BottleRock Napa Valley, the popular music festival in the most famous American wine region, hit on all cylinders with big-name stars, young upcoming talent, and the usual array of extravagance. The three-day event, in its 11th year, ran from Friday, May 24 to Sunday, the 26th, over Memorial Day weekend and drew a sold-out crowd of about 40,000 fans each day. Popular artists like Stevie Nicks, Pearl Jam, My Morning Jacket, Stephen Marley, and many more filled multiple stages in the luxurious setting over the holiday weekend. Fans got their fill of excellent performances, gourmet food, and some of the best wines available in Napa Valley.
The audience in the general admission areas was able to relax on blankets or stand on the vast green lawns. In contrast, the food and beverage areas along the perimeter of the stages had some picnic table seating. Various VIP upgrades included luxury suites with comfortable seating and great views of the stages. Upscale food, wine, craft beer, and cocktail booths satisfied every craving throughout the venue. All this opulence came at a steep price, as tickets, food, and beverages were quite expensive.
The daily weather was pleasant through the late afternoon but got quite cold at night. For the scantily clad ladies and those who forgot about the big temperature fluctuations common to Napa, it was a chilly after-dark experience. Some indoor spaces offered refuge, but most of the event took place outside. All the stages were well-lit, and the sound quality was consistently good, even in the faraway, back areas of the two biggest stages.
The festival offered a diverse mix of musical talent but also included a culinary stage with celebrity chefs who paired up with Hollywood, sports, and musical artists to give foodie demos. Food stars like Tyler Florence, Jose Andres, Andrew Zimmern, and Alton Brown helped with cooking demos by stars like Cameron Diaz (who made a pressed Cuban burger), Neil Patrick Harris (chicken fingers “Napa-fied” with crème fraiche and caviar), Steph Curry and Bradley Cooper (Philly cheesesteak) and The Offspring (deep fried wings with their own hot sauce). While the culinary presentations were a fun diversion, most fans focused on the live music performances. We caught a variety of rock, soul, blues, and other styles of music over the three days, and these were our highlights:
Foo Fighter’s lead guitarist Chris Shiflett did a set of his solo material from his 2023 album Lost At Sea. “Damage Control,” “Weigh You Down,” and “Overboard” featured Shiflett’s exceptional shredding and solid vocals. Right after his set, the power trio cover band Chevy Metal played crowd-pleasing songs by Van Halen, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and The Talking Heads. The band was founded by Foo’s drummer Taylor Hawkins, who used to invite his 11-year-old son Shane to sit in and told him the band would be his one day.
Since Taylor passed away, Shane, now 16, has become the band’s regular drummer. They still feature long-time guitarist Brent Woods and bass player Wiley Hodgden. Shiflett was in the wings during the set and came out to play Van Halen’s “Ain’t Talking About Love.” The band finished their show by inviting another teenager, guitar phenom Grace Bowers, on stage. She had played a set of her own music as the first act of the day on the JaM Cellars stage. Bowers showed off her skills on Sabbath’s “Children of the Grave.”
One of the unusual things about BottleRock is the ability to see some big as well as up-and-coming artists on an intimate stage. JaM Cellars, the Napa Valley based winery, sponsors the biggest stage at the festival. They also have a lounge with a small stage at the back of the massive, open lawn space in front of that big stage. Fans can buy wine and hang out while bands perform on their JaMPad stage. Not long after Grace Bowers sat in with Chevy Metal, she led her band, The Hodge Podge, through a set of blues and soul tunes on the small stage. Shane Hawkins was enjoying the set from backstage, and he sat in for one song, pounding out an explosive drum solo.
Flowing dresses and shawls were seen on ladies all over the grounds as anticipation grew for Stevie Nicks, who closed the JaM Cellars stage on Friday. The legendary singer greeted the crowd with, “Welcome, everybody. We’re so happy you’re here…Let’s get this party started.” The band launched into an energized cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll.” Nicks’ powerful and soulful voice was on full display during the entire set. Guitarist Waddy Wachtel played impressive solos and filled the Tom Petty vocal role on “Stop Dragging My Heart Around.” Nicks pleased the crowd with Fleetwood Mac classics, including “Dreams,” “Gold Dust Woman,” and “Gypsy.” She also did nice versions of her solo hits “Stand Back” and “Leather and Lace.” Her interpretation of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What it’s Worth” was passionate and brilliant. She wrapped up the entertaining show with “Edge of Seventeen.”
The singer and guitar player Celisse is a force of nature with a beautiful voice and world-class chops. She did two sets of blues-based, soul-infused rockers on Saturday, the first at the small JaMPad stage and another full show at a larger stage. At each, she sang passionately about ex-boyfriends and unrequited love. Exceptional songs that featured her passionate vocals and guitar shredding included “Mystery to Me” and ‘Undercover.” The artist told the crowd about her fond memories as a young child in the kitchen as the adults danced to Bill Withers’ “Use Me.” Celisse did a sultry, blues-infused version and went into the thrilled crowd while playing an extended solo. Once she was back on stage she said, “Right now, in this moment, I’m living my dream.”
