstream appeal and popularity for the community. The weekend started on a high note and kept building as the days went on.

Despite a heavy overcast, nothing could rain on Travis and Feldy’s parade. From the beginning to the end, every band gave a high energy set that got the audience riled up. UK band The English Beat brought their reggae-ska sound to an early morning crowd that could not have been happier for the experience. Despite the recent passing of one of the band’s singers and frontmen Ranking Rogers less than a month prior, their set was lively enough to prompt roaring applause from the crowd. After their performance, unanswered chants of “one more song” came loudly from the audience as The English Beat left the stage. The passion the audience had for just the second band of the day was encouraging and prompted questions of just how much the house’s energy would build throughout the day.

The weather began to improve with the general mood throughout Save Ferris’ set. The band delivered an animated set that included most of their hits, and some new surprises. Lead singer Monique Powell addressed the audience early on, giving a speech seasoned Save Ferris fans are all too familiar with “My name is Monique, but you can call me Mo… I have a feeling that by the end of this, we’re going to be very good friends.” Toward the end of her set, Powell poked fun at the festival’s billing, boasting to be a “kid friendly” event before launching into a loud, vulgar, and high energy cover of the Dead Kennedys’ hit “Too Drunk to Fuck.”

Just as The Aquabats’ set began, the clouds parted and the sun came out. The band confidently strutted out, shortly followed by a group of children carrying large inflatable sharks. The crowd then knew what to expect as the sharks were thrown into the audience as the band opened with their hit “The Shark Fighter!”

Reel Big Fish gave a quirky, llight-hearted set that dedicated fans had come to know and love. As the band danced on stage, lead singer Aaron Barrett announced to the audience “We’re going to play all new songs from our new album. Just kidding!” Their set, however, was not without surprises. Toward the end of their set the band invited Taylor Morden, director of the recent ska documentary “Pick it Up!” onstage with them to play trumpet during their song “Sell Out” before ending with their hit cover of Ah-Ha’s “Take on Me” that has become almost synonymous with the band’s identity.

Goldfinger’s performance late in the day electrified the crowd in a major way. John “Feldy” Feldmann ran onstage, immediately jumped on the speakers to embrace the audience, then began with their 1996 hit “Here in Your Bedroom,” Feldy’s feet touching the ground as little as possible. Billed as “Goldfinger with special guests” their set did not skip on the collaborative talent, bringing the frontmen of both bands who had headlined last year’s festival, Nick Hexum of 311 and Rome Ramirez of Sublime with Rome, to help cover their bands’ hit songs “Amber” and “Date Rape” respectively. Feldy’s surprises were far from done, as he then asked the crowd to join him in an extended moment of silence to honor recently deceased member of The English Beat Ranking Roger before inviting Dave Wakeling onstage with them to help cover their song “Mirror in the Bathroom.” At the end of the set, Feldy took an opportunity to introduce the headliners in a way befitting his spontaneous character. He announced “I was brushing my teeth this morning and I realized, I get to headline for blink-182!” Then ended Goldfinger’s set with “Superman” and “99 Red Balloons.”

As the sun set on Huntington Beach, everyone stood in anticipation of blink-182’s headlining set. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of their breakthrough album “Enema of the State." they played the record in its entirety to the overwhelming approval of the audience. Fans could hardly contain their excitement as Mark, Matt, and Travis came onstage, milking the applause before beginning the show with “Dumpweed” and confirming that the album would in face be played in order. The audience was excited for blink’s set, and the band took notice. “She’s dressed like the nurse!” Mark Hoppus exclaimed partway through the set, pointing to a woman by the front of the barricade dressed as the nurse from the Enema of the State album cover, then invited her up to watch the rest of the set from the side of the stage. After ending the album with “Anthem” the band took a brief intermission, then returned onstage to play a second set consisting of “Feeling This,” “Bored to Death,” “Built this Pool,” “Rock Show,” Violence,” and closing with “Dammit” featuring a spirited yet casual Mark Hoppus rap solo. The lights quickly came on after the band walked off stage as the staff tried to clear the beach to keep up with their curfew.

Check out more photos from day 1 @ Back To The Beach Festival.

When I first met Monique Powell, she was sitting on a bench, eager to show everyone around her photos that were taken of her around the grounds at Back to the Beach and admiring the production values that went into the festival’s decorations. Her energy and warmth were abundantly present, and it became immediately clear that the enthusiasm she brings to every Save Ferris show is not simply an act.

As the frontwoman of Save Ferris, Powell has enjoyed quite a career. With her presence and influence in the ska community spanning across several decades, her accomplishments are no secret. She has lived quite the life, and even holds the distinguishing honor of being the first woman to tour the Vans Warped Tour in its entirety.

Grateful Web got a chance to sit down with Monique Powell shortly after her set at this year’s Back to the Beach festival at Huntington Beach and spoke with her briefly about her accomplishments, her hobbies, and what she has to look forward to in the future.

Grateful Web: It has been some time since Save Ferris has released new music, what do you have in the pipeline?

Monique Powell: Yeah, another full length. We put out that EP in 2017, and now we’re just finishing up the full length now.

GW: Any timeline you’re allowed to give out on that?

MP: No, I asked my manager if he had a proposed timeline and he said “last year.”

GW: How have you seen Save Ferris evolve through the years?

MP: Well, I know when I brought the band back in 2013 after having 10 years off that I had a vision, and I really wanted us to be a little more musically polished, a little more sophisticated musically, a little more mature, just a tiny bit, and I just wanted to step it up a notch

GW: In what ways do you think you have?

MP: I think the musicianship has definitely matured, and stupid shit like what the guys wear onstage. They look good, and everybody’s very professional. And then for my performances, I’ve definitely become more polished as well. Worked on the look more and realizing more of the vision I had when I was younger of who I wanted to be when I grew up.

GW: Recently, Save Ferris has been fairly selective with their shows. Why do you feel drawn to Back to the Beach?

MP: Because I grew up here! I grew up going to this beach every day of the summer for 13 years. And my sister and I would come here and watch the surfers at 17th street. And main street Huntington was where I would buy all my clothes at The Electric Chair, the only place that had Manic Panic, thus the red hair, thus the hundreds of hotel rooms that have red pillow cases all over the country, because in those days Manic Panic was all we had, and it just didn’t stick. It was difficult.

GW: In a few months you’re scheduled to play the only West Coast stop on this year’s Warped Tour, how do you feel this year will be different as opposed to other years?

MP: Well, they’re calling it the “Warped Reunion” shows, so we’re doing those, and we’re also doing two in Atlantic City, and I honestly think that it’s a great idea. When we did Warped in 2017, there were so many stages and so many bands, and it was a lot for people to have to take in, and the tour was really hard and really expensive for bands to do that, so I think that this is a great idea. I think it builds excitement for fans, and it’s like this (Back to the Beach.) People fly from everywhere for this show, and I think it’s going to be like that kind of vibe.

GW: Being the first woman to tour with Warped Tour in its entirety back in 1998, in that spirit how do you feel the role of women in music has evolved in your tenure?

MP: I’m so excited to be living in the time that I’m living in right now at 43 years old. To be able to play for this many people. We did some math, and between this show, Punk Rock Bowling, and the Warped shows, we estimated that there’s over 100,000 people that are going to see Save Ferris. When I brought the band back, I was 37, I couldn’t even get someone to manage me, and now I’m 43, and we’re like “Wow, we’re doing it!” And I’m just so happy to live in a time where women are becoming more equally represented an we’re supporting each other a lot more, and we’re accepting each other more, it’s great.

GW: With Back to the Beach becoming a pillar of the SoCal ska community, how do you feel about the future of ska?

MP: Well, you know, the thing about our scene and ska in general is that it’s always had a market, and it’s always had its place, just like punk rock in the sense that there’s always going to have its underground scene and its always going to have its alternative style of music. Like, you don’t just listen to ska, you’re a Rude Boy, or a ska kid, whether or not there’s ska on the radio. I just feel like it’s going to continue this way and it goes through waves. Every few years bands come up like The Interrupters, and they kill it, and they get on the radio, and then it goes back to its underground state, and then we come up again. It’s really fun.

GW: What’s next for Save Ferris?

MP: We’re going to release this album if it doesn’t kill me. And then, hopefully, I’m going to get back on the road where I belong to tour behind the record, and I never want to come back ever again, I just want to stay on the road forever. I want to grow old like Willie Nelson. I want to grow old on a tour bus with my friends like Willie Nelson.

GW: Since getting back together, I’m sure you’ve been interviewed about most every topic imaginable, but what’s one topic you don’t get prompted to talk about maybe as often as you’d like?

MP: Someone once asked me what my hobbies were and I didn’t have an answer for him. Like “What do you do every day?” “I just do business. I do band stuff.” But I do really enjoy crafting. Just give me a glue gun, and I will make fucking anything for you. I’m always crafting, I have a room specifically for my costumes, my wigs, and my crafting stuff, and I’m always making things for people.

While day one of Back to the Beach Festival had a very clear ska emphasis, day two seemed focused on the emo/skate punk culture that so often goes hand in hand with third wave ska. While not quite an admissions sell out like the day before, day two still managed to draw a very healthy crowd of fans, all passionate about the acts of the day.

The festival had a very Warped Tour type feel to it, as mosh pits and crowd surfing seemed to be the themes of the day, as hardly a band’s act went by without seeing a fan floating on top of the crowd. This trend started early in the day when Story of the Year woke the beach up early. Mosh pits opened up for their set, the audience hardly slowing down until pausing in reverence of their last song of the set “Until the Day I Die.”

The day’s only strictly third-wave ska band, Less Than Jake, performed mid-day to the joy of the crowd. The sound of horns was a pleasant break in the otherwise thrash-ier sound of the day, and audiences seemed to appreciate the mellow mood. Toward the end of the set, members of the band addressed the crowd to remark on what they had noticed throughout the festival. One band member commented “That’s what I like about California, bad parents!” when noticing how many children there were in full punk rock attire on the beach that day.

East Coast pop-punk band The Wonder Years gave a great show halfway through the day. Stating their show with their high energy single “Sister Cities,” they quickly got the audience invested in the act. Lead singer Dan Campbell’s vocals were as heavy and resonant as his well-pronounced beard as he sang every song passionately and with great purpose. The mood of the set was levitating, and inspirational through and through until the band ended with their upbeat yet down to earth early-career hit “Came Out Swinging.”

Teenage heartthrob Anthony Green took to the stage late in the day to serenade the audience with a much softer sounding music than had been the theme throughout the day up to that point. To the crowd’s surprise, Green was eventually joined on stage by festival organizers John Feldmann and Travis Barker, who couldn’t help but accompany Green for a brief moment during his set.

The Story So Far’s set took place just as the sun was about to set over Huntington Beach. The festival’s penultimate act, it more than lived up to the buildup leading up to it. Lead singer Parker Cannon’s short trench coat and aviator shades were hardly appropriate beach attire, but the crowd did not seem to mind. Cannon’s firm stance in front of the microphone did not inhibit the crowd from moving around throughout the set, moshing and crowd surfing to their heart’s content, all the way up until the band played their final song “Nerve.” In the intermission afterward, several executives came to hype up the crowd before the final act, including one festival organizer claiming The Used to be his favorite band.

The headlining set by The Used more than lived up to the hype. From pyrotechnic displays to onstage collaborations with well-known percussion group “Street Drum Corps” in what seemed like every other song, the set was by a wide margin the most stimulating and aesthetically pleasing performance of the day. Lead singer Bert McCracken’s energy was turned all the way up to 11 as he moved throughout the stage with great purpose. There was surely something supernatural about this show in more ways than one. Close to the end of the night, rain began to drizzle down seemingly from the heavens above as McCracken spoke about the influence late musician Chester Bennington had on his own music before covering Linkin Park’s “Shadow of the Day” only to have the rain stop immediately after the song was over. It was truly poetic. However, the poetry didn’t stop there. The set ended somewhat anticlimactically, as McCracken began a dramatic reading of T. S. Eliot’s classic 1922 poem “The Waste Land” made even more theatrical by dim lighting and demonic vocal distortions, only to be cut off by the organizers at 9:00 pm on the dot to avoid breaking their curfew. Despite the abrupt ending, Back to the Beach 2019 otherwise went on without a hitch, and we can only wait eagerly in anticipation to see how it will improve on itself next year.

Check out more photos from day 2 @ Back to the Beach Festival.

It’s finally that time of the year. The tenth anniversary of the biggest reggae festival in America, California Roots Music and Arts Festival is upon us, and Cali Roots X promises to be the biggest installment yet. What started a decade ago as an intimate, one-day get together in Monterey has evolved into a movement unlike anything else in the world. For one long weekend the Monterey County Fairgrounds turn into home for the reggae world, and every year the festival has grown more and more into what so many have known it can be.

Several months ago, festival organizer Dan Sheehan hosted a Reddit AMA where he stated “We are really aiming for the stars on year 10” and eventually claimed that he believes this year’s musical selection “will be the biggest Cali Roots line up to date.” He surely did not disappoint when announcing the lineup, which included some of the biggest names in the genre. This year’s billing includes some big head-turners and is sure to make even the most casual reggae fan excited for Cali Roots X. Here are some of the artists that we are especially excited to see at the festival this year.

In the same Reddit AMA mentioned above, Sheehan spoke briefly about Cali Roots’ tradition of striving to “Create new headliners,” and Stick Figure appears to be the latest beneficiary of this custom. Scott Woodruff and company are getting called up to the big leagues at Cali Roots X to headline the first day of the festival, and of course, we’re all looking forward to seeing what performers Woodruff, KBong, Johnny Cosmic, and of course, Cocoa the Tour Dog have in store.

In Ballyhoo’s most recent album “Detonate,” Frontman Howi Spangler proclaims in the song Gas Station Burrito “I had a vision I was at a reggae festival, main stage, 10,000 people screaming, whoa.” He has since divulged in his podcast “Tales from the Green Room” that this line was written specifically with Cali Roots in mind. While their 12:15 set on the Cali Roots stage is not quite a headlining platform, this is sure to be a set that will very clearly be deep and personal to the band. The Cali Roots veterans have always given their all during their sets in Monterey, but one can’t help but wonder how much extra they will put into their performance at this year’s show.

In keeping with Cali Roots’ celebrated tradition of including classic hip hop in their lineup, Cypress Hill will be performing this year on Sunday afternoon. Last year, Cypress Hill released their first new album in almost a decade, punctuating their intentions to continue to contribute to the musical world. Few artists have done so much to change the world of hip hop than the members of Cypress Hill, and their esteemed influence coupled with their fondness for cannabis culture makes them a great fit for this reggae festival. The group will be delighting the Cali Roots crowd with a set list well worth the price of admission, and have announced their intentions to play their legendary 1993 album “Black Sunday” in full.

Many gatherings and shindigs claim to be “the” family reunion for all thing’s reggae, but Cali Roots proves their place time and time again. The humility of these artists to enjoy their time in the limelight, and willingness to pass the torch when the time is right, rather than accepting nothing less than what they were given the previous year speaks volumes to the culture of this movement. This year’s lineup will feature many artists who have headlined the festival in years past who will be playing sets earlier in the day. Previous Cali Roots headliners Dirty Heads (2017 & 2010), SOJA (2015, 2014 & 2012), Matisyahu (2013), and Pepper (2012) will all be playing sets before the final show of the night, and with this much talent in this year’s lineup, we can only wait in anticipation of how much potential it has.

Cali Roots takes place at the Monterey County Fairgrounds Memorial Day Weekend, May 24-26. Tickets are still available in very limited quantities and can be purchased here: https://californiarootsfestival.com/tickets -- Be sure to get your tickets now before they run out and stay tuned for more about California Roots from the Grateful Web.

Champion of modern Jamaican reggae, Protoje, has proven that even in modern times, traditional reggae is as relevant as ever. A staple of Easy Star Records, he has been one of the faces of the roots reggae revival, and since the release of his newest album “A Matter of Time” his influence is now more prolific than ever. Fresh off his Grammy nomination for best reggae album of 2019, we sat down with Protoje at this year’s Cali Roots to speak with him about his recent success, his favorite milestones, and above all how he continues to stay humble through it all.

Grateful Web: How does it feel to be at the 10th anniversary of Cali Roots? Where do you see it’s place in reggae history?

Protoje: It’s a great festival and I hold this position down here. It is very diverse, lots of different types of music, so I respect what they’re doing.

GW: You have always had a reputation for being a humble musician, but after an album earning a Grammy nomination and time spent as Billboard’s number one reggae album, how do you not let it all go to your head?

P: Just stay grounded. Music is just a part of life. Just stay with the friends you have, be chill, and know that all of this comes and goes.

GW: Several years ago, you expanded your roll in the music community and took on some younger musicians in a managerial capacity. How have you felt about watching their careers grow?

P: It’s happening, slowly but surely, but that’s the best way to build a foundation. That’s the only thing you can ask, and I’m proud of them. I know they’ll do great things.

GW: Your influence in the reggae community is undeniable, but what is one example of a time when you have seen a result of your influence that has really humbled you?

P: Just when artists tell me that my album let them start to do music, and I tell them they’re doing great things. Things like that.

GW: How do you pick the musicians you collaborate with onstage?

P: Just energy, vibe, attitude. Attitude is the main thing because you can teach skill and learn, but attitude is a thing you just have, you know?

GW: During your set today, you seemed a little less than happy that only half of the stage was open and available to you. How important is movement to you in your performances?

P: It’s very important because it’s what you’re used to. I tripped over a monitor that wouldn’t be there because it’s supposed to be further back. It’s things like that, when I look left, I’m supposed to see (what I’m used to seeing.) It’s an experience for me, so when the experience is altered without me really knowing, it kind of doesn’t have me in a place where I’m really comfortable, but the show must go on.

GW: How do you maintain your relationship with your fans?

P: Just try to give them as much music as I can and give them content and different types of options. That’s the main thing.

GW: What’s next for Protoje?

P: Just more productions coming out, and a video for my new single.

GW: What’s the biggest milestone you’ve hit so far?

P: It’s probably the Grammy nomination, I don’t know how people look on it, but that’s probably it.

Nashville Tennessee might not be where you would think to look for an original reggae sound, but for Roots of a Rebellion, that proved to be just the place to develop their own unique style of music. The six-piece band has been performing together for almost a decade. From college dorm rooms to cross-country tours, they have grown into themselves as musicians over the years and are enjoying the “blessing” as they put it to now finally be given the opportunity to spend more time performing on the West Coast.

We spoke with lead singer and guitarist Austin Smith and Marco Martinez at Cali Roots and learned how everything from driving for Uber to exploding vans has influenced them on their journey. Be sure to check out Roots of a Rebellion’s new album “Shapes of a Soul” out on all streaming platforms now.

Grateful Web: How does it feel to be at the 10th anniversary of Cali Roots? Where do you see it’s place in reggae history?

Austin Smith: Feels amazing. People say, “making it,” this feels like we’ve made it. We’ve made it here to the Mecca of our scene and it’s a blessing to be here.

Marco Martinez: Yeah, man. It’s totally a blessing. We just saw the For Peace Band open up the whole festival and they absolutely crushed it, brought tons of positive energy, and you could tell from the very beginning it was a family vibe. They had members of Iya Terra onstage with them, and you could see other band members standing side stage, and I think that’s what the whole festival’s about. Bringing the reggae family together from all over the country, you know?

GW: You come from a diverse musical background. From roots reggae influences, some of you are classically trained, and some of you never listened to much reggae at all before this project. How do you feel this comes together to the benefit of your art?

AS: In a very eclectic, weird way. We’re definitely unique. We love roots reggae, and most of us discovered roots reggae from Jamaican roots reggae to American roots reggae to London roots reggae, all throughout this eight-year journey of being in this band, but we all still listen to different kinds of music. Some of us listen to country-folk, some of us listen to hip-hop jazz, R&B, funk, it’s really all over the place, and I think that shows in our sound for sure.

MM: We all met and immediately expressed that we all had a common interest in reggae music weather it was traditional 70’s roots reggae like Gregory Isaacs and Jamaican artists, or if it was for me, growing up in a small town, big box retailers like Walmart were where I bought my music, and I bought Slightly Stoopid records, and Sublime records, and Rebelution, and that was the extent of what I had heard, but when I met these guys they opened up a whole new world of reggae history to me and it influenced me in a positive way as a player and definitely in a positive way as a person, but I still listen to other music like FIDLAR is one of my favorite bands, a punk rock band from LA, and Cage the Elephant is one of my favorite bands, and I think music and being in a band is all about finding your voice and finding your collective voice, and everything you listen to is going to play into that.

GW: With your new album release on the impending horizon, how do you feel this next record will highlight your growth as a band?

MM: Man, this record has been a long time coming. We’ve been writing the songs that are on this album for, I think the oldest track is like five years old. We tracked the record almost a year and a half ago, and we really just focused on, like I said before, finding our voice as a unit, finding our voices as instrumentalists, and pushing ourselves when we’re off the road to study our instrument and study the craft of songwriting, and we sought out a producer. Craig Welsh, he’s the drummer in 10 Ft. Ganja Plant, and he’s also done records for State Radio, and engineered on Avett Brothers records, and he just has a wide palette of musical knowledge. We took all that time we spent working on our own capabilities as instrumentalists and songwriters, and we found the right producer to bring, like Austin was saying, our weird styles into the reggae wheelhouse, and Craig totally brought the album to life

GW: As you’ve developed as a band, you’ve been given the opportunity to tour parts of the country you never have before, for example your recent tour of the Pacific Northwest. How do you feel this speaks to your development and how have you seen your music received in different parts of the country?

AS: It’s a blessing to be here on the West Coast.  Like you said, first time touring the Pacific North West, then we’ll hit Colorado, which has been really good to us the last three, almost four years, and California, our first trip was less than a year ago, and the reception our here, it’s so nice to play for people who already love reggae music, because grinding it out in the South East for us, we find little hotspots here and there, but it’s really been building it up one fan at a time, and most of the times we convert people who are like “I’ve never really listened to reggae” and it’s cool because we win them over, but it’s so nice to be playing for people who already like reggae.

GW: So, what’s left to do on your musical bucket list?

AS: You know, the only goal is to keep growing. We hope to keep hitting the road. We’ve got a trusty van that should have a couple hundred thousand more miles in it. It’s our fifth van in the last seven years, that’s kind of a longer story about the burning van. You can just search “Emergency tour van” on YouTube and see our third or fourth van. But our goal is just to stay healthy and keep growing, and hopefully reach a sustainable level where we can all quit our other day jobs and do this full time, because it already is full time, I just wish it would pay full time.

GW: What are your other jobs?

AS: I’m a bar-back and custodian, and a little bit of bartending, and really whatever I can do when I’m in town. A couple of the guys drive for Uber and Lyft, and really any job that’s flexible and allows us to leave for a month, this time almost two months for this run.

MM: This is our longest run to date. We’ve gone out for three weeks, I think a month, last summer when we came out to California was the longest we’d come out, but we have to have jobs that are flexible, but music is our passion and what we feel is our purpose. I would say our goals moving forward is to keep making music that we’re proud of, and that’s something I think we share with the new record, it’s the first time that we’ve felt like all the puzzle pieces fell in line and we’re all 100% proud of it. So, for me, I just want to keep making music that we’re truly proud of, like, the message that we’re putting out, and the level of musicianship that we’re challenging ourselves to put out.

GW: What’s next for Roots of a Rebellion?

MM: Tomorrow morning we play our debut Cali Roots set at 11:00am on the Cali Roots stage, and then we will just be hanging out for the rest of the weekend. Next week we will hit the road with San Diego’s Through the Roots on their album release tour. We’ll do Pacific North West, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and then two weeks in California.

GW: With your recent developments, I’m sure you’ve had every question in the book thrown at you, but what’s one part of the band that you don’t get prompted to talk about as much as you would like?

MM: For me personally, I would say personal health. I think being a musician and traveling and touring is incredibly hard on a lot of musicians. People, whether it’s relationships, your physical health, drinking too much, anything, I think it’s really important to inspire the people that you’re with, and to motivate each other to stay healthy on the road because I think it’s hard to stay healthy when you’re traveling a lot. Eat healthy, exercise, I would say a lot of musicians don’t really talk about how they stay healthy on the road, and I would say for us it’s just trying to motivate each other to exercise. Adam and I ran down to the beach this morning and ran back to the hotel, and that was how we started our day.

AS: I couldn’t really follow up with anything other than that. It’s essential, and this dude right here, Marco, is totally inspiring in his transformation in the last few years to a very holistic physical routine and his mental growth, and that’s what really keeps us going.

One of London, England’s premier reggae acts The Skints electrified the Cali Roots stage for the third time in their career this summer in Monterey. Blending reggae with every genre under the sun while still living up to their image as upbeat and energetic musicians from the UK, they have built a dedicated and worldwide following through their quality music and relentless touring. We met with Josh Waters Rudge, vocalist and guitarist of The Skints, at this year’s Cali Roots festival to talk with him about his favorite fan experiences, how he feels about the new album, and of course, how our friend from across the pond likes his tea. Be sure to check out their new album “Swimming Lessons” available on all streaming platforms now.

Grateful Web: How does it feel to be at the 10th anniversary of Cali Roots? Where do you see it’s place in reggae history?

Josh Waters Rudge: Yeah, man, very happy to be back. This is the third Cali Roots for The Skints, first one with the new album so that feels pretty good. Cali Roots in reggae history for me, for someone outside the US is kind of a specific, more niche cornerstone of reggae history in general, but obviously its huge for the Cali-West Coast reggae movement. The last 10-20 years it’s been a pretty huge thing over here and its very significant in bringing a bunch of artists together in the same location.

GW: Recently, I heard the story about how you recently injured yourself in the UK and a fan lent you a pair of crutches so you could perform the next night. What other fan experiences have you had that have made an impact on you?

JWR: Well, going to Japan for the first time and that as a fan experience was pretty mind blowing. We sold out all the merch that we brought over in the first show and the general enthusiasm for a new band being in their country, Japan was pretty mind blowing from a fan perspective for sure.

GW: Between bands like yourself, Steel Pulse, and UB40 on the bill, the UK seems very well represented at this year’s Cali Roots, but who do you feel they’re missing? Which bands from your local community do you feel are making strides in the UK reggae scene?

JWR: Holly Cook for sure, Prince Fatty and Horseman, Gentleman’s Dub Club, yeah man, there’s definitely a few bands that I know that would come and kill it out here.

GW: Your band has always had a sound that incorporates a lot of roots reggae, modern music, and everything in between. How do you manage to blend those sounds to create yours, and what responsibility do you feel you have to stay true to the origins of the genre?

JWR: It’s literally us absorbing what we like, like a sponge. Kind of doing our own mutant twist on the whole thing, know what I mean? It’s very much about us being ourselves, especially on our new album that we’re on the cover for the first time, I mean the video is a bit more like that. It’s us doing our own thing, not trying to be anyone else. Not trying to pretend that we’re reggae kings or Rasta lords or anything like that, it’s literally just a sonic influence for us that we have our own take on.

GW: Speaking of your new album, with your tour in support of the album just beginning, how do you feel about your upcoming journey?

JWR: This is kind of the start of the tour off of it. We did a few release shows in England that were very successful. The online response to the record has been the loudest and the proudest so far, which is very cool, and numbers-wise it seems to be doing the best, but I’ll let you know in a couple weeks how it’s going.

GW: What’s next for The Skints?

JWR: Hoping to be coming back to the US before too long. Got a few of festivals in the UK and Europe this summer, we do a big headline European tour in October, but hoping to be back out here by the end of the year.

GW: With your recent developments, I’m sure you’ve had every question in the book thrown at you, but what’s one part of the band that you don’t get prompted to talk about as much as you would like?

JWR: “How do we take our tea?” Not enough people are asking us this in the streets. Me, I like it long and strong, man. Maybe a little dab of non-dairy milk but keep that tea bag in and keep it brewing, man to the last minute. Bilbo Baggins.

Xiuhtezcatl Martinez is truly a person who lives beyond boundaries. An activist as much as he is an artist, his mission has brought him everywhere from the stage, to the courtroom, to late night television appearances, and there seems to be no audience he cannot reach with his message as he continues to use his platform for more than just a means to further his own growth. His lyrics and his everyday vernacular are blunt and at times transcendent in unexpected ways, but his passion for everything he does is ultimately undeniable.

Meeting Xiuhtezcatl was a humbling experience, to say the least. A man who is optimistic yet serious about the kind of world he believes we can all hope to live in one day, he inspires everyone he meets to live life a little more consciously. Grateful Web took full advantage of this opportunity to speak with him about wide array of topics from the presidential candidate he plans to endorse in the upcoming election, the mentors who have helped him along the way, and his highly publicized lawsuit with the Earth Guardians against the current government administration that may perhaps be a bit more bipartisan than some might believe.

Grateful Web: How does it feel to be at the 10th anniversary of Cali Roots? Where do you see it’s place in reggae history?

Xiuhtezcatl Martinez: Man, it feels like home, like for real. Last year was our first time at Cali Roots. It was straight family vibes. My boy Nahko who I’ve been touring with, he pulled up from Bottlerock, and he pulled up last minute and hopped up on our set, so already we’re creating a little bit of a different energy than people were expected of us, we had a bunch of people at our set, early morning slot, second artist to perform on the Cali Roots stage, and for me the experience has been seeing the evolution of something that is more than just reggae, but placing a landmark in the culture of music, and Cali Roots for me has been something that is building a tribe, building a family, and like Arizona Roots, this is their first year out there and we were invited out to play that, and we headlined one of the stages there so I just feel the growth and I feel the evolution, and it’s powerful.

GW: Since your last Cali Roots performance at Cali Roots, you have done tours with industry powerhouses such as SOJA, Twiddle, and Collie Buddz. What have you learned in your experiences with these artists?

XM: Touring with reggae artists has been a blessing. The first tour I ever went on, before Cali Roots, actually, was with The Late Ones and Nahko, and it was straight Ohana, such family. Then touring with SOJA was a whole other experience, and I think that was the deep reggae vibe. The audience every single place were reggae head people and the energy and the message translated. We as hip hop artists can relate to the culture of reggae a lot because a lot of it is about the vibe and the story that we can tell, mores o the energy that we can convey, so I think I have grown a lot from these tours and I think looking back at how much I’ve grown in the last year, I was here with my two homies on drums, guitar, and violin, and this year we have a whole band, my sister is singing with us, it’s a whole level up. The audience was probably double as full as it was for our set at the same time, I see a lot of growth and evolution on our path, and I see that parallel in that growth to the Cali Roots family.

GW: You have often said that you don’t need to be a Politician to prompt change. What does that mean to you, how have you seen this to be true in your advocacy, and how do you hope to use your platform to inspire change in the future?

XM: I think people relinquish their power. A lot. People give up their power and feel powerless and complain about being powerless without adequate effort to reclaim it. I see that a lot when I hear people say stuff like “voting doesn’t matter,” “Politicians are all corrupt,” “fuck the government.” And that is all energy toward a political system without intention of creating impact, and it’s also that ideology that we need to be in places of political power to create influence. Everybody always tells me, “hey kid; you should run for president.” And I’m like “Fuck that, I’m trying to be an artist, I’m trying to inspire people with my music.” Tupac Shakur, John Lennon, The Grateful Dead, The Beatles, like look at these legends right here, they inspired, shifted, and moved culture, they made waves. Michael Jackson, Nipsy Hustle, the list goes on. As an artist and an activist, an advocate and a spokesperson for my generation, it’s like breaking down those walls so that creating change isn’t an eternal use of energy, or something for somebody else or for Politicians or for activists or for someone else but something for people. It’s about all of us. We all have ownership in our futures, we all have ownership in our communities, and we have a responsibility to act upon that to create what we know is possible.

GW: Have you decided which political candidate you’re endorsing in 2020?

XM: Bernie Sanders, Baby. Bernie 2020, that’s the vibe from me. I’m looking at climate policy; I’m looking at a holistic approach to understanding climate change as an issue that effects and connects everything in our culture. Our economy, our politics, our education, our access to food, our distribution of wealth, social justice, Bernie has a lot. Bernie has been championing for the people since before he was running for mayor, and he’s like me, he started when he was young, and he started getting involved in political shit, and he was getting arrested at protests. He’s grassroots, and he’s for the people. That’s what I represent and what I respect as a person and as an artist, so for me, Bernie is the guy, and I feel the message, and I feel the story, and it’s not “me” its “us.” That whole vibe that he’s carrying on his campaign, I fuck with that. I fuck with the idea of having a candidate who has consistently shown up over and over again for what they speak on and walk their talk.

GW: Today’s rainy California weather in May has me thinking a lot about global climate change, in that spirt do you have an update on your current lawsuit against the US Government as a part of the Earth Guardians?

XM: In 2015 myself and 20 other plaintiffs sued the Federal Government on the basis of there was a violation of the constitutional rights of young people in this country, violating our rights to life, liberty, and property. Because the government has known about climate change, about the fossil fuel’s contribution to climate change for the last 50+ years, evidence shows this, and they have not just failed to act but have actively supported and perpetuated the industry that has created this crisis, this whole case is about demanding that the federal government and the courts enforce the federal government in implementing a climate recovery plan, an actual strategic solid plan to address our climate crisis, to bring down our fossil fuel emissions, to transition our energy source, and it’s really ambitious and it’s crazy in a lot of ways. Lots of political and legal analysts have said that there’s no way it’s going to go anywhere, and after four years of struggling and battling through the court system from the Obama administration to the Trump administration, we are now going to trial. June 4th we have a trial date, and this is something that people thought was impossible. This is the trial of the century because it deals with the most important issue that connects all of humanity. So we’re still moving, we’re still fighting, and I’ve been doing this since before I sued the government, I’m going to do it until after this case is resolved, and it's beautiful to see the support and love around that.

GW: How do you feel about your legal team?

XM: The team is fucking balling out. Like so incredible, the other plaintiffs, the other youth that are suing the government are beasts, they all have such powerful, incredible stories. Our attorneys are just tearing up these industry attorneys like no other. Julia Olsen is one of my heroes. She’s our lead attorney in this case, and I’m so inspired by how powerful she is. She’s got it on lock. With the evidence, with the information, with the heart, with the passion, with the legal know-how, all that. She’s got it on lock; her rebuttals are fire. So I’m very confidant in our team.

GW: Jumping back into your music, this year you released your first full-length album. What message do you think you were able to deliver with a long-form record that you had not been able to previously?

XM: This first album I put out, it’s called “Break Free,” and it was very much so a reflection of my life up until that point. As an activist, as an indigenous person, moving through these different worlds of having family that were different immigrants from Mexico, looking at all these different social issues that surround and connect my life, and reflecting that reality through music. It was very much so a storytelling project, and I think in its full length and its existence has allowed me to create an installment in my musical legacy that has allowed me to create the story of who I am up until I released that project. So people don’t have to ask a question, if they listen to the project then they know that story. It felt like a lot of weight off my shoulders, and now I feel freer to create beyond just the story of my activism, and now I can focus on my own story, so the next project is going to be on another level, I’m so excited to share it with the world.

GW: It is no secret that Nahko has been one of your biggest advocates, mentors, and friends over the last few years. Would you mind speaking to that relationship for a moment?

XM: Nahko is my son. I love Nahko. I was 12-years-old when we met. I pulled up late to this panel at a festival in Colorado called the Arise Music Festival, and I was late, Nahko had the whole long hair thing going in the back, shaved on the sides, whole vibe. And like, I just spoke my truth and told my story, and he was like “Damn! This kid’s got knowledge.” And we exchanged contact information, then he opened up for somebody at Red Rocks, and I came to that show, and I saw him there, and we grabbed breakfast, and then it just kind of evolved into a brotherhood. He is definitely like a big brother figure, we started making music together, then we made the song “Young” together that was on my last album that went really far and has inspired a lot of people, we actually put it out right around this time last year, a couple weeks before Cali Roots, an pushed it, promoted it really hard at the festival and everybody really felt it and loved it. So I have now toured with Nahko twice, we’ve played like 40 shows together around the country. Every time he’s in my city I’m getting up and rocking with him. It’s a beautiful support to have mentors and to have role models in this music industry that are speaking truth as well and that are also on that same wavelength of making art that matters.

GW: What’s next for Xiuhtezcatl?

XM: We just dropped a single called “Cell Phone,”’ that shit bumps. Play that loud, play that one on your sound system, send it to your grandma, teach her how to download it on her phone. Spotify, Apple Music, all that. “Cell Phone” by Xiuhtezcatl, X-I-U-H-T-E-Z-C-A-T-L. That’s kind of a prelude to some of the singles that we’ll be dropping for an EP that will be coming out this summer, I’m playing two shows in Colorado in June, June 21st in Bolder, June 22nd in Colorado Springs, four shows in Cali in July, from San Diego to the Bay, so pull up to the shows. You can find everything on my website, Xiuhtezcatl.com, hit me on social media, “Cell Phone” is out now, tours, more shows, my first headlining shows in all these markets, so I’m incredibly excited to be continuing the momentum from festivals like these, and continue spreading the love, and continue spreading the message. It’s going to be a really big year for a lot of reasons.

GW: With your recent developments, I’m sure you’ve had every question in the book thrown at you, but what’s one part of the band that you don’t get prompted to talk about as much as you would like?

XM: I think the part of my come up that’s a little bit less known is how rooted everything I do in the world is in ceremony. How rooted all of my work and everything I do in the world is rooted in my ceremonial connection to my peoples. My family is Meshika, indigenous from Mexico, and a lot of people know that. I have that heritage, my dad’s Mexican, I rap about it, I talk about it, but I grew up in not just the ceremonies of my people, but the ceremonies of (other) peoples’, and sweat lodges and at sun dances, and really embraced and held by the ingenious community here on Turtle Island, and that has had such a pivotal influence on my outlook on the world and how I perceive my own indigenousness and my own identity, and how I carry myself. Now as I see as I go out into the world and am doing more work with other indigenous communities, working to really bridge this gap and see how do we bring people together in a really significant way, and as a Mexican youth, a lot of us don’t associate ourselves with anything else other than being Mexican, but truthfully, if our skin is brown it’s because our ancestors were indigenous to a certain extent. So for me to be able to make music in Spanish, that’s an important part of my journey to find the balance of that piece of who I am. And with the organization the Earth Guardians, we’re launching a native youth training of 50 native youth from around Turtle Island to join together in learning leadership and development skills, talking about decolonization and environmental justice in this world, building this community, and bringing people together around connecting native people. You look at Standing Rock, you look at all the social movements that have been happening, there is a very significant need for the representation of those voices to be heard and to be present in these conversations in these communities at these festivals, so that’s something I’m very, very passionate about too have carried with me my entire life and now to put it into action in the real world.

After an illustrious career that speaks for itself, David Hinds and Steel Pulse have forever shaped the history of music. The first non-Jamaican artist to win a Grammy for reggae, he has had a presence in the community since its grassroots days, and his influence is undeniable. We got a chance to sit down for quite a while with Hinds at this year’s Cali Roots festival. In this time, we got quite glimpse into his mind and his thoughts on modern reggae.

More than 40 years in the spotlight has not dampened Hinds’ playful attitude. In our first few minutes with him, his good nature was put on full display. Welcoming us into his room warmly, he was open and conversational and even hid our audio recorder for a quick moment as a joke that brought a smile to our face. Throughout our interview, Hinds was more than candid with his views of the world as he remarked on everything from our current political system to his opinions of social media, and even the part he once played in prompting a small government revolution (no, we’re not making this up.) Be sure to check out their newest album “Mass Manipulation” out on all streaming platforms now.

Grateful Web: How does it feel to be at the 10th anniversary of Cali Roots? Where do you see its place in reggae history?

David Hinds: Well it’s special that it’s number 10, then. I feel that this whole reggae thing along the Californian soil has become like family to us as a matter of fact. There are so many acts that either come from Hawaii or the West Coast that seem to gravitate to the Steel Pulse experience, and we feel amazed and honored about that. So yes, it’s fun to be recognized and to be asked to perform at a milestone in the career of Cali Roots.

GW: Jumping into something more political. We live in an interesting time in political history. How much further behind are we in 2019 in respects to tolerance than you thought we would be by now decades ago when you wrote songs such as “Ku Klux Klan” and why do you think society is in this state?

DH: Society is in this state because of being mass manipulated. It’s been in this state because of politicians that are not sincere to the people, greed, religion that’s been under the guise of trying to promote peace when in fact it does the opposite, and as long as these negative ideologies persist and exist, you find that time will stand still in comparison to what we were up again 40 years ago when we did songs like “Ku Klux Klan.” I mean we have versions of “Ku Klux Klan” like “Don’t shoot” on the album, “Justice in Jana” and so many more that show some kind of racism. If you listen to the sentiments of “Rize,” you can see that we’re trying to convey elements of racism to an extent, and we’re trying to let people ‘rize’ in every sense of the word above all that negativity that’s out there and everything that’s going on out there.

GW: Where do you see the role of Social Media in perpetuating love, hate, and where do you see the trade-off?

DH: Well, social media is a very, very funny thing, and there’s a very thin line between all those entities. Where social media becomes beneficial, take for example that situation that started seven or eight years ago in the middle east where countries like Yemen and Egypt, and Tunisia, and Syria, and all these countries saying “wait a minute” and recognizing that they got the power to make differences to the dictators that have been in power for 30, 40, and in some cases 50 years. So, it was social media connecting the dots and inter-relating with each other, and everybody realizing that they’re not alone with their sentiments, and their own beliefs and their ideologies are running parallel with everybody else in different parts of their region, and they made changes. Bam, Mubarak gone. Bam, Ben Ali gone. Bam, Muammar Gaddafi went. And I’m not saying all these guys were bad guys, but what I’m saying is people realized through the efforts of social media, that they could connect the dots and make differences in their own region, so that’s the beneficial part. The flip side of that coin is when it comes to social media; a lot of the times it’s what one can inject into social media as advertising is what you get out of it. I’ve come across stories that I’ve known to be true as a kid growing up, and when I go back into the website, Wikipedia and all those informational little pages, they give me a completely different story than I know actually happened 30-40 years ago, and I say “wait a minute, that didn’t happen." A good example is Bobby Womack, there was an incident many years ago where someone reported his brother was murdered by one of his wives, and it was really an accident, and when you read the story, it’s a completely different story than what actually happened and you go “wait a minute” so I see how those controlling social media can change the reality of situations. So those are pros and cons when it comes to social media, and the advantageous part when it comes to social media, especially in the case of music, we as musicians, especially as reggae musicians, have been given a raw deal, I don’t know if I’m at the shitty end of the stick. A lot of majors that attach themselves to us in the first place, or vice versa, weren’t doing us any favors. So, we reached a place, now, in the whole scheme of things where we don’t need majors anymore to continue with our liberty. Where the middle man who’s taken the biggest chunk of it all for the least effort is no longer there, these are the pros and cons of social media.

GW: In the spirit of this global mindset, this year’s Cali Roots lineup announced many artists from the UK such as yourself, The Skints, and UB40. How do you see reggae’s influence past just the UK, US, and Jamaica, and what do you think is pushing it on a global scale?

DH: Well, what I like about the reggae music worldwide is that it made us and our predecessors realize that our efforts of trying to make the music happen on a global scale have not been in vain. When we see act like those that are there in Chile, Venezuela, various parts of Africa, parts of Europe, and they’re all here in the United States where America was behind big time when it came to having an organic sounding reggae band coming out of this country. I mean it’s a population of 330 million people here and has been for quite some time, and I know from coming here for many, many years, you couldn’t get a decent reggae band out of the entire population, but now it's there. So, this is what’s pleasing is that people have incorporated the music, and people have recognized different facets of the music, whether its dancehall, ska, roots reggae revival, but the general platform, where the dots are all connecting with all these bands across the planet is that they recognize the efforts of the generation that made it happen in the first place, and the way it’s introduced to them which was introduced to them in an organic kind of way with a one drop groove, the trying to be as meaningful as possible about what you’re saying and trying to live up to a lifestyle that is not subjected to all the trapping and trimmings of all the other genres of music like rock and roll or jazz that you can tell that they all associate themselves with heroin or cocaine, but the general populous of reggae since Rastafari has been the backbone, and for them to recognize the music in the first place on a spiritual and a political level, many participants have not engulfed themselves in drugs that are detrimental to their lifestyles, detrimental to themselves, and detrimental to the what the music stands for.

GW: Obviously, you have had a career that has left an impact on the genre. Can you give one example of a time when you saw the fruit of your influence and felt humbled?

DH: Wow. 1993 is a very significant year as far as I’m concerned when it comes to what happened and what we think we’ve achieved as a milestone in my career because it was one of the first times we went to New Caledonia, and to see how the people were vibing on our music, and if you’re not familiar with New Caledonia, it’s an island off the in the south pacific with Melanesian ancestry as opposed to Polynesian ancestry, and they were governed by the French, and they’d been protesting for many, many decades for independence or to be separated from the rules of the European, and we got caught by being invited there only to find out that we were a political tool to help them liberate their country. So, we felt honored, I mean it backfired on us because had we known we would have been up against that kind of thing we probably have said: “wait a minute, we don’t know about that.” But we got there and realized that these people were using us as a political tool for their liberation and how they took us around their cultures and how they still retain it, how they eat food, how they speak their language, their tribal practices and everything else, it was far removed from how other islands had been governed and controlled by European rule, so I was very much touched by the influence we had on that kind of entity. Come 360 degrees, come January of 1993 there we are standing outside the white house performing under the instructions of Bill Clinton that he wants a particular song performed by the band as he leaves in his motorcade after being sworn in as president of the United States. So, we’re touched by that. People say “Rasta is all about politics,” but this is where Steel Pulse has always been a cut above the rest because we built our music off of political issues. It’s undeniable. The world is disproportional because of politics, how can you not be involved in politics when the world has been sliced up, carved up, the fact that you’ve got to hop on the bus to go to school at a particular time and come back home, you got to leave school at a particular age and now you’re a man and now you’re allowed to vote, you’ve been governed all the way through politics and you don’t want to be part of it? Be part of it.

GW: What’s next for Steel Pulse?

DH: Let’s face it, the next album has taken a while to come out, it’s finally out there. Several songs to wrap our heads around. We’re sitting back to see what songs the people are going to gravitate toward. It’s the early days where you sort of monitoring things on the internet and see how people are responding to the tracks. So far everybody likes the entire album, but no one’s saying “this is our track” so far there’s a couple of people liking “Rize” and people liking “The Final Call” but what’s next for us is because there’s so much information on the album, we’ve got to process it all and get it ready for tours that are going to last as long as 18 months on and off. That’s the furthest we can go right now and hope that other things develop along the way in regards to other things that can happen when it comes to the album making some indentation in history whether that’s in the charts in the period of moments that it deserves to be. We’re hoping that other things can be spin-offs from what we’ve achieved here. Who knows, maybe another inauguration?

GW: You’ve had an incredible career, an I’m sure you’ve had interviews on every subject imaginable, but what’s one aspect of Steel Pulse that you’re not prompted to talk about enough and you think the world needs to know more about?

DH: The color of our underwear? Haha. You know, I’m very much a private man, so you wouldn’t see me on Big Brother or any of those other programs. Having said that, I’d like to know that they’ll be some kind of biography or autobiography that comes out where I can sort of introduce the backbone to what we’ve been about over time. I’d like the word to know that although we’ve got a 40-year legacy, it hasn’t been an easy one. And to keep the music alive, and to keep everyone’s heads on the same page in regards to a band in reggae music, which does not see the units that everybody else sees in their genres of music. That journey has not been an easy one, and for them to bear that in mind every time that they see things that aren’t working the way they think it should be working that nobody is dead from the neck upwards and that opportunity needs to presents itself. The biggest thing in the world is is trying to convince the industry at large that the music has always been a force to be reckoned with in itself and why not have bands like us on major prime time when it comes to the Grammy awards and all these awards that have always been dished out year and year out on national TV.

Over the course of many years of working in this profession, we in this field are lucky enough to be given the opportunity to meet countless musicians who have influenced us in so many ways. As fans, we create Paul Bunion like images in our minds of these people based off small snippets of themselves that they send out into the world, and can’t help but feel a bond with the version of themselves that they want to highlight, and sometimes even fabricate. In this era of celebrity culture and Instagram lifestyles, it is far too easy to become disenchanted when our expectations of these people fall short of reality. Once in a long while, we meet bands that we have listened to for years and see them more than live up to the Herculean images we have built up for them in our time following them, but the men of Pepper show character that lives up to any fan’s standards.

From noticing Yesod’s Ween tattoo under his sandal and speaking with him about Gene Ween’s recent transformations, to hearing about Kaleo’s recent vacation to and our mutual love of my home town of San Francisco, to seeing Bret’s niece walk into the room and seeing how deep his love for his family goes, it is near impossible to not make an instant connection and feel like longtime friends with these guys even the first time meeting them.

Their self-proclaimed accomplishment of being the only three-piece band that has reached their level of success over multiple decades while still retaining their original lineup speaks so much to the culture of “Ohana” they create. Their love for each other and all they do is undeniable, and convey so much passion when talking about their past, present, and future, that they even appease the old cliché of routinely finishing each other’s sentences.

Grateful Web: How does it feel to be at the 10th anniversary of Cali Roots? Where do you see it’s place in reggae history?

Yesod Williams: We started in this scene before there was really a scene here, it was just us and Slightly Stoopid, so Cali Roots is like the barometer for this whole genre. As this festival keeps blowing up and getting bigger and bigger, it’s an analogy for this whole amazing reggae-rock genre that that’s blown up that we’ve seen, because we’ve been a band for about 20 years now and over the past 10, we’ve started to see it really blossom and flourish, so it’s definitely been a front runner and full circle, right?

Kaleo Wassman: When was our first Cali Roots? Was it the first one?

YW: I’m confused about that because I thought it was the first one, but I think some people told me it was the second one the first time that we played.

KW: Eh, tomato; tomato.

Bret Bollinger: It was a real trip, Cali Roots before becoming what we call the Super Bowl of reggae, if you will.

YB: Well, reggae-rock

KW: The Jah Bowl.

YB: Vegan

KW: Gluten free

BB: It was just a sick California apparel line that everyone really dug, which is kind of fun line.

KW: Did you say a peril line?

BB: Apparel line. Ah-Parellé if you’re French. It's bourgie. But isn’t it crazy to take that concept and that kind of concept all the way? I mean this is the vibe; this is what we look forward to. New bands, old school bands, like you’re mentioning and ten years late, what’s it going to be in 20? I think other bands from other genres are going to notice because this (festival) blends so well, I think you’re going to see bigger, more established acts be like “I wanna play Cali Roots” and we’ll be like “you can.”

KW: You see that when you see acts like Atmosphere play this festival. Also, on what we were talking about, we also played the first year that it (Cali Roots) was in the bowl (stage) in 2014 or 2015 when it first grew big enough to be in the bowl, and I mean now obviously it’s just maxed out this whole campground.

YB: Think about it. We were the first ones to use the bowl… Get it? We’re packing this bowl for two. Thank you, Expendables.

GW: Speaking of music evolving. Musically, lyrically, and every way in between, you guys have gone through such a transformation from Kona Town to Ohana. What’s that journey been like and then to now?

YB: Fun. The first word that comes to my mind is fun, but it’s such a journey.

KW: Well, let’s go back a bit. We said earlier that we'd been a band for 20+ years, the three of us. By the way, original, and the last three piece known on earth.

YB: Since Lemmy went down, and Motörhead, God rest his soul, we’re the last three piece.

KW: Exactly. So, through all the friendship, and all the hardship, and all the love, and the brotherhood over 22 years, yeah. At the end of the day, not changing one thing and allowing it to be what it is, has been the funniest thing.

BB: Almost what Kaleo is saying, follow the lead of the band and the music, and seeing the process and respecting the process, that’s been so much fun, you know what I mean? And being involved as part of that process.

