The Killers - Photo by Adam Lee

BottleRock Napa Valley 2018: Day 2

Saturday at BottleRock Napa Valley 2018 was a day I could really immerse myself in the festival and explore the amenities as well as the music. One major difference from most festivals I have covered is that BottleRock is just as much about the food and drinks as it is about bands on stage. It makes sense considering it’s in the middle of wine country. So of course there’s a wine garden. There’s also gin and vodka from regional distilleries and a wide selection of beers from mainstream to craft.

Early in the afternoon I saw Tiffani Thiessen (Saved By The Bell, 90210, White Collar) promote her new cook book with a cooking demo. Later in the day, Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto cut prepared a blue fin tuna for sashimi and poke with baseball legends Ken Griffey Jr. and Barry Bonds as they hit rice balls into the crowd with a baseball bat.

But enough about the food and drinks, what about the music? It was a jam packed schedule of bands with some difficult conflict decisions. The Killers performed hit after hit kicking off with ‘Mr. Brightside’ and ‘Somebody Told Me’ within the first three songs. Snoop Dogg had pole dancers and Warren G. Oh Wonder performed both a regular set and a short intimate acoustic set. I also caught portions of The Head and The Heart, Billy Idol, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Bleachers, The Night Game, and The Aces.

Tiffani Thiessen – Photo by Adam Lee
Masaharu Morimoto with Ken Griffey Jr. and Barry Bonds – Photo by Adam Lee
The Aces – Photo by Adam Lee
The Aces – Photo by Adam Lee
The Aces – Photo by Adam Lee
The Aces – Photo by Adam Lee
The Night Game – Photo by Adam Lee
The Night Game – Photo by Adam Lee
The Night Game – Photo by Adam Lee
Oh Wonder – Photo by Adam Lee
Oh Wonder – Photo by Adam Lee
Oh Wonder – Photo by Adam Lee
Oh Wonder – Photo by Adam Lee
Michael Franti – Photo by Adam Lee
Michael Franti – Photo by Adam Lee
Billy Idol – Photo by Adam Lee
Billy Idol – Photo by Adam Lee
The Head and The Heart – Photo by Adam Lee
The Head and The Heart – Photo by Adam Lee
Snoop Dogg – Photo by Adam Lee
The Killers – Photo by Adam Lee
The Killers – Photo by Adam Lee
The Killers – Photo by Adam Lee
The Killers – Photo by Adam Lee