Maybe it was the sunny afternoon set, but My Morning Jacket’s usually aloof Jim James was particularly engaged with the audience during their show. He smiled, waved, and thanked everyone for coming. James’ wailing voice and screeching guitar were on point. Carl Broemel’s distorted guitar solos and duets with James reverberated through the crowd. Set highlights included “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt.1 & 2,” “Spring (Among the Living)” and a haunting, dramatic version of “Phone Went West.” James played acoustic guitar and did an impressive slide solo during George Harrison’s “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth).” The show ended with a surprise as the USC Marching Band came on stage to play along with MMJ during “Wordless Chorus.”
The Record Company always makes their shows feel like a fun party. Chris Vos led the band on vocals while playing multiple instruments, including guitar, lap steel, and harmonica. Alex Stiff on bass and Marc Cazorla on drums drove the blues-based beats and provided quality harmonies. “Life to Fix,” “Hard Day Coming Down,” and “On the Move” were hard-charging rockers. Vos slowed things down with his harmonica and acoustic guitar for “Talk to Me.” Stiff played an acoustic guitar as well on the sweet, mellow tune. Vos amazed the crowd with his lap steel slide creativity during “Off the Ground” before closing the set with a roaring “I’m Getting Better (and I’m Feeling It Right Now).”
Pearl Jam closed the fest on Saturday with a huge crowd at the JaM Cellars stage. Eddie Vedder was high energy, bopping around the stage while looking and sounding wonderful. He drank red wine out of a bottle and quipped, “Wow, this is good. Why haven’t we done this festival before?” Mike McCready’s ripping guitar riffs and Matt Cameron’s thunderous drums supplemented Vedder’s vocals on hits including “Given to Fly,” “Even Flow” and “Wreckage.” The band went partially acoustic for a moving version of “Daughter.” Vedder and the band segued into a lyric-altering tease of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2” as Vedder sang, “Politicians, leave our girl’s bodies alone” before transitioning back to “Daughter.”
Vedder’s vocals and the hypnotic guitar line during “Black” was a set highlight as many in the crowd could be heard singing along. Soon after, the crowd was surprised by a guest appearance by Bradley Cooper. Cooper and Vedder became friends during the making of the 2018 film A Star is Born – Cooper had asked for advice on being a believable rock star. At BottleRock, the buddies did a duet of Jason Isbell’s “Maybe It’s Time” from the film. During the encore, the band did an explosive version of “Alive” before bringing Cooper out again for a frenetic “Rocking in the Free World” to end the show.
Early on Sunday afternoon, Dexter Holland and Kevin “Noodles” Wasserman from The Offspring joined Alton Brown on the Culinary Stage. Brown used a large, custom-built deep fryer to cook wings, potatoes, and jalapeños. Holland and Noodles whipped up a wing sauce with Holland’s own Gringo Bandito hot sauce, plus honey and a few other ingredients. Later that evening, the band played a full set of their radio-friendly punk rock hits that dominated the 90s and early 2000s. Their frenetic show included lots of interaction with the audience and multiple shout-outs by both Holland and Noodles about how much fun they were having at their first BottleRock and how much they appreciated the fans coming to see them.
The band did remarkably accurate versions of their hits, including “Come Out And Play,” “All I Want,” and “Staring at the Sun.” They paid tribute to punk royalty by playing a manic version of The Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop.” Probably the biggest surprise guest of the weekend came next. Holland told the audience about a young guy with a bright future they met recently, who told them he was a huge fan and his first ever album purchase was their 2020 release Conspiracy of One. That young guy turned out to be Ed Sheeran, who was going to be one of the headliners later that night. He came out to join the band on his favorite Offspring song, “A Million Miles Away.” The crowd went berserk as Sheeran and Holland traded lyrics while Sheeran also ripped on his guitar. The rest of the set may have been anti-climactic to some, but many in the crowd went wild for hits like “Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)” and “Self Esteem.”
The Stephen Marley set that closed one of the biggest stages on Sunday was a laid-back affair. Under muted lighting with Rasta imagery around the stage, the band played amplified, acoustic instruments. Marley sat at center stage with a set of bongos, other percussion devices and two acoustic guitars. As pungent smoke wafted through the crowd, Marley started off with solo material like “Chase Dem,” “Thanks We Get (Do Fi Dem)” and “Old Soul.” The band did a fine version of Joe Higgs’ “There’s a Reward” before mixing in several tracks from the Wailers catalog. Marley smiled widely between songs and fed off the energy from the audience as he seemed to be in a trance as he led the band into “I Shot the Sheriff,” “Burnin’ and Lootin’,” “Trenchtown Rock” and “Three Little Birds.” After a few more of his solo songs, he went out with a bang on the classics “Jamming,” “Jungle Fever / Could You Be Loved” and “Lion of Judah.”
The BottleRock Napa Valley festival lived up to its reputation as a luxurious, pricey, foodie, and wine-loving paradise that also happens to book world-class live music. Each year, they up the ante with additional, extravagant creature comforts and a smartly conceived, diverse lineup of artists. Napa, California, might be the preeminent destination for wine and food lovers, but every Memorial Day weekend, it becomes a popular destination for great live music as well. The 2025 edition is scheduled for May 23-25, and the organizers are offering a presale for three-day general admission tickets at the 2024 price, available on the BottleRock Napa website.
Live photos courtesy of Andy J. Gordon ©2024
