Memorial Day weekend in Napa, California, means it’s time for “the first taste of summer” with the ever-popular BottleRock Festival featuring three days of sensational music, tasty beverages, and good food. The Napa County Fairgrounds transforms into a musical playground, offering something for everyone in an ever-diverse lineup that spans rock, pop, alternative, hip-hop, blues, funk, Americana, and more.
Artists can range from Rock and Roll Hall of Famers and international pop icons to rising stars just bursting onto the scene. This dichotomy is epitomized at this year’s festival with 18-year-old guitar phenom Grace Bowers playing an early set on Sunday afternoon and 79-year-old Robby Krieger closing out Sunday night with a set of trailblazing music he pioneered with the Doors.
For those who have made BottleRock an annual event on their music calendar, walking into the festival on Friday afternoon feels like a homecoming of sorts, with recollections of many memorable moments from previous years flashing back. The resonance of 2024 remains vivid after BottleRock delivered one of its best groups of headliners with Stevie Nicks, Pearl Jam, and Queens of the Stone Age all delivering sensational performances. Still, there are always more memories to be made and new bands to discover.
Friday, 23 May
The undercard on the first day is a little softer than in recent years, but hip-hop legends Public Enemy crank up the vibe at the Verizon Stage (BottleRock’s second biggest) before a huge crowd at 5:00 pm. “I don’t see why your current president wants to turn Gaza into condominiums, what the fuck is that about?” hype man Flavor Flav asks the audience.
Long known for politically charged invective from both Flav and ringleader Chuck D that speaks truth to power, Public Enemy do just that here on bangers like “911 is a Joke” from 1990’s classic Fear of a Black Planet. “He Got Game” from 1998 is another crowd pleaser, mashing up sharp hip hop over psychedelic samples from Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth”.
It’s tough to bail on Public Enemy halfway through their set, but Columbian psychedelic rock trio BALTHVS hits the smaller Prudential Stage at 5:30 (one of the best slots in the festival with a more intimate setting and some shade.) This was the scene where Japanese psychedelic rockers Kikagaku Moyo delivered a stunning set in 2022, and it’s an excellent fit for Balthvs, too. A jam on Santana’s “Soul Sacrifice” strikes a familiar chord, as guitarist Balthazar Aguirre lights a musical fuse.
Drummer Santiago Lizcano and bassist Vanessa Munoz lay down a deep groove on the group’s latest single “Year of the Snake”, as the trio get a party vibe going. Vivid psychedelia projected behind the band builds the mood, as does a timely cover of the Grateful Dead’s funky “Shakedown Street” to crank up a festive vibe.
When the groovy one-hour set concludes, Sofi Tukker are just hitting the Verizon Stage at 6:30. Singer/guitarist Sophie Hawley-Weld is wearing a stylish silver bikini top while wielding a Flying V guitar, generating some rock star vibes as she and partner Tucker Halpern crank up their punchy EDM sound. A track that samples Santana’s “Smooth” fits the warm and sunny scene and pays the Bay Area guitar legend his second tribute within the hour.
Dope Lemon get the Prudential Stage rocking again in the 7:00 pm hour with a sound that hits heavier than their studio stuff. Billed as a purveyor of “dreamy laid back grooves with deeply introspective lyricism”, Australian troubadour Angus Stone and his band throw down a rocking bluesy jam early in their set that catches the ear from the back of the field at the nearby Verizon Stage. “Electric Green Lambo” from 2025’s Golden Wolf album conjures a party vibe as a couple of extra characters in masks join the stage, while the band groove out on a song that also features a cool video that follows Stone as an international man of mystery.
At 8:00 pm, the main event is Green Day. They draw a massive crowd to the Jam Cellars Stage, filling the big rock headliner role occupied by Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Metallica in recent years. Singer/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong fires up the crowd right away as the pop punk heroes open with the ever zeitgeisty “American Idiot”. Armstrong changes the original 2004 lyric “I’m not a part of a redneck agenda” to “MAGA agenda” and wins a huge cheer for the sentiment. “Holiday” is another crowd pleaser, with some KISS-style blasts of fire from the stage. Many folks are singing every line of every song, with a homecoming crowd vibe in effect.
Fan favorites like “Know Your Enemy” and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” keep the sing-alongs going, while a trippy take on the Rolling Stones’ “2000 Light Years from Home” pops up as a special treat. “Dilemma” from 2024’s Saviors is another highlight, featuring infectious hooks as Armstrong sings, “Strange days are here again.”
Bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tre Cool are crushing it throughout the set as Green Day puts the big-time rock into BottleRock. “21 Guns” from 2009’s underrated 21st Century Breakdown is a shimmering gem in the cool Napa evening, as Armstrong delivers some of his most heartfelt vocals on the topic of modern emotional strife that resonates so deeply here in 2025.
“Wake Me Up When September Ends” still hits in the feels, too, as does the rock opera masterpiece “Jesus of Suburbia”. The ambitious nine-minute track from American Idiot was a bold artistic exploration of the teenage wasteland that paid off in a big way, becoming one of the band’s most significant works. Flavor Flav pops up for a brief cameo appearance at the very end of this triumphant night for Green Day, yet only night one of three for BottleRock.
Saturday, 24 May
The Hendrick’s Gin 3-Story Bar has become an annual fixture at BottleRock, featuring an iconic installation adjacent to the Williams Sonoma Culinary Stage, where celebrity cooking demonstrations take place. Some music fans might think they’re not into gin, but the tasty cocktails that Hendrick’s bartenders are whipping up here are just as refreshing as typical vodka drinks. It’s all in the mixology, and the “Desert Sun” is a case in point, featuring Hendrick’s gin with fresh lime juice, prickly pear puree, simple syrup, and a cucumber wheel. This refreshing beverage hits the spot on a hot sunny day, which is what’s in effect with temperatures around 75 degrees on Saturday at 3:00 pm.
Lauren Mayberry is at the Verizon Stage, though it’s a challenging time slot with that hot sun beating down and no shade. Her sound is perhaps a little more straight ahead than the renowned synth pop she specializes in with her band Chvrches, but her voice still sounds great over the big hooks. However, as on Friday, hanging out toward the back of the Verizon Stage field puts one in earshot of the Prudential Stage, where a rocking sound rings out.
It turns out to be singer-songwriter Bob Schneider from Austin, Texas, with a sound that blends rock, funk, blues, and folk. The Austin vibe always hits the spot on hot days, and so it is as Schneider’s band grooves out (the shade is a nice bonus, too). The gritty title track from 2006’s The Californian is a hit as Schneider sings from the perspective of a character from New Orleans who proclaims, “Superman can go and kiss my ass.”
One can still catch the end of Mayberry’s set afterwards, where she puts her uplifting sonic stamp on the Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony”, a song she says she wanted to make more feminist. The Saint Cecilia from Costa Rica rock the intimate White Claw Stage next, with a sound that mixes classic rock vibes with an alt-rock edge. The guitar riffage and singer’s voice bring the Cult to mind for a mid-afternoon blast of psych-rock power.
Anders Osborne, out of New Orleans, takes the Prudential Stage at 4:15 for a vibrant set of bluesy rock and fiery jams to crank up the energy level in a big way. The Bay Area’s own Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz has been enlisted as second guitarist in Osborne’s band and they form a dynamic duo. A heavy guitar driven jam leads into the bluesy “Mind of a Junkie”, which makes a strong impression as Osborne sings out for someone to save him from his crazy mind, panic attacks, and self-doubts (a biographical topic he spoke candidly about when PopMatters caught him giving a talk at Park City Song Summit in 2022.)
“Kingdom Come” is another highlight with an upbeat groove that features Lebo taking the first solo, before Osborne lets it rip with smoking hot riffage. The cathartic jammy vibe recalls the good times when Osborne and Lebo played together at Phil Lesh’s renowned Terrapin Crossroads club in nearby San Rafael. Osborne alludes to such catharsis when he gives thanks for being invited to play the festival and adds that, “Music is a great healer, it’s straight to the divine, it’s beautiful.” It’s a sentiment that sums up why BottleRock is such a great event, with three days of diverse music in one of the most laid-back festival environments in the country.
SASAMI clearly believes in the cathartic power of music, taking the White Claw Stage at 5:00 pm. She faces a tough draw, going up against a 4 Non Blondes reunion on the main stage. While she seems a bit perturbed, the singer, guitarist, and multi-instrumentalist who relocated from Los Angeles to West Marin delivers a scintillating set.
It’s surprising to see her perform here as a guitar/drummer duo after having toured with a full band in 2022, but her sound still feels arena-ready. “Honeycrash” from 2025’s Blood on the Silver Screen is an early highlight, a shimmering slice of power pop ear candy with an electrifying vibe as SASAMI sings urgently to a lover she’s lost but wants to get back. The power chords from her Gibson Explorer guitar hit hard as images of fireworks explode behind her, adding a multi-dimensional effect.