YB: I’d say what’s fun and pure, just like you talked about original members, how rare that is, I know we’re like “how cool, give us a plaque or something” but it is rare, and at the end of the day it’s super special if you think about because the few bands that are together even then, it doesn’t necessarily mean, unfortunately, that they’re happy and they love what they’re doing when they’re up there. Like, last night, Scott from Stick Figure was up there and kind of getting emotional up there. We’ve toured with him so many times, he’s such a sweetheart, but he was looking in the crowd and going “I was in there, and now I’m up here doing this.” He was really grateful, and it was really authentic. Now, with us, it couldn’t happen that we’d still be together after all this time, started in ’97, over 22 years, and as far as the music goes, here’s the inside tip. We never knew, or still don’t really know what we’re doing, we’re just having fun with it, and no one’s here shutting it down or telling us “do this, do that.” We own our own label, we have our own record studio now, and we’ve done it our way, Sinatra style.

KW: Letting the music lead the way, and it's lead us to country songs and heavy metal songs, that range we were talking about before.

BB: Also, mega-produced sounding records to very stripped sounding records.

YB: Three guys in a room, like Ohana.

BB: Which might Segway us to our new album, Local Motion, that’s coming out on June 28th, is I think is coming back to that stripped down sounding vibe, like an album like our self-titled album from 2012 was hugely produced, a lot of bells and whistles for lack of better term.

KW: We’d never been signed to Island Records before, we were like “this is a good label, what do they got? Bob Marley? Never heard of him. U2? Who are they?”

BB: Exactly! I have their album on my iPhone for some reason, but who are they? But anyway, with Local Motion, we got the community together. Stick Figure, Dave from Dirty Heads, Ian Young, Noah Cronin from Sea Major Seven in Hawaii.

KW: And then, outside the box, we actually got Henry Fong.

BB: Yes, Henry Fong, a DJ friend of ours, so we enlisted this local community of ours to pull together and get their take on our music, and it’s brought us to this awesome, organic, spot that’s almost is full circle. It’s a lot of roots.

KW: All that, to say we’ve never done that before and been like “Here’s our music, all done, what do you think? Push it through your little blender there.”

YB: Ask me in five years, and you’ll get a different answer, but right now, Local Motion is my favorite Pepper record, and to say that 20 years after we started is exciting for me, I think it’s exciting for all of us.

GW: Stick Figure brought you onstage as a part of their headlining set. How does it feel to have this kind of acknowledgment from Scott, and how do you think this speaks to the family culture of the reggae community?

KW: A lot of bands, alluding back to what Ye was saying at the beginning, before there was a genre if you want to consider this a genre, there weren’t that many people being the banner flyers of that. Pepper, Slightly Stoopid, 311 was in there, Dirty Heads back in the day the Pillars, really. But originally, Bradly had passed, and people were going, “What is this?” There’s a need for this music.

BB: It hits so hard, and he (Bradly) wasn’t there after it hit.

KW: Exactly, and then Pepper and Slightly Stoopid were little babies when this hit and we were like “Hey!”

BB: We really like this music.

KW: We should get a van and do you guys (Slightly Stoopid) want to go with us in another van? Yeah, and we’ll try to kill each other on the way? Yeah, let’s do that for 20 years. So, from then all the way until now, I had heard Stick Figure but I you’re not like “Oh my God!” There’s so much new music, so that was new to us. So, we finally come ten years later after not touring with Stoopid, they bring and put together a package with us, Stick Figure, and Slightly Stoopid, which is something that hadn’t really been done before. Just three headliners, not a bunch of opening bands, which is cool. So that literally was instant chemistry. Old friends meeting a new friend and you can see what it’s been, we’ve had nothing but fun. Last year’s tour was one of the best, probably my favorite tour in our entire career and we’re already looking forward to doing it again, and that’s saying a lot because we’ve had so many fun tours.

BB: And currently the tour that we’re on is with Iration, another band that we’ve helped bring in, and now they’re just so large. And the cool thing is, during that show during our tour, we have them come up and play the single that Stick Figure wrote with us, so this is the interaction between our community, this truly is the “Local Motion” of it, and this is where we’re going with this concept.

KW: Yes, so that collaboration came from just “Hey, this is, ok, gimme that Cocoa, I’ll throw the Frisbee.” Into some of your best friends spending time at Great Stone, writing music up there, it was really, really fun, and that leads all the way now to Iration who we basically picked up.

BB: We like to say that we’re their dads.

KW: Yeah, we do. We pulled these orphans from the stream out of Santa Barbra. So, at the same time, Iration was almost like Pepper, and Rebelution was like Slightly Stoopid, you know like the brother band, little babies picked it up, they started doing it all these years to have Iration do a Stick Figure song with us. It’s pretty crazy.

No conversation about the modern resurgence of Jamaican roots reggae would be complete without mentioning the influence of Jesse Royal. A man who is nothing short of the embodiment of why Jamaicans and lions so often go hand in hand, he has let his heart lead his career and brought his message of love and unity to all corners of the world. Over the past few years, his career has taken off in spectacular fashion. Performing to crowds so far away from his home town of St. James Parish and growing his fan base with every performance. After his set at this year’s Cali Roots festival, we spoke with Jesse about a wide range of topics from his family ties, stereotypes that affect him, and his relationship with something very near and dear to our hearts, The Grateful Dead.

Grateful Web: You started your set at Cali Roots by walking out to a Grateful Dead jam. How did your love of them start and how have they influenced your own music?

Jesse Royal: People all love music, and my tour manager is a huge, huge fan of the Dead and we listen to their music on these 17-hour rides on tour, so sometimes we like to warm up with their songs. And we have other songs that we warm up with, sometimes on these festivals, we don’t get a sound check, so what will happen is we just play that to make sure everyone’s good onstage, and then we get out there, but we keep chewing that down the street.

GW: How does it feel to be at the 10th anniversary of Cali Roots? Where do you see it’s place in reggae history?

JR: Yo! Lemme tell you this, man. I love being a part of Cali Roots. Cali Roots is one of those festivals you want to be at. It’s an amazing place and an amazing environment. The way it puts together the artists, everyone has good relationships with everybody. It’s a good vibe with everyone that works here, and I’m honored to be a part of it. For them to be going ten years strong, bless up, and I wish them nothing but continued success, and I hope to be a part of Cali Roots for as long as I possibly can.

GW: You have spoken about your daughter being your inspiration since both her and your career were in their infancies. How has she been lately and what has been the most exciting part about your journey through fatherhood?

JR: She’s doing lovely! She is the most beautiful thing in the world. Love her, love her, love her, love her dearly. She’s doing lovely. The most exciting part is also the roughest because we have to do this thing here, so we have to be on the road, which means time away, which is one of the roughest things. Time with them is the sweetest thing, and then when you have to leave them is the roughest thing, but everything is everything, and she understands.

GW: With so many Jamaican artists here such as yourself, Protoje, Don Carlos, and Kabaka Pyramid, Cali Roots has a much bigger Jamaican presence than in many years past. How do you feel about Cali Roots’ continued commitment to staying true to reggae’s roots?

JR: I love this decision! As long as they get good reggae music and good musicians that can satisfy the appetite of their audience, I feel like they will continue to support us. They’ve always supported us, and I don’t see that as something strange. It’s only going to get better and better; the relationships are good.

GW: Where do you see the difference in reggae culture between here and Jamaica?

JR: It’s different places, it’s different struggles, it’s different perspectives, so I try not to put one against the other, and I try to justify anyone’s perspective on truth music. We in Jamaica, we walk a certain way, we talk a certain way, we have a different struggle, we come from a different lineage, we come from a different heritage, which makes our perspective of the music and what it is. You have individuals that were influenced and inspired by this music, but that doesn’t mean that their perspectives are wrong. Everybody is right because we’re all on the same team and the team is consciousness, and the team is unity, and the team is love and the team is bringing as many people together in the name of good as possible. You see how much bad is out there and you see how many people it can get, so we the good have to figure out the ways we can get people in the name of good and love and unity. So, Reggae comes from Uganda; it comes from Ghana, it comes from Kingston, it comes from Montego Bay, it comes from California, it comes from New York, it comes from Argentina, it comes from Hawaii. Wherever it comes from, and as long as it knows that we are all messengers with the same messages and we all have the same mission, Jah leads the way. Inspiration don’t really have boundaries if you get what I mean. It would be foolish for you to think that the bird only enjoys the trees in Jamaica. There must be birds that enjoy the trees in Argentina, and there must be birds in Brazil too. So, the fact that you have birds around you shows that there must be birds out there, and that lets you know that there are other people out there that are also being inspired. So that’s just the reality of life.

GW: Two years ago, when you played Cali Roots stage you performed on the pop-up stage, and this year, you played on the main bowl stage. How do you feel this reflects on the growth you have had in your career?

JR: Lovely, you know? Definitely excited to play the bowl stage, and we’re definitely going to be moving to the next stage round. But yeah, man, as me say it’s always a joy just to be here, you know, and we will continue to be here and to share our message and our vibrations and our energy with the people of Monterey and with people from all around the world, and the US that they have come from to enjoy and experience this lovely festival. We’re just glad to be a part of it.

GW: I’ve seen you perform to big crowds at Cali Roots, and I’ve seen you perform to small and intimate audiences, and have seen how you give a very different performance tailored to your specific audience. How do you prepare for a show based on the kind of the venue?

JR: Well, when the show is intimate, it’s a little different vibe, you get to be a little bit more direct with people, you get to feel them energy and them spirit a little bit more, and the experience is a little bit different, but everything is special in its own little way.

GW: So being a Jamaican reggae star, I’m sure you get asked a lot of questions about weed.

JR: Yeah.

GW: Are you tired of them?

JR: Tired of questions about weed? No man! Marijuana, man, we love marijuana. It’s like the love of my life. Can I stop thinking about her? Can I stop being interested in her? Can I ever stop wanting to experience her? No.

GW: You’ve come a long way in your career. What has been your favorite part about developing as an artist?

JR: Just learning more and more how to express myself. Being able to stretch my music far and wide, being able to share my music with other people, and getting the chance to meet people along the way. That has been the greatest thing for me, and I mean working with lovely people, getting to work with Easy Star, and all these little things. Being able to be blessed by the most I in the way that I am able to bless others and being useful enough that I can be used by the most I. That is the greatest thing for I and I.

GW: What’s next for Jesse Royal?

JR: Lion Order is what is currently on I, and I mind, featuring I and I brother Protoje, Lion Order, that is what is on the mind. We have a couple of singles geared up to be released, and we’ll have videos coming, but Lion Order is the first thing out of the deck and then let’s watch the ride.

California grown, Island inspired, The Late Ones have been bringing their take on reggae music to the stage for quite some time. Comprised of the Avei brothers and their close friend Josh Brunson, their harmonies show through their chemistry onstage and their conscious and edgy lyrics in the studio. Performing their set at the Cali Roots after party this year in front of politically motivated banners exclaiming “Black Lives Matter” and murals of MLK, Malcolm X, and Bob Marley, the band makes no efforts to hide the world events that influence them and their craft. Grateful Web met up with Tau, Tui, and Josh of The Late Ones before their set at this year’s festival to speak with them a little about their inspirations, their purpose, and their upcoming album.

Grateful Web: It’s always special to have new music drop, but your newest single went live the day you were able to perform it at a festival. How do you feel being able to unveil it at this festival, and how do you feel your new music holds up?

The Late Ones: We’re super psyched to play “Tell Me Not” today. It’s been a long time coming, and especially through Easy Star Records, they’re backing the whole thing, and it’s the first single off our album. Just super stoked for it to finally come out.

GW: How does it feel to be at the 10th anniversary of Cali Roots? Where do you see it’s place in reggae history?

TLO: It’s pretty epic. It’s definitely an honor to be here for the 10th anniversary. We came here two years ago and played, and fell in love. To us, this is one of the best festivals, so to be back here, this year in 2019 again, to us it’s just a blessing.

GW: Your upcoming album marks a big milestone in your career. As your first full-length album, what message are you looking forward to conveying that you previously could not have in the short form?

TLO: Tell Me Not is the first single off the full-length album, and that will be coming out within the year. I feel like the messages will still be the same, but we have more songs on an actual full-length album.

GW: You’ve always been a band not afraid to break barriers, for example, your specific take on the current political system and your use of the “N-word” in songs such as crosses are of course atypical for the reggae genre. What do you see as your motivation to break down these walls?

TLO: We were born and raised in a different environment in America, so we’re playing Jamaican music, but in America, so it comes out differently. Our situation here in America is a bit different than it is in Jamaica, and we are just journalists. Basically, we are just saying what’s going on around us, and we’re going to stick to that. It’s just who we are, for us to change how we speak every day is just, well, there are no rules, right? If that’s who we are, that’s how it’s going to come out.

GW: What influences have inspired this sound for you?

TLO: Everything from back in the day oldies, rock music, every single genre out there. I would say, Bob Marley, Rage Against the Machine, and that whole West Coast vibe like NWA, all mixed in one, and that’s where that funk vibe comes from. That Rage side, that NWA, but then Bob Marley always keeps us straight, like don’t forget about the message. It’s kind of dope how all those styles and influences make up The Late Ones, and those influences grow every day. Not even from just music. I think that’s why we’re so passionate about our music and what we put out, trying to make sure everything is, to a tee, is straight quality. We’re just giving out that energy that comes from within when we’re talking about The Late Ones. It’s our baby.

GW: You’ve accomplished so much already, but what’s still on your bucket list of goals?

TLO: We’re still going to cross over and show our full hip hop side pretty soon, and even just touring with other hip hop acts as well because we just want to cross over and do that whole side too because we can, and jump back and forth, and start to make and experiment with different types of music after that’s done. What comes after that is going to be even crazier. That’s the beauty of it like I said earlier because there are no rules. We can try anything and everything, shout out to The Skints, because their last album was nothing like the first one, and they’re still dope.

GW: What’s next for The Late Ones?

TLO: Shows with The Green, shows with The Wailing Souls, and then we have to finish this album up.

GW: With your recent developments, I’m sure you’ve had every question in the book thrown at you, but what’s one part of the band that you don’t get prompted to talk about as much as you would like?

TLO: Our nationality, because two of us are Samoan, and Josh lived in Hawaii for five years too, so that Polynesian vibe is very prominent in our lives, but we don’t look like we’re Samoan, so sometimes we don’t get that. I would like people to dive in more and ask more about our Nationality and where we come from. They might understand the music the lyrics better.

Cali Roots Veterans Pepper has been known to call the California Roots Music & Arts Festival the “Super Bowl” of the genre, and over the last decade, it has proven time and time again that it represents the apex of what reggae can be in America. It has passed every festival that inspired it inspired it by countless lengths in virtually every way. Few reggae staples have played its stages, fewer by their own choice as the waiting list grows exponentially with every year, on Memorial Day weekend the fog lays low throughout the Monterey Bay in anticipation of this event.

The culture has evolved in unexplainable and undeniably ways as it has snowballed in popularity, reaching a more popular and ever-expanding demographic that is debatably reaching its critical mass within its current parameters. This year’s festivities combined, more than ever, the roots of its origins with the feel of a modern-day music festival as it stayed true to its genre of inspiration with some acts that drew a mainstream appeal beyond the initial reggae niche.

The suspense built outside the Monterey fairgrounds as the gates were held for a half hour later than expected while the finishing touches were put on the festival’s ambiance. Each band more than lived up to the hype as day one proved to be a laid-back introduction to the weekend.

For Peace Band opened the festival with enthusiasm. The young musicians took great pleasure in playing their opening set, and all clearly noticed when a fan placed a flag from their native country of Guam on the barricade in recognition of their heritage. For Peace Band was joined onstage by some Cali Roots staples, including a vocal cameo by Iya Terra’s Nathan Feinstein, and an onstage smoke featuring the out courtesy of Cali Roots’ favorite social media influencer, @_WeShouldSmoke who took the invitation an opportunity to light his first burrito sized joint of the festival.

Hawaiian reggae pioneer Fiji gave the weekend’s first performance on the headlining Bowl stage, and somehow his first performance in Cali Roots history. The artist who paved the way for island reggae was warmly welcomed by the Cali Roots crowd as fans held up colorful lays throughout his set-in support of their shared heritage. Many were shocked when at the beginning of the performance, Fiji was brought out to center stage in a wheelchair, but from his stationary position he put on quite the clinic for his fans.

Beach reggae band Ballyhoo! brought their music that, as they put it, loves “mixing punk rock with a rub-a-dub vibe” to the Cali Roots stage. The band from Aberdeen, Maryland helmed by a veteran of the industry Howi Spangler, started on a high note and sustained his energy throughout his set. So much of the band’s live show had evolved since their last Cali Roots appearance in 2017, and the group’s evolution was undeniable. The band’s most recent album “Detonate” centers largely around the death of Spangler’s father, the sentiment echoed in their live show as he proudly projected “This one’s for my dad, Sam Spangler” before playing “Selling Out.” Instead of ending with their most acclaimed and recognized piece “Walk Away” as seasoned Ballyhoo! fans have come to expect, Spangler and company decided to close with their new song “Riddled with Bullets” as bassist Nick Lucera screamed the parts of the song were originally outsourced on the record. The audience sang along enthusiastically as their set ended with a chorus of “home, take me home” that faded out slowly over time.

Common Kings followed Fiji’s example and represented Hawaiian reggae, albeit with a modern twist. Starting their set with Revolution, the audience quickly showed their excitement. Many of the same fans that showed up early for Fiji were still at the front by the barricade for Common Kings’ performance, and still holding up lays, voicing their support for the state of Hawaii. Singer Sasualei Maliga took a moment of reverence to recognize the military and their sacrifices before performing the song “Before You Go” then finished the performance with a spectacular performance of “No Other Love.”

Citizen Cope drew a large crowd to the Cali Roots stage for his mid-day set. One of the many artists on the bill this weekend who performed at both Northern California music festivals occurring that weekend, Cali Roots and Bottlerock, he showed no signs of fatigue during his set. Switching between acoustic and electric guitar, he went through a full set list that included “Let the Drummer Kick,” “Sideways,” and a chilling cover of Radiohead’s “Karma Police.”

Steel Pulse grounded the audience and served as a humbling reminder of the history of the music we all hold dear. Countless fans of an older demographic braved the elbows of the packed bowl theatre to get within spitting distance of David Hinds and company as they performed a set list that reflected decades of music from the inception of popular reggae to songs released this year. From “Ku Klux Klan” to “Rize” the band constantly reminded the audience that a passionate and informed population dedicated to fostering their own will always have the upper hand when fighting against tyranny in all forms.

The Green, far from the only Hawaiian influence on the day’s music, elevated the mood of the crowd as Caleb Keolanui’s always smiling face relaxed the already lucid congregation. Performing a setlist that reflected the gravity of an invitation to perform California Roots’ tenth anniversary, their show was full of surprises that even seasoned fans of The Green might not have been expecting, performing music not often heard in their live shows, including their 2013 hit “Chocolates and Roses.”

Quite some time ago, the first couple of articles I wrote for Grateful Web covered Stick Figure. In this tenure, I have never written an article about the band without spending a good amount of time talking about Cocoa the Tour Dog, and I will be damned if that tradition ends today. Cocoa the “Headliner” dog’s presence was amongst the highlights of the weekend for all who attended the festival. Walking onstage to hype the crowd before and throughout Stick Figure’s headlining set, not letting a beach ball cross her line of vision without giving it chase, she primed the crowd for the excitement that was to come. Scott Woodruff, the man behind the band, addressed the crowd many times throughout his set. An act that has truly grown with Cali Roots, he spoke about going from playing early morning sets at the festival several years ago to headlining at the tenth anniversary. His teary-eyed demeanor was moving as he choked up, trying to explain what this movement meant to him. He brought out many of his friends who have supported him along the way, notably day-one supporter TJ O’Neil, who as always makes an appearance to help with “Weight of Sound.” Stick Figure ended their set with a song all fans know very well, “Smokin’ Love.” The evening ended on a high note as the band invited a laundry list of guests onstage for this song, including Collie Buddz (who featured on the original 2015 recording,) Josh Swain of The Movement, and Bert Bollinger of Pepper, who all joined in a verse of the chorus “I wanna get high, I wanna get low, I wanna smoke a little spliff with you” and their own vocal improvisation.

Check out more photos from day 1 @ Cali Roots 2019.

Day two of California Roots Music and Arts Festival 2019 was when it started to become increasingly undeniable that the festival was growing closer and closer to the level of popularity akin to a traditional mainstream festival, as opposed to its usual niche. Much of the festival’s merchandise sold out before the end of day one, a clear sign that this year’s festival grew faster than even optimistically expected. With these minor growing pains came real improvements for the festival. The lineup this year proved to be bigger and more exciting than any other year as a seemingly direct result of the universally growing interest in the festival. The artists selected presented a good mix between traditional reggae, artists with a more mainstream appeal, and many more who fell somewhere in between.

Cali Roots’ 10th anniversary would not have been able to call their lineup truly complete without including at least one member of the Marley dynasty. Jo Mersa Marley, grandson of Bob Marley by way of his son Stephen Marley, opened up the bowl stage. Beginning his set with a cover of his grandfather’s immortal classic “Three Little Birds” he set the tone for the calm set he was about to perform, as well as the rest of the day.

Cali Roots has always been a festival that prides itself on artist accessibility, but this year the musicians made a real attempt to spend time with the people. Well established artists such as Josh Swain, Matisyahu, and Nathan Feinstein could all be seen wandering around the grounds and mingling with fans at various points throughout the festival. Stick Figure’s own Cocoa the Tour Dog even had her own meet and greet with the fans by the taco bar in the Redwood section. The family environment of Cali Roots was put on full display as it had been in no previous year.

The Expendables brought an afternoon pick-me-up to the bowl stage. Performing in front of a screen that alternated between images of joints, buds, and occasionally the band’s name, their aesthetics were more than complimentary to the band that sings about marijuana even more than the typical reggae band. They went through this repertoire getting through their own hits including their classic “Bowl For Two” and even covered Sublime's hit “Smoke Two Joints.”

Pepper’s set was undoubtedly the most explosive and high-intensity show of the day. A group that does not now, nor has ever, taken themselves too seriously; they walked onstage dancing emphatically to Axel F’s “Crazy Frog” hyping the crowd before getting them to dance along to their own opening song “B.O.O.T.” As long time members of the American reggae scene, Pepper has understandably made some high profile friends. It came as a welcome, but not a shocking surprise when they brought up not one but two of the festival’s headliners to collaborate with them onstage as Stick Figure came onstage to play their collaborative single “Warning” and Slightly Stoopid joined later in the show to help the band out with “Crazy Love.” The band ended with a bang as they closed out their set with their high energy single “Ashes.”

Tash Sultana drew her standard cult following to the bowl stage and confidently strutted onstage, ordaining a shirt boasting “Monterey California” on the back. A long way from Sultana’s home of Australia, fans still flocked to the Bowl stage to eagerly await the performance of this artist that many compare to a modern-day Santana. Characterized by long flowing psychedelic instrumental solos, the artist had no problem putting the crowd in the right mood. Halfway through the set, Sultana noted the smoke permeating throughout the crowd, commenting “I haven’t smoked weed in four years, and I’ll tell you, there’s absolutely no need to today because you’re all doing it for me.”

Slightly Stoopid’s set encapsulated the family attitude Cali Roots has worked so hard to foster. Billed as “Slightly Stoopid and friends” they proved more popular than a Varsity Quarterback as their guest performances included many others on the weekend’s lineup such as Don Carlos, Pepper, and the previous night’s headliner Stick Figure, as well as many artists they invited to the festival just to perform during this set like Marlon Asher, Hirie, and the immortal King Yellowman. Each featured artist brought something different and unique to the table, which was specifically put on blast when G. Love walked onstage and kept things light with a tribute to the Wu-Tang Clan, getting the members of Slightly Stoopid to join him for a few bars of “Oh baby I like it raw."

Check out more photos from day 2 @ California Roots Music and Arts Festival.

Day three of Cali Roots X was a roller coaster, bringing more excitement and stress on the powers that be than possibly any other day in the festival’s decade of success. For starters, the weather forecast for the day was inconsistent at best. Conflicting reports seemed to pop up throughout the night before and the morning of. Some news outlets reported possible light showers; some went as far as to suggest a chance of thunder. Either way, the uncertainty mounted as the day moved forward.

In an unfortunate Cali Roots first, UB40, the band set to close out the Cali Roots stage for the weekend, canceled due to medical circumstances well after the bands that day had already begun to play. While this through much of the day out of whack, there was one golden nugget that came out of it. Over the years, one thing that has made Cali Roots so special was the fact that due to carful scheduling, one could theoretically see every performance start to finish, assuming foot traffic conditions made that possible. UB40’s cancelation led to a rearranging of the day’s set times overlapping several high-profile acts’ performances, making this no longer possible. This was an interesting thing to see in the context of the festival’s development, as despite the growing entertainment options, no stage seemed devoid of viewers. Audiences flocked to both stages in volumes so dense it made one wonder how this venue could have intended support this capacity with only one active stage going at a time. This, of course, screams the question that Cali Roots goers have been whispering for years; has California Roots finally outgrown the physical limitations of the Monterey Fairgrounds? Regardless of what lies on the horizon for Cali Roots, day three of 2019 was an unforgettable experience in and of itself.

Xiuhtezcatl Martinez performed Sunday morning on the Cali Roots stage just as the sun began to peek out from behind the clouds. In a set full of incredibly conscious hip hop, he set the tone for his standard narrative of supporting his ingenious agenda and reminded the audience that the festival was taking place on “stolen land.” His family ties close to his heart, he performed his whole set alongside his sister who sang backup vocals, and was eventually joined by fellow Native American musician and activist Nahko Bear, often referred to by Xiuhtezcatl as an older brother figure, to perform their song “Young.”

While his beard was much shorter than it was when he originally took these songs to the studio almost 15 years ago, Matisyahu’s rendition of his breakthrough “Live at Stubb’s” album was well received. Reggae has always by nature been a spiritual genre, but Matisyahu’s lyrics promoting his heritage as a Hasidic Jew lent a worldly perspective to the entire weekend. The decision to play this very traditional and meaningful album as opposed to a set full of his more popular singles was a peaceful reminder of the meaning behind this music.

Collie Buddz, an artist who has long since been known to play the closest one could get to a “bad boy” type, emerged throughout this festival a changed man. Having seemingly performed in every other set throughout the weekend as a featured act, his personal set demonstrated just why so many of his peers gave him their admiration. He won the crowd over with not just his music, but his personality and generosity. Delivering a set of his own that included all of his hits and then some, he announced halfway through his show that he had bought the entire bowl stage pizza, as his crew came through the pit with hundreds of cardboard boxes, distributing them to the crowd behind the barricade.

Cypress Hill’s set having been moved to the final timeslot on their stage was preluded by an unexpected introduction, a DJ set by Beastie Boy Mix Master Mike, a surprise that justified the schedule change that allowed them to headline the Cali Roots stage. After the crowd’s hip hop muscles were good and limber, Mix Master Mike stayed onstage to accompany the rest of the band. Cypress Hill’s set billed as a performance of their breakthrough 1993 album “Black Sunday” did not disappoint. Vocalist B-Reel emerged from behind the stage, joint the size of a hot dog in hand, opening the set with the anthem for their movement “I wanna get high.” After they played Black Sunday in full, the band let themselves loose, filling in the rest of their set with some of their biggest hits from across generations.

SOJA wasted no time in starting their set, launching into an explosive set as they opened with fog cannons introducing their first song “I Don’t Wanna Wait.” Their enthusiasm was as high as Bobby Lee Jefferson’s leg kicks as singer Jacob Hemphill addressed an elephant in the room. Hemphill’s voice cracked in a tambour not heard since inaugurating of the Liberty Bell as he introduced his next song, a cover of UB40’s Impossible Love, a dedication to his father who passed away in 2012. “When I was a kid, my dad taught me how to do all this stuff, like piano and guitar, and he did it all using UB40 songs, because it was something we had in common with each other, and when you’re a kid, having something in common with your dad is like, a big fucking deal.” The band followed up with a few bars of the song that came across as anything but inauthentic. SOJA’s set included a multitude of guest talent invited onstage to perform alongside them, the volume of artists almost rivaling that of Slightly Stoopid from the previous night. Among the artists invited onstage included Xiutezcatl and his violinist Richard Vagner, Collie Buddz, Nahko Bear, and Hirie. Showcasing everyone’s talents, including their own, even guitarist Trevor Yong enjoyed an extended vocal solo during “You and Me.”

The cancellations earlier in the day left quite a bit of dead air, so to speak, in between SOJA’s and Rebelution’s set. Festival organizer and king pin Dan Sheehan took to the Bowl stage with some of his closest friends and Cali Roots collaborators in that gap to fill the time with a loud and heartfelt speech. Thanking day ones and first-timers alike, he promised that ten years was still just the beginning for Cali Roots and even brighter days were on the horizon for the festival.

Rebelution, a band that has become synonymous with the Cali Roots festival itself, closed out the festival to everyone’s delight. Their traditional light show to begin their show draped the crowd in a blanket of lasers as the musicians took their place onstage one by one. By now, every seasoned Cali Roots enthusiast has come to expect Rebelution’s annual traditional headlining set, but this year they somehow just clicked even more than usual. The band had commanding control of the mood of the festival as they kept playing single after single, the crowd seeming to know every word to every song they played. In fact, no song during the set was negatively received as the band got the crowd to “Celebrate” as they reached outside of their “Comfort Zone” and watched the festival “Fade Away” with their set. As the performance drew to an end, there was calm but not sad energy throughout the fairgrounds as everyone calmly left through the gates. Until next year, Cali Roots.

Check out more photos from day three @ Cali Roots 2019.

Last year, when Warped Tour founder and organizer Kevin Lyman announced that the year’s cross-country tour would be its last, supporters flocked from far and wide to take part in the end of an era. The sun had set on the festival that had helped put musical acts such as blink-182, Katy Perry, and Green Day on the map, and it was a bittersweet moment for all. Fans of Warped Tour were excited, to say the least when it was announced that Warped would get to see the 25th anniversary with shows announced in Atlantic City and Mountain View, with a ceremony to be held at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In our time at the final performance in Mountain View, we got to see just how much of an impact the festival has had on all who have loved it so dearly over the last 25 years.

Last year, lines stretched countless blocks from the venue as fans lined up from the early hours of the morning to get as much of the day as possible. This year was no different. The staff at the Shoreline Amphitheatre had their work cut out for them as the overwhelming volume of the crowd proved a handful, but after the crowd was inside the show went off without a hitch.

At Warped Tour, we are slaves to the wall. The big inflatable schedule that has been notorious at every stop on the Warped Tour stood tall in the middle of the Shoreline Amphitheatre parking lot that had been closed off for the festival. In keeping with the tradition of the festival, all set times of the bands were kept secret until fans first entered the venue and looked at the wall.

The extravagant lineup was complimented with a modest three physical stages as opposed to the much higher number that Warped Tours past have featured. To fit as many bands into the day as possible by cutting down on time in between sets, the main stage revolved, allowing crew members to set up the next band behind the current performers during their show, and the amphitheater stage was split into two halves, with one half setting up while the act on the other half performed.

Plague Vendor started the festival by incorporating some old school punk favorites that are so often lost when bands transition to bigger platforms. Lead singer Brandon Blaine started his set in the middle of the audience and rallied the audience into a mosh pit around him, interacting with them constantly throughout the set. Performing in the house while he let his band mates have the stage, it was clear from the get-go that after 25 years Warped Tour hadn’t forgotten its roots.

Travie McCoy opened the main stage for the weekend with the Gym Class Heroes song “Cupid’s Chokehold” and really got the audience involved. His active performance style was exciting to watch as he ran across the large stage countless times throughout his set. Shortly into his set he gave a heartfelt speech on playing Warped Tour through his teenage years and congratulated Kevin Lyman and company on making it through 25 years, a trend that would prove to be imitated by virtually every other band that followed that weekend. His set was the throwback Mountain View needed as he played every hit from his tenure with Gym Class Hero’s from “Cookie Jar” to “Stereo Heart” balanced with a healthy mix of his own solo work.

The audience in front of the main stage was packed later on in the day as We the Kings was set to perform. Opening with an electrifying presentation of “Skyway Avenue” they quickly got the crowd to jump along to their beat. In putting together a reunion show of a 25-year-old festival, there are bound to be some omissions in the lineup. We the Kings helped fill in the gaps as they covered Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle.” Earlier in the week, the band announced that they would be playing one of their songs twice during their set. This came to fruition late in the set when the band announced “We want you guys to be a part of We the Kings” because you’ve always been a part of our fucking lives” before playing their hit “Check Yes Juliet” twice, once as a band and once with the band playing the instrumentals while the audience sang along with the vocals.

Several years ago, Monique Powell had the distinction of being the first woman to play Warped Tour in full as frontwoman of Save Ferris. It seemed appropriate that this act be included as a part of the final Warped Tour performance. Her bubbly personality on full display as she ran onstage to begin her set with “Spam.” Her performance was far from one dimensional as she began to address the audience and get a little political, stating when she got on stage, she “thought everyone would be screaming ‘send her back’, well I don’t wanna go back. I want to stay here with my Warped Tour friends.” Her performing for the day was far from over as she later returned during Goldfinger’s set to help perform a cover of Blur’s “Song 2.”

The rest of the day went on with terrific flow and attitude. Anti-Flag’s set prompted the most crowd surfing and circle-pit activity from the second they started their show with their song “Die for your Government.” After that, the artists on the main stage set each other up in a very poetic way. The most tenured band in Warped Tour history, Less than Jake, performed directly before the second most, Simple Plan, and the last two bands of the day to play the stage were two acts famously known for having lead singers who hold doctoral degrees, Bad Religion and The Offspring, performed in succession respectfully.

While Warped Tour has always been famous for highlighting bands in a 30-minute set, the format of this year’s festival called for a more traditional timeframe for some acts later in the day. This set up Saturday’s headliner, The Offspring, for a fitting sendoff to day one of the historic festival. Starting their set with “Americana”, the group began their set with a cluster of early hits that reminded the audience of the music that was famous when Warped Tour was just beginning. The Offspring may be far from the most famous musical acts to play Warped Tour, but lead singer Dexter Holland took a beat to talk about famous musicians who had never played on it, telling a story about a conversation he had with AC/DC’s Angus Young about how one of the musician’s biggest regrets of his career was never having played the tour before launching into a cover of their song “Whole Lotta Rosie.” The band showed that time had not halted their punk roots, announcing close to the end of their set “I think they’re telling us we’re done... let’s play two more anyway. Fuck the man! They immediately played “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid” and then ended with “Self Esteem”, a classic that predates Warped Tour itself, and as they walked off stage, Money Python’s “always look on the bright side of life” blasted through the speakers as if to say “don’t be sorry Warped Tour is ending, but be happy that it happened.”

The final day of the last Warped Tour was a sobering experience. The mood was heavy with anticipation among those in attendance. However, most fans did not show up as early as they did the morning before as lines were manageable, to say the least, that Sunday. The unofficial punk rock summer camp went out with a bang, not a fizzle, as the day’s lineup more than lived up to the hype throughout the day.

The Street Drum Corps began day two by waking up the amphitheater and then some. The group’s Blue Man Group-esque percussion innovation quite literally rattled the audience as they showed that anything and everything could be used as a musical instrument. Their performance-centered mainly around audience participation as they invited young members of the audience on stage with them to perform throughout their set, and frequently passed their instruments to those in the front row.

Throughout the day, there were two themes that virtually every band touched on during their set. Their deep gratitude and admiration for festival organizer and founder Kevin Lyman, and their belief that this just might not be the end for the Warped Tour legacy. Many voiced their high esteem for Lyman halfway through the day when musicians and other festival organizers brought him onstage to present him a check for $10,000 intended to be put toward the fishing trip of a lifetime to celebrate his new retirement.

Sum 41’s performance encapsulated the spirit of the festival in so many ways no other band did. Despite having released their 8th studio album just two days before and being about two decades separated from their commercial debut, their show was every bit as fresh in 2019 as it was in their MTV heyday. The band opened with “The Hell Song” as every seasoned Sum 41 fan has come to expect of them and filled the crowd with a mix of nostalgia and exuberance. Toward the end of their set, they differed from their typical setlist to play their newly released single “Out for Blood.”

One of the last musical acts Warped Tour helped to make famous, YUNGBLUD sent audiences screaming. Ever the eccentric, he showed up onstage dawning a black dress and a whole lot of spunk, screaming his song “21st Century Liability” for the world to enjoy. The young musician from the UK’s set stood firm on its own, but it wouldn’t have been a Warped Tour set without a few surprises. In the last surprise guest appearance in Warped Tour history, YUNGBUD had an incredible gift for the audience. Midwest rapper and industry veteran Machine Gun Kelly appeared seemingly out of thin air to perform their song “I Think I’m OKAY” which had previously been released earlier in the summer. The pair proceeded to jump on top of the audience, performing the song while crowd surfing to the back of the audience and running through the crowd.

Once frontman of Black Veil Brides turned solo artist, Andy Black closed out the Monster Energy stage with an enthusiastic performance fueled by an ecstatic crowd. Virtually the last performer of the day with a career that began after 1986, the inherently young audience he drew brought a level of enthusiasm and excitement that was indicative of the spirit of Warped Tour. From his first song “Ribcage” his feet hardly touched the ground as he ran across the stage enticing the masses all the while, getting through his time performing only his solo work, never once covering a song originally performed by Black Veil Brides. After his set, the majority of the audience exited the venue rather than stayed for the final two acts. The crowd was small but mighty for the end final chapter of Warped Tour, but one thing was undeniable; every person in that audience wanted to be there more than anywhere else in the world that night.

To end one of the most storied and historic festivals in music history, we all expected a grand finale, but what came next gave a whole new meaning to what “grand” could be. At the time the headliner NOFX was scheduled to go on, the day’s hero Kevin Lyman took the stage to address the audience. He started by thanking everyone for 25 successful years, then some of his favorite anecdotes from his time on the tour. Very quickly into his speech, one thing became abundantly clear; he was stalling for time. Lyman then leveled with the audience in a manner of transparency that was becoming of his organization, and what they stood for. He informed the audience that NOFX had not yet arrived due to a scheduling mishap, but that they would soon be there via a police escort. In the meantime, they had one last trick up their sleeve. Members of many bands who had performed throughout the day came on stage to fill the void with their own personal covers of the band’s music. Musicians who had never performed on stage together made for a historic curtain call to the immortal festival, and of course, as no NOFX show would be complete without a man in a dress, YUNGBLUD came to hype the crowd. Lyman then turned to the masses and announced: “you’re about to witness fucking history.”

Many years ago, tenured band Sum 41 started their career as a NOFX cover band. This background prompted many members of the band to play alongside members of The Starting Line for the first cover of the night, “Stickin’ in My Eye.” This was followed by members of the band Thrice, then covering the song “Linoleum.” All and all, this display embodied what Warped Tour has always stood for. Uninhibited punk music delivered in a fun and accessible medium. Also, the funfair of bands and artists contributing to this sendoff also included Anthony Green, The Used, Hyro the Hero, Quicksand, and The All American Rejects.

Kevin Lyman then returned to the stage with his good friend and Goldfinger frontman John Feldman, gave a status update, told another Warped Tour anecdote, then as he trailed off turned behind him and said: “John, play some Goldfinger.” Feldman obliged, acoustically playing his singles “Superman” and “99 Red Balloons” before Lyman jumped onstage again to announce NOFX had finally arrived. Fat Mike and company ran onstage to join the impromptu NOFX cover band and proceeded to soundcheck on stage as they rushed to get through as many songs as possible. Opening with “Fuck the Kids (Part I)” the band played through parts of as many of their songs as they could to cram as much of their show as possible before the venue’s curfew.

Last year, Pennywise made headlines as a video of them playing their hit “Bro Hymn” went viral as the allegedly last song to ever be played at the Vans Warped Tour. This year at the honor went to NOFX as they ended the festival on a humble note. Instead of their typical music with their upbeat style, the band decided to end this era with their relatively new hit “I’m So Sorry Tony.” And with that, an era of music history had ended. Thank you for a quarter-century of music, culture, and opening all of our eyes at some point or another to something that we would have all not otherwise known about.

Outside Lands 2019 came and went, and the 12th year of the festival brought with it a wide array of emotions for all to step through the gates. This year’s Outside Lands featured their most polarizing line up to date. The general feel around the Bay Area in the months leading up to the festival was you either thought this was the strongest year yet, or adamantly detested everything it stood for, there was no in between. Those who predicted a miserable year for San Francisco’s biggest show of the year were sorely mistaken as the three days in Golden Gate Park proved to make history in many ways.

To start off our weekend, we stopped by to see Los Angeles Grateful Dead cover band, Grateful Shred. In true Deadhead fashion, just before their set, as the band was tuning their instruments, they could be heard from the front row of the audience whispering to themselves, asking each other what the setlist was. The audience started out small but grew exponentially as the set went on and more fans entered the venue. Even the most seasoned Outside Lands veterans were shocked to see that much tie die in the whole festival, much less centralized by the Twin Peaks stage, but the fans who flocked to it fit the description anyone would expect of blending Deadheads and modern music festivals. The members of the band took turns taking instrumental and vocal leads as they weaved in and out of song snippets and extemporized riffs, eventually appropriately ending with “Franklin’s Tower” as the audience rolled away to enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Rapper with a modern feminist message Boyfriend gave the Panhandle stage something to talk about as she drew a packed crowd to the smallest stage of the festival. From the moment she walked onstage composed, in a blazer, and her hair up in curlers, it was clear it was going to be a visually motivated set. In a set motivated by aesthetics, her stage was fitted with a changing tent back center which she and her backup dancers utilized frequently. Her lyrics reflected convictions such as gender equality and body positivity but not in a way that has been done so many times before. The sarcastic nature of her lyrics gave an edge to her message and entertained as well as educated the audience on the purpose of her music.

Lil Wayne lived up to his reputation in every way, both good and bad. His set took a while to get going, showing up to the stage 20 minutes later than expected, but his hype man filled in the gaps with an energetic DJ set, periodically asking the audience if they were ready to see “the greatest rapper alive.” Wayne eventually did appear, excited to perform in from of the eager crowd and his show did not disappoint. He opened his set with “6 Foot 7 Foot” and his performance took flight from there.  About halfway through his performance, he launched into a stream of covers of all kinds, giving the Outside Lands crowd a sample of songs from Drake’s “HYFR”, French Montana’s “Pop That” and even Chance the Rapper’s “No Problem.” The screens around his stage even turned to a Western theme as he put a Weezy spin on Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road”. Tunechi left the stage for a moment and immediately returned holding a Styrofoam cup, a symbol that has become synonymous with his name. He ended his set with some new and old school Wayne, performing Tha Carter III’s “A Milli” then closing his set with two of the most commercially successful hits off Tha Carter V, “Mona Lisa” and “Uproar.”

In one of the most energetic, and possibly greatest performances of the whole weekend, Blink-182 put on a show that agreed with new and seasoned fans alike. Mark, Matt, and Travis turned Golden Gate Park into an 80,000-person chorus as the crowd started to sing along from their first note of their opening song “Feeling This.” This first song dispelled rumors that blink would be playing their 1999 album “Enema of the State” as they had been doing so all summer in celebration of its 20th anniversary, and had already played to California audiences several times this summer, and the crowd immediately realized they instead opted for a setlist of their biggest hits across decades, prompting an enthusiastic reaction. Their set had a healthy mix of old and new blink songs, and even featured several songs from their upcoming album “Nine” such as “Blame It on My Youth” and “Generational Divide.” The special effects were flowing during the performance, as pyro and cryo tubes projected fire and fog behind the band throughout the show. The mood became much more serious as the band played their heavy hitting piece “Adam’s Song” which had historically weighed on the band so heavily that it had been retired until about a year prior, as Mark announced that it was about him almost killing himself. The set ended with a blink-182 staple, and the first (and last) song an entire generation learned to play on guitar, “Dammit.”

The crowd shrunk significantly for headliner Twenty One Pilots, as the competition of The Lumineers and Flying Lotus 3D who were scheduled at the same time proved to draw some of the eclectic audience’s attention, but the crowd was still healthy enough to make a sizable noise as the duo turned the volume all the way up to “11” for their opening song “Jumpsuit.” Fog and technical difficulties interrupted the quality of the video projected behind them for a few songs, but that did not seem to stop anyone from enjoying the set as lyrics were screamed from the audience throughout the show. An interactive set with lots of audience communication, the duo took an opportunity to make light of the events earlier in the day, giving a shout out to Lil Wayne’s hype man for giving, as they put it, the best set of the day. The set ended with a mix of new and old as they closed with a bass heavy cover of their newest single “Chlorine” which lead to their final song, one of their earlier hits “Trees.” As the band left the stage and the crowd dispersed, the fog rolled in and it became clear how cold it actually was, but on their way out, the masses took part in an Outside Lands tradition that warmed everyone’s heart, walking through the exit tunnel screaming the chorus from Biz Markie’s “Just a Friend” on repeat, leaving everyone in anticipation of the talent-filled lineup the next two days.

The hydra of entertainment and stimulation that is Outside Lands will always find a way to entertain all who visit. From music to food, to comedy, to Cannabis, and more, there is something for everyone who comes to this festival. Early on Saturday, we stopped by the Barbary tent to see the standup bill that had been put together. Comedian Jimmy O. Yang, known for his roles on “Silicon Valley” and “Crazy Rich Asians” headlined an afternoon of comedy that was  defined by equal parts observational and racial humor. His standup routine touched on many of Yang’s trademarks. Speaking on his process of immigrating to the United States from Hong Kong gave context to his attitude toward his roles and why he felt so compelled to brand his image as less of a stereotype and more of a serious character when he branched out to more serious cinematic roles.

Inspired by Outside Lands’ commitment to creating a multi-faceted experience transcending just music, we felt prompted to experience that lifestyle in other ways than just music. As modern festivals have evolved over the past few decades, they have grown to be about so much more than just music. Several days before the festival, Outside Lands 2019 made the announcement that it would be the first music festival of its size to sell Cannabis within their grounds. While their Cannabis themed exhibit “Grasslands” was a huge success when introduced founded on a sober platform last year, the new ability for vendors to sell their product at the venue was a welcome feature. Featuring an interactive experience where patrons over the age of 21 could sneak away to an oasis in the side of the park, consume, and return to the music refreshed, the experiment was a success by every measure.

Those responsible for facilitating the sale of Cannabis at the festival were understandable passionate about making sure the inaugural year went off without a snag. In speaking with many of the entrepreneurs in charge of bringing their brand of cannabis to Outside Lands, there were some strong opinions voiced in support of this pioneering project, and even more so understanding for the delays that come along the way, especially the fact that the city of San Francisco did not approve this until the 11th hour. “It’s par for the course for Cannabis… Quite frankly it was expected” says Jordan, CEO of concentrate manufacturer and distributer “Moxie” in their first year at Outside Lands. However, the difficulty in getting the paperwork pushed through did not dampen his views on the importance of this on the Cannabis community, as he put it “It’s pretty historic that they’re actually allowing this to happen… This is kind of a world of firsts.” Tyler Cook, Director of the Edibles department at “NUG” a local vertically integrated Cannabis organization, founded just across the Bay in Oakland, echoed a similar sentiment. “We had a strong inclination that it (the paperwork) was going to go through, I just think it was just timing based on something the city had to do where something had to expire, and it was right down to the wire… We were a little nervous but confident.” History also played a big part in his appreciation as the significance of where this eventuality ended up happening was clearly not lost on him, stating “I think it’s amazing, I mean what a better place?  San Francisco is kind of the epicenter, Golden Gate Park; it’s beautiful.”

The musical lineup of the rest of the day was absolutely a dream for fans of calm energy and feel-good lyrics everywhere. Flume’s performance seemed to have brought the entirety of the festival to his show as fans packed into the Polo Field from the stage past the windmill. The Australian experimental producer lived up to the hype as he walked onstage dawning a white jumpsuit, the crowd went ballistic and kept bouncing until the end of his set. His setlist was everything it could have been as he played all his staples like “Never Be Like You,” a cover of Lorde’s “Tennis Court,” and of course ended his set with his unforgettable remix of Disclosure’s “You & Me.” In an exciting addition to his set, Flume brought artists Reo Cragun and Vera Blue onstage with him several times during his set to give some live vocal support to his music.

Irish indie rock phenomenon Hozier took the Sutro stage by storm for a calm performance that did not lack in excitement. He opened with “Would That I,” a hit from his newest album, and his set only built from there. His artistic creativity was highlighted in ways that transcended just his musical abilities as he changed instruments after his first song from a traditional acoustic guitar to one that resembled a homemade one rigged from an old oil can. He commented on the local flavor of the city, citing how the fog gave him something to feel comfortable about. “It reminds me of home,” he remarked as Karl (the local San Francisco nickname for the fog) laid low throughout Golden Gate Park.

Childish Gambino closed out Day two of the festival with a performance that justified his crowd size. At multiple points through his performance, Donald Glover informed the audience that it was humbling to perform at this festival, as it was the most populously attended day in Outside Lands history, beating out nights headlined by artists such as Paul McCartney, The Who, and Kanye West. He began his set by being raised on an elevating platform in the center of the audience with fog enshrining his silhouette, starting the performance with “Atavista.” He then made his way down from his platform and through the crowd, interacting with the audience members as he performed “Algorythm” and eventually ended up on stage by the end of the song, with “Summertime Magic” being the first song he sang entirely in front of the whole audience. The audience was understandably uncontrollable, as Glover stated to the crowd, “this is Church tonight.” A wave of pride hit the San Francisco crowd when during his set, Glover addressed the massive size of the crowd, stating “This is the biggest crowd I’ve ever performed in front of.” Take that, Coachella. He then took a moment to recognize his own personal appreciation for the Bay Area saying “Oakland, Bay Area, you guys have always been my second home.” The last song before Glover left the stage to prepare for his encore was possibly the biggest hit of last year “This is America,” which he performed with the passion the weight the lyrics deserved. His 20-minute encore was more than enough to make the hair on anyone’s neck stand up as he ended the second day with his smooth single “Redbone.”

Our journey through day three of Outside Lands began with a heartfelt performance on the main stage from the original queen of soul and gospel music, Mavis Staples. Her set was packed with so many songs that have helped her career take flight throughout the years such as “Build A Bridge,” “Change,” and “We Get By” but her performance was about so much more than just hearing her hits, the ambiance of her performance was electrifying and the 80-year-old Staples simply put on a clinic on how music keeps us all young. The history of her story could be felt throughout the polo field and set the tone for the rest of the day that was to come.

On the other side of Golden Gate Park, Nahko and Medicine for the People gave an upbeat and lyrically aware set of alternative world music on the Twin Peaks stage. Fronted by a champion of Native American culture, Nahko Bear, the band put on quite the show in the early morning (well, 2:00 PM.) The set began on a warm note as Nahko first walked onstage, greeting the crowd with a loud “Aloha” and proceeded to open with one of the staples of their sets, “Nyepi.” An authoritative figure with a body canvassed in tribal tattoos, Nahko’s presence came off as dominant as his voice as his set did not disappoint, playing so many of the band’s popular pieces from “Aloha Ke Akua” to “Love Letters to God.”

Judah and the Lion gave an afternoon set that proved to be the highlight of Sunday’s mid-day. Opening with their new hit “Pep Talks” Judah Akers and company quickly won the fans over as they started with an excited demeanor and did not lose this focus as their set progressed. The band, clearly inspired by their unforgettable set a few days earlier, paid tribute to one of the greatest performances of the weekend as they covered blink-182’s “All the Small Things” with great respect for the enthusiasm blink puts into every note. The band ended their set in a way that all Judah and the Lion fans have come to know and love very dearly. After the lyrics were done, lead singer Judah Akers put his guitar down, jumped off the stage, and ran through the front and side stage pits, high fiving every member of the audience that he could as he went along as his own way of thanking the fans for the enthusiasm they bring that inspires every performance.

Seattle based solo project of Brian Fennell, SYML, gave one of the calmest and low-key performances of the weekend to take place on the Panhandle stage. The mostly acoustic set was a welcome break from the otherwise over stimulating lineup of the rest of the day. A sizable crowd flocked to the festival’s smallest stage to see the simple act created by just a piano, an acoustic guitar, and a guy in a black t-shirt, who’s debut album dropped just earlier this year clearly had an impact on his audience. The performance was by no means low energy, but the easy listening nature of the set proved recharging and a welcome change of pace moving forward in the day.

