Another Memorial Day Weekend in the books, meaning BottleRock Napa Valley 2024 is also complete. The 11th edition of the wine country music festival was headlined by Stevie Nicks, Megan Thee Stallion, Pearl Jam, Kali Uchis, Queens of the Stone Age, and Ed Sheeran, but also saw a bunch of acts pretty unique to BottleRock Napa Valley 2024 that you won’t see on any other lineup. Names like Maná, Norah Jones, and The Offspring won’t be playing Coachella anytime soon, but acts like them have found a home amongst the Napa Valley festival that families can all enjoy.
Friday night saw Stevie Nicks brought families together with moms and dads taking in her set with kids who have been rocking their mom and dads’ vintage Fleetwood Mac T-shirts. Now they can say they saw the legendary songstress in person. On the other main stage, Megan Thee Stallion delivered a memorable set looking like a fire emoji.
Friday also saw stellar performances from rock goddess St. Vincent, rap legend Nelly, alt-rock favorites Miike Snow, pop star Bebe Rexha, All-Time Low, and Chevy Metal fronted by Shane Hawkins — the son of late Foo Fighters drummer and former Chevy Metal lead man Taylor Hawkins. Groovy trio Say She She and singer-songwriter Pete Yorn were also worthwhile, though they played to surprisingly small crowds.
Saturday saw grunge legends Pearl Jam play a marathon set that was punctuated by a cover of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” joined on stage by Bradley Cooper. They also played a Jason Isbell cover earlier in the set. My Morning Jacket rocked out, Kali Uchis mesmerized though we were mad she killed photos at the last possible second. UK singer-songwriter Holly Humberstone proved why she’s a rising star.
The three-day festival closed out Sunday with headline performances from Ed Sheeran and Queens of the Stone Age. But Ed Sheeran gave fans a double dose when he joined The Offspring on stage for “Million Miles Away”, saying it was on the first album he ever bought. Norah Jones dazzled, Action Bronson looked high as a kite but was a blast, and up-and-comers The Beaches and Cannons left fans scrambling to add them to their Spotify playlists.
Overall, BottleRock Napa Valley 2024 continues to prove why it’s a festival that sells out every year and why it separates itself from the rest of the homogenized festival pack. While many festivals have basically become the same lineup just in different places, BottleRock Napa Valley continues to excel at booking unique bills.
Words by Mark Ortega
Photos by Chad Cochran
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