With Coachella finished and Outside Lands tickets almost completely sold out, BottleRock music festival in Napa is one of the last major in-state festivals of the season convenient for Palo Alto High School music lovers.
The festival will be held at the Napa Valley Expo over a three-day period, from Friday, May 30 to Sunday, June 1. School ends for Palo Alto Unified students on May 29, with seniors graduating on May 28, making BottleRock a perfect way to begin summer break.
The festival focuses on rock and alternative music, though it includes artists from a wide variety of other genres as well. While other big events such as Bonaroo, in Manchester, Tenn., and Coachella, in Indio have more of a presence from hip hop and electronic artists, hip hop artist Outkast will be headlining BottleRock. The festival will also feature artists like LL Cool J and TV on the Radio.
The other headlining artists include country icon Eric Church and alternative/goth rock band, The Cure. BottleRock features over 45 artists total, including many local groups.
The festival will kick off on Friday, May 30, with headlining act The Cure. Other big names on Friday includes Sublime with Rome and the post-punk group TV on the Radio. Also look for Mayer Hawthorne and The Gin Blossoms.
Saturday, May 31, features the reunited hip-hop duo Outkast. The accompanying performances are equally recognizable, with alt-rock legends Weezer and Palo Alto natives Third Eye Blind playing. And of course, no music festival would truly be complete without Smash Mouth (obviously the most influential and artistic of all the performances).
“I’m going because [of] Weezer,” senior Riley Burt said.
For the Sunday, June 1 finale, country star Eric Church headlines a lineup of notable acts including The Fray, Deerhunter and Barenaked Ladies. Less famous but equally exciting acts include The Stone Foxes and Camper Van Beethoven.
A significant number of groups at BottleRock recorded their biggest hits in the ‘90s and early 2000s, meaning the festival is likely to draw a slightly older audience than Coachella or Outside Lands.
BottleRock is now in its second year after a moderately successful inaugural festival last summer. A change in management has stirred hopes that some of the issues with the first iteration, including poor food quality and financial issues, will be fixed this year.
Single-day passes cost $149 each when bought from the BottleRock website, with a $279 three-day pass available and increased prices for VIP privileges. Attendees will also have to pay additional parking and food costs.
One downside to the festival cited by some Paly students is its partial overlap with Live 105’s BFD event, which is to be held on Sunday, June 1 at Shoreline Amphitheater. The alternative music concert will feature Foster The People, M.I.A., Fitz and the Tantrums, Walk The Moon, and Flosstradamus and offers tickets at relatively cheap prices.
Nevertheless, Paly students such as senior Erik Danie plan to attend BottleRock, drawn by its lineup and nearby location.
“It’ll be a fun time to hang out with friends and it sounds like a good lineup,” Danie said. “I want a good way to start my summer.”