Bebe Rexha drew an understandably large crowd to the Twin Peaks stage for her set that justified the hype. Her set began with a trilogy of covers as she opened with “My, Myself, and I,” a song she originally collaborated with Bay Area Rapper G-Eazy on a few summers ago, then Eminem’s “The Monster” before finally giving the audience her take on Post Malone’s “Better Now.” Her first entirely original song of her set “F.F.F.” which featured choreography that did not spare on use of the middle finger, afterward stating to all the parents in the audience that she would understand if they unfollowed her on Instagram. She soon after excited fans by premiering her new song “Heaven Sent” which drew a big reaction from the crowd.

Outside Lands, a festival that has always committed to celebrating the history and culture of music across generations featured Paul Simon closing out the festival on Sunday night. A performance that competed with powerhouses Anderson .Paak & the Free Nationals and Kygo who performed during the same time, the crowd was understandably older but as enthusiastic as ever to take in Simon’s show. However, the Audience could hardly be contained as Simon came onstage to start his set with “Late in the Evening.” The set blended acoustic and full orchestra of sounds as Simon switched his instruments constantly in between songs and the assembly of musicians accompanying him was vast at minimum. With an exciting and circuslike rendition of debatably his biggest hit “You Can Call Me Al” he ended the first act of his set before walking off to walk back on to begin his long encore with another hit “Graceland.” The performance could not end, of course, without some tie into San Francisco and the Bay Area. Simon took the microphone to tell a quick story of the early days of his career, stating when he was set to play the Monterey Pop festival more than 50 years ago, he was sent to a house to prepare, when he arrived he claimed “Bob Weir opened the door, and we’ve been friends ever since.” The legend all Deadheads know well suddenly showed up onstage, picked up an acoustic guitar, did a quick soundcheck, then joined in for an emotional cover of Simon’s classic “The Boxer.”

As Simon prepared to end his set, his band cleared the stage, leaving just him as he picked up his acoustic guitar. The last song on the main stage of Outside Lands 2019 was a solo performance of Simon’s immortal classic “Sound of Silence” as the audience of tens of thousands appropriately remained quiet in reverence of the piece. Simon then took his guitar in one hand, extended his arms, and bowed to the audience. The roaring applause was the sendoff the living legend deserved as he not only brought the festival to an end but symbolically closed the book on another summer in San Francisco.

Boston born indie-folk powerhouse Chadwick Stokes Urmston has made his impact on music over the last few decades. Known for fronting bands such as Dispatch and State Radio, his newest undertaking, touring with musical group “The Pintos” proves to have given his resume further depth and opens a new chapter in his life. Including a Los Angeles leg to their tour, Urmston and company stopped by the historic Troubadour for a night of excitement that went deep into the night.

Colorado-based artist Danielle Rodriguez opened the show with an upbeat and folky set. The long-time singer and strings player for the folk and bluegrass band Elephant Revival eased the audience into a night that would prove to focus on smooth rhythm and lyrical focus. Fans who might have been expecting him to play songs from his homestead band got more than they bargained for when his solo work dominated his set with jams such as “Colorado” and “Season Song.” He eventually ended his set with a rendition of “Sing to the Mountain,” a piece he had originally written for Elephant Revival.

At 10:15 sharp, the evening’s main event started. Urmston and his band eased the audience into the night with their 2015 song “Pine Needle Tea.” Comfortable with the crowd, he took every opportunity to address the crowd with a sharp anecdote. Quickly into the band’s third song, “Walter (First Hello)” Urmston stopped the song to tell the audience a story of a fan who once requested the band record a greeting message on his answering machine, replacing the cornerstone line of the song “We gonna reach out today” with “You’ve reached out to Dave.” A request the band happily obliged. He then remarked “I think I like those lyrics better” and proceeded to sing the rest of the song with the alternate line “you’ve reached out to Dave.”

After a lengthy introduction, the band welcomed guitarist “Matthew Embree” of “RX Bandits” to join them onstage. Embree stayed onstage for quite some time and graced the house with several solos that echoed through the venue with great resonance. To compliment his performance, Urmstron exchanged his acoustic guitar for an electric piece with a more DIY look.

While the set focused mostly on Urmstron’s music written with his current band “The Pintos.” It was not without an occasional homage to his earlier projects to the tune of one song apiece, performing renditions of State Radio’s “Calling All Crows” and Dispatch’s “Letters to Lady J.” They even covered some Bob Dylan, performing his classic “It Ain’t Me, Babe.”

It wasn’t until close to the end of their set that Urmston took a moment to introduce the band, particularly his banjo player, ultimately reveling him to be his brother, Willy. Willy was soon revealed to be far from the only member of his musical “family” in the house that night, as Urmston revealed that countless longtime friends and affiliates of his various projects including Dispatch and State Radio were also in attendance that night.

Ending their primary set with “Coffee and Wine” the band left the stage to rapturous applause. After a lengthy period of milking the crowd for their affection, they eventually returned to the stage sporting a fresh change of clothing and renewed energy. Urmston started the encore with a history lesson and told the audience the story of the origin of his song “Second Favorite Living Drummer.” Pointing out that it was the first time the song had been played in the building by which it was inspired by, Urmston regaled the audience with the story of a night where he was able to play on stage with some of his favorite musicians including members of Guns N’ Roses, Rage Against the Machine, Cypress Hill, and the legendary blink-182 drummer Travis Barker. A night that impacted Urmston’s life as well as the lives of those around him, he pointed out that Chuck of State Radio even met his future wife that night. Ultimately, he concluded the story with an explanation of the song’s titular line, claiming Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk had trouble getting into the venue because the bouncer did not recognize who he was. The band then closed out the night as calmly as they had started with the song “I Want You Like a Seat Belt” letting the uplifting lyrics carry the crowd into the night.

Fanatic would only begin to describe the enthusiasm with which devotees of Jam Band community staples Goose and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong brought to Los Angels’ historic Troubadour for the second and final night of their weekend residency. The line stretched the full block and around the corner an hour before Goose was set to take the stage. The mood for the evening was set there as fans took the opportunity to spark up the first joints of the evening, permitting the streets of LA with the aroma we have all come to know and love.

The pride of the Norwalk, CT, Goose, started the night off with a bang. With a calm demeanor properly fitting a man who can gracefully pull off the act of wearing sunglasses indoors, bassist Trevor Bass held a stoic presence as he took center stage throughout the performance. Words are not always needed for a great jam band to tell a story, but Goose took the audience on an emotional journey that took scales and cords to a level all of their own. Setting the mood for the funk influence of the next act, the band took a break from their extended instrumental bonanza and covered Ash’s 2001 hit “Burn Baby Burn,” which got the audience dancing and then some. A red light shining over the stage complemented the lyrics and sentiment of the piece. Unsurprisingly the cover took on a life of its own as the momentum grew, complemented by strobe lights a plenty.

Invoking the history of the Troubador’s tradition of fostering emerging artists and giving talent a platform, the band left the audience with a question before they left the stage. “We only have time for one more song, but just out of curiosity who saw Goose for the first time this weekend?” Prompting an enthusiastic applause from the audience. The band left the crowd like a newly made friend as they ended their set with a nine-minute song to end their set.

After a generous intermission, headliners Pigeons Playing Ping Pong took the stage. Wasting no time, they quickly high fived audience members in the front row, thanked Goose for their set, and jumped right into their opening jam “Too Long.” Nods and minimal gestures between frontman Greg Ormont and his bandmates turned the simple song into a proper jam sesh as the band took the long route home finding the end to the song.

Their next song, “Something For Ya”, turned the ol’ funkometer all the way up to 11, putting to rest all notions that this would be a set skipping on their greatest hits. Their music would not be the only appealing element of their set. The band’s message stayed on message in every way. Down to their clothing style, they kept it quirky and interesting. From drummer Alex Petropulos’ hometown Angels jersey or Ormont’s wildly appropriate penguin-themed pajama bottoms, they titillated the senses with every opportunity.

The band reached into their seemingly never-ending toolbox of talents and flexed their bilingual muscles as they performed their Spanish piece “Yo Soy Fiesta.” Fully committing to the theme, Ormont’s performance was punctuated by his enthusiastic Salsa dancing and a break in the song to project an elongated “gooooooal.” Committed to their craft and reversing of the genre and culture they were representing, their set was not limited to just the hits as they hardly let the energy die down, filling the interludes between many of their songs with improvisation.

Olden took a minute to reflect on the history of the venue, and as we all know, historic venues often prompt historic performances. In a Pigeons Playing Ping Pong first, he proceeded to invite Australian singer and guitarist Angus Leslie of Sex on Toast onstage to accompany them for their next piece. Quick to try to win the crowd over with the man behind the guitar, he joked with the audience stating, “I’d like to thank my mother and father for having sex with each other.” They then proceeded to cover Leslie’s hit song “Oh Loretta” with an enthusiasm that would rival the original.

In true jam band fashion, the first hour was only the beginning. After closing out their first half with “Dawn a New Day,” the band returned to play a second set that was every bit as exciting as the first and then some. While the first of the two sets focused on the hits, the second focused on the jams. After almost a half-hour of intermission, the crowd barely thinned out in preparation for their second act that entertained as well as anyone could have imagined. Truly, the night ended the way it began, with an instrumentally motivated set that controlled its own narrative.

Shortly into the set, Ormont told the crowd “We’re going to do something we don’t normally do, we’re going to take a request from the audience” while the majority of the audience called out random songs, Ormont ignored them all and called on one fan in particular. 11-year-old Jonah, who had flown out from Florida to see this show with his family, requested they play “Havana.” Surprised, Ormont replied, “Havana? Alright!” Then prompted an instrumental flow that would inform the rest of the night.

The fun was far from over. As a stream of green and blue light flooded from the back of the stage, the band gave a passionate cover of the theme from Ghostbusters, leading to a half-hour jam rooted in the song’s theme. A fitting homage to for a show taking place in West Hollywood.

The last chunk of the set was an amalgamation of everything that made this band what it is. Songs leading into extemporization and extemporization leading into songs. By the end even the most seasoned fans couldn’t have been entirely sure what was really going on. Their encore brought much-needed closure to the chaos of their closing number, finishing with “Distant Times” they concluded a night of music that had begun almost five hours prior, leaving the house knowing that no matter how you did the math, everyone got more than their money’s worth from this show.

Los Angeles Indie rock group Silversun Pickups played a dynamic show to a sold-out house at LA’s Wiltern Theatre in a performance that reflected their 20 years of experience. The energy was electric as the house packed full of a community of those who had been devoted to the band for years, even Eliza Klatt, lead singer of opening band Eliza & The Delusionals admitted during her set that she remembers buying Silversun Pickups’ albums in High School. Motivated to show their transformation through the years, the group opened with a bang, starting the night with the upbeat and rock rooted 2019 single “Neon Wound.” Lead singer Brian Aubert started the night off on a high note. His vocals as pure and strong as they were when he had started this band two decades ago made for a great show. The song’s lyrics “You got here right on time.” In the opening verse seemed incredibly appropriate as fans quickly filled what little room there was in the back of the auditorium.

A hometown show always calls for a hometown setlist, and Silversun Pickups brought many of their best songs to the Wiltern that night. “The Royal We,” “Freakazoid,” and “Little Lovers So Polite” all made their way into the performance. However, while solid no setlist is never without a few blind spots. Notably, the band omitted from their performance 2012 piece “The Pit,” one of their most popular songs which have somehow fallen out of their setlist for quite some time.

Bassist Nikki Monninger milked the audience leading into several songs to the audience’s clear approval. Early in the set, before playing their hit “Panic Switch” she broke the silence by repeating the song’s famous bassline before playing the song in full. Later on, in the show, she lead an impromptu “snap-a-long” by snapping her fingers until the audience got the message to do the same. Aubert then exclaimed to the crowd “Don’t fuck this up” while transitioning the snaps into “Don’t Know Yet,” a single from their newest album.

A visual show as much as an auditory one, bright lights behind the band told the story as much as their music. Synchronized perfectly to the enthusiasm of the music complemented the show in a way not many aesthetic complements can accomplish in the way they are intended.

As the night drew to a close, the band gave fair warning that their remaining songs were limited. Monninger’s 15-minute warning the audience came in the form of an acoustic cover of “So Long, Farewell” from The Sound of Music. The band then gave more proper closure to the set as Monninger transitioned from vocals to the smooth bass line that lead into “Growing Old is Getting Old.”

Their encore rounded out their performance, after a short intermission the band returned with replenished energy opening with “Straw Man” and leading into “Well Thought Out Twinkles.” A fan favorite, it came as no surprise that the band ended with “Lazy Eye” which has held strong in that slot of their setlist for as long as many fans can remember.

After two grueling years since Zilker park was last closed for the festival, Austin City Limits returned spectacularly for not one, not three, but two incredible weekends to make up for the lost time. Fans flocked from all over the world to see artists from across all genres, young and old, and celebrate not only the return of live music, but the return of our sanity as hundreds of thousands came through the gates to blow off a little steam and resume business as usual. After what seemed like an eternity, the collective stress seemed to melt away after a magical experience that came in the form of three days, eight stages, about a hundred bands, and one great comeback from the longest hiatus in music festival history.

When at a music festival in the south, it feels almost insulting to not start the weekend off with some country western music. Thankfully, East Texas artist Vincent Neil Emerson was there to kick off the day with a down-to-earth acoustic set. In a show that played mostly calm and collected, Emerson’s set took on a more upbeat and honky-tonk tone when he adjusted his capo down the neck of his guitar and started plucking his song “High on the Mountain” an original song delivering exactly the message it promises and told a story about going up on a mountain to unwind in a familiar way. The hometown crowd cheered as he emphasized the line “I pulled into Austin yesterday.” Emerson made a point of dedicating the song “High on Gettin’ By” appropriately to Willie Nelson, as well as “Anyone else who likes getting high, getting drunk, and getting sober again.” The set remained focused and down to earth throughout, never letting anyone in the crowd forget that they were indeed in Texas.

Pillar of the new pop punk renaissance Jdxn pumped the crowd up early in the afternoon with an energetic 2:00 pm set. Running out to start his set with “THINK ABOUT ME” he quickly got the mosh pit raging amongst the young crowd. Excited to draw such a large and dedicated audience, he proudly exclaimed “There’s like 12 fucking stages here and you’re all here. That’s respect to me.” Famously the first artist to be signed to Travis Barker’s new record label “DTA (Don’t Trust Anyone)” he took time out of his set to thank blink-182 for laying out the groundwork for his genre, urging other artists to “respect who came before you.” Jdxn made an effort to remain interactive and accessible to the audience, calling out to the stage front security “I don’t know if I have this power but can someone grab her?” before bringing a woman in the audience celebrating her birthday to the stage. In a rare encore from an early set in the day, Jdxn walked offstage after performing his hit “ANGELS & DEMONS'' only to come back moments later to end his performance with a cover of late rapper Juice WRLD’s “Armed & Dangerous."

A festival lineup is rarely complete without some uplifting midday reggae. Thankfully Skip Marley’s 3:00pm set more than fit that qualification. Opening with his 2017 hit, “Lions,” Marley quickly set the pace for his upbeat performance. He followed this demonstration of his own identity with an homage to his family roots and stayed in that lane for the majority of the rest of his set. His next song, “Rastaman Vibration,” a Bob Marley original known well to many members of his family’s repertoire, brought a familiar tone to the show, however much he may have embellished the song with his own flare. His communication with the audience was minimal, but the connection he made through his music was undeniable as he continued to mix the old and new world, playing covers of his Grandfather’s hits including “Three Little Birds” before mixing it up with his original “Slow Down” before eventually ending his set with another Bob Marley cover, this time of “Could You Be Loved.”

Machine Gun Kelly gave one of the greatest and high-intensity performances of the weekend from the Honda Stage that reinforced many changes he has made to his identity over the last year. Colson Baker’s reinvention of his genre and identity was exemplified unambiguously in his performance in Austin. Traditionally known as a hip-hop phenomena, his set did not include a single song released before 2019, indicative of his transition into one of the faces of modern pop punk. In the minutes leading up to his performance, My Chemical Romance’s “Welcome to the Black Parade” blasted over the loudspeakers, informing of Baker’s intent to reinvent a genre that many believe fell out of the mainstream limelight far before it achieved it potential as a movement. Fog filled the stage as The Gunner rose from a ten-foot pill bottle to open his set with “Title Track” leading into “Kiss Kiss,” performing with a lit cigarette tucked into his guitar head all the while. Grabbing a bottle of Casamigos Tequila, ingurgitating half the bottle and proudly proclaiming “we’re here to day drink!” before launching into “Drunk Face.” The crowd got a welcome throwback to the early 2000s when Baker and company covered Paramore’s identity-defining hit “Misery Business,” not seeming out of place when held up against the rest of his set. “Holy sunscreen fuck!” he exclaimed halfway through his set, one of many artists throughout the weekend to call out that this year’s ACL was one of the hottest on record. He leveled with the crowd about a multitude of issues presented over the last year and a half. “Last year sucked so much fucking ass. Let’s erase it!” Delivering the relief he promised with his hour of nonstop hits highlighted by “Papercuts,” “All I Know” and even a video cameo from SNL star Pete Davidson over the big screen before performing “Concert for Aliens.” Fittingly, the set ended on the first original single MGK released from his last album, “Bloody Valentine” sending the audience off optimistic for the future of pop punk.

Irish superstar Dermot Kennedy played as the sun set over the Texas horizon, but with an older crowd gathered in front of him, nobody was staying up past their bedtime to see this show. Opening with a calm and focused rendition of “Lost,” Kennedy began singing while still standing in the wings then strutted on stage to rapturous cheers, his heavy baritone voice almost not enough to sing over the crowd. While the audience was energized from the start, possibly no one in the vicinity was as excited to be there than Kennedy’s bass player, who played with unimaginable passion, especially while playing an instrument that is so often associated with a lack of enthusiasm, as he put his whole body into every note while standing on a platform directly behind the front man. Kennedy then picked his acoustic guitar up and accompanied himself throughout his next song “Power Over Me.” Like many artists throughout the day, Kennedy took a moment to address the tragedies that have overwhelmed us all over the last year and a half, revealing that the lyrics to his song “Better Days” were written about overcoming issues brought on by the pandemic in a performance that was unbelievably received. 

One of the two headliners for Friday night, Miley Cyrus closed out the Honda stage in dramatic fashion. Opening with enthusiasm, she began with a medley that blended her original “We Can’t Stop” which led in and out of a cover of Pixies’ hit “Where is my Mind?” In a move that can only be assumed to have been coordinated by the artist, boxes of glow sticks were thrown into the crowd from all sides of the house during “WTF Do I Know” which the members of the audience wore proudly throughout the set. Miley announced the members of her supporting band, “The TV’s” before monologuing to the audience. “Change is constant,” she said as she talked about losing her southern California house during the wildfires that hit the coast a few years back before performing the song written about picking up those pieces, “Malibu.” Her set ended with another medley just as it began, this time switching between “Wrecking Ball” mixed with a verse of Sinéad O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” before closing with “Party in the USA.”

The day ended the way it began, with a little bit of country, this time compliments of industry legend George Strait. Strait closed out the day with as incredible a show as he has ever given. In a set that lasted more than two hours, Strait gave a vintage performance that was nothing short of humbling. Juxtaposed to the jubilant dance party happening on the other side of the park, Strait’s set played much calmer, feeling almost like a lullaby from Texas’ father figure. Sporting the same style he has worn his entire career of a collared shirt and a cowboy hat, Strait kept the same focused energy he has been known for since his beginnings, seeing no irony in a 69-year-old singing his original “Take Me Back to Tulsa” repeating the lyrics of the melody “I’m too young to marry.” Strait kept no secrets to how much he appreciated his fans for their support throughout the years, stating “When I first started… I figured I’d have about five, 10 years to sing my songs. It’s been about 40 now.” before showing his respects by playing “I’ll Always Remember You.” In an appropriately chosen final bow for the venue, Strait sent the crowd home with some memories, closing with a four-song encore of “All My Ex’s Live in Texas,” “Take Me to Texas” and a cover of Tom Petty’s “You Wreck Me,” before finally ending with “The Cowboy Rides Away.”

As everyone took the walk out of Zilker park, there was a calm energy in the air with an energetic anticipation. For many, this day meant the end to an almost two-year drought without live music. With two days left to go, Austin City Limits satisfied so much, yet still left so much to look forward to over the coming days.

Check out more photos from Day 1 at Austin City Limits 2021

Day two of Austin City Limits brought just as much energy as the first. Audiences gathered in Zilker park early to take in as much as they could from the music to the atmosphere. On a day where both the Houston Astros were competing in the playoffs and the Longhorns were playing their rival game against Oklahoma, many chose to take a break from the music to sit by the TVs and show their support for Texas. The Lone-Star spirit was abundant and not a soul in the crowd was not ready for the day to come.

Up and coming UK artist Holly Humberstone gave a passionate and focused set to start the day. For virtually everyone in the audience, this was the first opportunity any of them would have to see Humberstone perform live, and her performance left quite an impression. “This is my first time in the U.S. ever” she announced. Wasting no time in speaking to how much she loved the country, but like many artists found the intrusiveness of Texas’ recent laws surrounding women's health to be an abomination. In an otherwise uplifting performance, her set took a very serious tone as she spoke to the lyrics behind her first big single “Deep End,” claiming the lyrics were inspired by her sister’s struggles with her mental health and Humberstone’s own struggles in trying to understand the mindset of someone she held so closely in her heart. The lyrics “Throw me in the deep end, I’m ready now to swim” served as a powerful illustration of her journey to sympathize with a loved one’s inability to cope with the weight of the world, as many have experienced especially in recent years.

Austin native act, Missio turned their set into a hometown show, their performance proving more than a little personal was played with an unmatched level of passion. The duo of beardsmen put on a masterclass into the world of contemporary Texas music. The two opened with an uplifting tone, starting their set with the titular track to their latest album Can You Feel The Sun. One of the more danceable songs in their catalogue, the lighter mood was characterized by optimistic lyrics and a calm flow. The rest of the set was, as most Missio fans have always been accustomed to, bass-heavy and thrashy, with Matthew Brue and David Butler never standing still for more than a few moments. The duo closed with what has been a staple in their live shows for years now, their 2017 hit “Middle Fingers.” The crowd took their cues from the song to demonstrate an intuitive yet in this case appropriate hand gesture and with that, sent the band off in a style that felt oddly befitting.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia-based band The Hu made an incredible impression on the ACL crowd, packing their stage despite playing at the same time as some of the biggest names on the festival’s lineup. The idea of a modern-day Mongolian throat singing act crossing genres with a heavier, more contemporary twist might seem like a niche concept on paper, but in practice worked in a very real way. The eight-piece band blended a fusion metal and rock sound while staying true to the traditional style of their genre and most members of the band played traditional Eastern instruments with a modern flare given to their aesthetic. While their lyrics were unintelligible to one who did not speak their native language, their emotions were well understood as the crowd related to their passion as one, appropriately enough for a band whose name was deriving from the Mongolian word for “Human.” 

Hip hop star Jack Harlow came out as the sun finished shining on the Austin skyline. His entrance was nothing shy of dramatic, entering through a thick fog from a large wooden structure of a bakery marked “Crème de la Crème” to start his set with “Tyler Herro.” Harlow ran around the stage constantly, never losing energy as he powered through his catalogue, nailing every big single from “I WANNA SEE SOME ASS” to a solo performance of his Lil Nas X collaboration “INDUSTRY BABY.” Having some fun with the optics of the stage’s setup, Harlow grabbed a camera and held it to the audience, showing individual faces on the big screen behind him for an extended period of time. Arguably the most cringeworthy moment of the weekend, Harlow asked the audience “Did Texas win today?” Which was met by unrelenting boo’s and disapproving jeers, the Longhorns having lost to Oklahoma 55-48 earlier that day. He however won the crowd back by finishing his set with his outrageously popular single “WHATS POPPIN” and all was immediately forgiven. Harlow ended with an ambitious message for all of his fans, but not unbelievable considering the size of the crowd, projecting “Next time I see you, I’m gonna be the biggest name on that fucking flyer.”

Headliner Billie Eilish drew arguably this biggest crowd out of any act over the weekend. Dressed in the same style of baggy clothes that has become so synonymous with her own brand, she leapt onto the stage to start her set with “bury a friend.” As always, it was not long before Eilish introduced her brother Finneas to the audience before he picked up an acoustic guitar to sit beside her as the two performed a soft rendition of “Your Power.” Never shying away from voicing her political opinions, Eilish proudly announced “you know who shouldn’t be making a choice for my body? A man!” commenting on Texas’ recently passed laws restricting abortions, punctuating that point with a performance of “Lost Cause.” Out of nowhere, a long platform lowered from the rafters. Eilish took a seat and crossed her legs as she was progressively raised dozens of feet in the air, all while performing “everything i wanted.” As she got down, she gave one last politically charged speech, saying “We have to do better with how we take care of our planet,” before getting distracted for a brief moment. “Cricket!” she exclaimed as one made its way onto the stage and into Eilish’s line of sight. As she performed “all the good girls go to hell” she seemed preoccupied as she attempted to usher the insect off the stage. “I think the cricket heard me talk about saving the world.” she joked. Her set ended calmly with a slow and focused rendition of “Happier than Ever” which sent the house off in a calm and collected mood.
 

Check out more photos from day 2 of Austin City Limits 2021

Day Three of Austin City Limits brought limitless potential from the moment all walked through the gates. One last day to take the fun in before the circus packed up and left town for another year. With artists spanning across almost every genre from Hip Hop, to Jazz, to Rock, and even Latin Funk, there was something for everyone on this final day.

Pandemic-era breakout artist Kennyhoopla woke up alongside the audience Sunday morning. Slowly taking the stage, appropriately in dark sunglasses and a cap reading “Shit happens” he mumbled as he seemed to struggle through a lackluster cover of his song “silence is also an answer//” drawing mixed reactions from his fans. His demeanor quickly changed as he began his second song “sore loser//” and all fears the crowd might have had as to the energy of his set were quickly put to rest. The unmistakable sound of Travis Barker’s unique and powerful style of drums accompanied him through the loudspeaker, paying homage to the artist he has worked with so closely as his career has taken off so prominently in the last few months. As Kennyhoopla’s energy rose, so did his standard for putting on a truly incredible show. About a minute into performing “hollywood sucks//” he stopped the song to address the audience’s shortcomings in matching his energy in singing along with him claiming “we can do better.” Offering full transparency in the evolution in his set, he offered “I don’t feel good today, but I’m here… so I’m going to give it my all '' before jumping into the audience. An odd move during a pandemic, but not a single fan seemed to mind. His finalé was as strong as any performance of the weekend, ending with a loud and animated performance of one of his breakthrough singles “estella//.”

Latin Funk band Superfónicos brought a big energy to the little BMI stage. The eight members of the band might have looked a little cramped on the size-challenged BMI stage, but that did not stop the band from swaying along to their music, getting just as into their groove as the audience. Their Colombian style was unmistakable, bringing a distinct element of culture to the day’s lineup. The audience took their cues from the band throughout the set, dancing throughout the entire performance, and was highlighted when the band played one of their clear fan favorites “Carroña.” Their show ended what felt like far too soon. As the members put their instruments down and left the stage, singer Jaime Ospina left the audience with some final words fitting to the mood they had cultivated, “Spread the love.”

Jazz and soul phenomenon Jon Batiste gave arguably the most passionate and personal performance of the entire weekend. Known largely throughout the world for his role leading the band on Late Night with Stephen Colbert, his live show shattered expectations and delivered a show on a level only comparable to watching James Brown in his prime. Swaggering out on the stage in a glistening silver blazer, a luminous undershirt, and shorts that knew just when to quit, Batiste struck the right tone before he even sang his first note. A multi-instrumentalist, Batiste only needed a microphone in his hand to drop every jaw in the house as he opened with “WE ARE.” The mood cultivated between the music and an almost romantic celestial backdrop was nothing short of psychotropic. The Juilliard-educated virtuoso took the tempo down a few beats for “CRY” accomplishing a rare feat of not only picking up a melodica, but actually playing it well, as his passion brought the entire room to their knees, in his case quite literally as he proved to be the embodiment of a physical performer. From “I NEED YOU” to “FREEDOM” there was not a hit of his not performed in a way that did not feel like more than just as a standard concert, after all, In Batiste’s own words, “this is more than a concert, this is a spiritual practice.”

As the sun set, the cicadas hummed as if to announce a last call on the music, but not before two final headliners sent everyone home in style. The Legacy Act of the weekend, Duran Duran, proved to be more than a throwback as they showed Austin that they had aged like fine wine and capable of performing as well as they did four decades ago. The group started off with a classic, opening with “Hungry Like the Wolf” and got the audience invested early. From the get go, it was clear that the message of this show was to bring the masses together as one. Singer Simon Le Bon proudly proclaimed “We don’t care about your political views, religion, gender views… music brings us together.” This message rang true to a diverse audience that had come to see them perform that truly felt far from homogeneous with fans in attendance who had been following the band since their formative years, or ones who had not yet been born when they had already released most of their more defining albums. “Have you had enough of your 80’s fix yet?” Le Bon asked the crowd before the band appropriately covered Calvin Harris’ “Acceptable in the ’80s.” Going out with a bang in a set that already ran more than 10 minutes over, the band closed with one of the hits that brought them to the top of the charts almost 40 years ago, “Rio.”

The final note of Austin City Limits 2021 came from Southern California rapper Tyler, the Creator. A late replacement for artist DaBaby after recent controversial comments prompted him to take a step back from his live performances, the change in performers did not seem to bother the audience at all as thousands crowded around the stage to take part in his show. In a change of pace from his typical over-the-top aesthetic, Tyler walked on stage wearing a simple outfit made up of a Hawaiian shirt, cargo pants, and a “Supreme” hat. Carrying two large suitcases, he walked onstage, looking around before he put his luggage down to pick up a microphone as he began his set with his recent hit “CORSO.” Fireworks exploded behind him as if to remove any doubt that this could be a minimalistic and stationary performance. The elaborate stage setup before him gave him plenty of opportunity for artistic embellishment, at times performing behind the wheel of a speedboat placed onstage, exacerbating his vocal tone as it moved. It wasn’t long before he vocalized a political reflection on the current climate of Texas and the oasis of the state that is Austin, remarking “Based on my skin color, I don’t feel safe in most places in this state...but we’re in my favorite city in Texas.” Reminding all of the ways our world is changing, slowly but surely moving toward a better tomorrow. Taking a moment to catch his breath before one final push to end the set, the artist introduced himself. “My name is Tyler, the Creator. That’s the stupid name I thought of when I was 15.” The artist ended the festival on a calmer note, ending with another song from his newest album “RUNITUP.”
 

Check out more photos from Day 3 at Austin City Limits.

Outside Lands is finally back. The crown jewel in the Bay Area’s yearly live music experience finally returned to Golden Gate Park. Three days of music, food, and escape for everyone from hippies to tech bros. Unable to return during their typical early-August dates due to pandemic-related restrictions, the festival was slated for a unique space on the calendar. Halloween, the unofficial landmark holiday of San Francisco, collided with the last day of Outside Lands 2021. To absolutely nobody on the entire planet’s surprise, San Franciscans came dressed to the nines in costumes of all shapes and sizes all weekend long and many of the artists, of course, followed suit both in fashion and spirit.

The early hours of a Friday at a festival typically means waiting for a large chunk of the crowd to get off work before making their way to the park. East Coast hip hop act 070 Shake was not willing to accept that as an excuse to play to a silent crowd as she got the most from her audience. Starting off with a steady and bass-heavy hitter “Morrow,” Danielle Balbuena was quick to call the audience out for not matching her energy. “You guys are being so boring!” she screamed to the lackluster crowd “You’re all vaccinated!” she claimed before jumping off the stage and into the pit to rile her people up and setting a standard of excellence for the rest of the day's lineup to follow.

San Francisco’s unofficial mascot, Karl the Fog, rolled in just in time to see Sharon Van Etten perform. As she took the stage, Van Etten kicked her shoes off on her way to her microphone and began her set with “Jupiter 4.” Picking up a sunburst-designed Fender guitar, she changed the tempo while she played “All I Can” with incredible passion. Calling attention to the large crowd that had gathered to her stage, and packed so closely during a global pandemic, she remarked “Thank you all for risking your lives to be here.” She closed with a duet with a friend she has gotten particularly close with over the last couple of years, bringing Angel Olsen up to the stage for a long hug and a duet of their collaboration “Like I Used To” before Van Etten blew a kiss to the audience and humbly walked off.

These days it is a little unusual to see a jam-band perform at a major festival, much less on the main stage during a later time slot, but Houston trio Khruangbin captivated tens of thousands in the audience while paying homage to the aesthetic that felt very San Francisco. Opening with an upbeat hit “Time (You and I)” the band quickly got the crowd grooving and in the mood for their unique style. Disco balls hung from the rafters, giving the stage a throwback vibe that jived with the mood of the show. The audience sang along with the lyrics to “Lady and Man,” loudly repeating the words “I went to college. Could have been a doctor, could have been a lawyer.” In a bilingual performance, Khruangbin switched from English to Spanish as they performed “Pelota” before performing a long instrumental medley for the majority of the rest of their set that included snippets of ACDC’s “Back in Black,” Elton John’s “Bennie and the Jets,” Luniz’ “I Got 5 On It,” and The Sugarhill Gang’s “Apache” in spectacular jam-band style.

UK Psychedelic Pop act Glass Animals blew the entire festival away with an immersive and nostalgic experience. In the half-hour leading up to their performance, a retro computer loading screen displayed behind them counted down to the start of their set, an aesthetic befitting the lyrics in many of their songs, recalling the simpler times of a few decades ago. The crowd went ballistic when the band finally took the stage to open with “Life Itself.” Lead singer Dave Bayley worked up a sweat running around the stage showing massive amounts of energy from the start, taking full advantage of every inch of the room he had on the spacious Lands End stage. “This is freakin’ massive! I’ve missed this so much, but music is back!” before playing “I Don’t Wanna Talk (I Just Wanna Dance)" to no one’s displeasure. “Have you taken your drugs yet?” Bayley asked the audience before playing arguably their most psychedelic hit “Gooey.” Any seasoned Glass Animals fan is familiar with the band’s history of pineapples at their shows, and this show was no different. Picking up a pineapple that had been sitting at the front of the stage all show, Bayley motioned to a nearby security guard and requested “I’m not allowed to legally throw these anymore, so if you could kindly hand this to the lady dressed as a pineapple” pointing to a woman in a pineapple onesie standing by the barricade before the band began “Pork Soda.” No festival would be complete without surprise performances by top-tier special guests, and Glass Animals’ set would satisfy this need fully, bringing on rapper Denzel Curry to perform his part in their song “Tokyo Drifting.” After finishing their song, Bayley pointed to Curry and proclaimed “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, best rapper in the world.” Taking a beat to take the moment in, Bayley announced to the crowd “This is the biggest crowd we’ve probably ever had. It was a bit nerve-racking at first, but I fucking needed it” before ending the set with “Heat Waves.”

Tenured New York rock band The Strokes closed out the Friday program in Golden Gate Park as technical issues plagued the much-anticipated performance. Fans had waited well over a year since the initial announcement of the band on the festival’s lineup, but they would have to wait a little longer as the band was more than 15 minutes late to take the stage. The dim lighting was expected by those familiar with their set, but the low and muffled sound took everyone by surprise as audience members could barely make out the lyrics to their opening song “Call It Fate, Call It Karma.” Lead singer Julian Casablancas was not amused with the technical issues and was even more miffed with the lack of audience enthusiasm, as a result, remarking “This is the quietest of the largest shows I’ve ever played.” He teased the audience “you guys talk amongst yourselves while we finish this song.” Upon realizing that the volume was in fact much lower than he had initially thought it would be at this show, he remarked half-jokingly “Am I deaf? Is it crazy low? Is this PA on?” Prompting the audience to chant “Turn it up!” as the band half huddled to themselves to figure out a solution. Casablancas asked the audience to be patient with them as he commented “Our sound guy Gus is notorious for damaging eardrums, so I’m sure it’s some San Francisco law bullshit.” Clearly disgruntled throughout the rest of their set, Casablancas kept walking off stage in the middle of their songs in between his vocals. The general level of frustration left audiences wondering if there would in fact be an encore after the band walked off stage, but they did eventually come back out to play “The Adults are Talking” and “New York City Cops” with Casablancas walking off stage after his final vocals, but before the instrumentalists had finished their parts.

The angst of the final hour of the day did not negate the copious positives, and fans left energized through the tunnels taking part in the sacred Outside Lands tradition, screaming part of the lyrics to Biz Markie’s “Just a Friend” howling “You! You got what I need! But you say he’s just a friend! But you say he’s just a friend!” throughout their final few minutes at the venue, anticipating the coming days with every breath.

Check out more photos of Outside Lands 2021

After a heavy-hitting first day of Outside Lands Festival day two proved just as enthralling in a different way. Where the acts of day one were largely upbeat, those performing the festival’s second day proved more lowkey and indie but still fantastic in their own way. 

Up and coming East Coast rock band A R I Z O N A woke the crowd up in the early festival hours of 2:25 pm. Getting into the spirit of the Halloween weekend, the band came appropriately dressed in costume, wearing full body felt cutouts of cans of Arizona iced tea, wearing them with pride as they began their set with “Nostalgic.” “We are Arizona. The band, not the state” Frontman Zach Hannah joked with the crowd. The group’s whole set was high energy rock with an old school vibe, almost reminiscent of watching Toto in their prime. “We never play this song anymore” Hannah announced before the band dusted off one of their older classics and played “Where I Wanna Be” performing it as well as if they performed it every time they took the stage. The set ended on a high note as the group closed with a flawless cover of their hit “Freaking Out.”

In one of the most heartfelt performances of the whole weekend, pop punk icon and five time veteran of the Vans Warped Tour Andrew McMahon took to the stage with his current project Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. A piano as his main instrument, McMahon's unique style transcended genres decades on the Sutro stage. Opening with “Fire Escape” it became clear that this whole set would become somewhat of a singalong with a cohort of devoted fans. As passionate a player pushing 40 as he was as a teen, McMahon jumped into the audience during “Island Radio” and performed most of the song in the trenches with his fans. Not limiting himself to the catalogue of this project, he dove into his repertoire from his earlier group “Jack’s Mannequin” and elated the house with a cover of one of the defining songs of his career “Dark Blue.” McMahon took a moment to plug a charity close to his heart and spoke about his personal connection with Punk Rock Saves Lives, a charity that provides relief to those with cancer. “If it were not for P.R.S.L. I would not be a father” he remarked before bringing on one of the most incredible surprise guests in Outside Lands history, his daughter Cecelia, to sing with him as they performed “Cecelia And The Satellite,” her arm around her father all the while.

With McMahon himself drawing an impressive audience, there was hardly any room left for the thousands more that came to see indie band Dr. Dog. It could not be overstated how packed the Sutro stage was for this performance as what was usually an intimate stage felt like watching a headliner after sundown. Despite this, not a soul seemed to have crowd anxiety in this moment as a tranquil mood befell the audience. Dr. Dog sauntered onstage to rapturous applause and picked their instruments up to start their set with “Ain’t It Strange.” The crowd sang along when the band eventually played “Where’d All the Time Go?” before taking the tempo up a notch for “Nelly.” The band ended on an upbeat note with a very boot stompin’ style of play as they sent the crowd off with the piece “Lonesome.”

One of the unexpected consequences of holding a festival in October that is typically hosted in the Summer is that it gets dark much earlier. Vampire Weekend’s set almost felt like a second headliner as the band played what would prove to be monumental in many ways. Opening with “Bambina” the song quickly set the mood for their set. The men came out mostly undressed for the Halloween weekend with the exception of keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij, who chose to perform dressed as a vintage Domino’s delivery boy. Frontman Ezra Koenig took a moment to address the importance of this performance to the band. “This is our first show in 18 months” Koenig stated, prompting the audience to cheer loudly before playing “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa.” The audience was invested in every moment of the show in one way or another whether it was clapping along during “That’s Life” or a handful of beautiful soldiers of literature voicing their disapproval at the message of “Oxford Comma.” In many ways the performance felt like watching a jam band as the musicians extemporized and got into an instrumental rhythm seemingly without any agenda. Koenig chose to embellish his earlier remarks on the infrequency in which the band had been performing live, claiming “Not only is this our first show in 18 months due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but this is our only show of 2021.” Even those who weren’t necessarily the biggest fans of their music couldn’t help but feel a little humbled at this point. The band ended their set about 15 minutes early but not without leaving on a high note. Koenig noted “This is a goodbye song about being kicked out” before ending with “Walcott.”

Closing out the day on the Sutro stage, indie Michigan band Lord Huron performed an incredible set to a modest and dedicated crowd. Lead singer Ben Schneider understood the dress code for the weekend as he came out wearing a skull mask and a cowboy hat to perform their opening piece “Not Dead Yet.” The entire performance the band switched from upbeat and rousing to calm and relaxing, highlighting the emotional range that the artists could invoke seamlessly. “You guys have been so good to us, I hope we’ve been good to you. This one’s for making out.” before playing the song that started their rise to their level of fame “The Night We Met.” The band closed with “Meet Me in the Woods” synchronizing their finale with the end of nearby performer Lizzo’s set. The fireworks from her stage directly behind Lord Huron’s launched into the sky from a distance, adding a dramatic flair to the band’s exit. The calm vibes on a Saturday were much needed for those who were just jumping back into the exhilarating but draining world of music festivals, leaving everyone with plenty of energy for one more day of Outside Lands yet to come.

Check out more photos of Outside Lands 2021

After more than two years of waiting for Outside Lands to return, day three felt bittersweet. The end of this grand return was looming and after such a long hiatus from marathons of constant stimulation, generally, many felt strange to notice that their labido for revelry had atrophied. Thankfully the final day started with a low-profile and built energy throughout the day encouraging fans to warm up with the lineup.

A festival that prides itself on offering a multitude of experiences beyond just music, The “Gastromagic” stage has long offered an opportunity for festival goers to see their favorite artists in the kitchen whipping up some culinary excellence before their eyes. California hip hop act Marc E. Bassy took to the stage to satisfy a couple of midday cravings. On the menu, an imitation of a staple in every Californian’s diet, a “Double Double” from In-N-Out. Bassy gave those two patties, cheese, and special sauce a little extra flavor with a short three-song set after turning the stove off as he performed a three-song set consisting of “You & Me,” “Trouble,” and “Morning.”

Another band who understood the dress code for the weekend was indie pop band Cannons. The male members of the band painted their faces and wore outrageous black outfits dressing up as members of the band Kiss while lead singer Michelle Joy wore a silver jumpsuit and blue face makeup that complemented her platinum blonde hair, dressing as the underrated Marvel superhero Dazzler. The mood was mellow and calm all the way through making for a great and free flowing festival vibe. A big stage tends to bring the best out of a band and today was no different. The band chose to play an unreleased song “Hurricane.” The melodic lyrics “I’m coming back for your hurricane, I’m gonna take you higher.” played smoothly in the slow song with heavy bass and percussion synchronization. The firsts were not done as the band also played their new song “Ruthless” for the first time in front of a live audience. Before ending their set, Joy spoke to the sentimental value of their last song stating “this is the song that let us all go from having full time jobs to making this our full time job” before finally ending with “Ruthless.”

Proving to be more than a throwback act but an artist whose hits were tied to one decade, Austin rapper Nelly took the mainstage for a terrific and lively midday performance. A hype man came on to whip the crowd into shape before the main event, but it was clear after just two minutes that the audience already came warmed up. Nelly took the stage ready to embrace the day wearing an official “Outside Lands 2021” t-shirt as he started his set with a hit from the turn of the millennium, “E.I.” “I wanna thank each and every one of y’all for holding Nelly down for 21, 22, 23 years” he expressed, addressing his gratitude for his loyal fanbase who have stayed faithful to his music for so long. “I only wanna talk to those who’ve been here since day one” he continued before taking everyone back in time again with “Country Grammar.” Not a single inside voice was used as the audience shouted the words to “Ride Wit Me” afterward the artist dedicated the song to his collaborator and brother City Spud, reminding everyone that he used to “rock a band aid on the side of my face” in reverence of his previous lengthy prison sentence. He then reminded all of his close bond with country duo Florida Georgia Line as he covered their hit “Cruise.” After powering through a medley of some more of his greatest hits, he ended the set on a somber note with his ballad “Just a Dream.”

Australian House trio Rüfüs Du Sol made Golden Gate Park feel like a mature rave.The trio opted not to wear Halloween costumes, but the black shirt and leather jacket aesthetic that they have been so associated with, the band made it clear that everything about this show would be on brand. Opening with “Eyes” which lead straight into “You Were Right” their bass-heavy beats with their smooth flow got the audience into a swaying mood. Their feel became even smoother as “Next to Me” felt almost acoustic, performed with just their live keyboard and percussion. Less ostantageous than a traditional EDM show, the festival goers felt more adult and restrained throughout enjoying this performance. The band closed with a smooth feel, playing “Treat You Better” which lead straight into “No Place.”

Headliner Tame Impala closed Outside Lands out with incredible style, delivering a rousing yet psychedelic set to send the masses home in style. On brand for the setting, the show began with a long video introduction gag featuring a pharmaceutical informational video which slowly dissolved into a hallucinatory kaleidoscope of colors until the stage and screen went dark. A voice came over the loudspeaker announcing that the band Tame Impala would not be able to perform but instead the headlining slot would be filled by The Wiggles. Dressed as their Australian musical counterparts the members of Tame Impala took the stage to astound the crowd with their opening song “Endors Toi.” The mood appropriately felt very circa “summer of love” San Franciscian, as the majority of the set was performed in low light with bright colors and of course visually assisted with heavy fog effects. At times the set felt a bit like it was hopping on the bandwagon of current trends, at one point breaking to show Wiggles muppet Henry the Octopus dancing to a theme from Squid Game, an irony I just now understand. The band made up for this distraction by immediately playing their defining single “Elephant” humorously performing the introductory line several times before really beginning the song. The man behind the project, Kevin Parker, couldn’t help but piggyback off of one more trend in his set, covering a few moments of “Island Boy” a popular TikTok clip of the month pleading “I hope we don’t get in trouble for that.” As the crowd waited for the musicians to return for an encore, the audience chanted “Wiggles! Wiggles!” repeatedly until they finally returned. “We’re here, what else do you want? Do you want to hear a song?” Parker asked facetiously, being met with rapturous cheers. “Then a song it will be” he snickered before ending the spectacular set with “The Less I Know the Better” and “New Person, Same Old Mistakes.”

And with that, Outside Lands 2021 was finally put to an end. What we had waited on for so long had delivered every bit as much joy as it promised after several heartbreaking delays. As crowds left through the tunnels one final time, there was however one silver lining to be seen here, only nine more months until the next Outside Lands.

Check out more photos of Outside Lands 2021

Few bands can say claim their work is as lyrically motivated as the Annapolis, Maryland band, Bumpin Uglies. Telling stories through their songs that are almost Dylan-esque, their music expresses a vulnerable side of their writer that leaves nothing to ambiguity. Grateful Web had a chance to sit down with Brandon Hardesty, the frontman of the Mid-Atlantic punk-reggae group at this year’s Cali Roots festival to discuss his writing process, influences, and how he stayed sane and productive over the last two years of the pandemic.

GW: It’s been about a decade since you first put this single out, has Charlie Day ever acknowledged your “Dayman” cover?

BH: You know, he hasn’t directly, but people from the band (show) have shared it on social media like not having any idea who we are, just the fact that it exists. Like people have brought it to their attention, so it’s cool.

GW: So how does that feel?

BH: I’m indifferent. Like it’s funny more than anything. We kinda just did that as a joke. We had extra studio time and didn’t even put any thought into the arrangement or even the performance. I think the performance of it is kind of awful, honestly, but we just did it and then people thought it was funny and it’s like a meme at this point. For a while, it was our most popular song, which kept me up at night because I did not want that to be my legacy.

GW: When was Dave’s last haircut?

BH: 10 years ago, probably. At least. As soon as he started dreading it, that was it.

GW: So I don’t think any rational person could argue that we’ve just had the two worst years in modern live music history. How did you get through it and manage to stay productive?

BH: I mean, it was a lot, dude. I quit my job to tour and play music full time six years ago, and it was essentially like that, my whole way of living didn’t exist anymore, so it was really, really weird. For the first few months what I did to keep myself productive was I challenged myself to write, record, and release a song a week. I’m a big fan of folk music and Woody Guthrie, one of his more prolific records and one of the things he’s most famous for is this thing called Dust Bowl Ballads. Because he grew up in Oklahoma during the great American Dust Bowl, which is this event of historical significance that really shaped everyone who grew up during it, and the songs are just all about that whole process and I kinda saw Covid as another historically significant event, so I thought it’d be cool to kind of record through song what I was going through while I was quarantining at home with my family, so that was cool for like the first two months and then realized how it (the Pandemic) was going to continue to go on, so I wrote a bunch of stuff for the band and we recorded all that stuff. We did a bunch of live streams, we did a bunch of drive-in theatre shows, which sounds ridiculous talking about that now that normal shows are back, but we were just literally trying to do whatever we could do to make money and stay relevant because relevance is such a big part of this whole gig that and momentum, how do you stay on people’s minds when you can’t tour?

GW: So how do you think the pandemic changed music forever?

BH: It’s hard to say, man. We’re still in an era where there are vaccine requirements in some situations and there are people who just don’t want to get vaccines. I got mine, me and my whole family got vaxxed, it is whatever you want it to be, but at this festival, there are bands that had to drop off because of vaccines and not being able to get out of their country. It’s interesting, it’s new. Other than I don’t think it’s changed anything much, everything kind of bounced back. I feel like people appreciate live music a lot more, I know I do. I was a little burned out going into the whole thing just because we tour. I’ve been touring heavy for 10 years, you know? Everything becomes work eventually no matter how much you love it, so having that time at home not playing music, I felt incomplete, you know? It really made me appreciate how much I need to be able to play music to feel right, and I feel like other people felt that in their own regard, like how much they needed to play or how much they needed to go to a festival or a show to have that in their life. Hopefully there’s a renewed sense of appreciation for some people.

GW: Back in 2019, Grateful Web interviewed Tropidelic, and they called you their “Brother Band.” Do you have a comment to that bold claim?

BH: Yeah! Those are the homies. We’ve eaten a lot of shit together. I feel like we’re pace cars for each other because we met them when we were both at similar points in our careers and we’ve grown and risen up together. We’ve done a lot of songs together and worked together. We’ve just known them for a long time and it’s a tough industry to make friends, so it’s good to know where people come from and what they’re about. We’ve just known them for a long time, we’ve got a lot of inside jokes, and they’re the homies, you know?

GW: In so many ways, your music defines the phrase “lyrically motivated.” When writing something like “Locust Avenue,” “Serving,” “Self-Loathing,” or “Hallucinations” what comes first, the story or the melody?

BH: Story. All day. I’m way more of a lyricist than a musician. I feel like I just recently started getting even kind of decent as a musician in the last few years. Covid helped me a lot because I had the time to sit down and practice my shit and learn more about it, but I’ve always been about the lyrics. I got really lucky, well it’s not as much luck as I put in the work, but I really focused on learning how to be a good singer early on (in the pandemic) but I have dudes in my band who went to music school and have degrees in composition, I don’t know none of that shit, but lyrics have always been my thing. I don’t read as much anymore, but I read a lot as a kid, and this is the shit that makes me feel. Lyrics.

GW: Who takes the reins when collaborating with another band on an opus like “Too Stoned” with “Artikal Sound System?”