She bills her new album as pop, but Sasami Ashworth is also a dynamic rock goddess who can play a mean guitar. “Call Me Home” from 2022’s heavier Squeeze album is mesmerizing with emotion over melodic chords and deep hooks. “Lose It All” is another melodic gem from the new album, with Ashworth’s dynamic vocal soaring as she sings, “It’s worth the fight just to feel alive / But when you love sometimes you lose it all.”
SASAMI puts down her guitar for “In Love With a Memory”, just singing over the drums and rippling synths before playing the French horn solo at the end for a unique finish. It’s a shame her “BottleRock AfterDark” show in San Francisco takes place on Sunday evening, conflicting with the festival here in Napa, as this sweet 45-minute set is easily one of the weekend’s top sonic treats.
LA LOM, aka Los Angeles League of Musicians, provide some quality sonic ambiance at the Prudential Stage at 6:00 pm. The instrumental trio blend traditional sounds such as Mexican boleros and cumbia with a Bakersfield-style country twang and retro psychedelia. It’s a sound that works for dancing or chilling in the bleachers while eating their dinner, and there are folks doing both here.
Then one can still catch the end of the set from Rebelution at the Verizon Stage, where singer/guitarist Eric Rachmany rocks the San Francisco Giants’ new alternate jersey that honors the psychedelic 1960s with its orange and purple color scheme. It’s a fitting fashion for BottleRock, as is the group’s groovy roots reggae music, with Rachmany singing of expanding the healing of the nation, accompanied by a festive sax and trumpet jam.
One of the hottest sets of the weekend comes from G. Love & Donovan Frankenreiter at the Prudential Stage in at 7:00 pm. The duo and their band emerge with a tight, bluesy, and funky sound, rocking out with the kind of energy that’s most welcome at this point in the day. “SoulBQue” features sharp harmonica over a fat groove as G.Love sings of eating, drinking, puffing, and dancing around the house in what feels like a perfect anthem for BottleRock.
Former pro surfer Frankenreiter brings a soulful vibe to “Move By Yourself”, another funky tune with a bluesy edge, plus a tease of the Rolling Stones’ “Miss You”. The combo of Frankenreiter and G. Love becomes a revelation of groovy goodness for those who might not have realized the duo released a live album together in 2023.
The headliner slot pits hip-hop icon Ice Cube on the Verizon Stage against pop superstar Justin Timberlake on the Jam Cellars Stage. Those curious about Timberlake get the full experience at the start when he opens with 2013’s smash hit “Mirrors”, a dynamic eight-minute pop-rock masterpiece that sends the massive crowd into an instant frenzy. Groups of friends are singing each line to each other and getting down, as it quickly becomes clear that this devoted crowd is lit and ready to party.
“Cry Me a River” keeps the dance party going and continues to showcase Timberlake as a genuine bandleader, fronting an R&B group with a horn section (as opposed to some pop stars who rely too heavily on samples). Throwing down the hits with a full band raises the vibe to a higher level, and Timberlake is out to deliver. He’s got multi-instrumental skills too, playing acoustic guitar on the groovy “Like I Love You”, plus some piano later in the set.
The Saturday night dance party keeps rolling on with songs like “Summer Love” and “Suit and Tie,” featuring a contagious energy level. “Rock Your Body” features a tight synth part in the groove for extra impact, and Timberlake and wife Jessica Biel score extra charm points by rocking T-shirts that each feature an image of the other.
Sunday, 25 May
“Sunday Funday” gets going early with Grace Bowers & the Hodge Podge on the Jam Cellars Stage at 1:15 pm. Eighteen-year-old guitar phenom Bowers comes out blazing with a high-energy rocker that includes a tease on “Play That Funky Music”. Bowers made a splash in the Bay Area when she sat in with the Allman Betts Family Revival at the Fillmore last December and tore it up, raising the interest level here. A jam on George Clinton’s “We Want the Funk” infuses extra party vibes into the set, before Allen Stone guests for a “Superstition” mashup. Bowers has a bluesy feel and charisma, suggesting she’s an old soul with star power.
