Article Contributed by Nick Gumas
Published on 2026-06-22
As fans lined up for a block outside the Monterey Fairgrounds in the early hours of Saturday morning, day two of the Cali Roots festival started with energy in abundance coming from both on and off stage. The atmosphere of a family reunion within the community was highlighted from the opening moments as artist DENM stayed in Monterey after his set the previous day to open up the Bowl stage, filling in as Benny Ranks’ guitarist without needing credit or any announcement of his cameo. As the day went on, fans were given a full array of surprises from the artists ranging from established festival icons presenting themselves in a new light to staples of the Cali Roots experience that have become synonymous with its own name.
Asserting the festival’s culture of putting egos aside in pursuit of creative expression, frontman and founding member of Pepper, Kaleo Wassman took the stage early on Saturday for an acoustic performance on the mainstage. Highlighting the unusualness of his timeslot, he joked “This is the earliest I’ve played since Warped Tour 2001.” Aware of his band’s upcoming show the next night, he promised audiences that there would be no overlaps in the setlist between this and the full band’s performance. Shocking the audience with a surprise collaboration, he introduced bassist Wayne Lothian of The English Beat to perform alongside him for the set’s duration, stating “If it looks like I’m fangirling, it’s because I am.” An impassioned set on all fronts, he took a moment to homage his wife, revealing that it was her birthday, and quipped “ I married my superhero” before bringing her onstage for a quick kiss.
Wassman’s influence continued to the following slot on the same stage as Cydeways, darlings of his label, Law Records, performed in the mid-day hours. The Santa Barbara alt reggae project drew an impressive crowd only a few short hours after gates opened as their mood lightening humor and stage presence contextualized their recent meteoric rise within the scene. The three-piece group played a set with no lows as they went through their years of music that included “Shadows,” “Ocean,” and “Wasted Summer.” Saving one homage for their time in the limelight, the group showcased the genres and decades that have influenced the unique timbre of their sound as they covered blink-182’s 1999 single “Mutt.”
Representing the history of the reggae genre on the Cali Roots stage, pioneer of the dancehall genre, Barrington Levy blew audiences away during his late afternoon performance on the Cali Roots stage. Opening with his 1990 hit “Prison Oval Rock” he quickly won the crowd over as he changed his immortal lyrics to fit the venue, repeating the line “Some call it Spanish Town, but this is Monterey Rock.” Screaming “Attack, now!” at the top of his lungs as he pointed the microphone toward the audience, he prompted an emphatic level of involvement from the crowd as the 10,000 voices in attendance were invited to join in the show. Starting with a solemn demeanor that lent credence to the poignant nature of his lyricism, and eventually transitioning into a more jovial energy, the artist’s set was defined equally by his presence as it was by his trademark vocal dexterity as he recited increasingly tongue tying hits from his decades in music such as “Here I Come.”
Performing at the Cali Roots festival for their third time, and their first since its pandemic hiatus, Australian multi-instrumentalist and virtuoso Tash Sultana closed out the Cali Roots stage in a performance that demanded the attention of the entire arena. Taking the stage alone and without accompaniment, they quickly showcased their versatility as an artist in a set with no energy lacking. A performance that was just as defined by playful instrumental extemporization as it was by recognizable hits, the artist began their performance behind a wall of instruments as they crafted and looped the heart of instrumentality that would drive their show. Emphatically jumping off their platform with a guitar as their meticulously curated music played behind them, their stage presence felt larger than life as they worked their way across the platform. The definition of musical talent embodied, their lifetime of creative expression and curiosity was displayed through the segments of their set by way of every instrumental medium imaginable from nuance in their lyrical thought and delivery to an abundantly soulful saxophone solo that rounded out their set’s brilliance.
Playing the final set of the day on the Bowl stage for their astonishing 12th time, Cali Roots’ own unofficial in-house headliners Rebelution closed out the evening with a show that has become all too familiar but equally demanded as a right of passage for all who come to this gathering year after year. Eager to start their time in front of the crowd, their set began earlier than expected and went a few minutes after curfew as the crowd was dazzled from the moment the first notes began to echo and a wave of lights and lasers washed over the audience. Reflecting on the group’s dozen years in front of the Monterey crowd, frontman Eric Rachmany addressed the sentimental attachment he felt toward the family that has been created around this festival as he emotionally stated “We’ve built quite the community here… Lots of good memories, let's make some new ones.” Playing with a level of intensity and passion for the moment that has made them such a welcome and expected cornerstone of the festival, the group performed a truly flawless set as they left no stone unturned in a setlist including “Courage to Grow,” “Feeling Alright,” and a particularly vulnerable rendition of “Fade Away.”