BH: Too stoned, well, I’ve written pretty much everything we’ve ever done. I’ll write the song and I’ll send it to anyone who wants to get in on it. Too Stoned, I had that idea during Covid. Just the way I write, I just come up with the hook idea, and a concept. Like I have a notes section in my phone, because when you have kids especially, everything fucking changes. You don’t just get to sit around and wait to be inspired, I schedule time to write. If I get an idea that I think is something worth writing about, I’ll write it down and come back to it, and I had that idea for Too Stoned, and I started working on it. I came up with the hook first, then I came up with the verse and the bridge, and I knew what I wanted it to sound like, and I was kind of going for a “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” thing, and I knew I wanted a strong, pretty, female vocalist on it. We had just met Artikal Sound System and I was just blown away by Logan, she’s just a killer singer, and she has a really cool mind too, and outlook on music, and an appreciation for it, so I thought it’d be cool to work together and I hit her up, sent her the song, and she was about it. She wrote all her shit on her own and sent it back to me and it was rad.

GW: What’s next for Bumpin Uglies?

BH: We have a new record coming out later in the year. This record, I’m swinging for the fences with it. I’m pretty proud and fucking confident in it. I think it’s going to be a big record for us, and I’m just shouting it from the rooftops. If I’m wrong, tell me, but give it a chance.

GW: What’s something you’ve never been asked about in an interview?

BH: The person who made me want to write songs, who was Ben Folds, and I feel like that’s important to me because he was a big influence on how I write songs and his approach to it is sarcastic and smart, but he’s a monster at everything he does and I would recommend anyone to check out the record “Ben Folds, Live” which is a solo live record that he did and is a fucking masterclass on writing all across the board. It was big for me when I was like 15-years-old. I remember being in high school and having one of those Sony Discmen that had like 13 seconds of anti-skip. I was never good at school, but I would just listen to that music in class and that record in class and that record got me through Sophomore year of high school.

Hermosa Beach reggae veterans Fortunate Youth has spent more than a decade relentlessly touring around the world promoting their music and message. Blending their South Bay attitude with reggae roots, their music maintains an assertive attitude while still promoting a welcoming, familiar aura in every song they write.

Grateful Web met with the group at this year’s Cali Roots festival to talk about our beloved mutual hometown, how they see their place in history amongst the historic bands to come out of their high school, and why they have decided to retire their song “Sweet Love” from their live setlist for the foreseeable future.

Grateful Web: So I used to live in Hermosa Beach, and I felt like every time I was at Martha's, I’d see at least one of you a couple of tables over.

Dan Kelly: ​​I’m always at Martha’s. I used to do restaurants in the South Bay, and it turns out one of my buddies who does a bunch of restaurants just bought Martha’s and the Bottle Inn five years ago. Big shoutout to him, Martha’s Bottle Inn, and Hermosa Beach.

GW: So with the success of your band, I would assume you could live anywhere. Why have you chosen to stay in your home town?

Fortunate Youth: You know, we’re lucky that we get to go anywhere we want, but once you travel and see other countries, you really appreciate where you’re from. There are places some of us would consider going and staying, but we love coming home. Travie (Walpole), actually lives in Wisconsin now, and I’m sure he appreciates the South Bay more and more every day.

Travis Walpole: Oh every once in a while, but I do appreciate it out there, I grew up not having seasons or anything like that since I was born, but you have to deal with the good and the bad. It gets cold, but you get to see things you will never ever see in the South Bay like leaves changing, deer running across the road, just life. Farming and fish, it’s just a different mentality. And it’s cool, but I do appreciate where I grew up, and I do say I’m from Los Angeles and the South Bay, I’m not from Green Bay Wisconsin, so until I die I’ll say I’m from South Bay, LA. You’ll never change that.

GW: So growing up in Hermosa, did you guys go to Mira Costa High?

FY: Yep. All of us except for Dan and Rev.

DK: I’m from Mississippi. I’ve been there 20 years plus. I have kids that were born and live there, so I take their local-ness and it made me local. Haha.

GW: Everyone from there knows the bands to come out of that school. Pennywise, Descendants, Black Flag, how does to be looped in with those bands?

FY: It’s an honor to be even in the same conversation. We grew up on them, and if we’re doing anything that’s even nearby our influences that’s a huge deal.

Corey Draskovich: In our minds, the south bay music community standards are pretty high. You named off some pretty iconic bands. I think we all started off playing punk rock music

FY: And then Dan was invited by Jim Lindberg (of Pennywise) himself to play a stage at Beach Life.

DK: I’m like 10 years older than the youngest person here, and five years older than the middle, so those guys, back in the day, they were telling me what it’s like to be in music, where does it all come from, the money side, they gave me a lot of the blueprints for Fortunate Youth, and thats because South Bays so small. You could be playing an open mic night and Fletcher (of Pennywise) will change a guitar string because he wants you to play something, so you’re in the watering holes with all these guys and they like your talent, they like what you’re bringing to them, they like your message, that’s punk rock, “I’m going to love you until you love me.” So I’m glad that we’re in that little bubble that sees no seasons, it just sees love, life, and rock and roll. Lots of love down in those streets. There used to be ragers on the fourth of July with Pennywise playing in the front lawn and they’d just tear that place apart.

CD: I used to live up on Longfellow, and you could hear them all the way down on 28th st. just crushing it.

DK: Crazy times. We had to live up to such high expectations because of our colleagues in the same watering hole. That we were punk rock enough to the nature of “If we have a day off we’re still going to play a show. If there’s 300 days a year, we’re going to play 307 shows.” 

CD: Well, there’s 365 days in a year.

Revelation Kalauli: He was going somewhere with that, dude! Just let him go with it!

DK: We were just relentlessly punk-rock nation, but we were like let’s go play reggae music all around the country, and that comes from the south bay. You can’t half-ass it. You gotta go balls to the wall and go for it.

CD: No, you’re right though. In LA, though, you gotta go get it and bring it back home. You know what I mean? Everyone’s looking for a championship, and when you’re compared to Pennywise, Black Flag, and the Descendents, we grew up going to Scooters and buy a CD every day after school of those guys. Those were our early-day influences. Like he said, punk rock nation, we just tried to take that energy to the road, and it’s relentless.

GW: I don’t think any rational person could argue we’re just coming out of two of the worst years in modern music history. Walk us through what it was like for you. The first couple of weeks, the uncertainty, all of it to you.

FY: I think you said it best, lots of uncertainty. We went into the last two years with no expectations, we were just trying to keep it good at home with the families, checking in with all of us, making sure everyone was good from afar, and thinking “alright, when can we push the next thing to keep the album moving?” Because we were already kind of in motion, and then we were on a delayed path, and the question became “How do we stay sane?” and to make sure we stayed even keel in this sea of craziness and stay well emotionally throughout the whole thing.

Greg Gelb: There was for sure a career viewpoint and a personal viewpoint throughout the whole thing. We’ve all been touring for 10 years, so, it was actually kind of nice to be home for a little bit and spend time with loved ones and family and not have to worry about where we were going, but from the career standpoint, we were working so hard and had to take this hiatus, we wondered if we could come back as strong as we first came in? Then what were we going to do with our time? Luckily we balanced it out. We worked on an album, we took the time we could to put it together, everyone grew their family a little bit, we got new Fortunate Youths in the family, everyone had a baby here and there. We appreciated what we had then came up with a little game plan to come back as strong as we can, and we just hope that the people out there are willing to bring us back into their lives and listen to our music. Shoutout to our family and fans. The support that we got without having to tour was kind of overwhelming. That love came in so many different ways and it was kind of out of control.

CD: And now we get to reconnect with those people in real life, we’re stoked to be able to get back out there.

DK: I think, honestly, I love them a lot more than I think I ever did. I think I took them a lot for granted with the Fortunate success that we had. You know, riding on a (tour) bus, you get used to it, then it’s gone. Your friends and colleagues that you see on the road, gone. So now when I see them, the ones that made it and are still here, I want to hug them a little more, take a few more pictures, just whatever I can to make sure that I show my appreciation.

GW: So how do you think the pandemic changed music forever?

GG: I think everyone has more of an appreciation for it, that’s for sure. The gratefulness for being able to go out and just get together. It was illegal for us to go hang out. Getting to go see your family, your friends, that was taken away from us and we’re lucky that we get to have that again.

CD: I think the main effect it had on the music industry was it showed us that could happen. I don’t think anyone really thought that this gear could stop turning and we were all going to have to wait patiently.

GW: But there were some things it couldn’t stop though. Dan, this last year you proposed to your now fiance on one of the biggest stages in music. Walk us through deciding to propose during a show at Red Rocks and the steps to make that happen.

DK: It was tricky. Getting the ring was kind of easy. She had already kinda picked it out so that made it even easier. It wasn’t even a diamond, so I was like “Uhhhh, yeah! This is great!” But she had never been to Red Rocks either, so I thought it would be really cool. When it comes to proposals, I think they have to be legendary. Even if it’s at just like 31 Flavors Baskin Robbins, go for it! Put the ring in the cake! You know? I don’t know. But I enjoyed it. I was really nervous, I didn’t tell the guys until maybe 24 hours until the event. Some knew months out, but they didn’t know when or how or what the plan was. Then I was just like “we’re going to do it during Sweet Love.” And we’ve done proposals before to “Sweet Love” but the bad part was, my lady wanted to sit in the front, like she wanted to be in the crowd and hear the music, so I had to go get someone to go get her without her knowing it, so our Tour Manager at the time went up to her and said, “we’re doing a family picture, all the family members are going to go up there.” So then it comes down to this one moment where the songs going to start and I need her to start walking up, and it was kind of difficult because he’s like “can I get your purse now?” and she looked at him like “what the hell?” and he looks at her like a puppy-dog like “please don’t ask me any questions, just go with the flow.” and she saw the puppy dog in his eyes and she did it. She started walking out and realized no one else was going onstage, and I start waving her over. So I didn’t really know what to do after that because the song was still going. So I look over and Drasko says “Dan, why don’t you just go hug her for a while and enjoy the moment, and the crowd will sing. I didn’t know what to do after that point. Even her, even after I gave her the ring she was like “Uhh?” And I’m like “You have to say something. I just asked you to marry me, and they’re looking for a yes or a no” It was a moment, and you know what, I loved it. It was fun, and I was glad to be on the other side of the proposal during  Sweet Love, and you know what, I don’t know if we’ll ever play that song again. I think the boys want to retire it now. It’s going to take a while to bring that song back. I saw people crying. Big dudes with big mustaches.

GW: So what's next for Fortunate Youth?

DK: We have a tour with Slightly Stoopid in the summer, we have a solo tour in the Fall, and we’re always working on new music. We have an album that will be out 16 months from now - oh I’m just talking shit, we have no idea when the album will be out.

GW: What’s a question you’ve never been asked in an interview?

DK: What band are in? What instruments do you play?

Island bred, Southern California based reggae sensation Common Kings has spent over a decade becoming one of the most decorated bands in the genre. Behind one of the cleanest voices in reggae, Jr King, the powerful percussion of Big Rome, the colorful antics of Mata, and the leadership of Uncle Lui, the band has risen to a status enviable by any musician, selling out some of the biggest stages in music with regularity.

Grateful Web got to sit down with the members of Common Kings at this year’s Cali Roots festival to discuss their past, present, and future, as well as their influence on the island reggae community.

Grateful Web: First off, loved the live album you guys released a few months ago. Why did you choose Humphry’s as the location?

Uncle Lui: I don’t know if we chose Humphry’s, Humphry’s kind of chose us. They wanted us to do a show there, so the opportunity came up, and we were like “Why don’t we make the most of it?” It’s a really cool venue. It’s an iconic venue, and that’s what’s cool about it, too. San Diego is like a second home. We’re from Hawaii, based in Orange County, so we have a good fan base going on out there. We had two nights sold out, can’t beat it.

GW: Do you put any extra thought into comments you make onstage to the audience when you know the show will be recorded, like shouting out the openers during the live album, or even how you engage with the audience during these shows at Cali Roots?

Mata: You know, to a certain extent we do, but sometimes when you’re in it, you’ll get so lost in it and you’re like “what was I supposed to say?” I do it all the time.

UL: That’s why he doesn’t get a mic anymore

M: I don’t get a mic anymore. Talking and playing, I can’t do that.

Jr King: Exactly what he said. We go in there with an outline, with a plan, but then whatever happens, whatever inspires us onstage, it happens.

GW: I don’t think any rational person could argue we’re just coming out of two of the worst years in modern music history. Walk us through what it was like for you. The first couple of weeks, the uncertainty, how you stayed productive, all of it to you.

UL: I mean the first two weeks, we didn’t even see each other, we just stayed home. Then as things unfolded we realized we couldn’t stay home this whole time, so we all made sure we checked in on each other, then we started working. Then we didn’t stop working, we’ve literally been in the studio from noon until one o’clock in the morning every day for the past year and a half.

JK: During Covid, we released four or five singles, and we’re getting ready to release a 22-song album of all the songs we’ve created through the whole Covid period. It was great to not travel and focus, but we’ve been in the lab cooking. So, we’re excited.

GW: How do you think the pandemic changed music forever?

UL: I think it created a void. You can’t live without live music. Live music just touches people differently. It’s way different than cruising and listening to music in the car, you know, it’s a different feeling, a different atmosphere. You can even feel it right here at Cali Roots, it’s different.

JK: Live music frequencies are just so much better for the body and the soul, you know?

Big Rome: I think it allowed everyone to tap into their creative side. You see a lot of people with a lot of different hustles, and for us we had to think outside the box and instead of being on tour, we had to work on other parts of our music, so that’s what the pandemic really helped us do.

GW: Your relationship with the artist FIJI was abundantly clear when you both shared the Bowl stage in 2019. Can you speak to your relationship with George?

M: It's family. It’s a family show We have the utmost respect, he’s the GOAT of island reggae and he’s done so much for the people of the South Pacific, and we put him up there as one of the greatest. We’ve gotten to know him so well within the last 10-15 years, and now he’s like a brother. He’s an older brother that has so much experience, he’s so wise-

UL: They antagonize each other.

M: I’m trying to say nice things.

UL: Oh they truly antagonize each other because Fiji is like his big brother and they’re just constantly going at it like a little brother and big brother. But we love him, it’s ridiculous, and he loves us. I don’t know about Mata so much, but he loves us.

M: Ok, guys, I’m right here.

UL: But seriously, there’s nothing really you can say, he’s just amazing. His voice is just the best for days.

GW: You’ve given many interviews in the past where you mention how much of an influence he was to you. When did he go from an idol to a peer and what was that transition like?

JK: Listening to him growing up, man, he was like our Michael Jackson, our Bob Marley, When I was a young, young lad, at 15 years old, I got to sing with him. He brought me onstage in Long Beach and that was the first time I got to taste the stage. So as I got older, we started doing our own thing, developing our own musical paths, which he's always supported from the start. We don't often get to share the same stage but when we do, it's hands down one of the best parts of our show.

M: We have to have him back here. (Cali Roots)

GW: What’s next for Common Kings? Any new music we should be on the lookout for?

M: Yeah, definitely the new album at the end of the year, it will be the most anticipated project of the year.

JK: Dual album coming up at the end of the year, it’s called “Do My Thing, Juice County.” We also got the Summer Traditions tour with Slightly Stoopid, Pepper, and Fortunate Youth. Super stoked about all of that, so keep a lookout for all of those dates.

GW: Any shout outs from the Kings?

JK: Yes, we want to thank our management. Our touring manager Stefanie, our whole island empire team, Dan (Sheehan) for this amazing Cali Roots festival.

M: But most importantly the fans. All these fans, we wouldn’t be able to do this without them. And at Cali Roots you guys are so great. We’re super pumped.

GW: What's a question you’ve never been asked in an interview?

JK: What kind of underwear do you wear?

GW: So what kind of underwear do you wear?

JK: None!

Hailing all the way from Saint-Étienne, France, Dub Inc has found a way to transcend the language barrier and garner a passionate fanbase more than 5,000 miles from home. Their onstage passion and chemistry are informed by decades of knowing each other as bandmates and friends, the energy in their live shows are impressive by any standards.

Grateful Web had the chance to sit down with two of the longest-tenured faces of Dub Inc, Komolan Zohou and Zigo Mavridorakis, at this year’s Cali Roots festival to ask them about the French reggae scene, and most importantly welcome them to California with open arms, teaching them some local slang along the way.

Grateful Web: First off, Bienvenue en California.

Komlan Zohou: Yeah man! First time here. First time and first show in California.

Zigo Mavridorakis: It was crazy. We didn’t expect that many people at our set. It was great.

GW: So what’s your favorite California slang word or phrase you’ve learned here so far?

ZM: “Cool.” I mean, we are new here, so we have everything to learn here.

GW: Has anyone taught you “hella” yet?

ZM: No, what does that mean?

GW: Like “very” or “a lot”

ZM: Ah, like “hella weed?”

GW: Exactly!

ZM: Haha, I like it.

GW: Perfect. So, being based outside the US, how well is this festival known in France?

KZ: For sure, Cali Roots is very known in France and in Europe. All the reggae bands want to play Cali Roots.

ZM: A lot of reggae artists are jealous of us because we are here at Cali Roots, and we are very happy to be here because we were supposed to play here two years ago, but of course everything was canceled because of Covid, but we are very happy to finally be here.

KZ: It is very famous, for sure.

GW: I don’t think any rational person could argue we’re just coming out of two of the worst years in modern music history. Walk us through what it was like for you. The first couple of weeks, the uncertainty, all of it to you.

KZ: We had two feelings, you know? When it first started, it was very nice because we stayed with our families. We are on tour a lot with the band in Europe, in France, in the rest of the world, and it was nice to have a quiet time with our families and spend more time with them, but after six months, one year, we started to say, “ok, when will we open again?” You know? But we are very lucky because we live in the same city and we are very good friends, the band has existed more than 20 years, and we have a good place to play together, so we had a place to meet and play music. In that time, it was very difficult to stay alone. It was two crazy years and to stay together and create a new album and to stay friends, it was very important because it was a long period. Too long.

GW: How do you think the pandemic changed music forever?

KZ: Yeah, it changed all our minds forever, you know? And now I think everyone has a new taste because we know it can happen again, you know? So we can live our time with more intensity. We can live our lives with more intensity because we are so happy to be here.

GW: What was the first show you played after concerts came back?

KZ: Columbia.

ZM: Yeah, the first show we played was in Bogotá, Columbia, and it was crazy. Then we toured in France, now we’re playing for two weeks on the West Coast with Mike Love, and then we go back to Europe for a big tour playing all the festivals. 

KZ: But we just started playing shows again one month ago. We stopped everything for two and a half years.

GW: So what did you do with that time?

ZM: We recorded a new album that’s going to be released in September and we took a lot of time with our families because usually we tour all the time, so this gave us an opportunity to be alone with our families.

GW: So finally getting to come to America again, clearly not everyone here speaks French, but your live show today drew a lot of attention from an enthusiastic audience. How do you feel your music transcends the language barrier?

KZ: We didn’t expect that, and I don’t know if they understand what we sing, but they sing with us. It’s crazy, we didn’t expect this kind of welcome, it’s crazy. We’re just here to play music and enjoy the moment. It’s not a commercial, we like to have fun, and we hope the Californian people will enjoy our shows and enjoy our vibe.

ZM: It makes us excited for our tour. We have 12 more shows on the west coast, we’re excited for that.

GW: So in California, what vibe do you like most, Bay Area, Los Angeles, or San Diego?

ZM: It’s still just our first show in California, in two weeks, we’ll know.

Reggae has always been known as the genre of “one love” but from the earliest days of his Hawaiian origin, Mike Love has taken this to a new level. He wears many hats as a musician, a spiritual shaman, and even an ordained minister, but few who meet him could help but call him a friend as his welcoming and affectionate aura touches shines so brightly.

Grateful Web had the chance to speak with Mike at this year’s Cali Roots Festival in Monterey to ask him about his self-transformation over the last several years, his hair care regimen, and his relationship with his diehard fans, some of which have seen him play live several thousand times.

Grateful Web: Last time you played Cali Roots, I by coincidence met someone in the audience who told me they have seen you play in the Hawaii bar scene more than 600 times and flew across the Pacific Ocean to watch you play this festival. How have you created such a healthy culture between you and your fans?

Mike Love: It’s funny because I do have a lot of fans like that. Like I have fans in Hawaii because for years and years, I actually don’t live there anymore, I moved like a year ago, but for years and years, before I ever toured, I built up a fanbase in Hawaii. I would play like five or six nights a week and even when I started touring I would go back home and play, and I had a lot of people, fans, who became friends and family who would come basically every night I played for years and years, so there are people in Hawaii who I know have seen me at least a thousand or a couple thousand times, like literally that much, because I’m doing a couple hundred gigs a year there over 12-15 years or something now. When you talk about my relationship with my fan base, my favorite part about it is that all those people who come again, and again, and again, eventually they recognize each other and they form friendships and I hear about a lot of people who met at my shows and then got married and having kids.

GW: Did you play at their weddings?

ML: Man, some of them I’ve performed the weddings as the minister. I’ve done that for a few fans for sure.

GW: So how often do people confuse you for the other Mike Love and how often do you hear that joke?

ML: You know, probably less than you would think. Less than I would expect. But yeah, every once in a while. I think most of the people who listen to my music don’t know the Beach Boys as much, I don’t think there's that much of a crossover. I’ve started to wonder if over the years, like he’s probably at some point figured out that there’s another dude out there too that was pretty successful with the same name as him, so I wonder if he gets that question sometimes.

GW: Have you two ever met?

ML: No, we’ve never met. I met Brian Wilson and his group of people were cracking up when we were talking and they were like “Man, I never thought we’d see Brian Wilson and Mike Love get back together!” It’d be interesting to meet him though, again, I wonder if he’s really aware of my presence. At one point he actually took my “BandsInTown” account. I guess he didn’t have a BandsInTown account, and then somehow he hijacked my account that I had been building up for years, and I had to go through this whole process to go “Hey! This is my account, you stole it!” It was funny though, it was probably a misunderstanding.

GW: So I don’t think any rational person could argue we’re just coming out of the two worst years in modern music history. Walk us through what the pandemic was like for you. The first couple of weeks, the uncertainty throughout, how you stayed productive, whatever you feel comfortable sharing.

ML: Well right at the beginning, it seemed like we were all hoping it would be just a few weeks, but I think for me, I’m pretty aware of the underbelly of the system and the agenda that unfolded there, so I figured out pretty early that it wasn’t going to be just a quick thing that was going to go away, it was going to last a long time and there were going to be a lot of changes, and the world is forever changed because of it. For me, my main source of income is from gigging and playing live music, so it was difficult and a major gear shift, and had a lot to do with why I moved to Washington and changed up my lifestyle. I learned to do a lot of different things, I had never done a live stream before, and I started doing quite a bit of live streaming, I did a regular weekly live-streaming thing that I hope to continue in the future. When I did moved, I stopped being able to do them because I’m in an area where there is no capability for streaming because the internet's horrible. But I’ve had a lot of success through YouTube, but it was never my own channel, it was always another person’s channel, so I created my own and started creating content for that and it’s been great, it kind of forced me to learn how to work camera equipment and edit videos, so that’s really cool. I also think that it was a great time for reflection and change. I went through a lot of change and a lot of self-work that I had been putting off. I tend to serve others before I serve myself, and I learned over the last couple of years that I can’t truly serve others before I serve myself first and taking care of myself. I was neglecting my health a lot. Physically, mentally, and spiritually. Putting my family and my fans over my needs always consistently and constantly, there’s not a lot of longevity in that, so I learned over the last few years to figure out what’s causing me to put others first and I truly think that old cliche of “you can’t love others if you don’t love yourself first” is so true and I think the depth of understanding that is what I learned more these last couple of years.

GW: So do you think the last couple of years have changed music forever?

ML: Definitely. I think they’ve changed everything forever. How could they not? People talk about things going back to normal or this new normal, but everything's changed. Things are always changing, but something that so drastically altered how we view our freedoms, our ability to get out and do what we know we should be able to do, to share, and have that be taken away so quickly from us and not be able to do anything about it, it’s such a crazy thing to think. For example, my long-time bass player had to take a step back from the road because it just became unsustainable for him. Before this whole thing, we were cranking. It was supporting him and his family, and I knew it would come down to that for a lot of my musicians and a lot of working musicians because for me, personally, because I write songs and record music, I have some sort of passive income that’s always going to come in even if gigging goes away, but a lot of musicians rely solely on being supporting musicians for artists like me, and they do some studio work, but they rely on playing live, so a lot of those musicians, I’m sure, and again I saw it a lot in my own community, had to take a step back from music because that foundation was gone. How long before things go back to where they were and we’re able to support ourselves financially in that way? And then you have the crazy amount of inflation that’s happened, and you think we’re starting to get back to financially where we were but the money’s just not going as far. We have to pay a lot in gas just to get from city to city.

GW: So traveling as much as you do, who loves bigger? Hawaii, California, or Washington?

ML: It’s different, man, it’s just so vibrationally different. I can’t say any one is better than another. I go to Hawaii and I feel this Ohana love, and I just feel so comfortable. Even though I don’t live there anymore, I can go back there any time and there’s no pressure. And Cali, it’s huge. Reggae music here is so loved and it’s the first place to really open and welcome me outside of Hawaii, and Washington is the same. I have a lot of love in Western Washington. In Spokane as well, but in Seattle, and Tacoma, those areas have always been really welcome to me, and Eastern Washington where I live now is so different than Western Washington. Just the mentality of people. Seattle is so clustered and packed in, but where I live now, we’re homesteading on our big property and we don’t really run into people unless we go over to Spokane, but it’s different, man. It’s all different, you can’t compare, but the love is solid everywhere I go in the world it’s just love. I always say I’m the luckiest musician alive because anywhere I go in the world, I attract the best people in that area because everywhere I go I attract the best people in that area and they just come to me.

GW: So I want to get some advice from you. About 10 years ago I stopped cutting my hair. A couple of years ago it got to the length it is now and just stopped. Your hair goes down to your ankles, do you have any advice for me?

ML: That’s the thing about dreads, it doesn’t ever stop. With dreads, it’s all tangled, right? So your hair stopped growing because it reached a length where it’s a critical mass and your hair is always falling out, so the hair that would grow longer has fallen out already, and it’s constantly replenishing itself. Like my beard, it doesn't get longer than this. I haven’t cut it for as long as I’ve cut my dreads, but the dreads, all the stuff from my waist down is not connected to my head anymore, it’s just connected to itself.

GW: So what’s next for Mike Love?

ML: Well, I released a new EP, a collaboration with an incredible band, Rising Tide, who the drum and bass player are playing with me now in The Full Circle. But they’re an incredible band, it’s an EP called “Together.” It’s four songs and I really love how it turned out. These guys are musicians who have inspired me for a long time and working with them is a great pleasure and honor, and to be able to create the music that we did, I just really love it, and I hope everybody goes out and listens to it. I’m also working on a new album that I’m really close to being done with and that’s coming soon.

GW: What’s a question you’ve never gotten in an interview before?

ML: Hmm, “Have you taken a shit yet today?” and yes, I have.

Frontman of the Midwest hip hop group Atmosphere, Sean Daley, or "Slug" as he goes by on stage, is a rare breed in the sense that seems to wear his heart on his sleeve and has the perspective to allow himself to be his own person rather than a manufactured image of an onstage persona. Sean carries himself with a sobering energy that reflects his sincerity in how he sees the world and communicates with a level of genuineness and empathy that is refreshing to see in an artist of his tenure. His lyrics are uniquely vulnerable and offer a real opportunity to allow fans to connect to his songs on a molecular level, their message allowing them to, as Sean puts it “hold (them) dear to themselves.”

Grateful Web had a chance to sit down with Sean at this year’s Cali Roots festival to get to know him a little bit better and see how the last few years have taught him about his industry, what they have taught him about being a better father, and how his relationship with validation has evolved over the course of his career.

Grateful Web: So this festival features a lot more hip hop music than a lot of people would expect at a reggae festival. Why do you think rap and hip hop play so well to reggae fans at Cali Roots?

Sean Daley: I believe rap and hip hop come from the same place as reggae in all honesty. It’s all about the bass and the drums, and so I think there is a specif correlation to our hearts, the drums specifically mimic our heart beats, so when I hear or see people dance to reggae, and then I see people dancing at our set, it’s the same dancing, you know what I’m saying? It’s the same vibe, it’s the same feeling, and you can even, I know Ice Cube is playing here, and Ice Cube and Atmosphere are very different as far as rap goes, but the thing that binds me and Ice Cube together are the drums. And honestly, all of this came from Jamaica to keep it real. I think that it’s been well documented that the beginning of hip hop in the Bronx, and I’m not talking about the beginning of rapping, but the beginning of hip hop in the Bronx was something a DJ named Kool Herc had brought over from Jamaca. The first soundsets that were happening in the Bronx were based off of something that he was seeing in Jamaica with the different sound clashes.

GW: I don’t think any rational person could argue we’re just coming out of the two worst years in modern music history. Walk us through what the pandemic was like for you. The first couple of weeks, the uncertainty throughout, how you stayed productive, whatever you feel comfortable sharing.

SD: I gotta say, you’re right, Covid was obviously a huge blow to the music industry, a huge blow to artists of every industry, it was hard for art, but I also think that tragedy and difficulty is the breeding ground for amazing art to be born, so I kept that on the back of my mind throughout Covid, what kind of amazing music is going to come out of this? There’s all these artists that are stuck at home, and they’re scared and they’re nervous, what are they creating right now. Very similar, there were people that work at bakeries who were stuck at home, I was wondering “what are they creating right now?” For me, I was pretty privileged. I have a gang of children, and a few of them are school-aged, so I just kinda like side-stepped into being the distance learning coach for my children. I took the studio and transformed it into a little schoolhouse, and we would wake up every morning and drive over to the studio and start school up. I would sit with them until they got their lesions going and then I would come up and make lunch, and then I’d make sure they got back into their lessons, or we would go outside and throw a ball around and make sure there was some sort of recess or some sort of activity and then they’d go back to their lessons and I’d go back to my writing. Again, I was pretty lucky and fortunate for me to do that. Then the other side of it, for me, there was a silver lining because since I started having children, I had not ever had the opportunity to spend that much time with them because I would tour every year. I would spend anywhere from six to 20 weeks on the road, depending on the year, so I was actually like the missing parent for many of their years, so for me to have a full year and change to be able to hang out with them in such a focused way, and for to really learn more about who I am as a person and how anal I can get about organization, you know what I’m saying? They got to learn about their dad and I got to learn a lot about their personalities as children, and so I honestly, just me, would not give that back for anything. I can imagine many people don’t have that same story as far as Covid, but for me, I would not change a thing about what happened.

GW: How do you think the pandemic changed music forever?

SD: Well I think, for one thing, I think that the pandemic changed music forever because it showed us how fragile our ecosystem truly is. How when it shut down, it broke everybody. It broke the people in the venues and the people who worked there. It broke the people at the booking agencies, it broke the artists, it broke everybody, and everybody, I think, now knows what it feels like to be artistically insecure, financially insecure too, the whole world got to see that, but artistically insecure. Which I think is important, you know, because there is a whole part of this world that is stuck in financial insecurity forever, and there is a whole part of this world that is stuck in artistic insecurity forever, so when you took some of the people who were living that lavish life or as artists go, on top of the world and you scared everybody about what's coming next, and when will things get back to normal, I think that it maybe evened the playing field, at least in an emotional sense and it took all of us and made us realize we are all the same. It didn’t matter if you’re the guy from Metallica, or if you’re the guy from the band that lives in the house next door, because everyone was scared.

GW: What was your first show post-lockdowns?

SD: Post-lockdowns we did a tour. We went on tour in August of last year. We booked a whole outdoor tour with Cyprus Hill. It was amazing because Delta was like chasing us, and we all got through the tour, nobody got sick, we all lived in a bubble. We weren’t allowed to hobnob with anybody outside the bubble, we stayed in the bubble, and it was a lot of fun, man. Kicking it with my own crew and hanging out with the dudes from the Cyprus crew, and Z-Trip was with us, and it was a lot of fun because it felt kinda like rap summer camp.

GW: What’s one of your favorite paintings you’re done lately?

SD: I don’t title the paintings, but the one with the purple and the silver is probably the best one I’ve done in a long time.

GW: So last night I was pacing around my room listening to “God Loves Ugly.”

SD: Oof, you have my condolences.

GW: Not at all. But it got me thinking, so much of your music has always dealt with the idea of how we are judged, how it affects us, our self image, and I’m wondering, how has your relationship with validation evolved throughout your career?

SD: My relationship with validation. I think validation is tied to, I want to say inspiration, but it’s tied to a goal, and so when you reach a goal, you can do the dance in the end zone and spike the football, or you can hit that goal and then look up and see the next goal and just keep running with the football. What if a football player did that? What if he hit the end zone, and instead of dancing and spiking the ball he just kept running and jumped over the thing and ran up the stairs and ran out the door, and just kept running. To me, that’s what I see validation as. You never quite, it’s not there, it’s not a real thing. It’s this carrot that dangles in front of you that you run toward, but the minute you catch the carrot and you eat it, you realize that you gotta keep going, so you have to set the next carrot up. My relation to that over the years is just probably, I would say, when I was younger I just wanted to be heard and understood, and then as I got older I wanted to be able to provide and so I needed resources, and then as I got older I wanted to feel that unconditional love that comes from family, and now I’m older and I’m back to just wanting to be heard and understood, so I don’t really know, it just keeps moving, you just keep setting the carrot a little bit further out.

GW: So what’s next for Atmosphere?

SD: I’m going on tour this summer with a band called Iration. The tour is called Sunshine and Summer Nights, and I’m really excited for this tour because I feel like it’s going to give me the opportunity to not only make party with these guys and have cookouts and have a fun time on the road with them, but I feel like they’re going to bring an audience that has no idea, necessarily, who we are, and that, like with Cyprus Hill, similarly, even though it’s a different audience, when you get to play in front of people who don’t know who you are on a regular basis, it really builds your chops. It forces you to have to learn new tricks, how to speak to new people, you know what I’m saying? To me, that’s one of my favorite parts of performing. Doing my own headline tours, oftentimes you can start to realize that everyone that’s here, they’re here for you, and so you just gotta do those songs they want to hear, the ones that they hold dear to themselves, but when you’re playing in front of people that don’t know you, they don’t have any songs that they hold dear to themselves, so you have this opportunity to leave a first impression and to possibly convince them to go look into finding some songs that they may hold dear to themselves.

GW: What’s a question you’ve never gotten in an interview?

SD: Nobody’s ever asked me how much I weigh.

GW: So can you answer that?

SD: Hell no! Why would I answer that? I didn’t know that was a part of the deal.

Hopping into a tenured band as the newest member can be an intimidating task in any capacity, much less the frontman, but for Jamaica's Hector Roots Lewis, stepping up and filling in as lead vocals for Southern California reggae veterans Tribal Seeds came instinctually. When asked to fill in for long-time singer Steven Jacobo as the singer for their upcoming 2022 tour, Hector stepped up to the role and not only found a way to stand in, but made their music his own, embodying their music while giving his perspective from a more classically trained background.

Grateful Web had the chance to ask Hector a few questions at this year's Cali Roots festival after his first big live show with Tribal Seeds to ask him about how he sees his role in Tribal Seeds, how he has stayed sane over the last two years, and his perspective on the band’s musical catalogue.

Grateful Web: How did you first become acquainted with the band? What was that process like of being asked to fill-in? What was the process of learning their songs like on short notice?

Hector Roots Lewis: For di I, the Reggae Community has always been about camaraderie and coming together to spread positive messages all over. We as artists are all connected in the mission of Rastafari, so Tribal Seeds has always been on my musical radar with my ongoing journey with Chronixx and Zincfence Redemption. They approached my management team to explore the possibility of filling in for Steve for their Summer Tour and it really has been an honour and a joy to be around passionate, talented humble musicians. The band has such a great catalogue and so rehearsals have been intense and enjoyable. Learning the music felt second-nature to me and I have a great support system in the band. It’s an ongoing process that I’m happy to be a part of.

GW: Your first live performance with Tribal Seeds on this tour was at Cali Roots, one of the biggest reggae festivals in the world, and closing out the day on one of their big stages nonetheless. How did that was there any pressure on your end there?

HRL: Joining the band as the Lead Vocalist for the Summer Tour and kickstarting the tour by headlining for CaliRoots has definitely been one of the most memorable moments of my own artistic journey to date. For the last couple years, us as musicians have been deprived of live shows because of the pandemic and the energy of connecting with audiences and fans. Naturally the pressure was on to deliver, but my focus was always to make sure Tribal Seeds fans got the return to the stage that they’ve all been waiting for. Everyone was really supportive leading up to the show which really helped, and it’s just a great feeling. When you hit the stage, all you can go is give thanks for the opportunity and the works and just give it your all out there.

GW: I don’t think any rational person could argue we’re just coming out of the two worst years in modern music history. Walk us through what the pandemic was like for you. The first couple of weeks, the uncertainty throughout, how you stayed productive, whatever you feel comfortable sharing about it.

HRL: It was a really tough time fi I and I. Just not knowing what’s next and having very little control of what the future might look like for us as creatives. The first couple weeks in Jamaica, we were in complete lockdown and just not being around family and friends to socialize was a challenge. And then also my mentor, Felukè Smith passed away from cancer during that time which was a huge loss not just for me, but for the whole Jamaican community. We also lost so many greats during that time, like Uncle Toots, Tabby and Bunny Diamond, just felt a dark time. I guess during those moments is when you really lean into the power of music for healing and guidance. Meditation, prayer, reading, staying connected with mi bredrins and sistrens and reasoning with Elders in Rastafari all helped during this transition. Writing music also kept me going in the zone – and that gave me glimmers of hope to hold on to. I actually wrote my latest songs “Let’s Groove” and “Ups and Downs” during the pandemic… signed to Soul Circle Music in that time, so while there were dark clouds, I always kept hoping for brighter days ahead.

GW: How do you think the pandemic changed music in the short term and forever?

HRL: I think the entire experience has made us revisit and reassess this idea of community, how to rely on community more and to be more open and real with ourselves and our emotions. In that sense, I guess with music always being an outlet for us to express ourselves, there’s an honesty and vulnerability in all that that we as artists have an opportunity to tap into… even when it’s painful, it’s purposeful. And just from the business standpoint of things, I think the pandemic will have an impact on the live experience, the concerts, the shows – how much more we value this sense of community and coming together to share in the gifts that music affords us as an industry… whether you are a musician or a fan. It won’t define us, but it will change our perspectives hopefully for the better.

GW: Is “Dawn of Time” retired from the Tribal Seeds live catalog? If so, why? If not, did you learn it for this tour and why is it not played live very often?

HRL: Well the great thing is that Tribal Seeds has this huge catalogue of great music to explore. “Dawn of Time” comes and goes – there’s no specific reason why it’s on or off the set list at any given point. Of course I don’t want to reveal too much about what’s in store, but the fans are going to have to come out to our shows to see what we’re up to. CaliRoots was just the beginning and we’re excited to be a part of that live energy again!

GW: What's Next for Hector and what’s next for Tribal Seeds?

HRL: What’s next for Hector is to perform for the people and what’s next for Tribal Seeds is to help them continue their legacy of music and connecting with the fans that have supported the band for so many years. We’re really excited for this tour and I’m looking forward to learning, growing and enjoying this amazing experience over the next few months.

GW: What's a question you’ve never been asked in an interview?

HRL: My favorite food! It’s Indian food. I’m vegan and they just have so much variety… the spices, the sauces, the texture, it reminds me of home and it’s just my thing!

There are so few bands in the reggae scene that are not only so well known, but universally beloved than the Kona Town heroes themselves, Pepper. Wherever the guys go, they are the most popular people in the room, and for good reason. Their charisma is inarguable and palpable, and their larger-than-life personalities live up to their fans’ hopes who might have only seen them from the stage.

Grateful Web had the distinguishing opportunity to sit down for a fireside chat with the men of Pepper for an interview at this year’s Cali Roots festival. Throughout the interview, friends they haven’t seen in years kept walking up to pay their respects, showing just how much of an impact these men have had on reggae and the music community in general.

While their tenure spans across four decades, they are still humble enough to constantly shout out those who have influenced them throughout their career, fully aware and appreciative that no one man walks the road to achievement alone. Their level of candor is refreshing and the men had no hesitation in discussing topics such as Bret’s experiences watching the pandemic unfold from abroad, Ye’s passion for mentoring younger artists over the last several years, or Kaleo’s foundation behind his belief that this genre has the power to change the world, or as he puts it “reggae music is freedom music.”

Even after one of the most illustrious and tenured careers in reggae, they still act like brothers and love each other as openly as anyone has ever seen family show their feelings. Never afraid to be human beings in a world where that is becoming ever-harder to do.

Grateful Web: Is “Ashes” a better opening or closing song in a Pepper set?

Kaleo Wassman: That song is such a sing-along. It’s funny, because if you’ve ever been to a pepper show, you know that Ashes is kind of like the Bro Hymn of Pepper, if you will, because of the “Woah woah woahs” and the “Yeah yeah yeahs.” So you could put that song basically anywhere, front, middle, end of the set, and it’s always going to be fun to play because it’s one that we don’t really sing. Those are really fun songs, the ones where the crowd is louder than you anyway, and they’re having a great time, and it’s just so easy for them to sing and it’s like “Ok, you guys take it.” So the ironic part of that is we didn’t put the “woahs” and the “yeahs” on the album. You have to see the live version for that. 

Yesod Williams: It’s a timely question because we just recently started taking this song from the last position and moving it up in the set. Like I believe even today we possibly might not be playing it last. So it’s a great time to ask this question because it has been running last, like Kaleo said, as Pepper’s Bro Hymn, if you will, we’re not trying to compare ourselves to Pennywise, they’re absolute legends, but we’re just saying, similar place in the set. We found through trial by fire that it goes well wherever. It’s the perfect accouterment to the set.

GW: So Hawaii has an official “Pepper Day” now that’s celebrated every year. Walk us through how that happened and what this accolade means to you.

YW: Yes. We first found out about Pepper Day literally right here in this exact spot. It was Cali Roots 2016, I think and Billy Kenoi, God rest his soul.

Bret Bollinger: He was the best mayor ever known.

YW: Yes, the best mayor of the big island ever. He, right after Ohana came out, Billy Kenoi, God bless him, decreed a full official Pepper day in Hawaii. Same day as the Ohana album release, it was to commemorate it, and Billy Kenoi, the best mayor ever of Kona, full, from now on until forever, gave us the whole document that says “Whereas” and all those official words that are in those legal documents, so yeah, April 29th, Pepper day in Hawaii.

KW: Which is so funny, because one of our biggest influences is Sublime, and they have the song “April 29th, 1992.” But I think in the actual version, he says “April 26th.” We’re going to have to check the tape, but I think the name of the song is different than the words he says. But again, this could be like a pseudo-Mandela effect, where you thought it was one way, but it’s something we should listen to after this interview for sure.

GW: So is it the “Berensteen” or “Berenstain” bears?

KW: Huh? Oh! Mandela. See, I never knew that book anyway, like I had Green Eggs and Ham. That was my Dr. Seuss book, but exactly.

GW: I don’t think any rational person could argue we’re just coming out of the two worst years in modern music history. Walk us through what the pandemic was like for you. The first couple of weeks, the uncertainty throughout, how you stayed productive, whatever you feel comfortable sharing.

KW: Well, this was fantastic, because we are the last, I think, band that was able to tour. Our 2020 tour ended on March 9th, and then we got shut down on March 16th, so when it got shut down, we thought “Wait, this is sick. We don’t have to do anything right now. We can just hang out. We had no idea how long it would go, but at the moment, it didn’t really affect us personally. I was like “I’m home, I’m happy I get to be home.” We just did a winter tour and those are never easy. So I was ok, but watching the world unfold from home was a lot different than how we usually watch the world unfold, which is on the road. But currently, to tell you the truth, the only thing about the shutdown and the whole Covid thing that hurt was how many people died. That was the worst part, but everything else for me felt like a much-needed break that we would have never given ourselves. Period. And I think a lot of people wouldn’t have given themselves that break. They were forced into taking time to reflect inward at that moment, and that was something I really cherish to this day, but we’ve lost family members to Covid, and that is the hardest, most horrific part of what had to happen.

BB: That summed it up. Hopefully you used that time wisely, a lot of people didn’t. I didn’t the first half, I was just really sad and like “What’s happening?” I was watching it from far away.

KW: Yeah, you we’re in Spain?

BB: Yup. It was weird for everybody, and being far away was kind of weird, and people asking “Are you ok? Is your country ok?” Because besides Covid, you had George Floyd going on, you had the Capitol, like literally democracy being ripped away, and it’s still resonating heavily in different ways, but I think we’re going to get a lid on it, hopefully, and turn it around - and it’s going to start with music!

KW: God, I love you!

GW: So how do you think the pandemic changed music forever?

YW: Wow. That is a hell of a question. Well, first of all, music is an ever-evolving type of thing because it’s just this type of magic thing that is all around us all the time. If anything, it’s maybe built up some pressure of release, so I think it’s going to add to a renaissance of new music because so many people have been hunkered away and are just creating and going inward like Kaleo was saying, and I think we’re on the brink of real burst of inspiration.

GW: Speaking of bursts of musical inspiration, what’s new with with LAW Records?

YW: Law. Law! Nah, Law’s doing so good right now. We’re so stoked, we got I think four, five artists on this festival including us, we have Cydeways, just came out with a new record, we got Tunnel Vision, just came out with new music, Vana Liya came out with her new record that Johnny Cosmic produced, we’re working on new music, we can’t forget Joe Samba, just released some new music, so you talk about all that inspiration that I was just referring to and we’re trying to really, broadcast as much as we can with the label, because that’s why we started it. We started going on tour so much and realizing there were so many rad bands that we would run into and we were like “Fuck!” people gotta hear this shit, so yeah, we’re as busy as ever and I think we’re making the most of our time with the label. I think for so long it was like “Ok, so we have a label, but how are going to step it up and make it like it’s a real functioning label” but I think you can finally say that we’ve reached that point. We’re stoked, definitely, law-records.com, check out all the artists on there, there’s always so much on there. Oh! And we actually started a new thing. We’re re-issuing old records pressed on vinyl that haven’t been pressed in forever,

BB: Classic albums!

YW: We have Steel Pulse - Earth Crisis and True Democracy that we’re dropping limited, about 2,000 pieces of vinyl, we have Jimmy Cliff, and we’re doing a whole re-issue cataglogue that we’re getting started with Law records as well. And then, during the pandemic, a huge thing that we did with not just us, but the label was The House That Bradley Built, which was Law Records partnering up with the Nowell Family Foundation, Brad’s foundation, we got pretty much every band you could think of to cover Sublime songs, we put it out to the label and donated all the money to the Nowell foundation. That’s going toward building a rehab foundation called Bradley’s House” that we’re working toward with The House That Bradley Built and the Nowell foundation, so that was a huge thing.

BB: And that was an equal collaboration.

YW: Yeah! And I don’t think we would have had the time to do something like that if it weren’t for all the time off during the pandemic, so all the suffering and the heartache that came with it, the other side of it was being able to have things come to life that wouldn’t have if it weren’t for the time.

GW: I agree with you that our genre finds a way to come together, and I think everyone’s noticing that over the last few years we’re seeing a lot of artists coming together to work on things like song features or multi-artist albums too like we saw with The House That Bradley Built. What do you think that really says about reggae as a community?

KW: You know, we find ourselves now in a situation now where the genre is more popular than it’s ever been in America. I remember with these guys, when we moved over here, no one was into it like they were in the mid-90’s with Sublime and stuff, so everyone was already moving onto a different music scene like Fall Out Boy and Panic at the Disco, so there were basically just a couple of bands out there who really were holding the flag for this like Slightly Stoopid, us, Chapter 11, Bargain Music, and so what we’re seeing now and why we get to collaborate is because there’s more people involved in it. Going back to what Ye said about republishing these vinyls and from what Bret said, they’re our heroes, is now we have the opportunity to bring Jamaican reggae, the original origin of all of this, and we get to bring it up further and help that as well. So my favorite thing about how big the American genre is, is that it’s going to help Jamaican reggae have a bigger spotlight on it, and again, this is where that music is from, you know? We are so big into all kinds of genres, but this particular US reggae scene, I mean it’s all on the backs of Jamaican origin and we’re so excited to now see it this big and now it can help more people around the world. Reggae music is freedom music, and so everywhere around the world has their own reggae. Whether is’s Spain, whether its Costa Rica, whether it’s Argentina, whether it’s Canada, Germany, you remember Seeed? This is a powerful reminder of how amazing this music is that really started in the middle of the Caribbean sea.

GW So what’s next for Pepper, Law, Kaleo, Bret, Ye, anything you’re working on.

KW: Lots of plugs. Ye? Plugs? Law-Records.com, anything coming up?

YW: Our wine (The Kona Town Red Blend) everyone go check out our wine, which comes from near here, actually, in central California, Paso Robles, but mainly all the music we got coming out and all the music that’s recently come out through the label, and just the scene in general like you said, it’s such a collaborative scene, and we’re such a family here. It’s not just about the Pepper Ohana, it’s the Ohana of the whole scene in general, so everyone’s just gotta go check it out. And the whole collaborative thing, like Kaleo was saying, I mean you talk about Jamaican music back in the day, and they all used to sing over the same riddims and make their own songs over the same riddims, and that’s like the ultimate version of collaborating ever because they’re like “fuck it! We’re all going to use the same riddims and do our own thing with it and now we’ll have like six different versions of this epic riddim.” So it’s really a branch of that tree coming to fruition that’s coming together with the Cali Roots scene and the American reggae scene.

BB: What do you got going on this summer?

YW: Ah. Plug it in, plug it in! And of course, we’re going on tour with our brothers Slightly Stoopid, Common Kings, and Fortunate Youth for the Summer Traditions 2022 tour which is three years in the making. It’s like Kaleo said, us and Stoopid started touring together in 2001-02 or something and we’re so stoked. 20 years later and we’re doing it again.

BB: It’s a lot of make-up sex, musically.

YW: Yes, a lot of make-up sex music.

BB: Like Ye said, a lot of make-up sex, musically. So there’s that, the record, the wine, a lot of cool projects on that LAW records that are on the docket, and of course, there’s new Pepper music in the works too, which is very nice and very fun. I can’t believe it, it feels like 10 years since the last time we released new music. Thanks to the old, what do you call it? The Marvel infinity gauntlet snap of the last few years, the blip or whatever? We kinda got our own little blip. We got Thanos-ed in the Anos.

GW: I can’t wait for it. So you’ve been playing music since before I was old enough to listen to music. You’ve given countless interviews, but what’s a question you’ve never been asked on the record?

KW: I have to really put some thought into this. You know what, I got one. “What was it like growing up in a place in Hawaii where everyone was so good at music but us?” That’s probably the one question we’ve never gotten because they’re all so good in Hawaii except for us, that’s why we left, so we were able to come over here, but in Hawaii, you’re going to hear the best voices, the best playing, just on the porch, the lanai. Just hanging out. I mean, The Green, Common Kings, which are like my favorite band right now,

BB: It’s generational music, which hurts so much to hear you say it right now, but it’s a good question that you’ve just been asked to ask yourself, and it’s violently accurate. I remember Natty Vibes, Natural Vibrations, who played today, they were the biggest thing for a while out of Oahu and we were kind of making our name on the big island and they were happy to be coming over to the big island to play and they were playing the same night as we were doing a concert, and after their concert was done they came over and jumped up with us and started doing some music and we instantly fell in love with them. They were so nice and cool.

KW: And good.

BB: Yeah, and we started playing with them and we look over and were like “What is happening?” and they were like “We’re playing properly.” and we were like “Ooooh!” The voices-

KW: The tuning!

BB: - They knew all the lyrics! It was so wild.

KW: And their harmonies! They were effortless! They weren’t even trying, they were just singing, so that’s the kind of talent I’m talking about.

BB: We never got that. But you know what we got? We got-

KW: You know what we got? We got this. We got each other. And the three of us have been the same members of this band ever since we started in Bret’s garage, or Yesod’s extra spare room, and that brotherhood is something I can not overlook because these guys have to know how beautiful this relationship is, and I get to be a part of them. That to me is what we have.

YW: And that’s definitely a question that has never been asked. So fucking, there you go!