When Bowers’ set ends, there’s still time to catch the last half hour of Moonalice at the Prudential Stage. The BottleRock stalwarts always ensure that the influential psychedelic rock of the 1960s is represented, doing so here with a rousing take on the Chambers Brothers’ “Time”, featuring Lester Chambers himself on lead vocal. The T-Sisters have been a great addition to the “Full Moonalice” lineup as well, with majestic harmonies boosting a festive jam on “Turn on Your Lovelight”. Guitarist/ringleader Robert McNamee speaks at the end about the healing power of music in dark times, seconding the emotion Anders Osborne spoke of on Saturday.
Beverages that hit the spot on Sunday Funday include the spicy margarita featuring cucumber-jalapeno infused tequila from 21SEEDS, available at several different bars around the fairgrounds. The HenHouse Stoked! Hazy Pale Ale from nearby Petaluma, meanwhile, is a great beer to find available in 19 oz cans, providing a middle ground that’s more refreshing than an IPA on a warm day but with a little more bite than pilsners, lagers, and blonde ales.
A psychedelic rock theme seems baked into the Sunday schedule with next-gen jamrockers Eggy hitting the Prudential Stage at 3:15. Eggy made a big regional impression when they crushed the Cornerstone in Berkeley this past February. Grahame Lesh sat in and brought along Jerry Garcia’s “Alligator” guitar, which Eggy guitarist Jake Brownstein put to fantastic use.
Eggy draw a big crowd here, and the quartet take advantage with “A Moment’s Notice”, which has a patient funky groove that draws the audience in. “Shadow” is another highlight as Brownstein and keyboardist Dani Battat (in an Oakland A’s jersey) lock in for an uplifting jam. “Smile” is a syncopated feel-good gem from 2024’s Waiting Game, as Brownstein and Battat synergize melodies on a soaring jam that seals the deal for a triumphant set.
Eggy is sort of opening for Goose, the jamrock phenoms who hit the Jam Cellars Stage at 4:15. The Connecticut-based group has taken America by storm over the past few years and waste no time winning the BottleRock audience over with their spirited melodic sound and stellar musicianship. Goose made a big splash in California when they crushed a headlining set at the High Sierra Music Festival in 2022, and they’ve continued to soar. Guitarist Rick Mitarotonda also won acclaim as a part-time member of Phil Lesh & Friends, a supreme honor that included a pair of stellar shows at San Francisco’s Warfield Theater at the end of 2022.
“Animal” from the new Everything Must Go is an early highlight, as underrated keyboardist Peter Anspach drives the sound with fluid piano lines that put Goose into “the zone”. Cheers ring out at the end of the song that lead newbies to wonder if the crowd is booing, when they’re actually cheering, “Goooooose”.
The new “Your Direction” has an easygoing romantic vibe that sounds like a lost track from Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours album. Still, it’s a showcase for what a seasoned singer/songwriter Mitarotonda has become. The band are dialed in, with psychedelic synths over a mid-tempo groove that sounds great on a breezy Sunday in Napa. Prince’s “I Would Die For You” mixes things up with a familiar tune, yet serves as a platform for another hot jam over a galloping groove that conjures more “Goooose” cheers.
“Thanks y’all, there’s a lot of you guys here. That’s cool, this festival is huge,” Rick observes before leading the group into “Hungersite” from 2022’s Dripfield album. Bassist Trevor Weekz is soon killing it with a pulsing bass line over tight beats from drummer Cotter Ellis, as the quartet’s chemistry flows. Goose are smoking now as Rick tears it up with smoldering riffage over wicked tight piano, on what becomes a downright incendiary jam for one of the weekend’s peak moments. There’s also more to come for Goose fans, with the band set for two “BottleRock AfterDark” shows at San Francisco’s Masonic Auditorium on 27-28 May.
Khruangbin follow 45 minutes later on the Jam Cellars Stage at 6:15, with a big crowd ready to keep the party going. The eclectic trio from Houston, Texas, have been on an impressive career ascent of their own over the past decade. The set seems to open a bit soft, though, with several ambient instrumental numbers that feel like they’re falling a bit flat in the wake of the rager Goose threw down.
It feels like people are just standing around waiting for something to happen, making it start to seem as if Goose may have blown Khruangbin off the stage?! Or is Khruangbin following the Miles Davis strategy that guitarist Mark Speer has cited as a guiding philosophy – “When they play fast, you play slow. When they play slow, you play fast.”
