By: Valerie Milano
Photos: THT/Cayce Rollins
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 5/30/23 – As a music lover, I heard great things about this festival and couldn’t wait to experience it. I was especially looking forward to it off the heels of the Hang Out Festival in Gulf Shores Alabama where a few of the same acts had headlined. Unfortunately, BottleRock had given us, what we had thought was going to be special staff parking, but it ended up quite the opposite with a half-hour walk to the event and no shuttles.
ADA restrooms were sprinkled around, which was nice. Escorts to the press pit were in most opinions of photographers an unneeded and, in our opinion, turned into quite an untrusted unnecessary joke.
JaM Cellars sponsored the huge main stage and had their own JaM Pad that had bands play in their nice booth. We were invited for a complimentary glass of Butter, as they called it. And it sure was a buttery delicious cold wine on a warm Napa day. Additionally, we met Dallas Brennan, Vice President of Hospitality and Direct Sales of John Anthony Family of Wines who invited us to come back. A meet and greet for artists was held in their booth – nicely intimate.
THT spoke with Mattias Horseman Hendrick’s Gin’s ambassador as well as Anna Mains ambassador of Monkey Shoulder Whisky and was given delicious drinks and learned what an ambassador actually does and much more about their brand.
Here is that interview:
Local San Francisco and Twitch DJ and Music Producer, Michael Milano expertly performed a well packed DJ set at #BottleRock The Club sponsored by Liquid Death, while at the same time Sheryl Crow was performing at the JaM Cellars Stage (main stage). Impressive! Milano again performed at the Cisco Silent Disco and then again at #BottleRock After Dark after party at Blue Note — all with many fun-loving dancers who weren’t ready to go home.
We were blown away by the beautiful scenery and the vibrant atmosphere. The festival grounds were filled with people from all walks of life. Everyone was there to enjoy the music and have a good time. The lineup was incredible and included some fan favorites including Post Malone, Lizzo, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Smashing Pumpkins, Lil Nas X, Paris Jackson, Duran Duran, War, Niles Rodgers, and so many more. The sound quality was excellent, and the lighting effects added to the overall experience.
Here are some videos we captured at BottleRock 2023:
Another set of videos to enjoy:
Photos by THT/Cayce Rollins
Throughout the festival, various food and drink vendors offered everything from street food to craft beers. Of course, I tried some of the local delicacies and they did not disappoint. On the upside, there were more food options and wines than I have ever seen at a music fest. The options were endless and there was something for everyone. Patrick from Morimoto Asia, the Bay area delicious food chain, had prearranged to feed THT reps their sampler to try after a long day’s work– a scrumptious bonus.
One of the highlights of the festival was the art installations. They were scattered throughout the venue, each unique and beautiful. I spent hours admiring them as our photographer extraordinaire took photos.
Attending the Bottle Rock Music Festival in Napa Valley was a dream come true. The music, food, art, and activities were all incredible, and I can’t wait to attend again next year. To cap it all off, I’ve included a quote from an associate who also attended the event and summed it up nicely.
“I’ve been to many music festivals over my life but the combination of amazing wines, Michelin star cuisines and killer musical talent elevated it to next level!” she said. “We had both the brut rose and the blanc de blanc decanters and they were so tasty! Also, nice to buy an entire bottle in one go! Morimoto’s bao buns, orange chicken dim sum platter was among some of my favorites of the food offerings. Also had some fabulous paella and delicious ahi tacos! Wonderful!”
“Overall, BottleRock was an enjoyable experience for all ages! Various music genres for all walks of life and tastes. Plus, delicious food selections and wine choices for a myriad of palates definitely were key enjoyment factors for all. We were lucky enough to attend the festival VIP status which was worth the extra cost. Shorter entrance lines, better stage viewing opportunities, and lots of clean restrooms were such a luxury for a big venue such as Napa Expo. We will definitely be back!”
