With the new year finally here, festival season is quickly approaching. Summertime calls for all the best in outdoor fun filled with great times with friends and fantastic music. California Roots is no newcomer to that kind of summertime excitement. Happening Memorial Day weekend, in the heart of Monterey Bay County, Cali Roots is set to be another amazing experience. Thrusting music fans into a world of reggae, ska, dancehall, and roots with the promise of togetherness and community.
With the final acts of the festival having just been announced, fans are eager for May to arrive. Originally covering three days, but now extended to four, the festival will invite show goers to roam the fairgrounds and experience their favorite musicians on the big stage, and on a personal level with interactive pop-ups and meet and greets.
Cali Roots is starting Thursday off with some mellow tunes. Thrive, Anuhea, Mihali along with Mykal Rose and the Subatomic Sound System will get the early-early birds psyched for the evening ahead. Dub Inc, Katchafire, Thievery Corporation, and Soja will be coming in with the heavy rhythms for night one, while fan favorites Atmosphere, Michael Franti & Spearhead, and Rebelution make those who decided to make the trek early glad they did.
Friday is set to mix things up with their heavy assortment of sounds; from reggae to hip hop, everyone can find a bit of something they are sure to enjoy. Rising with the morning sun is Soulwise, Kyle Smith, Joe Samba, Surfer Girl, Lila Iké, Jesse Royal, and Maoli, each adding just the right amount of soul and tasty jams to fuel a great afternoon. A hearty rotation of beats and flows are set to follow the first half of the day with L.A.B, The Interrupters, Common Kings, Steel Pulse, Cypress Hill, and Sublime with Rome with headliners Wu-Tang closing the night.
Even with a stacked lineup the first two days, Cali Roots did not disappoint with the announcement that Stick Figure would be taking center stage Saturday evening, but not without Shaggy, Collie Buddz, Hieroglyphics with Del the Funky Homosapien, Hirie, The Skintz, along with a few new bands that will be mixing things up throughout the day. Badfish, Alborosie, The Hip Abduction, Gentleman, Kes, Little Stranger, Chila 2na and the Cut Chemist, and Cydeways are amongst the veteran and first time Cali Roots acts this year.
With the weekend drawing to a close, the festival wanted to make sure they provided an ambiance for the final day that would make fans want to come back for years to come, and I think Sunday is looking like one of the best days. Starting the morning off with heavy riffs are The Rudians, The B Foundation, Tunnel Vision, Johnny Cosmic & K Bong, Thee Sacred Soul and Shaywze. The Elevators, Natiruts, The Movement, Dispatch, Kolohe Kai and Matisyahu are set to draw the final crowds in for the day alongside local bands DENM, Long Beach Dub All-Stars, Iration, and our very own Dirty Heads is closing out the entire weekend.
Every year the festival team at California Roots curates a wonderful weekend filled with tunes and community for fans of all kinds of music. After the postponing of the festival for two years due to the pandemic, they’ve gone above and beyond to make sure fans know how much they mean to them.
From additional days, to adding new acts from all corners of the world, to inviting its fan favorites, Cali Roots wants fans to know they’ve been listening. Memorial Day weekend at the Monterey Fairgrounds is always one to look forward to. With the incredible lineup, beautiful weather, and excellent location, this amazing festival happens right in the heart of it all, leaving many asking, “Is it May yet?”