From humble beginnings growing up in Washington, D.C. to touring the world and spreading her inspirational message through her introspective Lyrics, Assata Perkins has built her career by looking deep into herself and turning her own vulnerability into art as Sa-Roc. Her recent album, The Sharecropper's Daughter, was no exception as it took listeners on a journey of the past influencing the present while reflecting her life experiences authentically and without obscuring her own truth.

Grateful Web had an opportunity to speak with Sa-Roc after this year's Cali Roots festival to talk with them about her admiration for the reggae community, actions she is taking to make our world a better place, and the shows she is looking forward to performing in the near future.

GW: Why do you think rap and hip hop played so well to reggae fans at Cali Roots this year? What was that experience like playing that show in Monterey to a group of mostly reggae fans?

Sa-Roc: Rap and reggae, especially dub and dancehall, have always played well together. A lot of hiphop in the 80s and early 90s fused sounds, riddims, and chanting styles from reggae into the music, partly because so many early hip hop artists in NY had a Caribbean background and also because the heavy bass lines of reggae just meld so seamlessly with the hard drums of Hip Hop music.

It was really dope playing at the Cali Roots reggae festival. I think the positive, feel-good vibes that we know and love reggae for are definitely present in my music as well. So I think I was just a good fit. I feel like everyone there was ready to let the weight of the world go and just be present in a space of joy. And I loved taking part in creating that atmosphere. 

GW: I don’t think any rational person could argue we’re just coming out of the two worst years in modern music history. Walk us through what the pandemic was like for you. The first couple of weeks, the uncertainty throughout, how you stayed productive, whatever you feel comfortable sharing.

SR: It was definitely a rough time for me at first because everything abruptly stopped. I was scheduled to tour Europe the week everything shut down, and I didn’t realize how intricately my sense of purpose and well-being was tied into performing until I wasn’t doing it anymore. The sense of fear and uncertainty that everyone felt was very present for me and it took me about a month to re-center and reconnect with myself. That took a lot of writing and meditation. After a while, I began getting offers to do online performances and interviews and that helped me to stay productive and engaged with the global music community.

GW: How do you think the pandemic changed music?

SR: I feel like there were a lot more artists speaking from the heart space, as many of us were processing our emotional journeys through the music. There was seemingly no place else to go but vulnerability since we were forced to confront ourselves outside of our artist persona and be at peace with what we found. And the outcome of that personal confrontation was often reflected in the music coming out during that time. 
I also think a lot of artists became super innovative in the ways that they presented their music in the virtual world, and that was really inspiring to me creatively.

GW: What was the first show you played after the lockdowns? What was that feeling like?

SR: I honestly can’t remember the show, just the feeling.  It was sheer FREEDOM. The ability to move, emote, revel,  and connect with the audience over music—my primary vehicle for healing, was joyful and emotionally liberating.

GW: Any charities and/or activist groups you are working with right now you would like to mention?

SR: I just joined the artist roster of an organization called IMAN that partners with artists to create programming and workshops to engage with communities on a deeper level in order to drive justice initiatives and enact social change. They do really amazing work around prison reform and healthcare underserved in communities. I’ve worked with them off and on throughout the years and I’m proud to have officially joined the artist roster.

GW: What are you reading right now?

SR: I’m actually re-reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

GW: What's next for Sa-Roc?

SR: I’m about to hunker down and finish my album. I have a little break in between shows after this weekend and I’ll be in pure creative mode. It’s go time.  I’m usually so inspired after shows because I can get a sense for what the audience responds to and what they’re most engaged with. 

GW: What can your fans expect at your upcoming Chicago show at City Winery?

SR: Energy! Definitely lots of energy but also a lot of creative interpretations of The Sharecropper’ Daughter album and just really a heart-to-heart connection with the people there. Because it’s a sit-down experience, it allows the interaction to be a lot more intimate and personal. But there’ll be plenty of that fire that my supporters know me for!

Ladies and gentlemen, family and friends, brothers and sisters, we are finally back. After a two year-too long forced hiatus, the biggest festival in American reggae, Cali Roots, returned to the Monterey Fairgrounds for their eleventh and biggest year yet. To make up for lost time, a fourth day was added to the festivities as the long Memorial Day weekend extended to Thursday. Over the days, the artists gave almost superhuman performances to a crowd that showed just as much fortitude in supporting each artist like it was the first and last show they would ever go to. Before the first band took the stage, festival organizer and modern Reggae’s surrogate father, Dan Sheehan, took the microphone to say a few words. “It’s been a wild ass two years.” He exclaimed. Over the next four days, Monterey would show just how much it had missed its beloved festival and not let one minute go by without making this known.

When it came time for Fortunate Youth to take the Bowl stage, frontman Dan Kelly sauntered onstage shoeless, sporting his usual flannel and fedora aesthetic, ceremoniously smoking a joint and holding a beer.  “So many beautiful faces out there, good to see ya. Cali Roots, how we feeling?” He projected as the band began their set with “Peace Love and Unity.” The band’s Hermosa Beach legacy manifested through Kelly’s vocals, while calming in their demeanor, still retained the earthy and screaming quality consistent with the punk influence of so many of the punk bands to come out of Los Angeles’ South Bay. Their setlist, which was flushed with hits, played almost every fan-favorite from “Pass the Herb” to “Good Times (Roll On)” to “So Rebel,” had only one notable omission, “Sweet Love,” a single from their debut album, which the band retired last year after Dan Kelly proposed to his now fiance during the piece a year prior. The set ended with the crowd as energized as they were at the beginning of the piece as they sang along to “Burn One” eager to shout “We gonna roll one up, roll one up” as many times as they could.

An act very familiar to the Cali Roots family, Jesse Royal has seen his career grow with the festival over the last several years. From his early days with the festival many fans will recall his energetic sets on the pop-up stage years ago, he has developed into one of the biggest acts out of Jamaica and drew an immense crowd to his performance on the Cali Roots stage. Embracing his success in America, he walked onstage wearing a custom camo Los Angeles Dodgers cap, the word “Royal” embroidered on the right-hand side. He began his set with a recent hit, “High Tide or Low,” calmly dancing onstage to a heavy bass beat and sold the crowd on the lyrics “High tide or low, I’ll never let Jah go.” A set that showcased his evolution as an artist and focused on his newer hits, he did take the time to turn back the clock late in his set and played one of the hits from his earlier days “Modern Day Judas.” He ended his performance with an homage to the collaborative “Cali Roots Riddim” album and closed with his contribution to the record “Ooh La La.”

For so many of us who make the pilgrimage to Monterey every Memorial Day weekend, Cali Roots feels like a religious experience, but there was one moment that made this sentiment feel quite literal late in the festival’s inaugural day. Members of the Esselen Native American Tribe came to the Bowl stage as the sun began to set to hold the festival’s opening ceremonies and to bless the grounds. A service which consisted of speeches, music, and prayer, they set a somber and reflective tone for the rest of the weekend. In attendance, Mayor emeritus Mary Ann Carbone, proud member of the Esselen tribe, joined in the service, her presence a gleaming reminder of the strong leadership within the community.

Reggae royalty Stephen Marley closed out the Cali Roots stage for the night. Walking up onstage to perform in front of a gold lion head, Stephen Marley took center stage to close out the first day on the Cali Roots stage, loudly proclaiming “Family, what’s good?” As he started his set off with the Bob Marley cover “Punky Reggae Party.” His set contained a good mix of his own songs and pieces from his family’s reporour, covering other songs from his father including “Three Little Birds,” “Get up, Stand Up,” and “Jamming” while still performing many of his originals such as “Iron Bars,” “Break Us Apart,” and “Hey Baby.” The energy for the majority of the show was mellow, but focused. He ended with a passionate and empowering claim, “We have to protect our children. No politician, no government can protect our children. We have to protect our children.” before ending his set with an acoustic cover of his father’s anthem “Babylon System.”

Ending the day at the Bowl stage, headliners Dirty Heads performed their blend of reggae and hip hop behind heavy bass and ominously dark and heavy lights. Opening with their loud and danceable single that should have been the anthem of the 2020 summer, “Bum Bum” got the audiences’ hands up in the air from the first note. They progressively brought the tempo down throughout their next few songs “Burn Slow,” “Mad At It,” and “My Sweet Summer” before playing the single as close to a true ballad as they will ever write “All I need.” “What a fucking vibe” singer Jared Watson at one point proclaimed in an emotional moment. “We played the first Cali Roots ever on the little stage of the grass right there for like 500 people, maybe a thousand people, and to watch it grow… Thank you.” Before playing an unreleased song from their upcoming album with the help of Common Kings frontman, Junior King, the other members of Common Kings dancing on stage behind him. A set that played almost every one of their hits from “Medusa” to “Sloth’s Revenge” and even “Oxygen,” the band ended on a fitting note with “Vacation.” The lyrics “I'm on vacation every single day ‘cause I love my occupation” an understatement when held up to how much fun the band members clearly had on stage every night. As the masses left the fairgrounds, the seal was cracked and not a person could help but feel excited for the next three days of Cali Roots left to come.

Check out more photos from Day 1 at Cali Roots 2022.

As fans came to the Monterey Fairgrounds for the second day of the California Roots Festival, it had a day-one energy to it. Some were still recovering from the extra day the festival had been given the day prior, and some filtered in throughout the day as they got off of work for the weekend, but all were excited for what the second day had in store for them.

Appropriately enough, hailing from Santa Cruz, just an hour up the road, The Expendables were the first band of the day to truly pack the bowl stage with thousands in attendance filling in as far as the eye could see. From the first notes of “Down Down Down” the audience could tell they were in for an upbeat and unforgettable show. The band was as animated as could be from “Sacrifice” to “Ganja Smugglin’” and kept their flow from beginning to end. Friend of The Expendables, Cali Roots, and the entire state of California, Dan Kelly of Fortunate Youth, joined the band onstage to help end their set with “Bowl for Two.” Kelly was far from the only one singing along with the band as the whole audience as the entire crowd joined in to sing the lyrics “I packed this bowl for two, and I want to share it with you.”

In organizing a music festival, there is almost never a day where issues don’t arise, but how those in charge are able to overcome these complications are what define their reputation. At the last minute, Jamaican superstar Cronixx was forced to bow out of his performance due to travel complications. With limited time to find a comparable replacement, Dan Sheehan and company asked Bermudia’s Collie Buddz to step in and play an extra show on Friday in addition to his already billed performance set for the next day. The crowd didn’t seem to mind, but rather embraced this additional performance with as much enthusiasm as they had any artist onstage that day. Collie Buddz’s legacy is as intertwined with Cali Roots’ as anyone’s but one of his greatest contributions, the 2020 collaboration he pioneered, “Cali Roots Riddim” was given it’s first opportunity to present itself on full display in front of a live audience. Collecting almost two dozen Cali Roots veteran acts to write their own lyrics to a beat he created, the album reminded fans of just how synonymous Cali Roots is with the reggae community. Several artists took this as their opportunity to perform their songs off the album for the first time in front of a crowd at the Monterey Fairgrounds, but Collie’s rendition of “Hold Firm,” his single from the album, was powerful to finally hear out loud.

Cali Roots has always had a tradition of including many hip hop artists in their lineup, but Midwest duo Atmosphere has arguably the longest-standing relationship in the genre with the Cali Roots family, playing countless shows at the Cali Roots festival and it’s affiliated spin-offs. Vocalist Slug’s charisma carried the show from the minute his feet touched the stage, walking on flashing the peace sign on his way up and holding it throughout much of his set. In a show that was equally curated for lifelong fans as well as first time listeners, the setlist consisted of the most popular hits including “The Best Day,” “Sunshine,” and “God Loves Ugly” as well as many heartfelt words and thank you’s to the audience.

Closing out the Cali roots stage for the day, one of the most anticipated acts of the weekend, Pepper, took the stage for a truly memorable and heartfelt performance. The set was rousing with no glaring setlist omissions from their new or old discography, fans sang along to every song from “B.O.O.T.” to “Ashes” throughout the whole show. Fans of the band know that the heart of their music comes from the friendship between Kaley, Brett, and Ye, but on this day they welcomed a new member to the family. Midway through the show, Kaleo introduced a new member of the Pepper Ohana, Jeff Nisen, who had been contributing to the show on a raised platform next to Ye, playing guitar and keys all show long. The last few minutes of Pepper’s set felt a little like the vibe at a Wu-Tang concert, following the mantra of bringing everyone they could up onstage. During “Warning” members of a plethora of bands to play the festival performed verses to help close out the show including Dirty Heads, The Elovaters, Kash’d Out, Tunnel Vision, Fortunate Youth, and many more joined Pepper onstage to all sing a verse or pick up an instrument. The set ended on a sobering note. Fans of reggae all mourned the passing of Andy Chaves, the frontman of Katastro, in the days leading up to Cali Roots. In tribute, Pepper ended their set with a video montage of Chaves’ life set to his music while the artists and audience watched in reverence of a man who had impacted them all on such a profound level.

Longtime in-house headliner for Cali Roots, Rebelution, closed day two on the Bowl stage. Having headlined every Cali Roots since 2016 and several years before that, the band has been a pillar of the Cali Roots family and seen their careers grow with the festivals in front of the fans they share. Taking the stage to start with “Count Me In” the floor belonged to Eric Rachmany and company as they spun a new twist on a familiar set. A man of few words, Rachmany wasted no time on extravagant speeches or heartfelt audience addresses, he gave plenty of time to fill the set with every hit and single including “Celebrate,” Feeling Alright,” and “Fade Away” but he did have some words for the audience claiming during Pretty Lady “I love this festival because it mixes the modern, reggae American scene with the legends of reggae music.” In a set that gave every member of the band their moment in the limelight, the solos performed by saxophonist Eric Hirschhorn defined the enthusiasm of the show. Effortlessly moving his 10 pounds of brass with him while he danced around the stage embodied not just the mood of their set, but of the whole festival. Rebelution ended the night on an optimistic note with “Sky Is the Limit,” taking a while to bow and thank the crowd after their performance. As the crowd left the fairgrounds they could only feel encouraged that there was still half the festival left to go.

Check out more photos from Day 2 at Cali Roots 2022.

Day three of Cali Roots drew possibly the biggest crowd in the festival’s history. The masses served as a reminder to all of the community that had been missed so dearly over the last several years. In so many ways, it felt almost like a family reunion with friends in the reggae community we haven’t seen in far too long. With half the festival having passed, the best was still yet to come as Day three held some of the best surprises of the weekend.

Mid-Atlantic Dub superstars Bumpin Uglies played an early set on the Bowl stage, drawing a bigger crowd than most would expect at the hour. Lead singer Brandon Hardesty’s presence was confident as he led the set with his clean baritone vocals. Bassist Dave Wolf’s occasional earthy vocals complemented Hardesty’s throughout the set. At times screaming into the microphone like a metal singer, it punctuated songs such as “Radio” with his enthusiasm and passion. The set played like a big brother reading bedtime stories to a younger sibling. So rarely do audiences hang on every word the way they do with Bumpin Uglies’ music. Songs like “Locust Avenue,” and “All in Stride” left fans hanging on their every word as they spun almost Dylan-esque stories and brought everyone on a journey with their words.

Hailing all the way from Saint Étienne, France, Dub Inc made Cali Roots history by playing their first show in California in their 25 year tenure. Tandem vocalists Bouchkour Meridja and Komlan Zohou took to the stage with as much excitement as the crowd dancing around the stage the whole show. I would venture a guess that the audience in Monterey that day was comprised overwhelmingly of non-French speakers, however, none of that seemed to stop anyone from enjoying the show as much as any other set of the weekend. Thousands of fans’ hands stayed in the air for the whole show as they enjoyed an immersive experience as the band treated them to a full setlist of their repertoire including their anthem “Tout ce qu’ils veulent.”

Back for his second performance of the weekend, Collie Buddz took to the Bowl stage for a highly anticipated show to the biggest stage in reggae. Opening with his hit “Good Life” he quickly got the crowd on their feet for a full set that also included “Lovely Day,” “Come Around,” and “Legal Now.” Almost all artists who play a stage at Cali Roots talk about their appreciation for the audience during their sets, but Collie showed it in a big way. Toward the end of his show, he revealed that he kept with a tradition he started the previous Cali Roots and bought 1,000 pizzas to feed the masses in Monterey. Performers including Stick Figure’s KBong and Rebelution’s Marley D. Williams walked down the aisles with stacks of Domino’s boxes, distributing them to the crowd. In keeping with his generous spirit, Collie even fired a T-shirt cannon into the crowd a couple of times before continuing to sing. “I’m going to have to talk to Dan Sheehan about changing the name of this festival to “Collie Roots”” He joked while ending his set with “Blind to You.”

Stick Figure drew possibly the biggest audience of the entire festival as the audience at the Bowl stage reached back to the entrance to the campgrounds at the back of the fairgrounds. As always, Cocoa the Tour Dog was the first to take the stage as Scott Woodruff and the rest of the musicians followed her lead to start the show with their song “Paradise.” The group hit choppy waters early in the set as Woodruff’s in-ear stopped working during “Fire on the Horizon” and had to pause the show to let his crew fix the issue. The crowd took advantage of the opportunity and chanted “Cocoa” until the technical issues were fixed and the rest of the show was able to resume without a hitch. The setlist largely consisted of music from Stick Figures newer albums, but made sure to invite a few friends for a little help performing some of the earlier songs that helped define them early on. Longtime staple TJ O’Neill as always joined in onstage to perform his solo during “Weight of Sound.” Collie Buddz also returned to the stage making sure everyone in attendance had the chance to see him perform to join in for his contribution to “Smokin’ Love.”

Headlining Saturday night, San Diego reggae legends Slightly Stoopid closed out the Bowl stage for the evening. As a sign of respect, Stick Figure’s Cocoa the Tour Dog was sent onstage to join the band just before the show began, but was quickly scared offstage by the sudden burst from the fog cannons that accompanied the first note of the set. Starting the show with “Bandelero” the rhythmic bass and mood-elevating vibe set the tone for the rest of the evening. The talented multi-instrumentalists they are, frontmen Miles Doughty and Kyle McDonald switched their guitar and bass between each other several times throughout the set. Doughty, ever appreciative of the welcoming nature of the audience, took a moment to address the insanity of the crowd’s energy midway through the show claiming “It’s like bringing out the fucking whole rodeo here every time.” A band that has been known for decades as one of the most collaborative acts in the genre, several members of different bands joined in onstage to perform including Stick Figure’s Scott Woodruff for “Too Late” and Marlon Asher to help the band cover his own song “Ganja Farmer.” Stoopid closed out their set by inviting Cali Roots alumnus Chali 2na of Jurassic 5 to the stage to end the night with a cover of 50 Cent’s P.I.M.P. The audience left with full hearts that evening, anticipating one last day of the festival come the morning.

Check out more photos from Day 3 at Cali Roots 2022.

As the sun rose over Monterey, the final day of the festival we had all waited the last three years for felt bittersweet. The anticipation was more than lived up to as the artists we have all come to know and love played with the crowd of 10,000 singing every lyric to every song behind them. Day four was packed with reggae legends and royalty both new and old as the last day of the longest Cali Roots to date sent Monterey home in style.

Durand Jones & The Indications brought the soul to the last day of the festival. Opening with a funky vibe, the band began their show with “Love Will Work It Out.” Jones brought his Louisiana hospitality to the festival and early on in the set made it clear that everyone was a welcome guest in his presence. One of the most human moments came during the set when a member of the audience collapsed during the show. Jones immediately stopped the show pleading “Can we get some medical attention?” A concerned look occupied his face while he waited for the festival’s medical staff to address the situation and resumed once he was assured everyone was safe. Ending his set on a positive note, he closed the show with a new hit from 2021, “Witchoo.”

One of the most anticipated acts of the weekend, Hawaii-born, California-bred Common Kings brought the island vibe to the Bowl stage in the mid-afternoon. Bouncing out to start their set with “Do My Thing” Frontman Junior King sprung onto the stage waving his hands and the audience mimicked his motions without a second thought. The set featured one notable debut, the first live performance of their contribution to the album “Cali Roots Riddim,” “There I Go.” Which joined a multitude of tracks from the album to have the opportunity to finally be played on the Bowl or Cali Roots stages. Junior King took a moment to shout out the recent passing of Katastro’s Andy Chaves who as he put it was “watching over us” before playing “24/7” as many artists this weekend felt so compelled to do. The band ended with an electric rendition of one of the singles that defined them early in their project “No Other Love” as an ecstatic light show played behind them. Junior King announced the band before the band played a lively instrumental euphony to the audience, taking their extended bows on their way out.

The theme of blending the new and the old was a common point of discussion throughout the whole weekend both between the attendees and the artists who spoke to the crowd, but Sublime with Rome’s long awaited first presence at the festival was a literal embodiment of this message to its core. In a set that paid respect to Sublime’s legacy, singer Rome Ramerez masterfully took the reins and opened the set with “April 29, 1992 (Miami)” and led straight into “Smoke Two Joints.” The band played a select few of their original music, opting to play a few of their songs written since Ramerez joined the band including “Panic,” “Blackout,” and “Light On.” Many of the original Sublime songs were still represented in the setlist including “What I Got,” “Badfish,” and “Same in the End.” The band ended on a calmer note, finishing their Cali Roots debut with “Santeria.”

The last hip hop artist of the weekend and one of the most prolific legends in rap history, Ice Cube, took the stage as the sun began to set over the Bay. Hardly an act throughout the whole weekend didn’t bring another artist onstage with them and this was no exception. Accompanying Ice Cube onstage was fellow LA rapper WC who backed up the lyrics throughout the whole set. It seemed appropriate that the first word of his first song was “California'' as he opened with “That New Funkadelic'' as smoke wafted from the audience. As if he weren’t fully aware he was back home in California, he waved the West Side “W” with his hands periodically throughout the set. He took a moment to address how out of place he felt on the Cali Roots lineup and fans’ surprise at his comeback to the stage stating “Ice Cube? Can he still rap?...But let me tell you something. I started this gangsta shit.” Before performing “Check Yo Self” to call out the fairweather fans who still might doubt he still has his music in him. While most of the work was from his solo repertoire, he worked some NWA into the mix performing “Gangsta Gangsta” and “Straight Outta Compton.” Ice cube cemented an unforgettable set with an acknowledgement of his show and the day in general, ending his show with a song with a message everyone could get behind, “It Was a Good Day.”

The last show of the festival bridged the gap between where reggae started and where it is now. His eminence himself Damian Marley brought down the house with an hour and a half of his own original music and a select few covers from his father, Bob. Marley started the set with his piece “Nail Pon Cross” dancing with such enthusiasm that he erroneously smacked himself in the face with one of his dreadlocks early in his set. His show relied entirely on his own original songs through the first half and beyond, defining his own identity through the music he has created, however, in a moment of family unity, he covered his brother, Stephen Marley’s song “The Mission” halfway through the show. His show had only a short few songs originally performed by his father, including “War,” “Is This Love,” and “Could You Be Loved” which the audience all sang along to with passion. To end the set and the festival, Marley played arguably the most popular song ever written by a Marley not named Bob, “Welcome to Jamrock.” With that, Cali Roots came to a close. Festival organizer took to the stage after the last song to address the audience, remarking on the extended four day festival joking “Next year, we’re going to do eight days!” We can only hope there was some kernel of truth to that, but in the meantime hang onto the silver lining that we only have to wait a third of the time for the next Cali Roots that we had to wait for this one.

Check out more photos from Day 4 at Cali Roots 2022.

While the distance between this and the last Outside Lands was the shortest in the history of the festival, last year’s dates were moved from August to October due to the pandemic, anticipation from the fans was not lacking as crowds showed up early and enthusiastically to Golden Gate Park Friday morning. The return of San Francisco’s end of Summer classic brought a sense of unity to the city as everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief that the community and the world was returning to a more comfortable pace.

With change being a common theme in the structure of Outside Lands since returning from its pandemic hiatus, a change in the landscape of the artistic mediums on display was not off the table. In place of the Barbary Coast tent which had played host to various comedians giving them a platform to perform their stand-up routines, the SOMA Tent was erected in it’s place, giving an indoor arena and a more rave-like ambiance for some of the festival’s EDM artists. Highlighting the shows in the tent, West African-born DJ AMÉMÉ drew a sizable crowd to his Friday afternoon set. Taking full advantage of the new platform, his performance included every element of a typical electronic set, and accompaniment from a light show that would have been otherwise impossible during an outdoor set at 2pm.

Hometown shows are always a special experience for artists and fans alike, but in the case of Santa Cruz native Oliver Tree, nothing was off the table for an Outside Lands set consisting of copious over-the-top dramatics and monologues consisting of about as much vulgarity as one would expect from a man who’s short goatee did not match the color of their blonde wig. Appropriately showing up “fashionably” late, he ran up to the mic, announcing “It feels so good to be back home in my hometown, San Francisco… I’m sorry I was late, I was in the back getting my hair nice for you motherfuckers” before starting his show. To keep his fans on their toes, before starting every song, the artist would say something to the effect of “this will be our last song” in a bit that somehow did not get old, rather funnier every time and disappointed everyone even more when the show was actually over. His costume changes highlighted the performance, stripping away layer after layer to reveal increasingly peculiar outfits, with Herb Alpert’s Spanish Flea playing during the costume changes requiring him to excuse himself from the stage to make. Highlighting his enthusiasm to perform in front of his hometown, in retelling a story of his doctor advising him to cut his tour short, he recalled the conversation ending with him proclaiming “Politely, go fuck yourself, I’m not missing this shit for nothing” to the crowd’s delight. In addressing the generational divide between him and his fans, before playing his song “Life Goes On” he shamelessly claimed “This next song was big on TikTok. For those of you who don’t know what TikTok is, it’s an app made for people ages one to four.”

One of the most humanizing moments of the festival came during Lil Uzi Vert's show in the way they dealt with a wrench being thrown into their performance regimen. In keeping with a troubling tradition of late with hip-hop artists performing at major festivals, a young member of the audience rushed onstage in an attempt to make contact with the artist. The rapper dealt with the situation with humility and a due amount of grace as they insisted on taking a picture with the crowd-jumper and giving him a hug before he was escorted away by security. As many have seen, this new trend has become commonplace for musicians within the genre at major festivals over the last few months, but objectively, if this kid is likely going to have charges filed against him for this act that will follow him for a long time, let him get a selfie out of it. Hats off to Lil Uzi Vert for their humanity.

Headlining on the Lands End stage, St. Louis born R&B star SZA ended the day with a soulful yet upbeat performance. Opening with her 2018 collaboration with Kendrick Lamar “All the Stars” standing atop an elaborate Lighthouse set. Opening up about the a fear being realized, the artist confided that she almost couldn’t perform after a nasty bout with Covid a week prior, but miraculously bounced back just in time for her show. Showing humanity in a well-meaning action that has rightfully so become somewhat of a tradition across live shows over the past year, SZA stopped the show halfway through to call attention to a fan who was in distress at the front barricade, not resuming her performance until she was safely taken across to the other side. Ending with a reflection on a collective release of anxiety from all, she expressed a thought she had frequently over the past few years stating “Where are my good days?... I’m talking aspirations… We’re all out there searching together.” before ending her show with her 2020 hit “Good Days.”

Check out more photos from Outside Lands here.

Day two of Outside Lands brought the biggest crowd of the weekend, and with that it gave a platform to a heavier genre, once thought to be a fad of the early 2000’s. From top to bottom, the day’s bill was packed with pop-punk artists new, old, and some bridging the gap in between, proving once and for all, pop punk’s not dead.

Starting the afternoon off on the Lands End stage, recent pop punk breakthrough artist Kennyhoopla gave his first of two sets of the day on the biggest stage in Golden Gate Park. He opened with one of his earlier hits, “lost cause//” but quickly brought the energy up with his second song “survivors guilt//” and kept the tempo up from there. Commanding the big stage throughout his show, he was quick to run around the stage playing every hit from “hollywood sucks//” to “turn back time//.” Toward the end of his set he expressed his gratitude to the audience claiming “This is my last festival of the summer. I’m glad I could be here.” He finished the set with one of the singles that helped him rise to fame and rejuvenate his genre over the past few years “estella//.” In a display of incredible work ethic and love for his craft, the artist also performed a second time that day as the sun began to set over the park on the Honda stage, this time to perform an hour-long set behind a DJ booth, but grabbing the microphone for one final song from his typical style of performance, “estella//” to close his second show the same way he did his first.

Borrowing from the belief the pop-punk is the genre we all need right now, the Emo Night collective sent a group to perform to the Panhandle stage Saturday afternoon. The group has become a staple amongst fans of the genre over the past few years, starting with a few musicians covering the music of the bands that frequented the likes of the Vans Warped Tour across the bars of Los Angeles to a Nationwide experiment giving shows on some of the biggest stages in music. The representatives from the group in attendance that day alternated between instruments and vocals depending on the songs covered which ranged from every Emo band imaginable from Paramore to Fall Out Boy. Walking off the stage giving some support to the artists on the day’s bill who inspired them, one member announced loudly into the microphone “We’ll see you at Green Day.”

North Shield’s UK breakthrough artist of the year Sam Fender gave a performance that left the crowd wondering if he might become the Bruce Springsteen of his generation, opening with “Will We Talk?” Playing that day not just for the first time at the Outside Lands festival, but his first time in San Francisco, he delivered a unique classic rock sound with a personal twist. The singer and guitarist was stranger to the peculiar name he was given at birth, claiming at one point “I know it sounds like a shit stage name, but my Dad was Alan Fender, my grandad’s name was Don Fender.” He gave a glimpse into some of his rawer and thrasher music while he played his recent hit “Howdon Aldi Death Queue” claiming half-joking before he began the piece “I wrote this song in five minutes and it’s completely fucking stupid. It’s about going to the grocery store during the pandemic.” He reigned in his angst by the end of the set, finishing his performance with an anthem with a tone befitting today’s music festival ambiance “Seventeen Going Under.”

The day ended much how it began, with a heavy representation from the pop-punk community on the Lands End stage. Headlining band Green Day capped off day, giving an absolutely flooring performance. There could hardly be a better headliner for the Outside Lands festival than Green Day. One of the greatest bands to come out of the Bay Area who’s music has spoken to audiences across generations, the Oakland legends drew a crowd that reminded them that they were in fact home. Starting their set early, Billy Joe Armstrong and company began their set with “American Idiot” and the crowd was theirs to command from there. Armstrong reminisced on his early days as a musician in the Bay Area, recalling a time they tried to play a show in San Francisco’s Dolores Park, but were denied by the police, before playing “Welcome to Paradise” which was ironically written about the East Bay. Their setlist throughout remained immaculate, playing a full catalog of songs published over the past four decades including “Brain Stew,” “Minority,” and “21 Guns” while paying homage along the way to some of their influences by covering Operation Ivy’s “Knowlege” and San Francisco legends Journey’s “Lights.” The penultimate song of their set, the band played all five movements of their nine-minute opus “Jesus of Suburbia” before Armstrong picked up an acoustic guitar to end the set with a song that has been played at every graduation since 1997, “Good Riddance (Time of your Life.)”

Check out more photos from Outside Lands here.

Day three of Outside Lands brought along with it a familiar bittersweet feeling. The artists spanned such an eclectic genre, it felt hard to pinpoint a coherent theme of the artists of the day, but in a way, that felt entirely symbolic of everything the city of San Francisco should stand for. The day brought music from every imaginable genre from hip hop, to hard rock, artists whose music has almost been dwarfed by their political movements, and even a well-welcomed Grateful Dead cover in Golden Gate Park.

Russian-born activists and musical movement Pussy Riot packed the Panhandle stage Sunday afternoon as frontwoman Nadya Tolokonnikova put on a stimulating show that utilized her platform to promote a plethora of causes to a city whose political climate aligns so well with her message. As Tolokonnikova approached the stage, she held up a “Free Brittney Griner” shirt and wore it for much of her show. Midway through the set, Tolokonnikova pulled her phone out to read a carefully crafted and impassioned speech defending abortion rights, stating “The bible does not say anything about abortion, it just says not to fuck sheep. If you’re guided by that book, good luck, fuck you” before punctuating the speech with her song “Hangerz.” Friend of Outside Lands Boyfriend got up on the Pandle stage for the first time since her 2019 performance at the festival to join Tolokonnikova for a few songs. In support of Ukraine, Tolokonnikova had some choice words for her native land’s leader exclaiming “The only thing Ukraine needs is for Putin to die” appropriately followed with their new single “HATEFUCK.” Tolokonnikova ended the show with some words we can all agree with: “Thank you so much, have a great day, get laid.”

A band with decades of experience and the fanbase to show for it, 90’s rock icons Weezer took the stage late in the day to open for the mainstage headliner. Clearly not having gotten the memo that barbershops have been reopened for some time, lead singer Rivers Cuomo took to the stage sporting a new beard with long hair, a clear distinction from his usual clean-shaven look as the band opened with their early heavy-hitting single “Hash Pipe.” Midway through their set, the group paid homage to one of the great bands to call the Bay Area home, Metallica, as they covered “Enter Sandman.” The covers were not limited to one genre, as they decided to bless the rains and cover Toto’s “Africa” as well. Ending their show with a familiar favorite from their Blue Album, the group finished with “Buddy Holly.”

Friends of the Hippie Community Mt. Joy proved that no matter how successful one becomes, there will always be dreams left to accomplish. Paying homage to Jerry Garcia and the Dead, not just in their hometown, but inches away from the Haight-Ashbury, the band took most of the second half of their set to improvise and jam to a cover of Grateful Dead’s “Fire on the Mountain.” After the long rendition, lead singer Matt Quinn, almost in shock, announced “Thank you guys for letting us fulfill the dream of playing a Grateful Dead song in San Francisco.” Their set was otherwise full of mellow hits, bookended by two of their biggest singles, opening with “Strangers” and closing with “Silver Lining.”

Headlining and closing out the festival, a star with as many chart-topping singles as face tattoos, Post Malone lit the stage up one final time. Walking on to start the show with “Wow” he proudly announced himself with his full name, Austin Richard Post. Midway through his show, Post was handed a guitar and joked to the audience “If you guys need to piss, now is the time to go because this is the most boring part of the show” before lighting a cigarette and playing “Stay” and “Go Flex” acoustically, later smashing his guitar onstage and passing the wood out to members of the audience. Expressing his gratitude to the audience, he made his appreciation clear as he stated “I’m the luckiest man and the most grateful man in the whole fucking universe.” before playing “White Iverson” Afterwhich, he joked “Someone just threw gum onstage. That’s a sign right there.” The show and night ended with a bang as fireworks ignited from the stage during the last song of the festival “Congratulations.” Post proceeded to send the festival off with some wise words about himself after his recent forced hiatus stating “It’s been a weird time for all of us… but beyond being a little chubbier, nothing's changed.”

Check out more photos from Outside Lands here.

In a summer that signified to many that large music festivals have truly come back, the first Friday of this year’s Austin City Limits festival marked the end of a successful summer across the board in live entertainment. The overcast in Austin that day could not put a damper on the crowd’s spirits as thousands upon thousands rushed in early to celebrate the first weekend of the most monumental musical occasion of the year in the Lone Star State.

Waking the city of Austin up early at the Tito’s stage, Thebrosfresh gave a set that embodied that of the Southern soul. Fronted by identical brothers Torrence and Thurman Thomas, and proudly claiming their hometown of Batton Rouge Lousiana, the group’s sound radiated a spirit of the deep south triumphantly through the grounds of Zilker Park. The group flowed through their set with grace and poise, their passion for their music emanating from them seeming to part the clouds themselves.

One of the first true Country artists to grace the American Express stage was Oklahoma’s own Navy veteran turned recording artist Zach Bryan. Walking out hilariously enough to the Home Depot theme song, Bryan and his accompanying band took the stage, setting the tone that they were there to get their work done. Bryan began his set with “Open the Gate,” a song he had released earlier this Summer. The dramatics were palpable from the first strums of his acoustic guitar echoing throughout the grounds. The fans conveyed their connection to the artist throughout the whole set, singing along passionately to every song. Bryant eventually leaned into this while performing “Heading South” leaning into the audience to say “it’s on y’all” as he stopped singing to let the audience sing the chorus for a few bars. From the start to the end, he retained his demeanor as a hometown boy, only taking breaks from his music to thank the audience or take sips from the Budweiser resting by his feet.

Taking the mainstage right as the sun began to set was Nathaniel Rateliff and the Nightsweats to send the audience off into the night with their own brand of American folk. As the band took the stage, Rateliff approached humbly dressed with an acoustic guitar and started the show with a song with a deep message about connection “I’m On Your Side.” Rateliff’s powerful vocals anchored the set, punctuating the horns section with every projection, while his gentlemanly demeanor displayed his reverence, constantly thanking the audience throughout the set for their dedication to his music throughout the years. The group ended with some classics and modern hits, playing “I Need Never Get Old” which lead into “S.O.B” before finally finishing their show with their recent percussion-driven anthem “Love Don’t.”

To end the night on a smoother note, R&B sensation SZA closed out the evening on the Honda stage. With arguably the most elaborate stage setup of the weekend, she began her performance atop a sunflower-encrusted lighthouse under violet lights of a deep tone to match the breadth of her vocal pallet. She started with her 2018 collaborative ballad with Kendrick Lamar, “All the Stars.” During her second song “Supermodel” she climbed down from her platform to the MainStage and joined her team of dancers for a truly spiritual performance. The rest of her set immaculately followed suit with a leveling set including “Broken Clocks,” “Drew Barrymore,” and a cover of Doja Cat’s “Kiss Me More.” Throwing everything to the wind, she left the crowd satisfied and ready for the rest of the weekend, closing the show with her provocative 2017 single “The Weekend.” The optimistic tone sending the house out eagre for more come the next day. 
 

Check out more photos from Austin City Limits Day One here.

The Texas sun beat down heavily for Day two of Austin City Limits, but nothing could stop the masses from flooding Zilker Park with high hopes for a stacked Saturday lineup. A diverse and eclectic bill of artists for the day, the list of artists had something for everyone and an array of genres that were far from what you would expect at a typical festival.

One of the first acts to hit the Honda stage was Adrian Quesada’s Boleros Psicodélicos. Quesada, the Grammy award-winning artist largely known for his contributions to Psychidellic soul band Black Pumas, has called Austin his home since his college days and facilitated a show that reflected his appreciation for the city. The show played less like a traditional band and more like storytime around the campfire, each featured vocalist coming up to the microphone with an opportunity to tell their story in their own voice. Quesada stood at the corner of the stage for most of his performance, so humble in his ability to allow other artists their chance in the limelight that one could hardly tell he was the star of the show. The Latin showcase highlighted the festival’s eclectic attitude and mission to highlight as many artists as had the talent to get on their stages.

Representing the pop-punk scene that has enjoyed a miraculous comeback over the past few years, Charlotte Sands gave a rousing midday performance on the BMI stage. She started the show with her most recently released single “Tantrum” and her energy only built from there with a style reminiscent of a young Avril Lavigne. Sands’ support for other artists on the bill was quite literally worn proudly, as she wore a shirt featuring the album cover from headliner P!nk’s 2001 album “M!ssundaztood.”  The artist told of how she was beyond excited to play Austin City Limits, exclaiming “I’ve wanted to play this festival since I was nine.” And later claiming “This is the only festival I’ve ever dreamed about playing.” Telling the audience she even called her father to tell him when she was booked to the gig. Her punk attitude was present throughout the show, toward the end claiming “God knows I’m going to get drunk after this. Or, drunker.” She ended her show on a personal note stating “If there’s one song I want you to remember me by, it’s this song.” Before ending the performance with “Dress.”

Commanding the biggest stage at the festival, rapper Lil Nas X made Zilker his home as he gave arguably the most theatric performance of the weekend. A show in three acts, the first, “Rebirth,” began with “Panini.” The artist walked onstage dressed as a gladiator with a team of backup dancers, stoic in his demeanor, until he ended the portion of the set with his breakthrough single “Old Town Road” which spliced in parts of Ginuwine’s “Pony.” Act two, “Transformation” began with his recent hit “DEAD RIGHT NOW” and the story built. The most coordinated act of the three, it featured the dancer’s talents, turning the stage into a platform for ballet. The flamboyance and showmanship of the set almost highlighting Austin’s place in Texas as their liberal oasis. Act three, “Becoming” ended the show with energy. Starting the act with “MONTERO (Call Me by Your Name)” with a electrifying passion. He gave credit to his dancers toward the end of his set, announcing them individually before ending the performance with “INDUSTRY BABY.”

Headlining Saturday night, P!nk gave a two-hour performance that truly reflected her career as a performer, spanning four decades. Starting the set off with a classic, she began with her 2001 anthem “Get the Party Started.” Her show left little to be desired, performing most of her recognizable discography including “What About Us,” “Just Give Me a Reason,” and “Raise Your Glass." Despite P!nk’s plethora of original hits, her set featured a handful of covers by artists she admired including “River” by Bishop Briggs, “Make You Feel My Love” by Bob Dylan, and “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen performed in its entirety. She paused to admire the child’s voice played during “Cover Me in Sunshine” later admitting that was her kid’s voiceover. Her set was marred only by the Texas wildlife which plagued the artist’s set, interrupting her performance when a bug flew into her mouth during “Try” and distracting her when a cockroach ran across the stage as she sat down to perform behind her piano. To end the show, the artist ran up and down the stage to “Blow Me (One Last Kiss)” before running offstage for a costume change. The theatrics of her encore beautifully capped off the night. She then strapped into a device and flew through the air, supported by a series of wires, and proceeded to end the show with “So What,” flying above the audience throughout the whole show. The audience joined P!nk as she literally and figuratively jumped for joy, leaving Zilker excited for one more day of festivities.

Check out more photos from Austin City Limits Day Two here.

The third day of Austin City Limits brought a lineup of heavy hitters to Zilker Park. With a stacked program of artists, some known throughout the decades, some up and coming, and a couple with something to prove, little was left to be desired as the festival was sent off in style.

Playing early in the day on the mainstage, Tennessee indie pop project Goth Babe performed to a packed crowd. As Griffin Washburn took the stage wearing overalls and a trucker hat, he started his set off with a smooth jam, beginning with “Moments / Tides.” Washburn expressed his gratitude to the audience that with the exception of the ACL-sanctioned after-hours show he had played just hours before, this was his first time performing on a stage in Texas. The set was full of pieces that reflected this passion for reaching a new frontier including “Colours,” “Casita,” and “Weekend friends.” Images of his Australian Shepheard, Sadie, regularly cycled through the screen onstage, a perfect symbol of the positive energy the musical act brought with their show.

A cornerstone of the late 2000s emo movement, pop-punk legends Paramore played a golden hour set to a tightly packed crowd on the American Express stage. This was just their fifth show since 2018, and the entire state of Texas seemed to turn out for the performance. The band took the stage followed by lead Singler Hailey Williams who sported her signature bright orange hair and copious energy, and began the show with a hit from their newest album “This is Why.” The band then went back in time to their album "Brand New Eyes" and cranked the voltage up, playing “Brick by Boring Brick” as the most pits opened. Their classic singles were everpresent in the set including “Ignorance,” “Ain’t It Fun,” and of course, “Misery Business.” Williams encouraged the audience to match her enthusiasm throughout the set and encouraged others to dance through the show, at one point saying “You’re going to take one look at me and you’re not going to feel self-conscious anymore.” Before she danced her way through “Caught in the Middle.” The band ended their set with an anthem to good times, their 2017 single “Hard Times.

Frontman of Mumford and Sons, Marcus Mumford, gave a solo performance on the T-Mobile stage as the sun set over the park. While many artists would try to use their solo tours to try and distance themselves from their previous projects and establish their own identity, Mumford leaned into his tenure with Mumford and Sons early in his set, opening his show with two songs from the project, “Awake My Soul” and “The Cave” respectively. Performing in the month following the release of his first solo album “(Self-Titled)” Mumford’s sentiments toward the project were clear. In discussing the album’s creation, he called it one of the most collaborative endeavors of his musical career. In the spirit of this sentiment, he shortly after invited fellow artist Danielle Ponder to the stage to perform alongside him while he performed “Grace.” From then out the set was mostly his own work, showing off his newest singles including “Better Angels,” “Prior Warning,” and “Dangerous Game.” Mumford ended the show with a few covers from another one of his projects, “The New Basement Tapes.” Finishing with “When I Get My Hands on You.” and “Kansas City.”

Headlining for the night and closing the festival out with electricity, the Red Hot Chili Peppers ended the festival in terrific fashion. Drummer Chad Smith’s drum kit was decorated with late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins’ logo and name proudly presented across the front in memorial to the artist. As the lights dimmed, Smith, John Frusciante, and Flea energetically rushed onstage to start the set with a five-minute introductory jam, afterwards frontman Anthony Kiedis took center stage and the band officially started their set with “Can’t Stop.” The reinstation of guitarist, Frusciante, was not lost on the audience or the band, as their setlist was notably omitting all songs penned in his absence, including all songs from “The Getaway” and “I’m With You.” Throughout the set Flea and Frusciante played facing each other constantly, almost symbolizing Flea anointing him back into the fold. One of the more moving moments of the show came during the performance of “Californication” which was played at a much slower tempo, allowing the depth of the song to truly sink in. The set was flushed with many of their classics including “Snow (Hey Oh),” “Soul to Squeeze,” and “Give It Away,” but made time for their newer music deciding to pick this venue to debut their new piece “Eddie” live for the first time. Despite ending more than a half hour earlier than billed, the band gave a memorable set by all accounts. Kiedis stated “Let’s do it again sometime” before the group walked offstage. The audience, however, was not willing to accept the end of the show and chanted for the group to return until they eventually obliged. Leading the pack, Flea walked across the stage on his hands as everyone took their posts and ended the festival with their 2002 hit “By The Way.” A fulfilling end to the weekend, fireworks were set off from the American Express Stage long after the final song as most of the crowd was on their way out as if to say “See you again next year.”

Check out more photos from Austin City Limits Day Three here.

Like jet fuel to kickstart the weekend in downtown San Francisco’s historic Warfield Theatre hall, Oklahoma Psychedelic sensation The Flaming Lips played a long-awaited show that seemed to echo through the generations. The much-anticipated show was finally able to commence, having been postponed from their original dates back in May after several members of the band had tested positive for Covid-19. The audience showed up with a passion reflecting this pent-up excitement, showing up early, excited, and dressed to the nines in various costumes. Before the show began, the lights dimmed and frontman Wayne Coyne’s voice intermittently blared through the loudspeaker as the voice of God announcing “ Five minutes… Three minutes… One minute until the show.” Finally, as the sound of a vacuum could be heard through the venue, an inflatable bubble appeared center stage. Coyne entered and the lights turned on as the band began their show with their 2009 hit “Sagittarius Silver Announcement.” After playing “Silver Trembling Hands” and “Do You Realize??” Coyne exited his bubble and immediately put on a Wonder Woman themed snuggie, claiming “I was kinda getting cold.”

Coyne took a moment to acknowledge the love lost over the pandemic, but his optimism that it may and has returned, stating “I say this every night… Covid is behind us. No more concerts being stopped… But now I feel like we have a new gratitude for the special, special thing that can only happen in concerts… Giving our joy to, giving out love to (Each other.)” Before encouraging the audience to pull their phones out, affectionately bark like dogs, and smile brighter than they ever thought possible during their next song “Enthusiasm for Life Defeats Existential Fear” a request the audience obliged without hesitation.

The only breaks in the music seemed to come from waiting for the theatrics to catch up with Coyne’s creative vision for cultivating an immersive set. Coyne's bubble was far from the only three-dimensional artifact to punctuate the performance, the set sported a large arcing rainbow for many of the early songs, a giant inflatable robot during “Why Does It End?” and copious breaks for confetti and bubbles sprayed out into the house. Drawing a disclaimer from the band, Coyne warned “Whoever makes these fucking bubble machines… it may spray you in the face, so be careful.”

Coyne made sure to point out the connection the band felt with many of their songs and highlighted the story of how they came to be. Breaking for long monologues before several pieces, he gave the audience a backstory on the making of “Flowers of Neptune 6” claiming it was a collaboration between the band and Kacey Musgraves and their experiences with LSD and how it opened their minds and their hearts after her gallbladder surgery. He also gave a story of another piece having been inspired by a story the band followed closely in real time about a man who kidnapped a woman resulting in a tragic end. He admitted they did not play that piece live very often, but wrote it to allow some good, however minimal, to come from such a tragic event.

The rest of the setlist felt flushed with hits from the past several decades, playing almost everything their tenured fans could have possibly expected including “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1,” “Be Free, a Way,” “Always There, In Our Hearts,” “Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell,” and of course, “She Don’t Use Jelly.”

Fully supportive of other artists on the rise in the musical community, Coyne took a backseat for one song to allow young emerging Canadian artist Nell Smith to take center stage for a few minutes. The teenager who has collaborated with the band in the past picked up the microphone to cover Nick Cave’s “Red Right Hand” drawing great praise from the audience.

Coyne and Company’s set faded to a blackout after a throwback to the early 90’s, playing Moth in the Incubator, and vanished in a hurry and returned for their encore. Ending their show with a couple of oldies, the band came back to end the night with “My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion,” “Love Yer Brain,” and “Race for the Prize.” In keeping with the band’s tradition of showing love and appreciation to every city to come out to support them, Coyne held up a large inflatable collection of balloons high and proudly above his head that read “Fuck Yeah San Francisco” as confetti rained from the sky. Sending the crowd off with a sense of mutual affection not seen in this city quite possibly since the summer of love.

Check out more photos from the show!

In covering Monterey’s Cali Roots for so many years, Grateful Web has had the opportunity to meet many artists whose names have shined brightly on the lineup, but in this time, the SoCal powerhouse Dirty Heads have found a way to weave themselves into the very fabric of the modern reggae movement itself. Grateful Web had a chance to sit down with one of the original headliners of the first ever Cali Roots back in 2010, Jared Watson of Dirty Heads, at this year’s festival to discuss how he’s seen California Roots and the genre itself have evolved through the years, his feelings on the current scene, and the fortified sense of community he has felt from his peers throughout the decades.

Grateful Web: In so many the Cali Roots Reggae festival has adopted Hip Hop as its second genre, and your project embodies bridging the gap between those two styles. Why do you think Hip Hop plays so well to Reggae fans?

Jared Watson: I mean, really, at the root of it, it all kind of comes from the same culture, you know? I think a lot of Hip Hop was probably influenced by Reggae and a lot of Hip Hop artists as well, so I think it’s kind of all about it coming full circle. Even Punk was influenced a lot by Reggae, so I think a lot more genres that have become these really massive – Hip Hop is Pop now, and a lot of it stems from Blues and Reggae and that culture, so it just makes sense. I think a lot of it also comes from just being a kid in the 2000s. Skating, smoking weed, the Cali Roots kind of culture. If you listen to Reggae, you most likely listen to Hip Hop and I just feel like most people here grew up listening to Wu-Tang Clan so it just makes sense. And also, I like that Cali Roots is doing that because the Reggae Rock scene is pretty new, maybe 20 years, but for a genre that’s not very old and you can only play and you can only put the same festival on so many times without new bands coming up, and if there aren’t new bands coming up in the scene, which there are, but there’s not like a thousand of them, it’s nice to have other acts coming in from other genres. Jam bands make sense, Hip Hop makes sense, you can’t just keep playing the same bands because it’s a small scene and a small world.

GW: Over the pandemic, you found a lot of success performing full-length albums over livestream. Any plans to recreate that in a live show?

JW: Fuck no, man! That was a lot of work. It was super cool, we were stoked that we could bring enjoyment and entertainment to people stuck at home, but learning pretty much every song on every album acoustically was a lot of work, which was cool and I’m not complaining, but for us to overhaul and do that again, we’d rather do it live. What would make more sense would be us doing an acoustic tour. We could some of the new songs, we could do some of the old ones, I can see us doing an acoustic tour, and we’ve also been talking about running a brand new acoustic album. Not doing acoustic versions of our old songs, but actually going in and writing original acoustic music. Something like that should be on the horizon for sure.

GW: You put out a cover of The Eagles’ “Life’s Been Good” last year. Would you mind telling me a little bit about where that inspiration came from and why that song spoke to you?

