Our 10 Most Anticipated Artists At This Year's BottleRock Napa Valley
Next week, BottleRock Napa Valley will return for its 11th iteration to Napa Valley Expo, where thousands of attendees will converge on the Northern California county to experience some of the biggest and best musical acts and culinary delicacies the world has to offer.
There are dozens of acts set to take the stage over Memorial Day Weekend, but there are ten in particular that we are looking forward to watching the most. Below, you can find our list of ten most anticipated acts at this year’s BottleRock Napa Valley.
Main Photo: Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day performing in San Francisco, CA // Main Photo Credit: Jared Stossel for Shameless SF/Staff
Green Day performing in San Francisco, CA // Photo Credit: Jared Stossel for Shameless SF/STAFF
Green Day
When: Friday, May 23rd
Why: Why wouldn’t we be excited about another massive homecoming from the Bay Area punk trio? After all these years, they consistently put on one of the best shows in all of live music. Gree Day are coming off one of the best years they’ve ever had, with the release of their smash-hit album Saviors, and a tour celebrating the anniversaries of American Idiot and Dookie, which found the band playing each album from front to back in stadiums around the world. Their Friday night headlining set is sure to be a performance to remember.
Main Photo Credit: Sony Music
Justin Timberlake
When: Saturday, May 24th
Why: The multi-hyphenate (singer, songwriter, dancer, actor, producer, entertainer) is known for writing and performing some of pop music’s most memorable songs, whether as a member of boy band *NSYNC or with his own solo career. With a new album released last year,, 2024’s Everything I Thought It Was, Timberlake is sure to deliver a hit-laden, career-spanning set to close out Saturday night.
Noah Kahan.
Noah Kahan
When: Sunday, May 26th
Why: He’s not even thirty years old, and he’s already played on some of the world’s biggest stages, including headlining Fenway Park in his own backyard last year. Kahan has had a meteoric rise over the last five years, blending folk and pop on massive sing-along hits like “Dial Drunk” and “Stick Season”. Kahan’s set is sure to provide some of the biggest sing-along moments of the weekend, and an epic way to close out the weekend.
Sublime. Main Photo Credit: Joshua Kim
Sublime
When: Friday, May 23rd
Why: After years of touring under the Sublime with Rome banner (featuring lead vocal duties with Rome Ramirez), Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh brought the son of the late Bradley Nowell, Jakob, into the mix. Based on footage that’s out there from the band’s recent shows, Jakob Nowell is doing an exemplary job stepping into his father’s shoes, and the chance to hear songs like “What I Got”, “Santeria”, and “Wrong Way” again makes the band’s Friday set on our list of ones to watch.
Benson Boone
When: Saturday, May 24th
Why: The Washington-based singer-songwriter has become one of the most electrifying forces in modern music today. We defy you to try and get the chorus of “Beautiful Things” out of your head right now (we know it’s stuck in there). Boone’s BottleRock performance is set to take place a month before the release of his second studio album, American Heart. Barely in his twenties, Boone already has a platinum album and major slots on music festivals throughout the country, making his Saturday night performance one not to miss.
Sasami performing in Sacramento, CA. Main Photo Credit: Jared Stossel for Shameless SF/STAFF
Sasami
When: Saturday, May 24th
Why: The sheer fact that you can’t put a label on Sasami makes her one of our most anticipated acts of the weekend. The singer-songwriter weaves effortlessy and enigmatically between genres; a glance at her Wikipedia brings up the terms “indie rock”, “country rock”, “alternative metal”, and “singer-songwriter ballads” in the same breath. With a new album out earlier this year, Blood on the Silver Screen, festivalgoers are sure to be in for a treat.
Allen Stone
When: Sunday, May 25th
Why: If you have yet to hear the dulcet tones of Allen Stone in person, you are in for quite a treat. The soulful singer-songwriter has been wooing crowds with his captivating performances, steadily releasing albums since 2009. While his most recent album was released back in 2021, Stone has teamed up with artists like Quinn XCII and Benny Sings over the last couple of years for collab tracks, and his live show output hasn’t slowed down one bit.
Two Feet
When: Saturday, May 24th
Why: Armed with the ability to make catchy electronic/alternative rock songs using nothing but his voice and a guitar, Zachary William Dess (akak Two Feet) has been making a name for himself over the last several years. His songs are catchy, with guitar and vocal hooks that can stay in your head for days on end. There’s a certain punch that comes from hearing the dreary-yet-poppy “I Feel Like I’m Drowning” in a live setting, and we can almost guarantee that it will be one of the more memorable moments at this year’s BottleRock.
Cage The Elephant performing in Oakland, CA. Main Photo Credit: Jared Stossel for Shameless SF/STAFF
Cage The Elephant
When: Sunday, May 25th
Why: In modern alternative rock, Cage The Elephant has been consistently putting on one of the best live shows. There isn’t a year that goes by without us hearing about how the Matt Schultz-led band manages to steal the show away from whomever happens to be headlining the festival that day. The seven-piece alternative rock act has been going strong since 2008, producing hit-after-hit and thrilling live audiences in the process. Don’t miss them.
Ultra Q
When: Friday, May 23rd
Why: The guys in Ultra Q surpassed all of our expectations when we had a chance to see them open for Green Day at San Francisco’s Fillmore last year. They are one of the best sounding up-and-coming bands in rock right now, and they bring forth a powerhouse of a live rock show filled with exemplary musicianship. Fronted by Jakob Armstrong (you may know his Dad, Billie Joe Armstrong), they’re carving out a niche for themselves in the world of rock, and they’re sure to be a hit at this year’s fest.
