Exceeding expectations, Stoopid’s Summer Traditions returns for 2022 and the lineup brings out the big guns. The annual event once again paired Stoopid with Common Kings and Pepper, plus added in Fortunate Youth.
As an opening act at this event, Fortunate Youth proves once again that the band knows how to set the tone for an amazing show. Despite playing during what was arguably the hottest part of the day, the band stayed cool under pressure and played their hearts out. There isn’t a single show where these gentlemen don’t leave it all on the stage, and this was no exception. With almost every band member switching instruments periodically throughout the set, each song stays fresh and it’s as if we get a different band every time, with Dan Kelly even getting some assistance on vocals from Travi Bongo and Greg Gelb (the exception being their brass section, which does not vary). We’re the “fortunate” ones for getting to witness all that awesome interchanging musicianship. Somehow they coordinate it all and every song sounds fantastic. Every. Time.
FORTUNATE YOUTH LIVE | PHOTO by Cameron Schuyler
Common Kings brought their heavy-hitting island sound to the next level this time around. The stage presence of these artists is something to behold. They each bring an intense relentless energy, with the pace of the music undulating between soulful vocals, rock riffs, and heavy basslines. Their songs build up and deliver, with each one mounting on the last until the finale; a formula for a great set which isn’t so easy to actually produce. Common Kings are proven masters of their craft and pull this off consistently. Their set was truly the catalyst that sped up the momentum of the good vibes. Especially when the visual artist and hip-hop legend Chali 2na, of Jurassic 5, hopped on the stage. No one can get close to the buttery smooth, effortless deep bass of his tone. With his towering vocals, he set the stage ablaze with a flow so fire it was molten.
COMMON KINGS LIVE | PHOTOS by Cameron Schuyler
Later on during the Pepper set, we got to see the Common Kings’ guitar shredder himself, Mr. Taumata Grey, play on stage with the boys. We loved seeing him and Bret Bollinger laugh it up onstage as they strummed in unison. I heard a rumor that when Mata gets on stage, they have to keep a fire extinguisher nearby so the guitars don’t burst into flames. Just kidding… but seriously, you should have heard these guitar solos. They were “lit.”
PEPPER LIVE | PHOTO by Cameron Schuyler
The rest of Pepper’s set was basically a party gone wild. As soon as Bollinger came to the stage, he was laughing his ass off at some guy’s shirt and pointing it out to the rest of the band. He and Kaleo Wassman were both wearing Volcom collab button-up shirts with their band artwork integrated into the patterns. The interactions between Bollinger and Wassman are always epic to watch. Pair this with seeing Yesod Williams go absolutely nuts beating the skins and getting the crowd to go off, and you’ve got a recipe for a good time. If Pepper hadn’t won you over as a fan before this show, you are definitely a fan now. In our eyes, they just keep getting better, and what makes their shows so exciting is seeing what they will do to take their energy to the next level.
SLIGHTLY STOOPID LIVE | PHOTO by Cameron Schuyler
During this set, Slightly Stoopid’s Miles Doughty got up to collaborate with the gang. It’s all love and all smiles when Doughty joins his brothers from Pepper, and the sound of these two legendary acts blends perfectly. We think they gel together so well, that it’s about time they all just make a full album together.
Slightly Stoopid fired up the crowd with a huge set of all their hit songs and then some – including “Bandelero,” “Officer,” and “No Cocaine” – bringing plenty of guest stars, including Chali 2na for “Still D.R.E.” and “Hands High. After Slightly Stoopid performed a variety of hits that would make you want to put the setlist in a golden picture frame in your living room, Marlon Asher and Don Carlos jumped up to perform “Wiseman,” “Young Girl,” “2 AM/Ganja Farm,” and “Settle Down.” Each song taking it up a notch as they edged toward the finale, which included Carlos, Asher, and Charli 2na on “If This World Were Mine.” Slightly Stoopid can jam relentlessly, but when they leave the stage, there is no way they are getting away without a grand finale. “One more song!!!” the crowd demands. After giving their fans enough pause to get them screaming for the band to come back, Slightly Stoopid performed not one, but two final songs during their finale – “Closer to the Sun” and a cover of 50 Cent’s “P.I.M.P.” Giving the fans what they want and then some is the Stoopid way.
SLIGHTLY STOOPID
FIVEPOINT AMPHITHEATRE
Irvine, California
July 15, 2022
The sound of Slightly Stoopid’s music is as full as our hearts when we leave for the road home, where we’ll be listening to them and their tourmates all the way back to our driveways.