JW: It was Duddy’s idea, actually. We’ve always done covers. We used to do covers because we weren’t a very big band, and if you’re getting in front of a new crowd and they don’t know your music, if you do a cover, they’ll at least have something familiar, but we never really covered songs, we always just tweaked them. Going back to our Hip Hop influence, we would look at the songs more like “How can we sample the parts that we like and then build our song around it?” And we hadn’t really done that in a long time and we were looking into wanting to do that, then Duddy came up with that Joel Walsh idea and we wrote it in like a day. It just kind of took off and was a pretty big song for us.

GW: I’ve always thought “Come Back Around” was a little underrated, would you mind telling me a little bit about the inspiration for that song?

JW: I fucking agree, man! I don’t know, that wasn’t something we talked about. The hook was one of those scratch melodies that stuck, but the production, structure, and sonics of that song were so unique and original to me and I wasn’t surprised that it went under the radar, but because sometimes things are just too left, but I agree it was a really, really good song and it was something that I’d just never heard before. That whole album, I feel, is our Paul’s Boutique. It’s a musician’s album. All my musician friends, Super Moon is their favorite album, the rest of the world, it’s probably our lowest-streamed album, but I feel that in 10 years, 20 years, that’s going to be one where people go “Holy shit.”

GW: It’s been a few years since you’ve played “Sound of Change” live. Is it officially retired?

JW: No, it’s definitely not officially retired, it’s just such a scene change that when you’re building a set, recently with the direction of music that we’ve been going for, it doesn’t fit in the set and flows off. We can’t build a set cohesively and then throw it off in the middle just because there is one song we haven’t played in a while that’s kind of popular. It will come back when we have a set that fits it, which will probably be next year or maybe the year after that because we have been playing it in rehearsal and we do bring it out. We actually might bring it out this year because we have a couple of shows in Colorado that are back-to-back and we can’t play the same stuff.  We’re just taking a break, but it will come back.

GW: You’ve been a part of this festival for so long. How have you seen it change and how has it changed you?

JW: I mean, I say it every year when I’m up there, but we played the first Cali Roots on that tiny little stage. So, it’s just been really cool to grow along with the scene. I think we didn’t know what we were a part of when we played the first Cali Roots and now we can look out and be like “Holy shit, look what everybody’s built” and that’s a great feeling to be a part of it without being conscious of it. We weren’t thinking it was going to happen, we just wanted to play music.

GW: At Cali Roots, there’s almost no attachment to status from the artists. We see bands like yours, Stick Figure, Iration, and so on headline one year, then play a mid-day show the next. What do you think goes into this culture staying so humble?

JW: I think the majority of it is, it’s a small scene. I know Scott (Woodruff), Scott knows us, a lot of the headliners, we all know each other and it’s not really a competition to us anymore at this point, so whatever makes sense. We’re all fans of music and I think that even the culture of this scene isn’t that egotistical. It is about being humble, putting on a good time, and letting people have fun without really worrying about much, so I don’t think anybody would want to do the same thing every year because we know that’s not good for the scene. Like if someone said “Cali Roots from 2023 until 2033 was going to be Dirty Heads, Reb(elution), and Stick Figure” We’d all be like “You can’t do that!” You know, you want to change it up because fans are eventually going to get bored with that lineup. So if we’re playing before somebody, we just think of it as “Yeah, we headlined last year, why would we headline this year?” We’d rather be there and play, and there are some years where we don’t think we should play because we played last year or the two previous years in a row. You want to be mindful of that stuff and not just play the same shit.

GW: Your Island Glow tour kicks off next month. What are you doing to prepare and what are you most excited about?

JW: We’re done preparing, we’re ready. Today’s it, we’re good to go. We have everything. All the production, all the staging, all our rehearsals, all the vocal lessons, building the set. I’m just excited for people to see the production, the stage, and the world that we built with this Island Glow idea and I’m excited to play the new stuff. I just think that this is going to be the best set and the best show that we’ve put on.

GW: What new Dirty Heads music should we be on the lookout for?

JW: The Deluxe Midnight Control is coming out in July and that has Night One, Night Two, and then it also has three low-fi remixes and three acoustic remixes, so it’s like 20-something songs. It’s everything mashed together and it’s a really rad deluxe.

GW: What’s a question you’ve never gotten in an interview?

JW: That question.

In a twist that we're sure will surprise nobody, we at Grateful Web are big fans of the tenured history of jam bands. From those who lit the flame to the bands that keep our culture alive, their stories are a part of all of us. Grateful Web got the chance to sit down with Mihali Savoulidis, founding member and frontman of Twiddle and pillar of the jam band community at this year's Cali Roots festival. In our time together, we got to speak with him about a range of topics including his heritage and upbringing, his evolution as an artist, and this new chapter in his career as a solo artist.

Grateful Web: You grew your hair back! How long has that been going on for?

Mihali Savoulidis: You know, change is necessary for the evolution of any person or thing so, I had long hair for a long time and I felt like a change so I cut it off and then through no purposeful thought of growing it out again, I was just lazy and didn’t get a haircut and now it’s long again. And it’s blonde because you probably saw me with crazy hair color a few years ago and you gotta dye your hair blonde for that.

GW: I know it might sound like a silly question, but Savoulidis, that’s a Greek name, right?

MS: I am Greek, I am indeed. Well, I’m half-Greek technically. My mother's from London, my father's from Athens. Thessaloniki, actually.

GW: Is it a coincidence that you play the Kalos (Greek word for “good”) brand of guitar? 

MS: So that is a model I designed. It’s a signature model and I still play it. So, Dan Neafsey, he’s the luthier that built it. He actually named it, but we went with Greek because of my heritage.

GW: Congratulations on finally playing your first Cali Roots set today. Having toured and collaborated with so many Cali Roots staples like Stick Figure and Iya Terra, how has the reputation of this festival traveled with you?

MS: I mean, really good, I opened on the bowl stage today and I can’t complain! I’ve been a fan of the festival from afar for what feels like forever. This is one that I’ve always wanted to play and kind of been on my bucket list and I think for a long time I always hoped Twiddle would get to play a set here. But I understand the genre crossover is a little different. We had done some Reggae Rise Up’s, but I’m glad I got to play my first Cali Roots!

GW: With Twiddle about to play their last few shows before their hiatus, can you speak to how that feels, what went into that decision, and your overall thoughts?

MS: I think it goes back to what I was just saying about change and evolving. For me, there was just a lot of stuff I was doing outside of Twiddle that I wasn’t able to give my full attention to as a creative person that I really wanted to. Twiddle, we’ve been going for 20 years, just about, this is our 19th year. This is certainly not a breakup or anything like that, it’s just a little break. I can’t speak to how long the break will be, but I would like to pursue some of this other music that I’ve been doing while we’re taking some time to kind of breathe and reflect on the last two decades.

GW: How did you go about picking the musicians to perform with as a solo artist?

MS: You know, they’re my friends. They’re musicians I’ve looked up to and respected for a while, especially Adrian. Me and Scott go way back, and Dave actually produced Plump Chapter One, so we have a long history there too. I try and surround myself with people I like to be with and, you know, it’s been a nice group.

GW: What new music should we be on the lookout for?

MS: There’s lots of new music coming out. Just released a new single with Coyote Island called “Raise It” which is pretty sweet, so check that out.

GW: What’s one question you’ve never gotten in an interview?

MS: Oh, I get a lot of questions. Without putting too much thought into the question, I’m a pretty private person as it is, so I tend to not speak too much about what is going on in my world or in my life in public or interviews. I’ve made a point of if I want to get a message out, I will.

The twelfth annual California Roots Festival came and went this year leaving a mark on all who attended from near and far. The annual family reunion for the Reggae community featured many of the classic names we have come so accustomed to seeing on the marque while welcoming in a few new faces, including some of the most inspirational names in early Hip Hop from Hieroglyphics to The Wu-Tang Clan. While the lineup fostered inspiration for a fun-filled weekend, it was clear that the festival had evolved. Some changes came in the form of general housekeeping in staying pace with higher overall industry standards of quality, but some may have left some wondering if those leading their movement were still catering to the counterculture.

There were many factors in the weeks leading up to the festival that left some longtime fans anxious that the culture had shifted too drastically. In the weeks leading up to the festival, Cali Roots announced that they would no longer be live streaming their festival as they had in years past. This was coupled with the increased ticket cost for this year’s festival of $460 for a weekend pass. For context, the competing Bottlerock festival taking place at the same time just a few hours North in Napa cost just $430 and featured artists such as The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Post Malone, and even Cali Roots headlining act The Wu-Tang Clan. This left many wondering if the beloved Monterey Classic would have the same soul and spirit of inclusion as had in years past. Thankfully, in the eleventh hour, many of these fears were quickly dispelled. In a heartfelt message delivered on social media, festival promoter Dan Sheehan gave an emotional sermon where he reflected on messages he had received regarding the impact their live stream had made on the global music community over the years. This revelation prompted the reinstatement of the beloved Livestream, a decision that received universal positive response. This choice not only impacted those watching at home but the aura of the festival itself. The knowledge that the experience was shared not just by the 10,000 or so at the Monterey Fairgrounds, but by bleeding-heart fans across the world fortified the sense of community we have known to rely on in the Reggae community. Just the feeling of being a part of something more universal than a localized music festival, but a worldwide movement was expressed by fans and called out by artists throughout the weekend.

Primed to perform on the festival’s largest platform to date, many artists gave performances that fell nothing short of transcendent and told the story of their life’s work. When summarizing the story of history, many start with ancient Greece. In that context, it feels appropriate that the story of this festival began with the music of our Hellenic brother Mihali Savoulidis. In an energetic introduction from the emcee, he highlighted some of the publications to give acclaim to Savoulidis’ recent albums, Grateful Web appreciatively receiving a shoutout. Taking center stage and beginning his set with his 2022 single “Greater Escape.” The song choice felt appropriate given the two projects who originally featured on the single, The Movement and The Elovaters, also shared space on the weekend’s lineup. The Vermont-based artist showed growth as a solo performer that juxtaposed his time as frontman of Twiddle, yet still stayed true to his talents. While most of his set time was planned from a setlist, he and his accompanying musicians still took time to extemporize and trailed off into several long jams, letting loose and remembering to enjoy themselves along the way. Among his company onstage, Mihali invited members of SOJA onstage to perform with him for much of his set; Trumpeter Rafael Rodriguez and Saxaphonist Hellman Escoria, priming the audience for their set later in the day. He ended his set on an optimistic note, playing the crowd off with his lyrically-driven 2020 single, “Enemies.”

Rodriguez and Escoria returned to the Bowl stage later in the day with their full band, eight-piece figurehead of the Reggae community, SOJA. Frontman Jacob Hemphill expressed his pleasure to be back at the Fairgrounds, reminding the crowd that they had not played at Cali Roots since before the pandemic, claiming that the time in between their performances was “too long.” Beginning their set with “You Don’t Know Me” the videos projected onstage showed countless members of the audience singing along to their lyrics, reminding everyone of the impact this band has had on the genre. Their set came full circle to the beginning of the day, as they invited Mihali back onstage to perform “Back to the Start” alongside them. The onstage collaborations did not end there, as several other artists were brought onstage to perform with the group including Common Kings for “It’s Funny” and Anuhea for “Easier.” The set featured almost every song that the audience could have hoped for, including “I Don’t Wanna Wait,” “Here I Am,” and “Rest of My Life” before ending with “Not Done Yet.”

Bay Area native Michael Franti made the short drive down from his hometown of Oakland and closed out the Cali Roots stage with his brand of inspiring and uplifting music which felt like a beacon of enlightenment even in a Reggae festival. His set began with an emotional and inspiring video highlighting his evolution since the pandemic, remembering the family and friends he had lost in that time as well as the ways he had grown, claiming there were many things he had “learned, burned, and earned.” He noted reminding himself that when live music finally returned, it would be the sign of a new tomorrow. He appropriately started his performance with “I’m Alive” to punctuate all he had learned to be grateful for. Franti’s demeanor quickly turned and heavy tears started rolling down his face when he brought attention to the empty seat beside him. He informed the audience that in the hours before his set, his best friend of several decades and bassist of his accompanying band Spearhead, Carl Young, was rushed to the hospital with heart issues and spoke about the relationship between the two. He then stressed the importance of coming together for those we love and made frequent trips through the audience during his set to hug and high-five the fans who he thanked for supporting his passion through the years. He then identified a member of the audience wearing a shirt from his first tour and invited them onstage, presenting them with a microphone, and asking them to sing along throughout his performance of “The Sound of Sunshine.” The hat Franti wore throughout his set, reading simply “Stay Human” embodied his message both in music and in life, as he brought the crowd together in spirit through his music. The show ended with a bid to inspire the next generation as he invited every child in the audience onstage with him to sing along to “Say Hey (I Love You.)” Noticing there were a few minutes left allotted in his time, the band elected to give the audience their full money’s worth and repeated the chorus over and over until the last moment they could.

The night ended with a scene comforting to everyone who has ever attended Cali Roots in the past. A group that has become almost like a homegrown Cali Roots’ in-house headliner, Rebelution, performed a show that felt so familiar, but never stale. Beginning their show with De-Stress, the audience breathed a collective sigh of relief as soon as it was apparent that the beloved aesthetic and tone of the band remained on point. Frontman Eric Rachmany addressed the audience to thank them for their dedication early on stating “I think we’re coming up on 20 years of being a band… Thank you for all the memories, thank you for all the contact highs, thank you, Cali Roots.” The band took some creative liberties with their classics, notably when performing a 50’s style melody to introduce their hit “Fade Away” reminding the audience of the love they had shared throughout so many decades. Rachmany fully took charge of his platform for a moment during the set, a lone spotlight illuminating him as the rest of the stage went dark as he serenaded the crowd by himself during the introduction of “Feeling Alright.” The band’s theatrics flared as many members left the stage after an instrumental solo during “Sky is the Limit.” The band returned for an encore that drove the night home, ending the first day of the ambitious weekend with an acoustic rendition of “Healing,” then the full band joined in to play “Satisfied” and finally closed with “Roots Reggae Music.”

Check out more photos from Day One of Cali Roots 2023.

Day two of Cali Roots seemed to shine brighter than the last, at least metaphorically. The fog rolled in early in the afternoon, feeling less gloomy than one would expect, rather more metaphorical for the day to come.

To kick things off, Monterey Bay got sent some help from across the pond. After being announced as the “Torchbearers of British Reggae,” The Skints took the stage to open the second day of the festival with some music and some chuckles. Opening with their 2015 anthem “This Town” they shook the grounds with their bass and energy. Guitarist Josh Waters Rudge spent a good deal of effort engaging the audience and inserting his dry wit whenever possible, early on in the set exclaiming “We are The Skints, S-K-I-N-T-S” when joking that their name was not prominently displayed on the screen behind them. He then went on to jest “This is where Woodstock happened… What, no?... Well, Jimmi Hendrix did something here” When referencing playing at the same venue as the Monterey Pop Festival where Hendrix famously set his guitar ablaze to punctuate his historic set. He later excused his jokes claiming “This is the earliest I’ve ever played a show.”

While the Skints’ punk vibe cleared a path for another band with a heavier sound, Ska-Punk act The Interrupters drove that energy to the Bowl stage that afternoon. Opening up with “Take Back the Power” mosh pits the likes of Cali Roots had never seen before opened up as the venue filled with pure eccentric energy. No stranger to Reggae, having featured a cover of Joe Strummer’s “Get Down Moses” on their latest album just a month prior, the band chose to further embrace the genre. Early on in their set, the band acknowledged that they were in fact playing a Reggae festival and covered the first song ever recorded by Bob Marley, “Judge Not.” The rest of their set was largely in the style that made The Interrupters so widely beloved. The volume was promptly cranked as they continued the set with “Raised By Wolves” and they chose to fully embrace the emerging circle pits in the audience by encouraging them before “Gave you Everything.” After thanking the audience for their participation, the band ended their set with an emphatic rendition of arguably their most commercially successfully hit “She’s Kerosene.”

The next band to blend ska and Reggae that day was one that has stayed not just relevant but revolutionary through generations. In what we can only hope has become a new tradition in the Cali Roots lineup, Sublime with Rome performed a sunset show for a second year in a row at the Bowl stage. Frontman Rome Ramirez took the stage with confidence, wearing a Wu-Tang Clan shirt in support of the upcoming headliners. The only remaining member of Sublime’s original lineup, Eric Wilson, santered on confidently, smoking a cigarette as he got ready to start the show. As the members settled in, they began the show with their heavy-hitting percussion and bass-driven single “Date Rape.” While Ramirez has stood at the helm of the band for more than a decade now, he still frequently showed recognition of the project’s legacy before his contributions, reminiscing about the first song that made him a Sublime fan in his adolescence, “Wrong Way,” before playing the piece. Ever eager to be a part of the fan experience, midway through the set, he noticed a beach ball that made its way from the crowd to the stage. Ramirez waved a member of security off its path to walk over himself and kick it back into the crowd. Sublime’s legacy was not alone in the shoutouts rightfully received by Ramirez that day. A native of the Bay Area’s city of Fremont, he mentioned that his parents were backstage with him for the show, dedicating his original song “Light On” to his Mother. “I used to work at Starbucks, now I do this” he exclaimed before the band covered the Grateful Dead’s immortal hit “Scarlet Begonias.”

The day ended with a performance that was possibly the most anticipated of the weekend. East Coast Hip Hop royalty, The Wu-Tang Clan took the stage to close out the day with a clinic of the genre. The set played almost like a symphony, with each member knowing just when to take their place and take their place in the limelight. The band filed in one by one, with the first being RZA, who in effect emceed the group’s showcase. After the whole group had taken their spots, RZA exclaimed “You got that 90’s Hip Hop energy?” before the group played a hit even those outside the genre’s fanbase should be familiar with “Shimmy Shimmy Ya.” RZA then commented on the familiar smell of Cali Roots, claiming California had the best weed East to West before the group performed “4:20,” as the audience screamed along to the lyrics “roll that shit, smoke that shit.” This style of call and repeat happened again later in the show as RZA prompted the audience to shout “Wu-Tang” every time he said “One Love” in a harmonic gesture between Reggae and Hip Hop. Bubbles drenched the audience throughout the set as many members of Wu-Tang sprayed champagne on the audience in celebration of their many decades of performing together. This attention to history was later celebrated by RZA when calling attention to their humble beginnings, remembering the group piling into a studio the size of a living room to first record “Protect Ya Neck” before performing it a capella, with other members of the group joining in, displaying vulnerability with their lyrics.

Check out more photos from Day Two of Cali Roots 2023.

Day three of Cali Roots featured the support of artists at many stages of their careers, but almost all of whom had a strong root in the festival, dubbed that day by Alborosie as “Montereggae.” As many of the artists performing were those who were just this year given their first opportunity to take the stage, it also highlighted a theme of the weekend as many acts who had started playing smaller stages earlier in their careers were given the opportunity to truly shine in the limelight. It embodied the feeling that Cali Roots has cultivated for so long where we feel a part of the artists’ journey because we see ourselves grow with them through the years. In an industry that relies so heavily on clout in curating festival lineups, Cali Roots has proven time and time again that it manufactures its own hype. 

The day started off by ushering in a new generation with a sound unique all uniquely their own. Santa Barbara project Cydeways opened up on the Cali Roots stage to all who showed up as the gates opened. The band elated the audience with their unique brand of Surf Reggae with a punk-pop twist and an upbeat personality to match. Frontman Dustin Parks joked about the early set after he took a sip from his cup and stated “I’m drinking vodka at 11:00 am, this is pathetic. But it’s a festival, right?” In recognition of artists that influenced them outside of those who might be in line with the festival’s typical lineup, the group took a few minutes to cover “Mutt,” an early blink-182 cover. They ended their set on an upbeat note, playing their 2022 pop-punk hit “Down.”

The fog appropriately rolled in on the Bowl stage mid-afternoon as festival promotor Dan Sheehan took the stage to personally announce the next artist, Collie Buddz. A favorite throughout the years, Sheehan let the fans in on a conversation he had with the artist years earlier, that the mainstay of the festival would continue to perform annually at Cali Roots indefinitely. The artist then took the stage to open his set with jubilance, starting by playing his early hit “Good Life.” The bowl was as full as it would be for any headliner as the artist orchestrated a show that embodied the very soul of the festival. In a tradition dating back to his last several Cali Roots sets, staff came out with hundreds of pizzas supplied by the artist, which were passed around through the crowd while he played “Come Around.” The show featured a collaborative spirit, as many artists joined onstage for various songs including Alborosie, Stick Figure, Chali 2na, and Jesse Royal. The collaborations were not limited to established artists, as he invited a member of the audience onstage with him to sing along to “Blind to You” with the fan reciting every lyric to the complicated piece perfectly. As the mastermind behind the series of albums “Cali Roots Riddim” which featured mainstays from the festival’s history, late in the set, Collie Buddz played his own solo contribution to the original 2020 album “Hold Firm.”

A light rain began to fall later in the day in time to set the mood for Mr. Bombastic himself, Shaggy. A pioneer in popularizing dancehall Reggae yet somehow performing his Cali Roots debut, he quickly whipped the crowd up into a frenzy as he played a full set of his hits throughout the decades. After a revelrous opening few numbers, he addressed the crowd asking “Are you turnt up yet?” Before playing a classic piece, covering Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds.” His accompanying vocalist then took control of the narrative, announcing to the crowd “If you got a cell phone, if you got a spliff, if you got a lighter, I want you to put it in the air.” before playing the recent hit “Buk-In-Hamm Palace” which got the crowd off their feet with great urgency. The artist switched between the new and old worlds frequently, notably when he put on a vintage fedora to slow down the tempo to cover Frank Sinatra’s “That’s Life.” He then brought the energy back stating “Security, I will not be responsible for what’s about to happen… parents, lock up your children.” Before playing “Go Down Deh.” Reminding the audience of his heritage, he held up a Jamaican flag reminding the audience “This is cultural.” He then told the Jamaicans in attendance to put their hands up while walking around the stage stiffly in an impression of a Caucasian person dancing at this show, juxtaposed with an exuberant dance as an impression of how he would observe a Jamaican dancing to the same rhythm. He then invited the Trinidad-born vocalist of the group Kes to join him onstage for “Mood.” He ended his set with his universally-known hit “It Wasn’t Me” pleading to the audience before his departure “If you get caught red-handed, you should not do like Tiger Woods. You must do like the greatest of all players, Bill Clinton.”

The day ended with a band whose legacy has grown with the festival, Stick Figure. From playing early morning sets at the festival just a few years ago to their current success of worldwide recognition, packed sets at this year’s Coachella, and now their second Cali Roots headlining slot, the band showed their growth from their humble days as frontman Scott Woodruff’s solo project. The lights dimmed as the band took the stage to begin their set with their 2015 classic “Choice is Yours.” The real star of Stick Figure, Cocoa the Tour Dog, came out to begin the show with the band members, but mostly took a backseat role, sitting in the back of the stage by Johnny Cosmic for the majority of the night. The set took a focused tone throughout the night, performed in largely dark lighting and colors, setting the mood for their transformation as a project. The band paid homage to earlier performer Collie Buddz by inviting him back onstage for “Smokin’ Love” but the collaborations did not end there. A longtime friend of the band TJ O’Neill joined the group onstage for his part of the group’s classic “Weight of Sound” and stayed on for his other Stick Figure collaboration “Angels Above Me” which played immediately after. Woodruff, who had been largely silent apart from his sung vocals, addressed the audience late in the set, where he thanked the audience for supporting his dream for the past decade since he played his first Cali Roots back in 2013, before playing “Once in a Lifetime.” The group ended the night on a wholistic note with their resonant hit “World on Fire.”

Check out more photos from Day Three of Cali Roots 2023.

Day four of Cali Roots wrapped up the weekend in a style befitting its own legacy. In a statement on the theme of the Reggae festival, it was the only day of the weekend not to feature a pure Hip Hop artist on any of its stages. The focus on the roots of the festival made for a lowkey pace at the tail end of a weekend that had been so fulfilling and so energy-consuming.

East-Coast cultural icon Matisyahu demonstrated evolution in his music and faith while staying true to the traditions of both during a midday set on the Bowl stage. A sea of bubbles emanate from the front of the stage to elevate the mood as the artist sauntered onstage with long silver hair and a light sweater with a presence resembling Moses himself, to open the show with his classic hit “Jerusalem.” The Hasidic superstar expressed his gratitude to be performing on the biggest stage in Reggae, stating early “It’s great to be back, it’s been a few years” before free-flowing into a chorus of spoken lyrics with incredible speed and diction. While the set featured many of the hits that have become synonymous with his name, many of them took on a newer style with heavy bass and punctuation with a slower tempo such as “Youth” and “Mist Rising.” He ended his set with a well-received classic, opting for an optimistic finale of “One Day.”

Serving as a powerhouse of the day, American folk band Dispatch took the stage for a rousing performance. Beginning with their lyrically-motivated classic “Open Up” they delivered their message promptly that they were here to motivate thought and not just play a warm and fuzzy set. The multi-instrumentalists switched instruments frequently throughout their set, including frontman Chad Urmston picking up a bass for “Bang Bang” and strings-player Brad Corrigan starting the day behind the drum set. Midway through the set, Urmston recognized the sacred grounds he was performing on and thanked the local Native American Esselen tribe for blessing the sanctioned festival and caring for the land for generations before playing “Only the Wild Ones.” The band then played arguably their most commercially successful piece “The General” next, with the audience singing along to the lyrics, mindful of the story it told. The band then thanked friends they had in the area who had let them stay with them the night before, joking “They gave us fresh water and cold plunges in creeks” before plugging their local business “The Happy Girl Cafe.” The set was largely high-energy from then until the end, filled with many instrumental solos and Urmston’s leaps around the stage before ending with their soulful hit “Letter to Lady J.”

Representing Hawaiian Reggae for the day, Iration took the stage for a sunset performance at the Bowl. Playing their first set at the festival since their headlining performance in 2018, the group more than lived up to expectations and gave many shoutouts to the festival for transforming themselves as lead singer Micah Pueschel mentioned that he had met the band’s guitarist, Micah Brown, backstage at Cali Roots several years prior. Beginning the show with their recently released single “New Style” the crown was immediately invested in the show and their upbeat mood. Brown was one of many artists who seemed to be grateful for the festival’s last-minute decision to livestream the performances, projecting “make some noise at home if you’re watching the live stream” in the middle of the performance. While several popular singles such as “Falling” were notably absent from their setlist, the band played several covers from artists who had inspired them including Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and blink-182’s “What’s My Age Again?” Before ending with a cover of Tom Petty’s “Mary Jane’s Last Dance.”

The weekend ended with an artist who had been friends of the festival since headlining its inaugural year. Southern California project Dirty Heads had the honor of packing the bowl one last time as the night rolled to a close. In the minutes before their set, sea shanties played on a loop as fans waited anxiously for the show to start, culminating in a dramatic monologue as the lights went down, reminding the audience that dead men truly tell no tales. The show started with energy, as Jared Watson lept onstage, never keeping his feet on the ground for long, as the band opened with “Medusa.” Their setlist left very little to be desired, featuring hits from all across their decades of success including “Rage,” “Burn Slow,” and “Oxygen. The show felt very suspenseful at times with long pauses and blackouts onstage in between songs, creating great anticipation for what would come next. After playing “Heavy Water” the band took a few minutes to let the excitement build as the audience anxiously awaited an encore, more sea shanties came through the speakers, the lyrics of “Hoist the Colors” echoing loudly. The encore consisted of a little old and a little new, as the band played their 2013 single “Sloth’s Revenge” before appropriately finishing with the titular song from their newest album “Island Glow.”

As fans left the stage, Cali Roots founder Jeff Monser and promoter Dan Sheehan took the stage to thank the crowd for another successful year of a project that has been so close to their hearts. Closing the book on another year of Cali Roots felt satisfying. The movement has come so far in such a short amount of time that one cannot help but feel a part of something bigger than themselves simply by attending. However, after all of this success in hosting most of the biggest names in Reggae on their stage, only one question remains; how can they possibly outdo themselves next year?

Check out more photos from Day Four of Cali Roots 2023.

Outside Lands once again closed out the summer for the Bay Area, showcasing possibly its most eclectic lineup to date. The 15th year of the festival more than lived up to the hype, as it consistently does. By the numbers, for one weekend, about one-tenth of the population of the city concentrates in Golden Gate Park to share in this experience with about 80,000 fans in attendance out of the 800,000 residents of the city. With so many expectations built up, day one proved to deliver on all it had promised.

The early acts of the day set the tone for the strong lineup of the weekend. Bay Area native Matt Hansen began the day on the Twin Peaks stage. The young artist gave hope to the San Francisco music community that we might have produced a superstar that was born in this millennium. His local presence was well felt, as friends from his high school days came in mass, posting up by the front of the stage and cheering him on loudly throughout his show. Hansen’s hearty and resonant voice was reminiscent of a young Dermot Kennedy or Lewis Capaldi and seemed to echo throughout the heart of the city. He pointed out that he was closer to the beginning of his musical career, stating “This is my first festival ever, by the way,” early on in his performance. He showcased many of his own original hits during his time including “Break My Bones” and “Chemicals” and threw in some music that had inspired him by covering “Iris” by “The Goo Goo Dolls.” Hansen took a moment to show his appreciation for the festival by speaking about his tenure as one of its fans, stating “I was literally standing right there last year” while pointing at the field. He left the crowd energized, sending them off by ending his show with his soft hit “LET EM GO.”

Outside Lands featured more than just ballads and acoustic guitars, and one artist proved to be larger than life both literally and metaphorically. Later in the day, Basketball icon Shaquille O’Neal performed a rapturous electronic set under the name DJ DIESEL and took the stage to appease the headbangers. While Shaq has already amassed four championship rings, a league MVP, and 15 invitations to the NBA All-Star roster, there was one mountain he had not yet climbed, performing a DJ set at Golden Gate Park. A few minutes past his scheduled start time, Shaq walked onstage. He excused his postponed start time by joking “Sorry I was late, I was chilling with Steph Curry and Draymond Green in the back.” Judging by the amount of Warriors jerseys worn by fans in attendance, this felt like an appropriate response. Shaq’s presence was felt more than even his seven-foot stature could have prepared everyone for. With the bass turned up high, he continually screamed “ladies!” into a microphone, almost becoming meme-able to the crowds as fans continued to imitate this catchphrase to each other throughout the weekend. Throughout the set, dramatic and animated gorillas were displayed on the screen at the back of the stage, no doubt to promote the artist’s upcoming album “Gorilla Warfare.” He once again delighted the Golden State fans in attendance by bringing Warriors player Gary Payton II out onstage with him to help close out his set.

Rounding out the diverse lineup, young rock artist WILLOW took the stage for an energetic set. She made it clear that she has long moved on from the days of playing “Whip My Hair” as she ran onstage and began the set with her Travis Barker-produced single “t r a n s p a r e n t s o u l.” Promoting the causes close to her heart, she wore a shirt supporting the coalition “No Music on a Dead Planet.” She told the crowd that while this was her first time performing at Outside Lands, it was not her first time attending the festival stating “Fun fact. The last time I was at Outside Lands I saw LCD Soundsystem.” The show continued on in an energetic fashion consisting of hits including “No Control,” “BATSHIT!,” and “Wait a Minute!” The only technical issues of her set came while playing “Meet Me At Our Spot.” After beginning the song, she stopped the performance a few bars in, realizing she was strumming the wrong cord. She eventually asked “Can we just skip to the good part? I’m fucking this up” as she opted to put down her bass and skip ahead in the song. After the song concluded, she unashamedly said “Full disclosure, Outside Lands, I completely fucked that up. But that's what makes life fun.”

As the sun went down, the crowd prepared for the last artist of the day. Headlining for the day, hip-hop legend Kendrick Lamar drew a tremendous crowd as fans gathered to see the artist after his four-year hiatus. With the confidence befitting a man who would dare perform on a San Francisco stage wearing a Dodgers hat, he came out to start his performance with his recent single, “N95.” The Nobel Laureate’s dialogue with the audience was sparse, choosing to communicate through his lyrics rather than direct acknowledgment. Lyrically motivated masterpieces like “King Kunta,” DNA.,” and “HUMBLE.” spoke for themselves, proving to be more powerful when heard live than through a pair of headphones. The set itself felt minimalist for a headliner of this stature. The aesthetics were limited mainly to a single backdrop, an LED display promoting his production company “pgLAng,” and accompaniment from a troupe of interpretive dancers. There was little to distract the audience from Lamar’s music. After ending his set with “Savior,” Lamar autographed an album held by a fan in the front row and left the audience with some final words, stating simply “San Fran, until next time, I love y’all, I will be back.” While Lamar might take months or years to return to a Bay Area stage, the fans of Outside Lands would in fact be back the next morning for another incredible day of art and music.

Check out more photos of Outside Lands 2023.

There are three topics we will inevitably bring up in every review of Outside Lands. The quality of the music, the cultural significance of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco’s art history, and how in one way or another, the fog always finds a way to impact the ambiance of the festival. With this year’s fog having an even bigger presence than in years past, we thought to search for a meteorologist to explain this phenomenon. Much to our chagrin, we could not in fact find any musicians on the lineup who were also qualified to interpret a hygrometer and explain it as well as a member of an evening news team. Thankfully, we were able to find the next best thing as local celebrity and anchor at ABC 7 Dan Ashley opened day two of the festival on the Panhandle stage with his local band.

The performance proved to be more than the delightful Dad Rock many might have expected from their set. While their set may have featured some covers of classic throwbacks including Bryan Adams’ “Summer of ‘69,” it also showcased many of the band’s original pieces, covering a variety of topics with lyrical depth that highlighted Ashley’s decades of looking for meaning and nuance in his reporting. “It’s nice to be back together” he said at one point to introduce their song “We Stayed Home” with the lyrics “We stayed home, but no one was alone. No six feet ever gonna keep us apart” reflecting on the love he found for his community in a time where many might have felt isolated. Another one of Ashley’s original songs reflected on his career in journalism, “What Really Matters,” sharing a name with his weekly segment reflecting on positive news. The lyrics reflected his deep belief, highlighting the words “what really matters is love.”

This positive and uplifting trend continued on the Lands End stage as UK indie band Lovejoy kept the mood elevated with their upbeat and cheerful set, more than living up to the image cultivated by their name. Barely two years old as a project, the band played a full bill of songs that gave the crowd a mid-day pick me up including “Call Me What You Like,” “One Day,” and “Perfume.” Unable to go through their whole set without some dry British whit, they announced “this next song is about Borris Johnson” before playing “Model Busses,” a title that reflected on a rather embarrassing interview given by the politician. Lead singer Wilbur Scoot paused a few times to tie his shoe, and eventually kicked them off after a while, adding to the general silliness of their performance. Overall their set felt pure and in line with what music should be. In a world of projects that prove to be little more than over-produced hype seekers, Lovejoy’s performance was just plain fun.

Continuing the theme of feel-good music, later on the same stage, Maggie Rogers took the stage to elevate the mood even higher. Her energy was luminous from the beginning, kicking her legs in the air and skipping around the stage as she began her set with “Overdrive.” She took a moment to show her respect for the festival by boasting “I got to play this festival in 2017 and it’s still my top five festivals I’ve ever played.” From there the show was continuously elating with Rogers playing hits including “Give a Little,” “Fallingwater,” and “Anywhere With You.” As she picked up an acoustic guitar, she asked of the audience “Is anyone in love?” before playing “Love You for a Long Time.” Her set ended on a high note as fans lit up their phones and jumped along to “Light On” before Rogers eventually ended her performance with “That’s Where I Am.”

Closing out the night, rock legends The Foo Fighters took the stage for one of the most rousing sets in recent Outside Lands memory. In arguably the classiest move an artist can bestow upon their audience, the band started their set 15 minutes early and started with their 2002 throwback hit “All My Life.” After the song, Frontman Dave Grohl poured a red Solo cup of water over his head and promised the audience “We’re going to get the most out of this two-hour set as possible” before the band kept the tempo high and played their 2007 hit “The Pretender” followed by “No Son of Mine” with riffs from Enter Sandman spliced in. “Who’s never seen the Foo Fighters before?” Grohl asked, prompting a loud cheer. He rebutted with “What the fuck? Where the fuck have you been?” The set only took off from there as the band played singles new and old including “Walk,” “Learn to Fly,” and “Times Like These.” Halfway through the set, Grohl introduced the band. After making his way through the members, he noted a recent change in the lineup. Acknowledging the loss of their drummer, Taylor Hawkins, early last year, he praised the accomplishments of their newest member, the legendary Josh Freese. Grohl prompted the band to play along to songs Freese had drummed on over his career, including “Whip It” celebrating his decades in “Devo,” and “March of Pigs,” remembering his contributions to “Nine Inch Nails.” He then proceeded to make Outside Lands history with arguably one of the greatest cameos in the festival’s history. The band began to play the song “Haven’t Met You Yet” as Grohl asked if anyone in the audience knew the song, eventually picking a member of the crowd up to sing the words. This person turned out to be none other than Michael Bublé, who finished the song with the band.

Grohl punctuated the unprecedented cameo emotionally by covering “My Hero” as soon as Bublé left the stage. From then on, the set took on a more collaborative and communal feel. After playing another string of hits including “This is a Call” and “The Sky is a Neighborhood,” the band brought up another surprise guest, Dave Grohl stated “I’ve had the pleasure of playing with some of the greatest musicians alive, and believe me, it is not lost on me” before inviting his daughter, Violet Grohl, to join the band in singing “Shame Shame,” “Show Me How,” and “The Teacher.” Grohl got a little more emotional, dedicating the song “Aurora” to the late Taylor Hawkins, telling the audience that it was his was Hawkins’ favorite piece by the band. After a moment of reverence, he shouted “Alright, we got exactly four fucking minutes. Let’s make this the best four minutes of the night” and ended the show with “Everlong.” After the last note, Grohl ran to the side of the stage, grabbed the clock, and held it up triumphantly to show they had finished at 10:00 on the dot. The rock legends had given the audience everything they could have possibly hoped for, but hopefully, the crowd still had more gas in the tank for one last day ahead of them.

Check out more photos of Outside Lands 2023.

The final day of Outside Lands 2023 ended the weekend on a calm note. While the first two days featured many artists with a more upbeat and louder style, the third day allowed fans to sit back and unwind with a down-to-earth feel.

The day started out in a style befitting the history of music in Golden Gate Park, with an acoustic set in the woods. Relatively new to the Outside Lands tradition, the Honda Music Den facilitated this homage masterfully, as a lower stage was erected amongst the trees in the center of the festival grounds, allowing artists to perform in a more intimate setting. Indie Rock artist Soccer Mommy was the first to perform in this arena that Sunday, as hundreds of fans crowded around the cozy setting to watch the artist give an acoustic and solo set. Taking the stage with nothing but a guitar and a smile, the artist took center stage and began her performance with “Circle the Drain.” By virtue of the size of the venue, the set became more interactive than a typical show at a major festival. Fans began to yell requests out in between songs, prompting the artist to admit “I keep hearing shoutouts for songs that I don’t remember how to play” which if nothing else, highlighted the dedication and admiration that the fans had for her music throughout her career. The setlist felt fulfilling with a full range of songs, including “Shotgun,” “Still Clean,” and “Scorpio Rising.” The artist chose to end her set with a throwback, stating “This last one is fairly old” and ended her performance with her 2017 ballad “Allison.”

Not much later on the Twin Peaks stage, another young indie artist kept the party going with her style of soft hits as Holly Humberstone played in San Francisco for the first time in her young career. She started off with some of her newer music as she delighted the crowd with her upbeat 2022 single “The Walls Are Way Too Thin.” Her set continued in a lively fashion as she played upbeat hits including “Overkill,” “Vanilla,” and “Falling Asleep at the Wheel.” As she began to introduce “Deep End,” she told the story of how it was inspired by her relationship with her sister’s mental health, however midway through this monologue, her band reminded her that they had one song on the setlist before that particular song. She then played “Antichrist” before reintroducing and playing “Deep End.” She continued on and eventually finished her set strong and sent audiences off with her final song “Scarlett.”

As the day began to wind down, Cigarettes After Sex took the stage for an hour of smooth listening. As the band began to take the stage, they walked up to an orchestral interlude as the display camera showed a black and white video of the crowd in real time. The ambiance was similar to the feel of an independent foreign film. As the band members finished filing in, they picked up their instruments and began their set with “Nothings Gonna Hurt You Baby.” The band’s heavy use of a fog machine coupled with the thick natural fog already present in the park felt like a hat on a hat, but redundant or not, it proved to set the mood for the act very well. At times, it almost felt like one could set their metronome to the beat of the setlist, with songs like “You’re All I Want,” “Sweet,” and “Sunsetz” all feeling similar in their pacing. The band sent the crowd off in a similar fashion and ended their performance with their 2017 single “Apocalypse.”

As the weekend drew to a close, one final act took the stage to close out the festivities for the year. American electronic duo ODESZA took the stage just as the sun set and sent the fans off with a set to remember. From the first note of their opening song “This Version of You,” it was clear that the artists had invested in their aesthetic and production value for this tour. The music was punctuated by an incredible light display that accentuated the dramatic flare of the music. After a few songs, a drum line appeared onstage, creating an orchestra of percussion, and remained onstage on and off for the remainder of the show, their movements feeling at times like a choreographed dance. Their collaborations did not end there, as Izzy Bizu joined the group onstage to perform the vocals to “Forgive Me.” The setlist was full of the duo’s music from all across their career, featuring songs including “A Moment Apart,” “Higher Ground,” and “Better Now.” As the night drew to a close, the band chose to end with the titular song of their tour and most recent album and finished with “The Last Goodbye.” The dramatics of the finale were somewhat soured by circumstance, however, as the fog rolled in just before the final fireworks display set off above the mainstage, the loud explosions able to be heard but not seen above the crowd. With that, the final day of Outside Lands 2023 drew to a close. With 15 years of the festival behind fans, one can only hope that they have many more than that ahead of them.

Check out more photos of Outside Lands 2023.

Carl “Buffalo” Nichols is a living anomaly in this ever-commercial world. With a stage name that reflects the rarity and value of his art, he lives to embody in his personal life the values he advocates for in his music. Not even two weeks removed from the release of his Sophomore album “The Fatalist,” his demeanor hardly reflects acknowledgment of its notoriety, focused not on the accolades it has received, but rather on those who have received its message. Reserved, not shy, but humble, with more passion for the blues than many have for the world he holds in obvious reverence, he bleeds for his art with every note he writes.

Grateful Web had a chance to meet with Nichols backstage at San Francisco’s Hardly Strictly Festival this weekend to hear his thoughts on the influences that went into his writing, where he draws the line on privacy, and his outspoken passion and concern for the current and future status of Blues music.

Grateful Web: Your new album “The Fatalist” dropped a couple of weeks ago. How do you feel getting to add the singles to your setlist and how do you feel about its reception so far?

Buffalo Nichols: I’ve been slowly adding the new stuff to my set, it feels pretty good. The reception, it’s hard to say.

GW: You’ve been rising on the Billboard rankings, though. That’s got to feel good.

BN: Yeah, it does feel good. Last one made it on the Billboard charts too, so it’s good to be able to see my name up there.

GW: Who was “The Difference” written about?

BN: Oh that’s none of your business.

GW: Fair enough. So during your set today you played a sample of a quote that went “What you got today is not the blues, it’s just the beat that people carry.” I know you’ve been very outspoken on your views of modern blues. Who was that quote by and why did you choose to incorporate it into your set?

BN: That’s from a Howlin’ Wolf interview. I chose it for a couple of reasons. One is because I think it shows that there were people at one point who cared about the music enough to say “This is what it should be and this is what it shouldn’t be” and people have an issue with me being one of those people and maybe people might think that I haven’t earned it, but somebody needs to protect the culture. I said it almost ironically because the way that I play is not traditional and it’s not what people expect of the blues, at least live, but I just wanted to say I get to decide what the blues is or isn’t. As long as I’m out here traveling, playing the music, and writing the music I can do whatever I want.

GW: What do you think is the most detrimental threat to the blues out there right now?

BN: The musicians, the fans, the labels, and the radio.

GW: Do you think it’s gotten too far from the message or too far from the culture?

BN: I think it’s lost its artistic integrity. It’s purely entertainment, which is fine for some people, but I think there needs to be a little more depth to it.

GW: I know you have a good relationship with Christone “Kingfish” Ingram who’s here today, but do you think there are any other young artists who are carrying the torch in the right direction?

BN: Yeah, I keep in touch with a few of them, there’s Crow Billiken out of Nashville, there's Jontavious Willis, somebody that I keep in touch with, and Stephen Hull from Wisconsin. There’s a lot of people doing their own thing and doing it from their heart, which is important.

GW: How do you see Blues and Roots music received in different states across the country?

BN: It’s different everywhere. Sometimes I play in the south, southeast, and there's a lot of people who want to hear the blues, the traditional blues, but when I’m out on the coast people like when I go out there and do the weird stuff. And they don’t really expect me to do any covers or anything, they just kinda wanna hear what I’m doing which I appreciate. It’s different everywhere.

GW: So I have to ask everyone from Texas who comes to California this question. What’s better, In-N-Out or Whataburger?

BN: It’s hard to say. I think Whataburger is pretty bad, I’ve only had In-N-Out once. I would say neither.

GW: What’s on the horizon for you?

BN: I have a lot of tour dates, I’m going everywhere, so no excuse not to see me. I’m out there.

GW: What’s something you don’t get to talk about as often as you’d like?

BN: My own music. Most of the time I talk about other things. The blues and other artists, but people don’t really ask me about my own creative process very often.

GW: If you had to put your creative process in a 15-second elevator pitch, how would you describe it?

BN: I mean, it would take a lot more than 15 seconds, but I’m just trying to express myself in a way that’s connected to the ancestors, but also relevant in a soulful, meaningful, cultural way. I’m not trying to impress anyone, I just want to leave a lasting musical and cultural impact for other people to take inspiration from.

After a year of anticipation, the highlight of Texas’ musical world finally returned as thousands returned to Zilker Park for Austin City Limits. Fortunately for all, the lineup this year did not disappoint and the stars aligned in so many ways to set the mood. Austin, having experienced a heat wave in the time leading up to the festival, cooled down just as the festival began, leaving the city toasty but not unbearable. The lineup left little to be desired, featuring everything from Country to Hip Hop. The stage was set for a weekend full of musical collaboration, suspense over artists’ performances, and memorable moments both on and off the stage.

Early on the mainstage, Georgia rapper Lil Yachty found ways to incorporate his roots into his set early on. The performance opened with an all-female-of-color band, playing a calmer and more down-to-earth and melodic beat than his typical sound. One of the women picked up a microphone and began singing the intro to the recent single “drive ME crazy!” Lil Yachty appeared for his part of the song halfway through and introduced the band soon after. After a brief lull, he confidently shouted into the microphone “Let’s turn this bitch up” before starting “the ride-” and continued the set with a more consistent trap sound. The rest of the set was rousing and upbeat, including songs old and new including “Poland,” “Broccoli,” and “Coffin” before finishing his set with “the BLACK seminole.” 

As the sun disappeared, Louisiana powerhouse The Revivalists took the stage to truly make the audience feel something. Opening with their recent single “Good Old Days,” lead singer David Shaw took the stage with an outfit and brand of confidence that clearly resonated with many Texans as he lept down to the pit and touched the hands of as many people in the front row as he could. The band played an upbeat version of “It Was a Sin” as Shaw seemed to spend more time standing on the speakers than the stage, his passion and energy uncontainable. Their sound live struck the right combination of old and new, as well as Folk and Rock as their setlist was fully flushed out including “Catching Fireflies,” “All My Friends,” and “Wish I Knew You” before finishing with another recent single “Kid.”

In a devastating blow to the fans in attendance, Kendrick Lamar’s set ran into a rather difficult-to-overcome hitch, the absence of the artist. For the first hour of the scheduled time, a note was displayed on the screen informing that the show would be delayed more than an hour due to an apparent issue with the musician’s flight. However, the snafu allowed all eyes to focus across the park where the longstanding Folk stars of The Lumineers performed an incredible and attention-grabbing set. As the band opened with “Cleopatra,” their entrances felt like people showing up to a family reunion as the members, starting with frontman Wesley Schultz, filed in one by one to a connecting platform in the middle of the audience to add their contribution to the song. Schultz took great care to interact with the audience, telling the story of writing “WHERE WE ARE” and it having been inspired by a vehicle accident, the lyrics “crashed the car in Arizona” resonating much more with the context, and reminiscing on past conversations with fans. He also remarked “Every once in a while we’ll meet a fan who will tell us when they got married they danced for the first time to one of our songs. It’s a great honor… They usually tell us it was “Ho Hey” and we tell them that’s about a breakup, but they will not listen.” The setlist was full of hits from across their decades as a band including “Ophelia,” “Flowers in Your Hair,” and “Gloria,” even covering Donny Hathaway’s “A Song for You” in their time.

The Lumineers' co-headliner status almost turned to the opening act for the Nobel Laureate across Zilker as The Lumineers ended their set with “Stubborn Love” a loud bass started from across the way, as the two sets had only minutes of overlap. Lamar did eventually make his way to the stage less than 20 minutes before the originally scheduled end of the day, but his performance was nothing short of justification for delayed gratification. While shortned for time, he was able to pack more into his performance than anyone could have imagined. Opening with “N95,” his energy started high and kept it there for the whole half hour. His interactions with the audience were sparse, understandably to get to as much music as possible on a truncated schedule, but he remarked early in the set that he was not going to stop performing until they cut his microphone off. He did perform a surprisingly full show consisting of “King Kunta,” “DNA,” and “Humble.” It felt like the show would have lasted all night if allowed to, however, it finally came to a close when at 10:16 his microphone was cut and the show was unceremoniously ended in the middle of “Alright.”

After a short spout of the audience pleading in vain for the music to resume, they finally began to leave the park. However it was not all bad news, with the late performance, ultimately that could only mean less time until the festival would resume the next day.

Check out more photos from Day One of Austin City Limits.

As Saturday morning rolled around, it was immediately clear that the energy was electric in Austin that day. Not only was it the biggest and most attended day of the festival that weekend, but UT Austin’s homecoming game was also held just a few miles North as countless Austinites either split their time between the two events or had their phones out to watch the game in the crowd as the Longhorns hosted the Oklahoma Sooners. Festival Goers channeled all of this passion into their commitment to enjoy the day, which was full of its own highs and lows, and familiar faces onstage to almost all who attended.

The second day of the festival opened with a fright as Brooklyn R&B singer Yaya Bey’s set was cut short. Performing early in the afternoon just as the sun began to beat down on Zilker Park, she was able to get through only a couple of songs before ending her performance prematurely. As she visibly struggled through her first few songs, she commented to the audience about the heat. Within a few minutes, she stopped performing mid-song apparently struggling to catch her breath before her bandmates called nearby medical staff over and she was rushed off stage. Although she did not return to complete her performance, she thankfully was treated and all seemed fine in the end.

The mood immediately elevated as Mt. Joy took the main stage for one of the most uplifting feel-good performances of the weekend. In the minute before the set, a timer onstage counted down from 60 seconds, prompting artists Matt Quinn and Sam Cooper to take center stage alongside the band and calmly start the set with their 2018 hit “Sheep.” Quinn entertained the crowd’s excitement early on, proudly stating “We’re going to try and play as many songs as we can before they kick us off.” This promise was more than delivered as the group played what felt like their whole discography including “Jenny Jenkins,” “Strangers,” and the titular single from their newest album “Orange Blood.” Quinn’s vocal resonance was put on full display as his vibrato synced incredibly with the band’s instrumentals during “Astrovan.” Eventually winding down to a close, the group closed out their set in a true kumbaya moment as they played themselves out with “Silver Lining.”