It’s certainly not Khruangbin’s first rodeo, and Speer seems to recognize that the group need to step up the energy level, which they start to do on “A Love International” from their latest album A La Sala as bassist Laura Lee Ochoa sings of thanking one’s friends and relatives. Ochoa also stars on “Lady or Man” from 2018’s Con Todo El Mundo, where she picks up the nifty groove as she sings about college. “Evan Finds the Third Room” boosts the festivities, as Speer plays infectious riffs over a funky groove from Ochoa and drummer Donald “DJ” Johnson Jr.
The set ignites on “Time (You and I)” from 2020’s Mordechai, with Ochoa singing “If we had more time, we could live forever”. It feels like a BottleRock anthem, where you want to live forever inside groovy tunes like this one. Speer puts more pizazz into his psychedelic chords and riffs, including a tease of Pink Floyd’s “Run Like Hell” that resonates nicely. ”People Everywhere (Still Alive)” from 2015’s debut album The Universe Smiles Upon You closes out the set with a fabulous flourish, as the trio rocks out on the groovy instrumental with the large crowd getting down on the good foot for a triumphant finale.
It’s been a superb Sunday already, but there’s still one more round of bands to go. Robby Krieger hits the Prudential Stage just 15 minutes after Khruangbin’s set ends for what’s billed as a two-hour set. Krieger has remained active, honoring the legacy of the Doors, playing shows with son Waylon Krieger doing a solid job filling the shoes of the legendary Jim Morrison. “Break on Through (to the Other Side)” makes a great opener with its ever-mystical vibe, while “Five to One” resonates with the political turmoil of the current era. The duration of Krieger’s set enables fans who are curious about other acts to leave and then come back for more.
Cage the Elephant hit the Verizon Stage at 8:15 with a genuine spectacle, as massive blasts of fire shoot out from the stage while they open with the kinetic energy of “Broken Boy”. Singer Matt Shultz sings of being “born on the wrong side of the train tracks” and getting “burned by the cold kiss of a vampire”, generating a mystical vibe of his own to dazzle the big crowd.
Americana star Noah Kahan, meanwhile, headlines the Jam Cellars Stage in the same time slot, a testament to how the singer-songwriter from Vermont has been gaining momentum. However, after catching a few minutes of his acoustic-oriented sound, the lure back to the classic rock of the Doors on a more intimate stage is too strong.
The psychedelic visuals on the screen behind Robby Krieger, especially after dark, add another dimension to the music that wasn’t fully apparent at the start of his set. “Moonlight Drive” sounds amazing with Krieger’s signature slide guitar lines, before a big jam on smash hit “Light My Fire” that includes teases on “Eleanor Rigby” and “My Favorite Things”. A rock ‘n’ roll dance party is in effect, and the group keeps it going with an electrifying run through “LA Woman” that has everyone grooving for a fantastic finish to the night. What a weekend it’s been as BottleRock wins again.
BottleRock AfterDark – Tuesday, 27 May – Goose at the Masonic Auditorium
Forty-eight hours later, Goose pick up where they left off in Napa at the Masonic in San Francisco’s ritzy Nob Hill neighborhood. The venue can have spotty sound due to the high ceiling, but Goose sound great, and the vibe is high. “Iguana Song” is a fun number from the new album, preceding patient explorations on “Borne” and “One In, One Out”, which find the group showcasing great musical maturity and blissful chemistry. A vibrant cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Green River” (on the eve of John Fogerty’s 80th birthday) conjures a raucous, gonzo atmosphere, with a tightly syncopated section that makes this river ignite for a smoking jam.
The second set finds Goose jumping into the deep end with extended improv explorations on nearly every song. A hot jam on “Creatures” lights up the Masonic, with guitarist Rick Mitarotonda cutting loose while keyboardist Peter Anspach goes wild too. “This Old Sea” seems like a mellow interlude at first, but develops in a more energetic direction until it explodes with the whole quartet pushing toward a collective catharsis. The jam hits a crescendo, but Goose keeps going with another wave of turbo-charged jamming that excites the flock.
The rippling cosmic vibe of “Dripfield” makes it feel like the Masonic might lift off into space, as the group generates an electrifying sound that garners a fervent reaction, including another wave of “Gooooose” cheers at the end. It’s a real treat to see a surging band like Goose really going for it at the festival in Napa, and then to catch them keep it going in their next show as BottleRock AfterDark gets this booking just right. BottleRock has once again made Memorial Day weekend one of the top holidays of the year.
