by Marc Fong
There’s no question BottleRock knows how to bring the big acts: Stevie Nicks headlined Friday; the legendary Pearl Jam closed Saturday; and pop icon, Ed Sheeran shut down Napa on Sunday with his signature sound. It was an epic weekend with epic artists headlining. Even the next biggest stage, The Verizon Stage, hosted mega stars like Megan Thee Stallion.
However, we’d be remiss to not recall the artists that played before these incredible headliners. BottleRock does almost everything right, including populating the stages with both well-known acts and up-and-comers. And we can talk ad nauseam about the Napa festival’s headliners, but there are a ton of acts that warrant attention and played before the sun went down.
BottleRock is certainly a festival by and for tastemakers so we took note of the undercard and are highlighting some of our favorites. Below isn’t an exhaustive list of the amazing acts that played while the sun was high in the sky, but these artists had the je ne sais quoi to really stand out for us over this amazing Memorial Day Weekend.
17-year-old guitar phenom, Grace Bowers, already has acclaim for her prowess on her Gibson SG. She’s collaborated with a host of musical legends (including Devon Allman and Gaslight Anthem) and boldly leads her band (“Grace Bowers & the Hodge Podge”). To see her live and in action, is to witness guitar mastery. It’s early in her career, but prepare to see a lot more of Grace really soon.
Con Brio is no stranger to a BottleRock stage. Though the iteration of the band has changed over the years, the band has maintained it’s energy and sound to earn their place at the fest. They are raucous and high-energy and quite an amazing spectacle. With a dynamic presence and a fun party-sound, Con Brio is definitely worth getting there early.
Austin’s Jane Leo is an art-pop duo that really does it right. With a sound reminiscent of early Yeah Yeah Yeah’s with the grittiness of The Kills, the duo (and, if what the band said Monday at August Hall is true, married couple) has an incredible live set. Celebrating the just released single, Diamond Eyes, the band had two killer sets on Memorial Day Weekend: one at the fest itself and the other at August Hall opening for the Cannons’ BottleRock After Dark show. We cannot wait for the band to come back to the Bay.
Say She She brought the disco vibes on a sunny Napa day and it was quite amazing. For those wanting that dance break, Say She She delivered the funk. The women’s silky vocals and the soulful 70’s sound made the Truly Stage party just right.
Chicago natives, Dehd, brought their eclectic indie trip-rock to BottleRock and their reputation preceded them. To hear their music, reverb-heavy with dreamy lyrics, live made for an excellent way to spend 40 minutes. To celebrate the release of their newest album, Poetry, the band returns to North America to headline a tour of their own later this year and we cannot wait.
Keep an eye out for Akira Galaxy. The 23-year-old singer-songwriter’s dream pop sound has echoes rooted in 80’s synth with hints of the grunginess of her hometown, Seattle. Naturally, it’s the perfect set to watch on a wine-filled day. And her music is always great to listen to. If you couldn’t catch Akira Galaxy over the weekend, keep an eye out as she’ll soon be going on tour with Winnetka Bowling League in the summer. Definitely a show to catch!
And, last but not least, The Beaches. You’ve heard The Beaches. Their viral single “Blame Brett” can be heard on almost every radio station out there. With the hit sitting pretty on multiple Top 40s and a mega-tour coming up, the women of The Beaches are enjoying the good life and watching them on stage, it clearly shows. The band’s live sound is amazing; the music is refined and wonderful. But what really makes the band standout is the playfulness of their performance. Experiencing the band in the Napa sun is something we may not get to see for a while given this band’s upward trajectory! We cannot wait to see The Beaches when they headline their own mega-show!
Of course we’re excited to see which headliners are coming next year, but we’re definitely going to be keeping an eye on all the bands that play during the day at BottleRock 2025!
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