In one of the most stimulating performances of the weekend, Thirty Seconds to Mars put on a show that truly raised expectations for what was to come. In the moments before the show, a voice came through the speakers counting down from 60. As the audience’s anticipation grew, the voice ended its countdown as it echoed “32-31-30-30-30 Seconds to Mars.” From there, frontman Jared Leto appeared atop the stage to begin singing “Walk on Water,” his presence absolutely captivating, before bungee jumping down to the stage. The band played their hits from a range of decades including throwbacks like on of their first hits “Attack” all the way to inviting up-and-coming country artist Calder Allen onstage to perform one of their most recent singles “Seasons” with the band. Leto’s generosity in providing everlasting memories did not end there, as he then invited all the photographers onstage while he performed the anthem “The Kill (Bury Me)” for which all were overwhelmingly grateful. As the performance began to wind down, Leto’s Dallas Buyers Club costar and all-around Texas spokesperson, Matthew McConaughey, appeared onstage to help close out the set with “Closer To The Edge.”

As the night drew to a close, rock icons Foo Fighters closed down the mainstage in triumphant fashion. Starting the show promptly at 8:00 pm sharp, the band gave the audience the show they deserved as they opened with “All My Life.” After performing a plethora of hits, Dave Grohl chose to acknowledge those close to him, bringing up that it was his manager’s birthday stating “I’m not going to sing him that happy birthday shit,” and instead electing to dedicate their performance of “My Hero” in his name. Grohl got emotional before the band performed “Aurora,” dedicating the song to their late drummer Taylor Hawkins, stating that it was his favorite song that the two had written together. Elevating the mood, the frontman had some jokes. “I hate to say goodbye, so I wont!” Grohl joked with 20 minutes to go in his set. Acknowledging the average age of their fans, he again quipped “If you don’t know the words, just look at that minivan-driving motherfucker next to you.” before playing their 1997 throwback “Monkey Wrench.” In a welcome surprise to the audience, the band brought up a very special guest, Shania Twain, to perform alongside them during “Best of You.” The show ended on a high note, as the band played “Everlong” as the night drew to a fulfilling close.

With full hearts, the audience left Zilker Park with nothing but high hopes for what might come to close out the festival the next day.

Check out more photos from Austin City Limits Day Two.

The final day of Austin City Limits was a welcome change of pace after ending the previous night with some of the most notorious rockers of the past few decades. Day three featured a large bulk of indie artists focusing on technique and lyrics rather than volume and angst as the crowd gathered one last time to walk the grounds at Zilker Park.

Melbourne virtuoso Tash Sultana took center stage midday to put audiences into a trance with her very own brand of psychedelic extemporization. Coming out alone to a stage full of instruments, she picked them up one by one and engineered a melody that turned into an anthem. Her multi-instrumental talents were on full display, displaying her proficiency with guitar, bass, keys, saxophone, percussion, flute, and somehow still found the wherewithal to sing. The first act of her performance allowed her to put these talents on full display as she improvised masterfully before a band joined her to bring the show to fruition. The set was flushed with her singles from “Pretty Lady,” to “Cigarettes,” and “Notion” before ending with the artist’s breakthrough piece “Jungle.”

Veteran New York Indie Rock project Yeah Yeah Yeahs took the stage later in the day on the same stage. Frontwoman Karen Orzolek immediately drew all eyes in the park, arriving onstage flamboyantly dressed with energy to match and started the show with their recent single “Spitting Off the Edge of the World,” appropriately enough spitting up large mouthfuls of water during the interludes. Their modern yet retro sound was unmistakably their own as they played a full set which included “Zero,” “Cheated Hearts,” and “Lovebomb.” The performance ended with the music that arguably helped most in their commercial success. Orzolek paused for a moment to announce “I’d like to dedicate this song to anyone you’ve loved and lost… but most of all… all the lovers here at ACL” before playing “Maps” and afterward ending their set with “Heads Will Roll.”

Texas natives Cigarettes After Sex returned to their home state for an evening performance close to the end of the day. Beginning the show with their 2018 single “Crush” the mood began at mellow and stayed there the whole show. Their set, taking place penultimately to the end of the night, felt like a lullaby to end the weekend. Instead of closing the festival with a bang, they softly landed the plane, therapeutically evaporating all anxieties that might have accrued the past few days from the loud noises in the Austin heat. Unfortunately, the only blemish on this was the placement of the festival’s sports viewing lounge, playing the Cowbows/49ers game just a few feet over. While much of the Dallas fanatics’ sound bled over to the stage, Greg Gonzalez and company were not deterred and remained centered and committed to their craft throughout, playing under a thick fog that set the tone for their smooth hits including “Nothings Gonna Hurt You Baby,” “Dreaming of You,” and “Apocalypse.”

Many will remember Marcus Mumford’s solo performance at ACL 2022, but the sons really did add something to the show as Mumford and Sons took to the stage to complete the hat trick as they headlined the festival for the third time in the band’s history. Opening with a heavy acoustic beat, they began their show with “Bable,” followed by the crowd screaming along as they played their breakthrough single “Little Lion Man.” Marcus Mumford played so emotionally as to break a string on his guitar but played on unfazed as if nothing could deter him from this show. They made the night special early on as they shocked the audience and performed “Hopeless Wanderer” for the first time live since 2013. Mumford then showcased his multi-instrumental talents as he got behind the drums for “Lover of the Light.” “If you got a light on your phone, now's the time to whip it out” Mumford exclaimed before playing “Believe.” The band reciprocated the illumination with some of their own, as fireworks set off during the performance. Mumford expressed his love for the festival, exclaiming “There’s no other festival in the world we’ve headlined three times… and that makes it our favorite one.” The singer then showed how a part of the festival he truly felt, jumping down into the audience and performing “Ditmas” alongside the crowd. As the lights went down and rose for an encore, the band appeared atop a platform in the middle of the arena with fellow musician Noah Kahan with them as they played “Maybe.” The collaborations did not end there, as the band then invited the Houston Tillotson University Concert Choir onstage to perform with them during “Sigh No More” and “Awake My Soul.” The band then ended with a very heartfelt rendition of “I Will Wait” to close out the weekend.

With that, another weekend of ACL was successfully in the books. Some returning next year, some next week, all however would return to the memories sooner than we could believe.

Check out more photos from Austin City Limits Day Three.

Too Many Zooz closed out their latest cross-country tour this past weekend to a sold-out crowd at San Francisco’s The Chapel. Throughout a night of lively and upbeat music, the band helped to cement their legacy as the torchbearers of the Brass House genre with a set that echoed throughout the streets of the Mission District.

After a long and improvisational opening set from interpretative electronic artist Honeycomb, the New York-based outfit finally walked onto the stage one by one as the audience roared louder with every member taking their place.

For much of the set, the band seemed to do away with a traditional setlist as they faced each other and dictated the set as they saw fit in the moment. Through long-flowing extemporization, each member took their cues from one another, showcasing the trust they had built in one another over their last decade as a group.

Trumpet player Matt Muirhead took a beat to pick up the microphone to introduce the band comprised of himself, percussionist David Parks, and Saxophonist Leo Pellegrino, who just might be the last person grandfathered into legally being allowed to rock a mullet with such flare. Muirhead then continued, “We’re not going to talk a lot, it’s just going to be a bunch of music.”

The set unmistakably drew from their origin performing as buskers on the New York City subway. However, while it was narrated by a sense of inspiration and spontaneity, the night was seemingly musically anchored with their genre-defining single “Brasshouse Vol 7 No 68.” The band reprised sections of this song several times throughout their set, giving the performance an almost symphonic sensibility and a palpable thematic tone throughout.

Muirhead once again addressed the audience late in the set to say “We’re going to play a few more” to which an audience member yelled “Five” loud enough to draw a reaction from the crowd. “Five? We’ve only played two.” Muirhead responded, joking about the free-flowing nature of the show, but continued in jest “We pick songs that might be a little auspicious of us… You guys like T-Pain?” The band then proceeded to play a series of instrumental covers including T-Pain’s “Buy You a Drink” and Weezer’s “Hash Pipe,” the audience taking the vocals into their own hands and intermittently screaming the lyrics alongside them.

The band then walked off stage only to return after a moment of milking the crowd for an appropriately selected encore. Almost as if to pay homage to the city of San Francisco, the band ended their performance by playing their 2016 single “Warriors,” feeling almost like a tribute to Golden State’s win over the Phoenix Suns which many fans watched in the venue’s cantina only a few moments before the start of the show, their notes inspiring as much revelry as Steph Curry’s game-winning three-point shot.

A festival close to our hearts, Grateful Web has been covering Cali Roots since the mid-2010s and during this time, we have seen firsthand how many hold it in high regard. An institution many believe to be the nucleus of the reggae resurgence in America, it has both played host to and even helped create some of the biggest names in the genre. At the center of it all, festival organizer Dan Sheehan runs the show. Ever since its inception a decade and a half ago, he has served as the organization’s face and general patriarch of the Cali Roots family. Grateful Web had the chance to sit down with the Godfather of American Reggae himself ahead of this year’s Cali Roots to talk about the festival’s history, the business end of the festival, and his relationship with the community he has fostered.

Grateful Web: One part of the festival I’ve always been impressed with is how you’ve cultivated a culture of humility. We see artists headline one year and then play an earlier time slot on another stage like Stick Figure or Slightly Stoopid, and others sometimes just come back to feature with other artists or emcee a smaller stage. How do you keep egos in check and cultivate this family mentality?

Dan Sheehan: Fortunately, we have great relationships with all the bands. We have obviously worked with them for many years, even before Cali Roots, and so for example, this year Stick Figure is closing the Cali Roots stage on Friday, but that was a request from Scott (Woodruff,) and that's what he wanted to do because he wanted to showcase his pyro, and since our mainstage is a permanent wood stage and you can’t do pyro on it. So that’s one of the things he wanted to do, and he’s also very mindful that Ziggy Marley was closing that night on the bowl. As for Slightly Stoopid, we had long conversations with him about doing a sunset set, so that's why they played earlier. I think with artists and promoters, we’re constantly looking for ways to keep innovating and keep things fresh. At the end of the day, we all have the same mission of bringing this music forward and for the most part, everybody’s on board with that. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes the egos and billing are some of the more challenging parts of my job, but for the most part, we’re all in this together.

GW: Several times throughout the years of covering Cali Roots, we have been interviewing artists on-site, and they will ask to pause the interview to run up and pay their respects when they see you pass by. How do you personally go about fostering these close relationships with artists and where do you see your role in the greater reggae community?

DS: I mean, I consider myself one spoke in the wheel. We’ve been doing reggae shows for a long time, well before Cali Roots, and my roots in my musical history are roots reggae. I grew up in Hawaii, so that was part of my soul growing up, so I was listening to bands like The Gladiators or The Meditations when I was in middle school, and it's always been a big part of what we’re doing. As far as my relationships with the artists, it's just one of those things that has happened and I think we all have a huge amount of respect for each other. One of the things that I love is seeing bands like The Elovaters grow within our space, festival, scene, and shows, and to the point where they’re probably one of our next bonafide headliners. But being a part of that growth, having those conversations with them, and giving them the platform to do that, I think a lot of artists respect that and that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re promoters, but we’re music lovers first and it's always great to me to see bands grow, not just in ticket sales but to watch their music evolve and who they evolve as. Being around these bands, we were all growing up in the space together and we’ve all seen how we’ve grown up and become the adults that we are now. We’ve worked together for so long and there's just this mutual respect for each other because, at the end of the day, all artists know that our number one priority is the music. Of course, we have to sell tickets and we have to make money because that’s how we continue to do this, but at the end of the day it is about the music, experience, and the fans.

GW: In thinking about artists who have grown with the festival, how did Rebelution become the unofficial evergreen in-house headliner?

DS: We have worked with Rebelution for many years. When they were opening up for SOJA years ago when they were actually “Soldiers of Jah Army” years ago, I pronounced their name wrong and I think we misspelled it on the first poster we did with them, I think we called them “Rebelation.” But we’ve just done so much work together, and they’ve been a big part of the culture of Cali Roots, and they’ve earned that spot. Also, their drummer is from here, and it's his birthday weekend, so they have that whole tie-in with that as well, and obviously we do a lot of work with their agent and manager, so it ended up being that way.

GW: Speaking of acts that play every year, how did the tradition of Collie Buddz passing out pizzas during his set start?

DS: That was all him. That was something that Collie thought of and implemented, now it's just become a part of the culture of Cali Roots. It was something that he and his team thought of and fostered and they came to us with it and we were like “Yeah, let's do it.” It’s really cool to see, and now people are expecting it. It’s part of it now and it's cool to see how people are passing back the pizza boxes and how people are engaging in that, and how the venue is not a complete mess after it either, people are very respectful.

GW: Has this ever prompted pushback from your food vendors?

DS: We were worried that it would upset our pizza vendor, but I don’t think that it ever really translated to a loss of sales for them. It’s just one of those cool things that they came up with, we supported, and they ran with it. The cool thing about Cali Roots is people come early. This isn’t something where people show up at five or six in the afternoon to see the headliners, people are coming in early, so some people will eat two or three times in a day, and they might have the munchies, so our food vendors do really well. None of them were annoyed or mad that one of our acts was giving away thousands of pieces of pizza, I just think it's part of it. Like people are eating one or two slices and they work it off dancing to Collie for the rest of the set.

GW: With so many great things to say about so many of your artists, have you ever had any issues with any artists who weren’t so great, or have you ever had to blacklist an artist altogether?

DS: No. When I was younger I let my ego or other things get in the way, but as I’ve grown up, I have an eight-year-old daughter who kind of keeps me in check and I think we try to keep egos and blacklisting out of it. If there's something that warrants it and we’re not going to work with somebody, that’s that, but at the end of the day I’ve grown up a lot and as you get older you realize you don’t have the room in your head to let certain things in. That’s how we’ve approached the last two years especially. Life is too short, so we’re trying to not hold grudges. Egos are egos, but we’re also in the business of dealing with artists and their teams, and if we can’t roll with egos then we’re on the wrong side of the business because that’s what we do.

GW: How did hip hop first get integrated into the lineup and why do you think it plays so well to reggae fans?

DS: That's a question that has been coming up a bunch in general. We’ve been doing hip hop for a while. Obviously, we’ve had Atmosphere who just fits with the space, and that goes back to Slightly Stoopid bringing him out years ago, but he just fits. And the Reggae Rise Up guys integrate him into a lot of their stuff. But then we did Ice Cube a couple of years ago. We didn’t know how it was going to go, but it was a smash success in the bay with all the Raiders fans, and it really worked for us. I like to call it a palate cleanser. The heartbeat and the core of Cali Roots will always be reggae, but I think having different genres, tastes, and styles really adds to what makes Cali Roots. This year with E-40 and Too Short was too good to pass up and honestly, when you think about “California Roots” E-40 is California Roots, he’s a Bay Area legend. I think that fits for us. Obviously, we had Wu-Tang last year, and we’ve had Nas, we’ve had The Roots, and all of that works with that East Coast stuff, but I think the West Coast representation this year with Cube, E-40, Too Short, and Souls of Mischief works.

GW: What has the commercial success of “Cali Roots Riddim” and the album’s Grammy nomination meant to you?

DS: I think it's a nod in the direction of all the work that we’ve put in. We might not sell the most tickets, and we might not have the lead singer of No Doubt performing at our festival, but at the end of the day we’re a part of the festival and we have been the driving force in the American Reggae space for as long as Cali Roots has been around and will continue to do that. I think Cali Roots Riddim and the Grammy nomination for that was just another testament to that and the work that we’ve all put in to push forward. I think that says a lot that we’re mentioned in the same breath as other Grammy nominations, and Collie has done a great job in curating the Riddim. It just means a lot. It’s more notoriety and more recognition to all the hard work we’ve put into this scene.

GW: In bringing up the scene getting bigger every year, over the last few years we’ve seen a lot of reggae artists getting more time in the worldwide spotlight. For example, Cali Roots staples like Rebelution, Sublime, and Stick Figure had very well-received sets at Coachella over the last couple of years. Do you feel the genre is finally getting its due recognition and universal celebration, and do you see the brighter limelight impacting the community for better or worse?

DS: I think there are artists like Stick Figure who are continuing to put out new content and new music and stay relevant. I think that’s a huge thing, and I think their sound is becoming a more universal sound and it’s not just our scene recognizing it. There's various people from all walks of life who keep asking me if Stick Figure is playing Cali Roots and I think their set at Coachella was hugely beneficial. I think, obviously, having the same producers as other festivals open their eyes to it, which is why they put them on the Coachella stage, but at the end of the day, I think it is good for all of us. It's good for all of us to have those acts on a big stage in front of a lot of people. What’s the saying, rising tides (lift all boats.) So I think it's a good thing, but in our scene, we really have to take a look at who our next headliners are because I think that’s something that I’m constantly looking at which is why we’re putting time into bands like The Elovaters and other bands in that space. We think “How do we keep elevating some of these bands to the next space?” because we need the younger bands to keep rising up to continue to help this space and continue moving forward, because if not you run into where things become stagnant, and that’s why it's important to us to do that artist development, which I think is something we take pride in. Artist development is crucial, and we were a part of the earlier years and the development of Stick Figure playing our festival and seeing what he’s become and what that machine has turned into. I think that’s something that as a festival, we thrive on.

GW: In looking at your growing audience, last year’s festival almost didn’t host a live stream for the first time in years. What was that process like of deciding to cut the feature and reintroduce it and why do you think that feature is so important?

DS: I personally didn’t think we would get as much pushback as we did, and I am one to understand after pushback. The problem is sometimes people get really ugly on social media, and there was definitely some of that going on, but when you take those negative people out of the mix, you’re left with the people who are saying “We can’t afford to come” or “this is how we’ve celebrated Memorial Day for years” or “We used to come but now we have kids” or whatever might be. Those are the ones that made us go “Ok, this makes sense.” Like I said earlier, our goal is to put out the best event possible and deliver to the fans, but we also need to make money and generate a positive income so we can continue to do this. I was looking at it more like a budget cut because live streaming is not cheap, but fortunately, we found a solid provider to help us out at a very good price and we brought it back and let the fans know. It had huge positive feedback and I actually had someone come up to an event we do locally in Monterey on the first Friday of every month called “The Night Market” and asked if we were going to do the live stream again and explained to me that they had four kids and can’t afford to come, and for us we’ve realized that the live stream is a part of the Cali Roots culture. We’re not going to take it away, it’s become a part of how people celebrate their Memorial Day. That was a big thing we wanted to bring back. It’s a part of the budget now, we know how much it’s going to cost, and we won’t cut it out.

GW: So we all know the Monterey Fairgrounds is where Jimi Hendrix famously burned his guitar, and we’re coming up on the 10th anniversary of SOJA’s Trevor Young burning his guitar on the same stage in homage. Do you foresee another band ever getting the green light to do that again?

DS: It took us a lot to get that through the fire marshall. I don’t know. It all depends on the artist. For SOJA, it made sense, for Trevor, it made a lot of sense, but that’s one of those ones where we’ll see down the road. No one has ever asked to do it outside of SOJA, but I think jumping through the hoops was a lot and we also had to deal with the Hendrix estate which was a challenge to begin with, but I guess that's TBD.

GW: While we all know the Monterey County Fairgrounds as a sacred place in music not just because of Hendrix, but for countless other reasons, we see more fans coming to Cali Roots every year. Do you believe the festival has outgrown the confines of the venue and do you foresee the festival ever moving to a bigger space?

DS: There’s been talks about it. It’s hard, it’s become such a big part of the community. I don’t think it’s something that is completely off the table but for the time being, locally there's no other space. There’s no other venue that's big enough that makes sense and checks all the boxes. Right now, we’re going to enjoy our home at the Fairgrounds and continue to put on Cali Roots the best we can.

In a circle as tightly knit as the reggae community, word has traveled fast about the genre’s newest superstars “The Elovaters.” Since forming a few short years ago they have taken the reggae world by storm through an unrelenting series of tours and album releases, earning the respect of fans and peers alike. Grateful Web got to sit down with founding members Jackson Wetherbee and Nick Asta at this year’s Cali Roots festival to talk about their meteoric rise through the reggae ranks, their experiences on the road, and the places they miss most back home.

Grateful Web: You just finished your third set at Cali Roots Cali Roots. What has this festival come to mean to you?

Jackson Wetherbee: This festival is the pinnacle of our growth on the West Coast. It's beautiful every year to come back and have this time with all the bands that we love to tour with and see play and every year it just feels like it gets better and better.

Nick Asta: Yeah. Pretty much what Jackson said every year you come back and you see a bunch of bands that you've known for years now and it just feels like a huge family environment, even all the photographers and everyone that works here, you're just seeing familiar faces. It's an inviting vibe here. 

JW: Much love for the Sheehan family. 

GW: Since you brought him up, on Dan Sheehan. He among many other people has not been shy about listing you as a band he expects to headline the festival one day. How do you feel about receiving these accolades? And what do you think needs to happen to get to that point? 

JW: We're just super honored that he feels that way, and on our end, we're just gonna keep working as hard as we have been, even harder, and creating the best music we can, trying to grow our fan base, and doing the whole genre proud, hopefully. 

NA: Yeah, we're gonna try to have some fun along the way. I think part of making music is enjoying yourself as an artist, and we've been trying to focus on that a lot, and as the accolades roll, in trying to keep the focus on just having fun, you know, and letting our fan base have fun with us.

GW: So how many more years do you think it takes until you get that 9 p.m. bowl set?

JW: I mean, that is not a question for us. That's up to the higher-ups. We're just trying to make them all proud and play our music well. One day at a time, 10 toes on the ground.

GW: What does this project mean to you? What comes first, the music, the message, or the community?

JW: All three. I mean, it has to be symbiotic. I mean, without a fan base, you're nothing with a community or nothing. I don't think we've ever put one in front of the other. It's just, you know, learning to really, truly embrace your fans and celebrate them and just be honored that they're out there rocking to your show with you and singing along to the lyrics. It blows our mind every single night that we play, and that's honestly what keeps the gas inside of our personal engines to be out here just grinding on the road playing shows is just how exciting all that is. It's really like a give and receive of energy when you're up on stage with the fans, they're given to you and you're given to them and it's, that's what makes a great concert or a great festival.

GW: Jackson, is it true you’re a classically trained opera singer?

JW: I am. Yeah.

GW: Do you still practice classically?

JW: It's like a party trick at this point. You know what I mean? I have a couple of Italian songs I can still sing

NA: I made him do opera at one of the VIP meet and greets and everyone loved it. Honestly, dude, I don't know how he does it, but it's beautiful, and I tell him every time, to save some for us. We need to get some of the ladies too.

JW: I never knew that vocal lessons and opera camp was gonna bring me here.

GW: Did you go to school for it?

JW: Yeah, I went to Westfield State on a scholarship. It was mostly Italian opera but not even a year into my freshman year I got signed to Universal Records. So that ended the opera career.

GW: Speaking as a band who's tirelessly found a way to work and record with some of the biggest names in the genre. We've been seeing a big uptick in reggae collaborations over the last few years. What do you think is contributed to this fortified sense of community, and why do you think the reggae world has come together in this way?

JW: I think everybody in the genre is just celebrating the fact that it's growing and it's way more fun to collaborate and make great music together than it is to hoard it and be so singular with your messages and your sounds. I think we all realize that by making great music together, we can just prolong how popular the genre is becoming, how big it's becoming, and it's definitely a team effort here. We have our leaders that we all know and love and everybody is kind of following in their footsteps, but in their own way.

NA: I remember sitting in study hall in high school in 10th grade and listening to Slightly Stoopid in my headphones, and they were just then getting big and that was a while ago, and it's just crazy how bands like Slightly Stoopid have paved the way for this genre and now to look at our friends in Stick Figure, absolutely crushing it and also paving the way for bands running down the road behind them. It's just really cool and I just feel like it's gonna keep progressing and we'd love to take part in that in any way.

GW: Speaking of the uptick in reggae appreciation. In the last few years, bands like Slightly Stoopid are getting much bigger venues, and bands like Rebelution, Stick Figure, and Sublime who frequent Cal Roots have also gotten great timeslots at Coachella in the last couple of years, why do you think the genre is taking off in this way?

JW: I think the growth of the fan base is undeniable. You know, once you have such an organic amount of people coming to celebrate a genre of music, obviously, it's gonna start turning heads from people that play, you know, the more pop country, hip hop style stuff. So yeah, it's just kind of undeniable. I think that they obviously were paying attention for a couple of years and reggae is not going anywhere. So it's time to start helping lift that up to the heights it should be at.

GW: Favorite Boston local spot?

NA: What was that one bar we played in that one time that you go to all the time?

JW: Hennessy's? Oh! Biddy Early’s!

NA: Biddy Early’s!

JW: Like, within Boston, not outside of Boston, I would say that’s my favorite bar. It's been voted the best dive bar in all of Boston. It is amazing. It's like the weirdest combination of skaters, drunks, people that are working in finance, so there's like, suits and ties next to like skaters next to some smelly dude. It's such a melting pot and no one cares. Everyone just gets along, and it seems random when you first walk in and within 10 minutes it's just not random anymore. It's magic how they make that happen.

NA: Just make sure you're eating your clam chowder and drinking your Sam Adams, and you'll fit in. But I do want to say that we are from Plymouth County. We're not actually from the city of Boston. We're from the South Shore, so we're always kicking it down in Plymouth at Pillory Pub.

JW: Yeah, there are tons of bars. Our buddy Dino owns a brewery, Vitamin C Brewing. Yeah, we're from about 45 minutes south of Boston and that's where we're always hanging out.

JW: Anything you’d like to plug? We have some fresh singles coming out for you guys this summer, keep your eyes out. We're on tour with The Dirty Heads, Slightly Stoopid, and Common Kings this summer. It's leading right into our fall tour. We're headlining down the East Coast and Midwest with Cisco Adler and Bikini Trill, and we just announced that we're touring through Australia and New Zealand with The Original Wailers in November.

NA: Closer to the Sun. That festival is amazing. Slightly Stoopid’s festival down in Mexico. We're really looking forward to it.

JW: Big time.

Cleveland locals turned national touring sensation, Tropidelic has prioritized their art and ambition above all else. An amalgamation of Reggae, Funk, Hip-Hop, and the onstage energy every artist should strive to embody, the project has become an undeniable force in the community. Grateful Web got the chance to sit down with the project’s frontmen Matthew Roads and James Begin at this year’s Cali Roots Festival to talk about their process, their evolution as artists, and even their venture into the music promotion sphere.

Grateful Web: Your music has really taken flight stylistically and evolved since your earlier albums like “Police State.” What do you think has led to these changes and where do you see this project going from here?

Matthew Roads: Just natural growth, and definitely an intent and an intention involved in progressing the sound and pushing everything forward. It's a fun process.

GW: Your project has always blended Hip-Hop and reggae, but why do you feel that type of music plays so well to reggae fans?

James Begin: I don't know, maybe at its root it's the West Coast connection there with bands like Sublime getting everything started with the style of reggae and then the hip hop scene that was going on out there. And I think the groove just kind of allows for it as well. But it's so fun watching everybody do it. I mean, I enjoy it, I think everybody really enjoys it, and it's cool watching those fans cross over as well. We've been watching people like Wu-Tang and Atmosphere and Living Legends come and play this same Reggae festival. That's been really cool.

GW: In spearheading the Everwild festival, what have been your biggest priorities, financial motivations aside, and what have been your biggest learning curves in taking on the business side of the industry?

MR: For us, it's been very little about finances, It's just kind of like we're doing what we're doing. We started the festival eight years ago as essentially a backyard pool party and now it's this massive thing in the midwest. There's been a lot of challenges for sure with that being said. When you go up to scale, the problems become that much bigger. We have a great team though, so they assist with most of it and we play our part in the promotion side.

GW: What's your dream legacy act to headline the festival one day?

JB: I'd love to have Atmosphere there. That'd be pretty, pretty amazing.

MR: It'd be great to have Sublime there. Like, this, you know, this reincarnated version with Jakob singing. It would be awesome.

GW: Who’s the next band you’re really hoping to bring up with the festival?

MR: A band called The Quasi Kings out of Columbus, Ohio. We come from a part of the country where there's very little sort of anything reggae tangent, and they, and they're a true and thorough reggae band out of Columbus Ohio that we love.

GW: The last few years more than ever, we've seen a lot more collaborations in the reggae sphere. What do you think that says about the genre? And why do you think reggae has really taken off in the mainstream in the last couple of years?

JB: I guess I don't know why, but I think collaborations are a big thing in Hip-Hop. So it's cool, like watching more bands take on the style of jumping on each other's songs and doing things like that. It's cool just getting to work with different people in the studio and stuff and, you know, everybody does things differently. So learning about other people's processes and stuff is just interesting and helpful.

GW: Best local spot in Cleveland?

JB: Cordelia. It's a restaurant on East Fourth Street. It's the best in town.

GW: You've been in Monterey for Cali Roots three times so far, have you had the chance to check out the aquarium here?

MR: I didn't know there was an aquarium, no.

JB: We've gone to the Fisherman's Wharf and it's about all we got in this time. But I heard they had a great aquarium.

MR: Got to see the sea lions.

GW: Anything you want to plug?

JB: Everwild Music Festival. It's the first weekend of August, Legend Valley

MR: Our new Album Drops on July 19th called Royal Grove.

GW: What’s one thing you’ve never been asked about in an interview?

JB: We do the adopt a highway program. It's like a litter cleanup thing. We're pretty stoked on that. We take people out four times a year and clean up the highway in Cleveland. So, yeah, we like doing stuff like that.

Fresh off their first album release in 15 years, California Hip-Hop supergroup Living Legends brings over a century of experience between their members to the studio and the stage with every song. As they celebrate their latest reunion, Grateful Web got to sit down with the project’s founding members The Grouch and Luckyiam to speak with them about the differences between musical generations, their opinions on AI in music, and the connection they feel between Hip-Hop and Reggae.

Grateful Web: As a Hip-Hop act performing at a Reggae festival, why do you feel the genres play so well to each other?

The Grouch: I will say, there is a lot of Reggae at a Reggae festival, so when there’s something different, then it's like a fresh breath of air. And it's the beat from a two-track stereo, recording with 808’s and basslines already built into it when everybody’s listening to mostly live bands all day is a good change-up. And the music is related, it's music from the black struggle.

Luckyiam: It's good vibes, you know? And we bring it. Plus, it's called Cali Roots, everybody in our crew is rooted in Cali. It makes sense, why not?

G: Hip-Hop and Reggae are related. A lot of Reggae artists were rapping before rap was entitled rap.

L: And one of my first albums that I got, I remember I had a little Sony Walkman with orange headphones and one of the first tapes I got from Martin's records around the corner from my Mama and Daddy’s house was Criminal Minded by BDP.

G: I also had a Reggae rap artist named Shinehead on cassette back in the day and he was like a reggae rapper. I got it probably from, what's that record store that closed down? Tower Records. I bought a lot of my tapes from the flea market, but that one I remember I bought from there, But anyway, Reggae and Hip Hop definitely have roots with each other.

GW: Do you see new artists coming up now with SoundCloud and the social media generation having a harder or easier time than you did?

G: I mean, they're worldwide instantly by uploading, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's going to take off. You know, there's no formula for any of this. Somebody may excel on SoundCloud and the next artist does the exact same thing and it doesn't work for them. We come from an era of recording cassette tapes in our homes and then traveling to Europe, Japan, or Australia and selling those tapes in order to spread awareness about our group, and nowadays you don't technically have to do that. I think grassroots, being in the face of people, showing that you're human, is always going to work. Sometimes SoundCloud is going to work and sometimes it's not.

L: Nowadays being human is not necessarily a requirement to make music. I've heard a couple of AI songs that are getting close to being good. So if you're doing music nowadays, you better hurry up and get it cracking because, in a few years, AI is gonna be fucking y'all up. 

G: I'm not scared of AI.

GW: Grouch, you’re from Oakland. Are there any rappers coming out of the Bay Area that you really like right now?

G: I love Rexx Life Raj, but he's been around for a while now, and I love Kamaiyah, but I don't know who's super fresh right now, to be honest. I love Mistah F.A.B., I love Nate Curry. But all those names are established already. LaRussell. LaRussell is an independent artist out of Valejo and he is killing it. He does shows in his backyard and invites the public to them and he does everything independently, so I definitely resonate with that. I have a song with LaRussell that I'm getting ready to put out that I, that I'm blessed to have. He is kind of my favorite current artist out of the Bay right now.

GW: I have to ask this one, Kendrick or Drake?

G: I'm not going to take sides on that. I've traditionally been team Kendrick, I love Kendrick, I resonate more with him than I do with Drake, but I don't think he killed Drake in this battle.

GW: Where do you see the line between sampling to create new art and plagiarism? 

G: I actually don't see that line at all. I feel like even if an artist takes a full instrument, you know what, I'm sorry. The line is making music with AI. Like telling a computer to create it for you. But otherwise, in my opinion, even if an artist takes an instrumental from another artist and then writes over the top of that, that's not plagiarism, that's still art. I come from sampling artists, and so I believe that even if I were to rap over an Earth Wind & Fire instrumental, it's still art. Even if I didn't create the backdrop of it, I'm still writing, I'm still thinking about how my vocal is going to flow over the top of that. Now if I were to do that, I'd give them credit and say, thank you for creating this backdrop, can I please get your blessing to put this out? But you know, art is art and you can use other things for inspiration. That's how I feel.

GW: Do you guys have a plug?

G: Legendarymusic.net and Therealgrouch.com. We have a brand new album, well, a pretty brand new album, our first album in 15 years for Living Legends. It's called “The Return.” It's out now on those websites that I just mentioned, and How the Grouch Stole Christmas later this year. We've got a couple more Living Legends albums coming down the pipe. I got an album with Luckyiam. I got an album with Pure Powers. I got two albums with Grouch and Eligh. I got another album with Reverie. I got an album with Casual from Hieroglyphics. And yeah, we're working. We're here. 

GW: What's one question you've never gotten in an interview before?

L: No one's ever asked me “Why are you so shy?”

G: You’re not shy.

L: But that’s one question I’ve never gotten.

Cali Roots, the annual California Montereggae classic, has proven itself time and time again as not just the family reunion but the spiritual gathering of the year in the American reggae scene. Its 13th year at the Monterey County Fairgrounds proved to be quite possibly the greatest in the festival's tenure, showcasing the unabridged history of the genre, from the new and upcoming to celebrating the Marley legacy, and just about everything in between.

In a year that featured such a strong lineup, even some of the first artists to perform touted accolades that demonstrated enviable merit. Kicking off the weekend on the Cali Roots stage was Grammy-winning artist Kabaka Pyramid, who delivered a strong and upbeat start to the weekend and was as heavily attended as any. With invigorating energy, he delivered a set that set the tone for the weekend, including “Can’t Breathe,” “Rock Mi Nice,” and “Stand Up.”

Given Cali Roots’ track record for developing bands and their careers, fans often find it easy to form a connection with artists as they see them grow with the project throughout the years. Fans and promoters alike made no attempt to hide their feelings about New England phenom The Elovators becoming the latest to join this tradition, as even the emcee announced the project as a future headliner of the festival before their set. The band more than lived up to the hype from the moment they walked onto the stage, delivering a set where the audience’s voice could be heard louder than frontman Jackson Wetherbee’s coming through the speakers. The hour seemed to have no lows and only highs as they played hits from their entire catalog, including “Wind on My Back,” “Castaway,” and “Gimme Love.”

It would be impossible to pay full respect to the musical roots of California without giving due credit to the pioneers of its hip-hop scene. For those who grew up with this type of music, seeing E-40 and Too Short perform alongside each other on the Bowl stage was nothing short of a historic event. The reverence most had shown for blankets on the grass, staking claim close to the stage, held no further meaning as fans took advantage of every inch of standing room they could and moved as close to the stage as possible. In the moments leading up to the performance, fans wasted no breath acknowledging the sounds of “Bay Area” coming through the speakers or responding with expletives when asked if they knew Too Short’s favorite word. As Too Short took the stage first, his energy shook the grounds as he powered through his greatest hits, from “Burn Rubber” to “Blow the Whistle.” When it came time for E-40 to pick up the mic, the two performed in tandem, showcasing Earl Stevens’ contributions to the scene from “Function” to “Choices.”

In a moment befitting the weight and drama of the climactic occasion, the rain started to fall just as headliner Ziggy Marley took the stage. Introduced by reggae legend Rocky Bailey, Marley walked onstage with an acoustic guitar in hand to begin the night with a cover of “Shalom Salaam.” His set was a mix of the history of his father’s legacy and his own, as he covered his family’s discography comprehensively, including “Get Up, Stand Up,” “Positive Vibration,” and “Top Rankin’,” but focused mostly on his own work such as “Circle of Peace,” “Moving Forward,” and “Be Free.” Toward the end of his performance, Marley stopped the show to check on a fan who had fallen in the audience. In perhaps the best or worst-timed coincidence, as they were helped to their feet and escorted out of the crowd by the staff, Marley began to play his 1989 hit “Look Who’s Dancing.” As Marley wrapped up his performance and walked offstage, an emcee walked on and began sending the crowd home. Marley returned to interrupt the announcements with an encore that drew fans back to the stage. Time, however, was not on his side, as his microphone was cut off before he could finish his encore. As he stared off to the side of the stage, he could not help but grin and laugh. In an unannounced cameo, the artist’s brother Stephen Marley came onstage to congratulate him in front of the crowd and end the night by creating anticipation for his set the next day as he projected “Rastafari” loudly to the crowd. Drenched yet rejuvenated, the crowd finally dispersed on the first day of Cali Roots.

Check out more photos from Day One of Cali Roots 2024.

As fans poured into the Monterey Fairgrounds for the second day of Cali Roots, the clouds in the sky had parted from the night before, leaving only the ones closer to the ground fans had made themselves. The warm weather set the tone for the day to come as day two would celebrate the genre’s history and feature both its newest and tenured performers.

Starting the day on the Cali Roots stage was Northern California native Claire Wright, joined onstage by her band and Golden Retriever, Captain. Her musical style resonated with the audience and rested somewhere between reggae and country. Her set’s energy resonated well with the audience and included hits such as “California Cowboy.” Partway through her performance, she addressed the sentimental importance of the festival to her and her band. Having attended Cali Roots as fans many times and now finding themselves onstage, she said, “It’s such a bizarre concept to dream about something for so long and have it be happening.” She then proceeded to pay homage to another group that blends reggae with other influences as she covered Sublime’s early hit “Badfish.”

San Diego powerhouse Tribal Seeds took the stage late in the day as they returned once again to the Monterey Fairgrounds. The presence of lead singer Steven Jacobo was well received, as vocal responsibilities had been delegated to Jamaican artist Hector Roots Lewis during their last Cali Roots performance. The band wasted no time setting a calm and collected mood as they started their set with their recent hit “One Time.” Their setlist included both old and new music as they played songs from their many years together, including “The Garden,” “Down Bad Vibes,” and “Moonlight.” In a heartwarming reunion, Hector Roots Lewis eventually joined the band onstage to perform several numbers to the enjoyment of the audience.

Multi-Grammy Award-winning artist and pioneer of the genre, Burning Spear, closed out the Cali Roots stage with a sunset performance that proved to be nothing short of a masterclass in roots reggae music. The artist demonstrated stoic confidence as he walked onstage to begin his set with “Door Peep” and kept this demeanor throughout the show. Demonstrating his instrumental chops, the crowd became mesmerized each time he began to extemporize on a large set of bongos, playing with great rhythm and passion. The artist took the audience through decades of his discography, playing a well-rounded set including “Zion Higher,” “Creation,” and “Jah Is My Driver.” A showman through and through, he danced enthusiastically during every instrumental solo, never taking a moment of his time onstage for granted.

The evening culminated in a headlining performance for the ages as brothers in reggae royalty Stephen and Damian Marley took to the stage to perform in tandem. Introduced by a dramatic video montage celebrating the Rastafarian mentality, the two walked onstage while singing Damian’s 1996 hit “10,000 Chariots.” The juxtaposition between the two’s aesthetics highlighted their musical styles coming together, with Stephen dressed casually and draped in a red, gold, and green scarf, and Damian sporting an untucked suit. Their show mixed the musical legacy of their work as individual artists, their collaborations together, and the history of their father, Bob Marley, with their setlist including hits from across the decades. Midway through the performance, the stage lights turned an emerald shade of green, and the music took on a slower tempo. “Wowzers,” Damian exclaimed as he walked to the front of the stage and paced back and forth, beginning to deliver a dramatic monologue. “I think it goes without saying that California is notorious for being one of the frontrunners in the emancipation of one of the greatest plants that God has given this green earth,” he exclaimed, with Stephen loudly giggling behind him. After a long and rhythmically delivered speech culminating in the thesis that “cannabis saves lives,” the music quickened in tempo, and the duo erupted into a cover of their 2017 single “Medication.” The performance celebrated both the history of the Marley name and ushered in its newest generation. Toward the end of the set, the duo was joined onstage by Damian’s son, Elijah Marley, who took center stage to perform for a few bars during “Welcome to Jamrock.” Appropriately, the duo ended with an optimistic hit synonymous with the genre and closed out the night with a cover of Bob Marley’s “Could You Be Loved.” An elating performance, the crowd left with full hearts, anticipating the final day of the festivities.

Check out more photos from Cali Roots Day Two.

In a fitting end to an incredible weekend, Day Three of Cali Roots 2024 gave fans a full experience, including the highest of highs and the most tranquil community moments, all while providing the space for attendees to look within themselves and bring this energy home with them. The final day of the festivities proved to be everything and more than the illustrious lineup promised, as each act did their part in shouldering the responsibility of making this all happen.

Starting the day off on the Bowl stage, Northeast outfit Coyote Island delivered a set that demonstrated a great amount of passion and musicianship from the young artists. The band quickly won the crowd over in their Cali Roots debut, prompting a response from frontman Mike O’Hare, who remarked, “You have such a beautiful energy today.” While the set featured mostly rehearsed singles, they took some time to extemporize and truly have fun with their performance for a sizable portion of their show, in true jam band fashion.

An artist in many ways synonymous with the festival itself, Bermudian powerhouse Collie Buddz performed his annual midday set to a packed Bowl stage. For one hour every year, it feels as if the festival was named “Collie Roots,” as the artist puts the community on his back. Few people can claim to have done as much for this culture as Collie. His first performance at the Monterey Fairgrounds since earning a Grammy nomination for his “Cali Roots Riddim” album, he fortified the sense of unity throughout his set. From the moment he began his show with his 2017 hit “Good Life,” the audience was awestruck, and this feeling did not fade for a moment. In what has become an annual tradition for the artist, he picked up the dinner tab for his fans. As he began to perform “Take It Easy,” hundreds upon hundreds of pizzas were passed through the crowd in a sign of mutual respect and appreciation from the artist.

Playing penultimately on the Bowl stage, California icon and founding member of NWA, Ice Cube, performed to an equally packed crowd. Giant inflatable hands forming a “West side W” arose at each side of the stage as the artist appeared, joined onstage by longtime friend and collaborator WC. Arguably the rowdiest performance of the weekend, the high energy of the artist translated to the crowd, as not a single fan in attendance could help but dance along throughout the show. For a moment, time held no meaning, and viewers lost track of the day of the week as Ice Cube screamed, “It's motherfucking Friday!” loudly in WC’s ear as he began to perform his single “Friday.” Touting his accolades, he claimed his 1991 hit “No Vaseline” to be the greatest diss track of all time as he performed it with a level of intensity only he could. The set proved well-rounded with hits from his decades in music, including “You Can Do It,” “You Know How We Do It,” and “Check Yo Self.”

The weekend ended on a calm note as Cali Roots' in-house headliner Rebelution took the stage to close out the festivities. The show proved to be the perfect ending to an energy-consuming weekend, more relaxing than adrenaline-pumping. As a blanket of soft lights covered the audience, frontman Eric Rachmany walked onstage to begin their performance with their 2012 hit “Sky Is the Limit.” A full set that reflected the project’s tenure as performers, the band played a range of hits, including “Safe and Sound,” “Feeling Alright,” and “Lay My Claim.” Rachmany took a moment to address the audience and thanked the crowd for still bringing energy to the final performance of the weekend. The encore started softly and built from there. Beginning with a quiet acoustic rendition of their single “Honeypot,” which led into a sentimental cover of the band’s hit “Fade Away,” they finally cranked the energy as high as they could and finished the weekend with “De-Stress.” The set ended in celebration of the event and the performers as the band fired off confetti in commemoration of their drummer Wes’ birthday. Ending the weekend with festivities and not tears, fans exited the fairgrounds knowing that summer had officially begun and eager for the seasons to pass so they could come back and do it all again next year.

Check out more photos from Cali Roots Day Three.

Few bands can claim to have had as profound an impact on the development of a genre as the reggae rock outfit Pepper. With a tenured career, the band has played stages together in four separate decades, but still manages to joke around with each other like brothers at every opportunity. Grateful Web got a chance to meet up with the trio at this year’s Cali Roots festival to speak with them about their connection with the festival, their roles as mentors and producers through their label “Law Records,” and the connections they have formed with other artists during their storied career.

Grateful Web: It's been a few years since you started touring with Jeff Nisen playing alongside you. How has it been introducing a new member to the group after more than 20 years of playing together?

Kaleo Wassman: Jeff? Who’s Jeff?

Yesod Williams: He's the guy that sells us weed.

KW: Oh! Jeff!

Bret Bollinger: Geef!

KW: No, it's more, it's more like Jeff. Jeff. Jeff. Jeff. More of a chat vibe.

BB: We invited him out for a guitar solo one time and he just hasn't gone home. We don't have the heart to tell him, he just keeps hanging out.

YW: It was, it was right after the pandemic and we just felt extra lonely, and, you know, we just brought him along and he's still here. And then we got the ultimate compliment from Miles from Slightly Stoopid. He was like, “God damn, I've never heard you guys sound better.” So we're like, shit, we gotta keep this guy.

BB: Well, when you hire someone who's really good at music and you make them play with you, things can happen.

YW: Yeah, I was skeptical though.

KW: He was forced into it.

BB: Yeah, he was.

KW: But it was better for us, and if you think about it, it's better for everyone with ears.

YW: 100 percent.

GW: Kaleo, you started to incorporate your yoga studio into the festival this year and have been putting on clinics this weekend before the music starts playing. How did that happen and how did it go this weekend?

KW: It's been such a trippy, nice, organic kind of like opening up. Melanie and I have been using Rebel and Muse as our health and wellness platform for a long time, and then we just talked to a couple of really good friends like Dan Sheehan and he's like, hey, do you think you guys could come and teach at Cali Roots, and we said yeah, because it's the ultimate way to set the intention before the festival. And look, man, the last thing you want to do is, you've spent so much money, you've like taken care of so many things just to get here, and then when you do get here, you're stressed out about, ok, I can watch this band until this time and then I got to make sure that I leave at this time to go see that band and try to do everything that you possibly can, so it's just kind of like a nice reminder. First thing in the morning is when we do it before doors and go, hey, you already made it, you've already won. If you just wanna really enjoy yourself, close your eyes, bring yourself right back to it, and make sure that you're not stressed out at a festival, because basically you're just paying a lot of money to get crunched in that sense. And so it's been really, really nice to be able to see so many people coming earlier before doors and wanting a different kind of mindset going into it.

GW: And you’re happy with how it turned out this year?

KW:  Oh, absolutely. Two days of a really, really, incredible crowd, good people and just a nice way to remember it's really an honor to be here, whether we're performing, whether you're just here, so maximize that experience. And that's what it is by just being as present as you can.

GW: You’ve been involved with the Nowell Family Foundation in a philanthropic capacity for years now. How do you feel about Sublime getting back together with Jakob and do you have any plans to record with them in the future?

KW: Well, we get to see them at the next festival. The Point Break Festival. They're playing after us in Virginia Beach.

YW: It's funny because we were just talking about their new song, which is so rad to hear Brad again after 28 years, and especially reading all the comments of all the die-hard Sublime fans, which we are too, and just everyone saying things like, oh my God, I've been waiting so long for this, I never thought this would happen. It's so, so Rad to see someone like Scott pull this epic song together and the first time everyone's heard Brad for so long, and then of course, having Bud and Eric back together as a rhythm section is just so amazing to see always. And yeah, like Kaleo said, we're so psyched to see him and play with him next weekend in Virginia Beach, and we would love to do some work with them. Anytime we could dip in the soy sauce of that rhythm section would be nice.

KW: And also, what they just did in Oceanside. Ye, you were there for the Nowell Foundation, right?

YW: Yeah. All of the work they're doing with the rehab that they opened. So because what we did with our label, Law Records, we put together the compilation “The House that Bradley Built” where we got a shitload of bands from this genre and outside of the genre as well, about 56 artists, and we nearly got the whole Sublime catalog covered in an acoustic fashion, released it, and donated all the money from the streaming and from the vinyl sales and everything, all to the Nowell Foundation, and that was a huge jump start for them in opening Bradley's House, which is now open in Redlands, inland Orange County where it serves as a rehab for those struggling in the music industry and can't afford help, so to try and turn a positive from the tragedy that happened with Bradley. It's just rad, cause that compilation just keeps going and keeps going, and it's continuing to raise money for the foundation. Like what Kaleo was talking about, they did their big yearly fundraiser and had Jakob play, and a couple of bands from Law Records played; Tunnel Vision, Cydeways, and Eric Wilson were all there, it was like a big, a big jam of everyone and they raised that much money for the foundation. They had a really rad museum of all the Sublime memorabilia, all awards, the MTV, Moon Man, Brad's Guitars, all the magazine covers, just such rad history. And it was really cool.

KW: It was almost like a Hard Rock, and that was just such a cool thing to do.

BB Looking back on Law Records and hearing you talk about it in that way, and seeing what the, the Nowell Foundation has done, like they asked us about doing that album early on and that's like one of the crown jewels, in my opinion, for our label. We've done so many cool records with tons of artists, you know, we got to be the first to nurture the Irations and the Ballyhoos and the Passafire, you know, they didn't exist before. You know, Katastro goes on, but when they tasked us to do that, how much love and time we all put into it, especially you guys, that's a crown jewel. It's a cool thing because every stream, every dollar, is still benefiting these people. It's really a beautiful thing.

YW: So many cool Songs. It shows you how many different artists love and appreciate it, and are inspired by a Sublime.

BB: Do you remember Vana’s track?

YW: Yeah, Johnny Butt?

KW: Vana Liya, who's also on Law Records, That’s her track off the album. That's one of my favorites on the record.

YW: Yeah. Epic version of The Ballad of Johnny Butt.

KW: Which is also a secret hate song.

BB: Actually, we used to tour with them. We have a lot of history with Sublime, whether we even knew it, even beating Slightly Stoopid. One of the first bands ever that we were ever under their wing. They were our first touring brothers and to this day, they’re like our closest brothers in music. They took care of us when we came from Hawaii, and took us under their wing and helped mentor us and let us kind of grow up together. Another cool one we got to hear all summer when we were on tour with Slightly Stoopid and Common Kings, they would come out with us and do Garden Grove during one of our songs, it was so cool. So it was like another level of hearing that again, was that two summers ago?

KW:  It's an important project and we love it. That's what we're trying to say.

GW: Are there any other releases from Law Records you’re excited about?

KW: All of them. But I'm so I just heard Joe Samba's new track and I can't wait for everyone to hear this thing.

YW: He's got a new album coming out. I think it'll start to come out this year and it's gonna be awesome. Little Love is gonna be the first single. If you go on his Instagram, he's got a couple of snippets of it.

KW: Put it this way. We were there in the studio to rehearse and we just said no and decided to listen to that track over and over for days.

BB: It's hard to say it's his best work, but I think it might be his best work. He's got so much good music already.

YW: And then Cydeways has a new record too that they're coming out with soon.

KW: It seems like Cydeways is never not touring. They're like the constant tour band. Like us back in the day. Did you see the Ballyhoo post? Howie posted this thing old tour sheet from like 2010, 280-something days, and I'm just like, oh, I remember those. I remember those years. Yeah. It was pretty cool. Like, try to try to look it up on Instagram.

YW: They're at least 180 (days of the year on tour) right now, Cydeways is going higher and higher and higher.

GW: Your video tribute to Andy Chavez two years ago the last time you played Cali Roots was arguably one of the most touching and sentimental moments in festival history. What went into planning that and why did you feel it was so important to dedicate that time for him?

KW: I mean, we're still in shock about it. When Andy left, it was so hard for not only the bands that knew Katastro, but the fans that loved Katastro, and we just had to come together to start grieving a little more. But man, this is a hard thing for me to accurately speak on. I just think it wasn't a huge plan. It was like us getting together and going “Hey, we're grieving right now. We need to grieve together” and that's why I remember all of us on the stage in an embrace watching the screen with the fans behind us because that was more for us than anything.

YW: And shout out to M. Rod, Mike Rodriguez, who put that together. Our buddy Mike Rodriguez put that edit together, and we actually met him through Katastro, so he was good friends with them too.

KW: And everybody dug it. It was kind of a risk because some people were like, why aren't you guys playing more music? It's like, no, we're grieving, we're celebrating this thing, and it's funny because we used to bring Andy up onstage all the time, and so in a way we got to bring him up onstage with us one more time.

Maine-based outfit Coyote Island has certainly taken off over the last few years with no signs of slowing down. Beginning as the solo project of singer-songwriter Mike O’Hare, it has taken flight as a full band over the years, adding a level of depth through the unique background of every musician they bring into the fold. Grateful Web got to sit down with the group at this year’s Cali Roots festival and in our time speaking with these men as well as seeing them play live, it was clear their passion for their art is undeniable, as well as their friendship with each other. An ardent group, they spoke from the heart on a range of topics including the inspiration they draw from jam bands, seizing opportunity during the pandemic lockdowns, and how they strive to still have fun with their work.

Grateful Web: The newest single you’ve been featured on, Ocean, just dropped. How do you feel about the reception both, live and recorded?

Mike O’Hare: So, that song actually was written by a good friend of mine named Jonah Tolchin. And so he recorded that and featured me on it. We haven't played that one as a band yet, but the response to the recording has been really, really good. I think he wanted it to be a kind of windows down summer kind of song, you know.

GW: Your work really started to expand over 2020. What impact, if any, do you think the pandemic had on your career?

MO: Yeah, it was definitely a time when, I mean, honestly, we were getting some money from the government, so we were able to just take a little time off of work. I remember buying some recording gear around that time and got a 505 looper and I was feeling really creative. So, yeah, sort of found the space to dedicate more time to music and get the first recordings done during that time. So that kind of launched the project.

Amir Rivera: Yeah, we didn’t even meet until 2021.

MO: Yeah, that's right. We met after that.

AR: It was cool. I think we were all doing our own things.

GW: You've spoken in the past about your approach to music as a “don't work, play” philosophy. I think that way of phrasing it says a lot. How do you facilitate a state of play and stay so passionate about music?

MO: I love that that's been picked up in conversations from us. I think that it makes me feel whatever energy we're creating while we're making music is perhaps what people are gonna feel when they're listening to it as well. So to think of it coming from a place of play and then being received in that same way, I really like that. It does sometimes feel like work, we have some work to do right now with our next album but I like that you brought that up because it reminds us to get back to that exact statement of play, which is how the project started and to always keep that central to the project.

Ryan Benoit: We all know Mike as a playful wizard type in the studio. He’ll be like, oh check out these demos, and he’ll have 10 of them, and that's kind of how it all started with all of us, really, was is all of us getting excited about demos. Who knows how long you've been sitting on something until it feels right, but you've always had a certain element of play on and off stage with music. It's not just live, you appreciate the process.

Garrett Jones: I think a big part of that too is not striving for perfection up front, and Mike's really good at facilitating that where it's like capturing energy in the room immediately, but not focusing on minute details all the time and just getting the feeling of something out there first, which is kind of huge.

MO: Thanks guys. I'm flattered.

AR: I also think in the state of play translate to our live shows. Some of the things that we do live on stage started as “Oh, what if we did that?” you know, like a joke, and then we actually did them. We say something like, oh, let's just try it, that'll be silly, and we play for fun at a practice,  not like we're trying this because it's got to be in our set. We just do things sometimes because it would be a fun song to play when you're hanging out with your friends and sometimes it happens to sound great and that’s how some things become a part of the set, you know, stuff like that. And keeping a sense of humor, because it can be really hard to be a musician. I think there's a lot of humor and laughter in the studio spaces and that just kind of takes the edge off, too. We also record at home. Like, we would love to go do a bunch of studio stuff when we do that. We've done it before for River. We went to our buddy Nick's studio, but there's something so beautiful about being in Mike's living room just hanging out, making a fire, figuring out which Congas sound the best with this mic so that we can just have a freestyle conga take that ends up staying in the final recording while the fire is crackling. That's another thing, this dude loves catching little sounds like that. So you'll hear birds chirping, you'll hear wind, you'll hear lighters in our recordings. There's all sorts of foley happening in the recording, which is super playful, I think.

GW: With a project taking off as quickly as yours, you’re hitting a lot of “firsts.” First time in this state, first time playing that festival. Do you have any firsts coming up that you’re really excited about?

GJ: I’m guessing the first record as a band, that’s coming up.

MO: Oh, man, yeah, the next album will be the first album that the band is more involved in, because we've developed our sound more on stage and on tour, so that's exciting. We also have a tour coming up in August and we're hitting some places like Colorado, Utah, Oregon, and Seattle. We haven't been to some of those places yet, so it's exciting.

AR: I’m really excited to play the Troubadour. It's just a legendary venue. We’ll be opening for The Hip Abduction. Never been, let alone played it, so excited to play the Troubadour. And we’re so excited to play the Mishawaka Amphitheater in Denver.

GW: Have you already had a “last” as a group?

GJ: I know one. Columbia, South Carolina. What was that place? They did a Rocky Horror show the night before and the stage was full of feathers.

MO: It was this dive bar but, like, a serious dive bar.

GJ: Yeah, we were pretty much the only ones there. But there was this kid, he must have been 17 or 18, working the door and he's like, I play some guitar, and we're like, dude, come up and play with us. So we let him up for a jam and it made his night. Then the cute bartender looked at him for the first time like, “Oh cool. You can play” You know, it was just awesome.

RB: Then the guy who owns it is like, “What the fuck, man?” That’s a last.

GW: I know you’re not a traditional jam band, but you do leave time for extemporizing in every show you play. Why do you feel it's important to take a few minutes every set to play without a game plan just to see where it goes?

RB: I came from a background of loving jam bands and went to jazz school and had both mentalities, but there's something special about each night. There's a different energy amongst the crowd and they bring it just as much as we do. So it's really fun to play with that and to kind of keep a quality of improvising in the set because the crowd can feel a bit more connected to that. They know that they're in a moment that's just gonna happen tonight, you know, and that's a very special thing about what the jam band scene is. People get to experience something different each night if they see the same band 10 times in one week.

GJ: I think it's also fun for us because when you play the track, you're on tour for three weeks, you're playing 28 shows, night after night, it can feel like the same thing over and over again and a jam changes every night. I think there’s some liveliness for us too when we don't know what's about to happen.

AR: I also feel like when you practice your instrument, there's always that time that you cut out to just groove and fuck around or even at the beginning, warm your hands up. And it's one thing to improve that improvising alone, it's another thing to do it in front of a crowd. There's a weirder pressure. It's just different. So I feel like I've grown a lot as a musician by having the room to improvise on stage and know how to solo, just see what gets a row and what doesn't. It's also a really exciting opportunity for myself, us as a band, and us as people who are building a language together to grow, so of course, that goes back into the writing. So I think it just overall beefs us up in a really cool way and the people fucking seem to really like it.

MO: And when we get in a certain zone there's a feeling that emerges that I think if we're feeling it, like we were talking about before, if what we're feeling is this freedom to explore instead of just doing what's rehearsed, then it opens the channel for something else to come in, and yeah, rock and roll.

GW: Is there anything you want to plug?

MO: We'll be at Reggae Rise Up in Baltimore next month.

AR: We're playing in Manhattan on June 19th at the Knitting Factory, their new Manhattan location. Then we're doing Milk Boy in Philly. We got a show in Asbury Park on July 11th. And then a big West Coast tour in August opening up for The Hip Abduction, that’ll be fun.

GW: You guys have been on the road doing interviews for the last couple of years now. What's one question you've never gotten in an interview before?

GJ: We love to go deep in conversation, the four of us. It's very normal for us. So, like just spiritual conversations. That’s something that we haven't been talked a lot about that but we're always down to talk about the inner journey.

A project that built its name on romanticizing the idiosyncratic, East Coast Alternative outfit Little Stranger has made waves as of late with their slice-of-life lyrics and charismatic presence. With an eclectic pool of influences and a mastery of all things quirky, their work is a much-needed reminder to take a beat and embrace the peculiar nature of the world. Grateful Web got to speak with half the duo, John Shields, in between their festival performances at Monterey’s Cali Roots and New York's Governors Ball, to hear his take on their creative process, East and West Coast cities, and their appreciation for creating music across all genres.

Grateful Web: As a project that features the spoken word playing at Cali Roots, why do you feel hip hop plays so well to reggae fans?

John Shields: We’ve been extremely lucky to have been adopted into the reggae scene the way that we have. It’s really a special fanbase. I think our sound works especially well in that it is largely based in a hip-hop world - the production is often breakbeats, and we have a Kevin who obviously does a lot of rap verses in our songs. But we do always lean toward a melodic, often guitar-driven sound as well that seems to play well in the reggae scene.

GW: You mentioned onstage that you're not the biggest fans of LA. What about SoCal makes it not your speed?

JS: Ha. That has become a bit of an ongoing joke in the last couple of years. We have a song called “Hollywood Not” that’s all about repping the East Coast, and takes a tongue-in-cheek jab at LA. We have lots of great friends and collaborators there who we love working with. It mostly stemmed from a bad record label experience years ago that left a bit of a bad taste in our mouths about the industry side of LA. But we’re also from Philly, so we have an inclination to talk some shit, it’s almost always a sign of love.

GW: The media that accompanies your music creates such a unique aesthetic. What comes first in your creative process, the music itself or the video story building?

JS: The music always comes first. We’ve always been really into the visual media side of things though. Growing up watching music videos from artists like Beastie Boys, Fatboy Slim, Pharcyde, I mean the list goes on and on. We wanted to make that medium an important part of our brand. And it’s just really fun to try to conceptualize an idea and then take the steps necessary to execute it. We’re blessed to have an amazing team of creative friends who help us bring these to life. The media world has obviously changed so much in the last decade, so much focus on short-form content, which I have actually come to love. So as music videos themselves seem to be a bit more of a relic these days, we aren’t giving up on them just yet.

GW: With your new single "God at a Festival" setting the tone for your summer, what are you most looking forward to bringing to your audiences on your upcoming tour and what makes live music such a spiritual experience?

JW: Touring in the summer is always its own vibe. Everyone seems maybe a little happier, a little more free, and a little less clothed. We’re excited to hit this summer running with Stick Figure and Soja. It’s an awesome opportunity for us to play some legendary venues and to be out in front of a great fanbase. So if we can provide a little break for people in the constantly fast-paced life we’re all living, we’ll have done our job well. Just hoping to make people smile and shake a booty or two.

GW: Where do you draw the line between sampling another artist's music to create new art and plagiarism?

JS: I think sampling is such a cool art form. Obviously, it stemmed from the early days of hip-hop, with DJs putting a breakbeat on repeat, and seeing how that affected the listeners. There’s a fine line for sure, and as the industry has evolved it’s become more complicated to just sample freely. But I guess my take is, as long as it’s done tastefully, with the goal of a unique product in mind, I’m all about sampling. I don’t view it very differently than learning an instrument.

GW: What's your favorite Philly local spot and why do you feel so lucky to call it home?

JS: I’ve always felt lucky to have grown up in the Philly area. I think there’s an attitude and a comradery that people who are from Philly share in. It might be a stereotype, but it’s probably not far off that people from Philly are generally considered to be assholes. But there’s something in that asshole attitude that actually is so full of love and passion. I’d probably say my best memories of a local spot are from D’allesandros in Roxborough. Tiny little cheesesteak joint that is always packed. I’ve got lots of fond memories of going there with my dad and waiting for a seat at the little wrap-around bar and enjoying a cheesesteak.

GW: Do you have anything you want to plug?

JS: We’ve got a new album dropping on June 28th! It’s called “Sat Around Trippin” and is the follow-up to our last release, “Trip Around Saturn.” We’re excited to have these songs out in the world and to tour our butts off this summer/fall playing the new material.

GW: What's one question you've never gotten in an interview before?

JS: How many jellybeans would you guess are in this jar? And my guess would probably be 824 pls let me know when it’s been counted.

As we navigate our way through a world filled with increasing moral ambiguity, Australia’s Xavier Rudd's work serves as a constant reminder to act with love in mind. A musician as well as a philosopher, he has been creating art that prompts existential exploration for several decades. Grateful Web got to sit down with Rudd for a few minutes before his performance at this year’s Cali Roots festival to speak with him about a range of topics. During our time together, he openly discussed issues close to his heart, including his opinions on how beliefs impact society, his thoughts on the danger of the human ego, and his experiences creating music as a father of five.

Grateful Web: As a person who has always been very open about their spiritual beliefs, how do you differentiate between religion and spirituality?

Xavier Rudd: I'm not religious, so I can't really speak on behalf of anyone else's religion. I guess religion for, a lot of people, is spirituality and if religion is able to connect people to the source at all, then it's a good thing, I guess. But I can't really speak on religion because I've never really resonated with any kind of religion. For me, I draw from Indigenous culture and you probably call that more spirit-based than praising any kind of God. It's about being an equal part of the environment. Every person is no different from a leaf on a tree. So we all have our place. We are all of the earth, but when we pass over, we go into a realm where we can travel with and be there for people in the physical world.

GW: Speaking as a figure that many look to for spiritual guidance, we live in times where people use their beliefs to justify prejudice. Where do you see the line between spiritual beliefs building community and creating a dangerous mentality?

XR: It's all based on ego. Our ego, the human ego, is the biggest poison in history. Ego is nothing, there's no physical matter, it just derives from stuff that isn't really real and in your mind. There's nothing wholesome about it, yet, when ego takes over, it can bring down a whole empire as we've seen over generations and generations and generations. This can exist in any community. It can exist in any church, it can exist in any religion, it can exist anywhere. I think humans need to understand that in order to live in harmony, they need to be able to stand outside themselves and see themselves from afar because when you're lost within yourself, it's hard to detect or to get a good read on ego, and ego doesn't always have to be just self emotion. It can be all the different emotions, but it can affect communities in a huge way.

GW: What was the what was the last faux metaphysical trend you saw that really made you question the publisher's sources on it?

XR: To be completely honest with you, I don't see that sort of stuff. I live in the Bush, in Australia. I don't really stay in touch with what's going on online, and so I don't know. I know there's a lot of random shit being promoted on Instagram and all the rest because people can, and people have a forum these days to promote whatever theory they want. In one sense, I think it's probably good, you know, because people feel good about themselves and they get a platform to believe in what they believe in, and you know, who's to judge whether that's right or wrong. But again, it points back to that ego thing. It can get out of hand and it can be toxic in other ways, for other people, and for communities. But I can't think of anything that I heard of like that. My wife sort of stays in touch with that sort of shit, and she'll tell me some funny stuff. But yeah, I can't think of anything.

GW: On your new single “Road Trippin’” you sampled a child's voice. That was your youngest son, correct?

XR: Yeah. He was in the studio.

GW: What's the journey of fatherhood been like lately and what prompted the decision to use that sample on the track?

XR: I wrote that song on a road trip probably five years before and I just wrote it on that trip and wasn't ever gonna release it. It was just a song that was just meant to be a story of the trip. Then when I was in the studio, my wife was on those sessions, she was like, you should do a version of that Road Trippin’ song from when we were camping, so I dusted it off and found the words that I wrote wherever they were, and then one afternoon I recorded it, and, the kids that didn't exist when we went on that trip were playing around in the studio and it was a vibe. So we recorded it and then at the end of it, I asked Jundi, my three-year-old, he was two at the time, to say that, and so he said “Play road tripping Daddy.” So that's how we did it. But, yeah, fatherhood's a journey, man. It's beautiful, you know. We learn a lot. I have five boys and they all have different stories. They've all taught me something along the way and, yeah, just do your best.

The crown Jewel of East Coast music festivals and overall barometer for relevance in popular culture, Governors Ball once again proved an incredible experience as it drew the eyes of all in the New York area. A festival that catered so heavily to the tastes of the newest generation of festivalgoers, the lineup proved to be an all-around masterclass in displaying the tastes of an era as it packed the grounds at its newest home of Flushing Meadows.

While the crowd was slow to fill the venue, the early artists to play the stages did not in any way lack any. To begin the weekend, native of the Isle of Wight, Lauran Hibberd, gave an early afternoon jolt to the lucky group to show up right as the gates opened. While the crowd size might have been smaller than one might have expected at an event of this magnitude, the artist saw this as an opportunity to turn the show into a personal experience for all in attendance as she made eye contact with and waved to each individual fan at the barricade early in her set. Acknowledging the early timeslot, she said to the crowd “Thank you for joining me for breakfast” before playing her 2023 hit “Honda Civic.”

Bringing a supernatural energy to New York City, rapper Qveen Herby delivered her message of empowerment, self-love, and the pursuit of opulence to a packed house. As the artist took center stage dressed in a wizard’s robe, she directed a virtual fireworks display on the screen at the back of the stage to the sounds of orchestral music, creating an environment reminiscent of Disney’s Fantasia. Wasting no time playing her hits, she began her performance with a series of high-energy singles including “Balenciaga Dreams,” “Abracadabra,” and “THANK GODDESS.” Amidst her set, she took a beat to guide the audience through a short meditation. As she shepherded her fans through some deep breathing exercises, she announced “With this next breath I want you to imagine the new you that you are transforming into right now.” before covering Chris Brown’s single “Look at Me Now.” As she introduced herself to the audience, she made sure to leave an impression, saying “My name’s Qveen Herby. With a “V” like vagina.” Before proceeding to end her set on a high note with “Vitamins” and “Sugar Daddy.”

Multi-Latin Grammy winner and Puerto Rican powerhouse Farruko gave a high-energy performance that transcended all barriers. Proudly wearing a Bob Marley t-shirt, the artist represented the past, present, and future of the Reggaeton genre. Complete with a full pyrotechnic display, the artist turned the park grounds into a dancehall as he put on a clinic in the emotional resonance and sentimentality of the community with a series of enthralling anthems, coupled with a selection of ballads including his 2018 feature “Calma.”

Headlining the evening, modern icon and face tattoo aficionado Post Malone closed out the night on the mainstage with an immersive and illustrious set that celebrated the artist’s decade in the limelight. As the lights dimmed, a string trio started to play, setting a dramatic tone as Post shoelessly sauntered onstage to begin his performance with his 2018 single “Better Now.” As the artist addressed the crowd for the first time, he set the mood for a revelrous night as he proclaimed “My name is Austin Richard Post. I’m here to play some shitty songs and get fucked up while I do it.” In a performance defined by passion and a commitment to showmanship, fireworks and pyrotechnics served to add a dramatic flare to a flushed-out setlist including “Goodbyes,” “I Fall Apart,” and “White Iverson.” The artist went out of their way to make the audience feel like a part of the show, going as far as to invite two members of the crowd onstage to perform “Stay” alongside him. As the night went on, he addressed the passage of time and acknowledged his new role as the father of a two-year-old, stating “She’s the coolest motherfucker in the world… and now this song hits a little bit different.” before playing his 2016 single “Too Young.” He extended his love to all in attendance and offered his encouragement to all to follow their passions, announcing “I love you so fucking much, and do whatever the fuck you want to do, whether you want to be an entomologist, a botanist, a doctor… a wizard” before playing “Congratulations.” The crew then began to strike the set, but this was ultimately only a fake-out, as Post returned to the stage to begin his encore with “Sunflower.” The boy from Dallas then showed the audience that he had finally gone Country and played his Morgan Wallen collaboration “I Had Some Help” before ending the evening with his lyrically-driven ballad “Chemical.” Sending the audience out with class, he ended the night by saying “I hope everyone had half the amount of fun I had. This was one of my favorite shows I’ve ever done.”

Check out more photos from GovBall Day One.

As the clock inched closer to noon in New York, the line of fans entering Flushing Meadows stretched as far as the eye could see. The second day of Gov Ball proved to have something for everyone as the staggered set times allowed the fans to see a little bit of everything with a lineup catering to fans of Rock, Hip Hop, R&B, Pop, and everything in between.

Performing early on the mainstage, local musical veterans Telescreens started the day with incredible energy as they kicked off the festivities with a high-octane performance that got the crowd moshing quickly. Frontman Jackson Hamm took advantage of every opportunity to converse with the crowd and show his appreciation, saying “It’s an honor, it’s a blessing” upon seeing the view of the grounds from centerstage. Hamm would go on to demonstrate the extent of the project’s tenacity in never giving up on their dreams as he claimed “This is our first music festival and we’ve been a band seven years.”

Bringing the heart and soul to the day’s lineup, a native of Queens, d4vd, performed a sincere and genuine set in the middle of the day. With a star-shaped sticker between his eyes, he quickly became the star of everyone’s hearts as his performance proved uniquely his own, featuring a series of edgy R&B ballads punctuated by the artist’s exhibition of athleticism as he leaped across every inch of the stage. The artist got more than a little sentimental as he expressed his gratitude for how quickly his career had taken off, revealing that he had been primarily recording his music on their phone only a few short years ago. In a gesture of gratitude for welcoming him to their day, the artist brought a member of his own family onstage to introduce to the crowd and invited his young sister Emily into the limelight. He then prompted her to thank the audience and asked her to join him in performing his 2023 single “Here With Me.”

Canadian Pop icon Carly Rae Jepsen played late in the day on the mainstage to an audience that came ready to treat the performance like a sing-along. The artist showed just how far her repertoire has come since the early days of her career and just how much she has evolved as a performer in the decade since debuting “Call Me Maby.” Committed to putting on a show for the ages, she thrilled the crowd with a full range of hits including “I Really Like You,” Cut To The Feeling,” and “Run Away With Me.”

Closing out the night on the GoPuff stage, Hip Hop icon 21 Savage packed the crowd as he performed with the setting sun. After a brief introductory set from hypeman DJ Marcb, the bass played so loud that the ground began to shake and the pyrotechnics lit off as the artist walked onstage to start his performance with his 2016 hit “No Heart.” With a stoic demeanor, he delivered a full performance with singles including “Bank Account,” “Glock in My Lap,” and “all of me.” Juxtaposed to the previous night’s headlining performance by Post Malone, the artist took the opportunity to perform his part from the two’s collaborative piece “rockstar.” The performance created a satisfying sense of completion to the setlist of the weekend. Addressing the crowd at the end of a long day, he asked “Y’all got any energy left? Aite, Ima play another song, then” before sending fans home with a rousing cover of his recent hit “redrum.”

Check out more photos from GovBall day two.

As the gates opened for a third day of Gov Ball, the festival brought with it a youthful exuberance that was uniquely its own. The day’s lineup took a chance with many of the acts on the bill, featuring some of the youngest but talented artists in music today as not many performers were all too removed from their debut into fame. This bet would ultimately pay off in a series of electrifying performances and some defining moments that undoubtedly fortified several projects’ meteoric rise to the top of the charts.

Playing early on the festival’s third and final day, Indie Rock band Hotline TNT woke the crowd up with their 90s-style sound and spunky attitude. As the band wrapped their sound check-up, in the moments before playing their first notes, frontman Will Anderson set the tone by asking “Are you going to be a good little crowd or a bad little crowd?” before kicking the day off with their recent hit “Protocol.”

Australian-born Indie Pop artist G Flip more than lived up to the verb in their moniker as they lept onto the stage to give an energetic performance, jumping so frequently their feet hardly had time to touch the ground. The multi-instrumentalist wasted no opportunity to showcase their talents as they put on a half-hour clinic demonstrating their passions for percussion, strings, and soulful vocals.

So rarely does anyone have the chance to experience a show while recognizing it to be a pivotal moment in a young artist’s career such as Midwest artist Chappell Roan’s performance that day on the main stage. Drawing the foot traffic of almost everyone in the venue’s attendance, the stage was set for the artist to win over a new generation of fans and do some good along the way. With a flare for the dramatics and an awareness of their location, the artist emerged from an apple dressed to the nines as the Statue of Liberty, later claiming “I am in drag of the biggest queen of all.” Taking their opportunity to make a political statement in front of so many captivated fans, the artist proclaimed “In case you have forgotten what is etched on my pretty little toes, give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. That means freedom and trans rights. That means freedom and women's rights. And it especially means freedom for all oppressed people in occupied territories.” Missing no chance to entertain, the artist played a complete set of hits from their young career including “HOT TO GO!,” “Femininomenon,” and of course “Naked in Manhatten” culminating in an experience so complete to their brand that for a brief time, all in attendance believed, appropriately enough, that the Pink Pony Club had opened their doors in Queens.

Sending the festival off in style and closing out the Gopuff stage for the year, Mexican breakout artist Peso Pluma performed like a heavyweight as the sun set on New York City. Accompanied by more than a dozen musicians accompanying him onstage, the show was far from nonchalant. Surprising his fans at every turn, the artist brought several guests onstage to feature alongside him for several songs including Jaisel Nuñez and Rich the Kid. In an astonishing feat of showmanship and respect for the audience, the artist demonstrated just how committed they were to giving a performance of a lifetime. Midway through his set, the artist fractured his foot, which he would confirm via social media a few hours later. This setback hardly derailed the show as he projected “I can’t even stand, but I don’t give a fuck… We gonna jump or what?” even going as far as to have a member of his crew carry him to the barricade to dance with his fans at their eye level. The set served as a perfect metaphor for the spirit of the festival. No matter what adversity might arise, no force could ever be too strong to stop the music.

Check out more photos from GovBall day three.

In an era where attention spans are often short, the ability to command a room for a full hour and then some is a skill possessed by a select few. Last night’s performance by Cage The Elephant at San Francisco’s Bill Graham Civic Auditorium proved to be an elating and gripping culmination of the dedication Matt Shultz and company have given to their craft over the past several decades together. From the first to the last note of the night, every eye in the crowd was glued to the stage as the band more than delivered on their promises for the evening.

To say the show started off with a bang would be an understatement. As flames rose from the stage to accompany the first song, Shultz grabbed the microphone stand to propel himself into the air as they began their set with their 2019 hit “Broken Boy.” The connection between the artist and the Bay Area crowd was undeniable from the start, and not just because of the frontman’s fitted Giants cap bearing an embroidered “25” on the right-hand side.

The musicians hardly gave themselves a chance to catch their breath, filling the setlist with upbeat and animated hits including “Spiderhead,” “Ready To Let Go,” and “Cold Cold Cold.” The artists’ mobility was matched only by the audience’s, their energies playing off each other’s with mutual veneration.

The band seized every opportunity to call attention to their newest discographical additions, playing newer songs including “Rainbow,” “Good Time,” and eventually the title track from their latest album “Neon Pill.”

Shultz took a moment to allow himself to be vulnerable with the crowd, stating “I don’t know if you’ve heard or not, but I’ve had a really tough past five years… I’m blessed to be with you right now.” before launching into an emotionally-provoking rendition of their 2015 hit “Trouble.” A showman at his heart, Shultz pointed a finger in the air as the band paused for a while as the audience’s applause roared louder and louder before the group finished the last few bars of the piece acoustically.

The audience continued to play an active role in the performance as they clapped in tempo to introduce the next song “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked.” The interactive nature of the night would continue, notably during “Telescope” when Shultz would be handed a phone by a member of his security, turn on the flashlight, and wave it in the air to motivate the crowd to do the same.

Shortly after playing their 2019 hit “House of Glass,” the band left the stage but quickly returned to complete the night with an emotional roller coaster of an encore. Before the bandmates began to line up to play “Shake Me Down,” guitarist Brad Shultz took the microphone and pointed to a rambunctious section of the crowd, saying “Special shoutout to my moshpit group.”

The band then took the pace down with an acoustic cover of their 2013 ballad “Cigarette Daydreams” before ending their show with a passionate cover of their hit “Come a Little Closer.” Brad Shultz slamming his guitar on the ground after playing his final note served as the terminal punctuation for the event, and an act of pointed rebellion deserving of the respect these musicians had justifiably garnered.

Check out more photos of Cage the Elephant in San Francisco.

With aspirations to become the undisputed torchbearers of modern psychedelic funk, the Colombian trio BALTHVS has emerged in recent years with an unparalleled and consistent string of musical releases, seizing every opportunity to showcase their passion and talent in every note. Known for their expansive, free-flowing style and soulfully gripping hooks, the band has been selling out venues worldwide on their latest tour.

Grateful Web had the chance to sit down with members Balthazar Aguirre and Johanna Mercuriana just after their set at this year’s Outside Lands in San Francisco to discuss their meteoric rise, finding inspiration in the most unexpected places, and of course, their thoughts on the Grateful Dead.

Grateful Web: It’s your first time playing in Golden Gate Park. We all know the history of this place, how does it feel to finally get to play in this space?

Balthazar Aguirre: It’s full circle. I’ve been listening to Jerry Garcia since my early 20s and when I decided to pursue music, I was willing to give up everything in my life to become a full-time musician and he was the main inspiration. Coming to the Bay, the counter-culture where all this actually came out over half a century ago, it feels like a full circle thing to me and I’m extremely grateful for it.

Johanna Mercuriana: I just feel love for my music and my instruments here.

GW: Alright, so we’re all Deadheads here, have you been out to the Height and seen the Grateful Dead house yet?

BA: We played Cornerstone Berkley three months ago and after the show, we were just riding in our car and suddenly I had this urge, and it was like 1:00 am, and I was like “Guys, I’m sorry, let’s please go to 710 Ashbury, please.” and we went, and we saw the Victorian house right there, it felt like a pilgrimage. And the neighbors were there and instead of freaking out, they were like “You are welcome, kindred spirits.” And we were talking and hanging, and they let us into their home, and we just talked for two hours before we left that place. It really felt like the city welcomed us and that spirit. It was magical.

GW: Balthazar, is it true that your first exposure to funk was through the game GTA: Vice City?

BA: Yes. I was a kid, and in Columbia, funk music isn’t really a thing. So when you would ride the cars in GTA Vice City we would put on Radio Espantoso or Fever 105, and you’d get all these gigantic artists, like Lonnie Liston Smith and it was insane to give that music to a kid. It was life-changing.

GW: What do you think that says about how we draw inspiration from the music in our everyday life?

BA: We are people from our times, and in my case, I was raised by video games, by YouTube, and just by having this gigantic library of music. It has been the greatest blessing of our times.

GW: You guys did a great cover of Drake’s Hotline Bling during your set today, and that got me thinking. In a time where artists either cover or sample each others’ music, where do you draw the line between using source material to create new art and plagiarism?

BA: I mean, with us, it’s always us. We don’t sample anything, we are actually musicians and we play, and it really comes out as us. I think it’s impossible to be plagiarism when you’re playing it live, but we’re very influenced by other people, including Drake.

JM: Yes, and we have a gold. We have 80 songs out, so our reporter is full.

BA: Yeah, we have four albums worth of original material.

GW: You’re one of the few bands who publish their instrumental tabs online for all to see. Why do you believe giving that resource to the next generation of aspiring musicians is so important?

BA: It’s how I learned to play guitar. I was just doing my thing and looking for tabs on the web, and it makes it so easy to understand the fretboard and just the way around, and that's how I learned, so I would love that if anyone was inspired by this music, they could give it a shot. It took me almost 10 years to become good at learning music by ear, so I know that when you’re learning, it's just better to have the tab. We have both the bass tabs and guitar tabs up there.

GW: You credit your early success as a project largely to how well you believe your chemistry is as people. How did that start and flourish?

BA: So Santiago and I were in a band and Johanna was the opener on one of the gigs, she was a singer-songwriter, and we just connected so fast. We were living together within a month. Then I wanted to do a new project because the old one wasn’t working out, and one day she just grabbed my bass at home and she started learning a Khruangbin song, and she got it within an hour, and I was like “Wow, you’re really good at this, have you really never played before?” And one thing led to another and she just said “Might as well start a band together.” And the rest is history.

GW: And you credit the success of your first albums largely to living together during while creating them. Why do you feel this was so important and what did you learn about each other during this time?

BA: We weren’t messing around. When we decided to start BALTHVS, it wasn’t a hobby, it wasn’t a side thing, we decided to pretty much sacrifice everything else in our lives and just do this thing and jump into it. So in living together, our home became like a Dojo. We played four hours every day getting better, and she (Johanna) became a professional bassist in a years time. She was playing the biggest Rock festival in Columbia in two years. Nobody does that.

JM: Thank you for teaching me.

GW: Anything you want to plug?

BA: We release a new song every month and we’re not stopping anytime. We’re going to cross the whole US, we’re going to Brooklyn and we’re going to Seattle for Bumbershoot festival. And God Bless the Grateful Dead

GW: What’s one question neither of you have ever gotten in an interview before?

BA: My favorite color is blue.

JM: My sign is a Gemini.

Each year, as the Bay Area prepares to say goodbye to summer, Outside Lands consistently softens the blow with one final, spectacular send-off. As the crown jewel of San Francisco’s musical community, the August celebration draws artists and fans from all over the globe for one last hoorah in the city’s historic Golden Gate Park. This year’s festival proved to be an incredible addition to its legacy, showcasing a full range of talents across genres and styles. From familiar faces returning to the Lands End stage for another round, to artists who might have struggled to pack a smaller venue this time last year but have spectacularly climbed the charts this summer, there was no shortage of stimulation in the park this weekend.

Opening the festival on the main stage, Long Island outfit The Lemon Twigs brought youthful enthusiasm to the early crowd. Kicking off the weekend with their recent single 'My Golden Years,' the smiles never left the artists’ faces as their infectious positivity spread through the audience like wildfire, setting the tone for the weekend.

Alt-country artist Shaboozey made waves on the Sutro stage midway through the day, proving that San Francisco still had a bit of cowboy in its roots. Sauntering out to an old-west instrumental intro and draped in denim, the audience screamed along as he began his set with 'Horses & Hellcats.' Blending hip hop and western swing, his resonant voice echoed through the festival grounds, with every word seeming to hit home with the packed crowd. The Virginia-born artist brought an air of enlightenment to the Bay Area bubble, confiding in the crowd that many of his lyrics were inspired by traveling with their music outside of their state and comfort zone.

Completing their career hat trick in Golden Gate Park, California outfit Young the Giant performed their third set to an audience hoping it wouldn’t be their last. Starting the show with intensity, the band quickly ran onstage together and immediately got the ball rolling with their 2016 hit 'Jungle Youth.' Performing a setlist that reflected the project’s decades of success, every era of their music was represented, including 'Cough Syrup,' 'Silvertongue,' and 'Call Me Back.' Reflecting on their longstanding success, frontman Sameer Gadhia mused, 'When you’re really doing something right, you don’t have to apologize for who the hell you are,' before playing their 2014 single 'Mind Over Matter.' In a nod to the festival’s lineup in the days to come, the band took a moment to cover 'Espresso' by Sabrina Carpenter in anticipation of her headlining set the following day.

Closing the evening on the Sutro stage, Canadian R&B artist Daniel Caesar delivered a contained and calm performance befitting his style. Performing much of the set behind a thin fabric, a sense of mystery and anticipation permeated his mellow performance. Acknowledging the cold weather typical of San Francisco summer nights, the artist commented on the chill in the air, announcing, 'It’s fucking freezing,' and even admitted, 'I didn’t feel like doing this today,' before elevating his energy and stating, 'But now I feel great.' His performance exuded sentimental resonance, brought on by his vocal expressiveness and lyrical vulnerability, sending fans off with a set featuring 'Violet,' 'Best Part,' and 'Get You.'

Check out more photos of Outside Lands Day 1.

As fans eagerly rushed into Golden Gate Park for the second day of Outside Lands, anticipation was at its peak. With the fog beginning to fade as the music started, the stage was set to prove that San Francisco’s music community is still alive and well. Even the recent change of headliners in the weeks leading up to the festival couldn’t dampen spirits, as the audience crowded the barricades from the moment the gates opened and packed the venue well into the night.

One of the first bands to start the day on the Sutro stage, Colombian psychedelic funk trio BALTHVS kickstarted the lineup with a passionate demonstration of their musical talents. Their set flowed seamlessly from start to finish, blending the genres that inspire the group’s style. They played a full sample of their discography, including 'Ojos Verdes,' 'Cosmic Boogie,' and 'Venus Flytrap,' and even covered Drake’s 'Hotline Bling' with their own disco flair.

In what was possibly the most energetic performance of the weekend, Stanford alum K.Flay delivered a rousing show to a community that has continuously supported her throughout every stage of her career. While it may have been her third time performing at Outside Lands, her admiration for the venue had clearly not diminished, as she noted during her performance, telling the audience, 'We are just honored and thrilled to be here in one of the greatest cities in the world, one of the greatest parks in the world, one of the greatest festivals in the world.' She paid homage to another member of Bay Area musical royalty and previous Outside Lands headliners by playing a few bars of Green Day’s 'Brain Stew' at the end of her own single 'Blood in the Cut.' K.Flay's upbeat style remained consistent throughout her show, featuring singles from her tenured career, including 'Are You Serious?' and 'Yes I’m Serious,' before ending the night with a rendition of her 2017 single 'High Enough.'

In one of the most impressive legacy bookings in recent Outside Lands history, veteran artist and vogue icon Grace Jones delivered a climactic performance as the sun began to set over Golden Gate Park. In dramatic fashion, the show began with a curtain falling to reveal Jones atop a story-high platform, donning a 10-foot patterned dress to open with her 1977 cover 'Nightclubbing.' Afterward, the artist disappeared backstage for a costume change, during which her voice was heard through the loudspeaker proclaiming, 'It's bloody cold, I hope you heat me up.' Continuing with an immersive performance, almost every song featured a costume change, showcasing the level of artistry Jones could demonstrate. Featuring a full set of her work throughout the years, her performance included singles such as 'My Jamaican Guy,' 'The Key,' and an embellished cover of 'Amazing Grace' before ending with her 1981 hit 'Pull Up to the Bumper.'

To end the night, last-minute fill-in headliner and one of the music world’s fastest-rising pop stars, Sabrina Carpenter, seized her opportunity to perform her debut marquee slot at a major festival. Living up to the fanfare leading up to the set, the production values did not disappoint as Carpenter was joined by a team of dancers to kick off the evening with a 60s-inspired variety show dance routine accompanying her opening number 'Fast Times.' Throughout the lively evening, the only groans from the crowd came when she addressed the circumstances that made her performance possible, due to a last-minute cancellation by Tyler, The Creator, to which she quickly quipped, 'Too soon?'

In a surprise cameo midway through the performance, country artist Kacey Musgraves made a guest appearance onstage, joining Carpenter for a cover of Nancy Sinatra’s 'These Boots Are Made for Walkin’.' As the night wound down, Carpenter reflected on the magnitude of her recent success, thanking the audience for their support and stating, 'So far, you guys have taken Please Please Please and Espresso and held them like a firstborn child.' She then teased her unreleased album Short n’ Sweet and debuted its ninth track, 'Slim Pickins,' to the San Francisco audience. Ending with gusto, she sent the crowd off with a bang, performing an Elizabethan-style poem from a scroll during 'Nonsense,' reading, 'Soon cometh my album, so exciting. My heart doth beat behind my breast almighty. Outside Lands, it’s like doth art inside me,' before fireworks accompanied her finale, featuring her chart-topping single 'Espresso.'

Check out more photos of Outside Lands Day 2.

As the fog turned to rain and then back to fog, the ominous tone set by the weather created a fitting mood for a climactic end to the festival. The third day of Outside Lands largely focused on genres born in our own backyard. From living legends with decades of experience revolutionizing their genres to fresh faces who have seemingly appeared out of nowhere to define this year’s summer soundtrack, there was an undeniable spotlight on artists representing their roots in the American Midwest and South.

Playing early on the Lands End stage, Texas neotraditional country artist Paul Cauthen brought infectious energy and a welcome hint of Southern irreverence. With a deep, resonant, and almost operatic voice that served as his vehicle to deliver his unique style of music to San Francisco, Cauthen began his set with gusto, opening with his recent hit 'Hot Damn.' His demeanor, coupled with the lyrics of songs like 'Country as Fu(k,' culminated in a show reminiscent of the late Toby Keith, setting the tone for the day to come.

Drawing arguably the biggest audience of the entire weekend, Midwest artist and rising phenomenon Chappell Roan packed the Polo Grounds to capacity with her midday show on the Lands End stage. In the moments before the performance, a marching band was broadcast on the screen, walking around the grounds and covering the artist’s songs, foreshadowing the upcoming set. Largely defined by her creative costume choices, Roan did not fall short of expectations for her Bay Area performance, wearing the same wardrobe from her career-defining 'Hot To Go' music video, which had been released exactly one year prior. Her setlist did not disappoint, featuring a full array of staple hits from 'Pink Pony Club' to 'Femininomenon,' as well as the debut of her newest single 'Subway' from her upcoming album. A person of the people, Roan made a point of noting the differences between classes, calling out the VIP section for not dancing with the same passion as those in General Admission, screeching into her microphone, 'You’re not fun!' in displeasure.

Juxtaposed with the young blood of the next generation of music, some artists proved they could redefine themselves even decades into their careers. Known largely for his role as the lyrical powerhouse behind the hip hop duo Run the Jewels, Atlanta-born Grammy winner Killer Mike delivered a soulful, gospel-inspired performance across the park at the Twin Peaks stage, offering a window into his gentle soul. Displaying his lyrical prowess early on, he emerged onstage in all-white clothing to open his show with his 2023 hit 'DOWN BY LAW.' His set then took a turn more in line with the artist’s roots, as the show almost transformed into a spiritual revolution. Taking a significant portion of his set to introduce the half-dozen vocalists onstage alongside him, he allowed each artist to have their moment in the limelight, performing a solo to the crowd as they gave their name. Killer Mike acknowledged his evolution and venture into gospel music midway through the set, announcing, 'I don’t know what’s going to happen next in my career, but I’m happy to be on this damn fine stage with y’all people… I hope you’ve had a unique and genuine experience today… all I want to do is enrich us all.' Paying homage to the musical roots of the Bay Area, he made sure to give a shoutout to local artists E-40 and Too Short, acknowledging the history of the city he was performing in.

Closing out the night and the weekend, Outlaw Country veteran Sturgill Simpson sent fans off into the night with a deeply personal and emotionally evocative set. While this was the artist’s first time at the Outside Lands festival, he quickly acknowledged his previous performances in Golden Gate Park, noting the two times he headlined at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in years past. After a short harmonica solo introduced the performance, the bright lights sharply appeared as Simpson came onstage to begin the evening with his 2013 single 'Railroad of Sin.' In appreciation for the crowd who stayed despite the inclement weather, he announced, 'Get hearty, motherfuckers. Rain’s coming.' The artist’s presence created a transformative experience, and while he may have been playing on one of the largest stages in California, the show felt as intimate as a small gig at a local dive, with the scent of Marlboro Reds wafting through the crowd, adding to the rustic ambiance. Simpson took a break from the fast-paced tone of the performance with a sentimental cover of When in Rome’s 1988 hit 'The Promise,' the lyrics taking on a new and personal meaning coming from his voice. Characterized by long, flowing guitar solos, he surprised no one when he declared, 'We’re going to rock the fuck out real quick if that’s alright with y’all,' before launching into a rendition of his 2019 hit 'Fastest Horse in Town.' He ended the weekend on a high note, sending his fans home with a quick and heavy slice of country life, closing with his 2016 classic 'Call to Arms' to punctuate his time in San Francisco.

Check out more photos of Outside Lands Day 3.

As one of the longest-running music festivals in American history, Austin City Limits celebrated another successful year in Zilker Park. A destination for music fans from around the world, this year’s festivities were arguably the biggest to date. The first day featured some of the biggest names in music, celebrated the industry’s newest voices, and offered everything in between over the course of the weekend.

Kicking off the weekend, one of the most storied country acts in Austin history, Asleep at the Wheel, took the stage for their 24th consecutive ACL, setting the tone for the weekend. The only band to have played every year of the festival since its inception, this legacy act had no problem drawing a crowd, as fans lined up early at the barricade to watch them inaugurate the speakers. Over the years, the group has become synonymous with the soul of Texas country music, and they put on a clinic in showmanship, waking up the crowd early with their upbeat and homespun twang.

One of the country genre’s biggest breakout musicians of the year, California artist Dasha took the main stage for a midday showcase of her young talents. In a much-anticipated performance, fans flocked to the American Express stage to show their support. Her energy was contagious from the first seconds of her performance, as she leapt onto the stage and began with her recent hit “What Happens Now?” Staying true to form, her setlist ran the gamut of her range as she performed a full repertoire, including “Leaving Don’t Mean Goodbye,” “Even Cowboys Cry,” and “King of California.” Ending with a bang, she finished her set on an appropriate note, closing with her TikTok-famous single “Austin (Boots Stop Working).”

As the sun set over the Texas crowd, producer and indie pop act Porter Robinson closed out the Miller Lite stage for the evening. Known primarily for his contributions to the EDM scene, Robinson thrilled fans when he walked out with an electric guitar to deliver an upbeat, emo-pop-style show, opening with his recent hit “Knock Yourself Out XD.” A large inflatable cat beside him served as the centerpiece of an ambiance reminiscent of the early 2010s pop-punk aesthetic, adding to the production’s identity and the artist's unique style. His performance showcased a well-rounded selection of his music over the years, including “Mona Lisa,” “Something Comforting,” and “Sad Machine,” even covering MGMT’s 2007 hit “Kids.”

Closing out the night on the Honda stage, Titans of the Warped Tour generation blink-182 gave a rousing performance that showcased their decades together as a band. In their first ACL appearance since reuniting with original member Tom DeLonge, fans showed up in masses to witness the event, despite the competing allure of country superstar Chris Stapleton’s set across the park. As the band walked onstage to a dramatic overture, they wasted no time, launching directly into their 2003 single “Feeling This.” “I’m going to be honest, I came to mess with Texas,” bassist Mark Hoppus quipped early in the show, setting the tone for the sarcastic humor they displayed throughout the evening. The trio spent the hours playing a full range of hits from their time together, including “All the Small Things,” “What’s My Age Again?” and “Up All Night,” leaving little to be desired in their setlist. Blink’s reunion with DeLonge and the mended relationships among the members were conveyed through their music in a heartfelt way that was not lost on longtime fans. Late in the set, the band decided to cover “When Your Heart Stops Beating” and “There Is,” from blink-182 spin-off projects +44 and Box Car Racer, respectively, symbolizing the repair of past rifts. Ending with gusto and heartfelt affection, the band sent fans into the night with the marquee single from their latest album and reunion tour, performing “One More Time” as fans sang along with every lyric.

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As the sun rose above Zilker Park for day two of Austin City Limits, so did the temperature, with day two shaping up to be one of the hottest in recent memory from an early hour. However, the sweltering Texas sun did little to deter fans, who rushed to the barricades as soon as the gates opened, eager to be part of the festivities. The mid-weekend lineup was too exciting for many to resist, drawing fans early and keeping them late, with performances from artists at the start of long, memorable careers as well as seasoned veterans with little left to prove.

Kicking off the day in style, Salt Lake City act IDKHOW played an upbeat set on the Miller Lite stage. Fronted by Panic! at the Disco alum Dallon Weekes, the group’s rousing style woke the crowd up. Weekes ultimately gave fans all they could have asked for, covering a full range of hits during the set, including “Nobody Likes the Opening Band,” “Do It All the Time,” and “Choke.”

Following this momentum on the Honda stage, one of the most impressive legacy acts of the weekend, Something Corporate, played an awe-inspiring set that reflected decades of experience. Fronted by Andrew McMahon, a poster child of the MTV generation, the band’s set was a masterclass in the music that defined the early 2000s. Wasting no time diving into their long list of hits, the group opened with “I Woke Up in a Car,” kicking the show off with great enthusiasm. In a stunning addition to the setlist, McMahon dedicated a significant portion of their time to performing their 10-minute 2000 hit “Konstantine” in its entirety before ending with “If U C Jordan.

Playing a midday slot on the Honda stage, Southern soul powerhouse Teddy Swims took his place in the limelight before the Austin crowd. His passion for his craft felt larger than life from the moment he stepped onstage, performing a full lineup of his hits, including “What More Can I Say,” “Devil in a Dress,” and “Lose Control.” Championing his mission to promote wellness and positivity not only through his music but also through his message, he shared some words of wisdom with the crowd, saying, “The older I get, the more I believe closure doesn’t really exist… the only real closure is internal,” before launching into a rendition of his 2023 hit “Some Things I’ll Never Know.

In an incredible sunset performance, Washington artist Benson Boone packed the house for a set that proved stimulating in every sense. Appreciating the weight of the occasion as he walked onstage, Boone paused to take in the moment before beginning his show with his recent single, “Be Someone.” Unable to contain his energy, Boone took multiple opportunities to showcase his athleticism, performing backflips off his piano several times during the set. Midway through the show, Boone attempted to recreate Freddie Mercury’s signature “Ay-Oh” call-and-response with the audience, though he received a less-than-stellar response. He did, however, elicit a much more heartfelt reaction when he spoke about the creation of his single “My Greatest Fear,” saying, “A strange fear you only have a couple of times in your life is when you have someone so good, and you’re afraid to lose them.” As an artist whose music has thrived on social media over the past year, Boone saved one of his most powerful moments for last, closing with his recent single, “Beautiful Things.”

Check out more photos of ACL Day 2.

While the history of Austin City Limits will continue to be written for years to come, the third and final day of the festival proved that its roots remain a defining influence in the creative world. With a strong commitment to the country genre, while still celebrating artists across other genres, the day felt like a true homage to the Texas soul, embodying the idea that music only needs to be “three chords and the truth.

Kicking off the day on the Miller Lite stage, California alt-act DeathbyRomy embraced the dark side of rock with a high-intensity performance. With an aesthetic reminiscent of Marilyn Manson, her performance was nothing short of electrifying and authentic to her brand, as she hardly paused to catch her breath during the adrenaline rush of the show.

Johannesburg-born country star Orville Peck embodied the spirit of Austin country as he captivated the audience, leading them through his life’s work in song. His resonant, almost Elvis-like vocal timbre echoed through the park, with his smooth vibrato deeply connecting with those in the crowd. Early in the show, he took a moment to express his compassion and sentimentality, saying, “If at any point you feel like crying, you have to cry,” before performing his 2022 single, “C’mon Baby, Cry.” His lyrical excellence and refined musicality captured the best qualities of classic country songwriting with a modern flair, holding everyone’s attention with singles like “Big Sky,” “Dead of Night,” and “No Glory in the West.”

Arguably the biggest summer success story of any artist in recent memory, Midwest princess Chappell Roan took the main stage at dusk on Sunday before the weekend's largest crowd. It was hard not to feel for any other acts scheduled during the 6:00 hour, as the vast majority of fans seemed to have built their day around her show. Roan did not disappoint; fans screamed from the moment the music began as she opened with her recent single, “Femininomenon.” While her dialogue with the audience was minimal outside of what she conveyed through song, her setlist was packed with catchy tracks, leaving little to be desired, including “Naked in Manhattan,” “HOT TO GO!” and “My Kink is Karma.”

Closing out the night and the weekend on the Honda stage, industry veteran and modern torchbearer of Outlaw Country, Kentucky’s own Sturgill Simpson, delivered a much-anticipated performance to send the audience off into the night. As the show began, bright lights flashed around the stage as the band walked on and kicked off their set with an electrifying rendition of Simpson’s 2019 single “A Good Look.” The musicians’ love for their craft was evident in every note, with each song following its own roadmap as the bandmates took time to face each other and extemporize throughout the set. While the evening primarily celebrated Simpson’s storied career, the momentum took a pause as they covered When in Rome’s defining 1988 single “The Promise” at a slowed tempo, allowing Simpson to emphasize the meaning of every line. Though he spoke sparingly to the audience between songs, his music conveyed a depth that words alone could not, as he told his life story through his setlist. Ending with the energy that embodies his soulful vibrancy, he sent everyone home with a spirited delivery of his 2016 single “Call to Arms.”

Check out more photos of ACL Day 3.