As thousands arrived at the Monterey Fairgrounds for the final day of the 14th annual Cali Roots Festival, the sun shone through the skies that had been so overcast the past several days, in a positive omen of the memories to be made that day. A bittersweet goodbye to the events of the weekend, day three of the festival demonstrated the depth of the artists on the lineup and the connection between the fans and performers throughout generations.
Playing early on the Cali Roots stage, Santa Barbara trio Cydeways performed for their second time in the festival’s history. The young group’s mix of surf reggae and pop-punk proved exactly what the crowd needed to wake up in the early hours of that Sunday afternoon, as they appeared onstage with incredible presence and enthusiasm for their work. Showing why their music has risen in the eyes of the reggae scene so dramatically, their setlist proved complete and well-rounded with singles including “Shadows,” “Come Alive,” and “Wasted Summer.”
Representing the connection between musical and spiritual expression, Hasidic musician and beatboxing virtuoso Matisyahu built on the growing energy of the day with a set that encompassed the music of his decades on the scene. An artist who has always prided himself on his proclivity for musical experimentation, his delivery fed off the embellishments of his accompanying band, who took advantage of every opportunity to reimagine the classic tunes in the moment, including changes in tone and tempo to singles including “King Without a Crown,” “Sunshine,” and “One Day.”
Celebrating reggae’s deep connection with the hip-hop community, Tallahassee rapper and multi-Grammy Award winner T-Pain took to the Bowl for a sunset set that proved one of the most well-attended in Cali Roots history. There was hardly an inch of elbow room to be found in the crowd as the area overflowed with fans who had come to see the artist’s debut. Joking that he was still drunk from the day before, the artist took full advantage of his captive audience and played a show representative of his iconic work, including “Bartender,” “Buy U a Drank,” and “Can’t Believe It.” Always spontaneous in his theatrics, midway through the show he approached a beach ball that had landed onstage and picked it up. Upon earning an ovation for this engagement, he pulled a marker out of his pocket and signed the ball before throwing it back to the masses. Aware of his presence in the Bay Area, he took a moment to sample some music with a local flair as he covered Journey’s immortal hit “Don’t Stop Believin’.” As the instrumental introduction of the recognizable tune began, the artist stood to the side with arms crossed as the audience sang the lyrics and seemed to take the moment in before singing his first notes in the second verse.
Ending the evening and the weekend, Cali Roots veterans Dirty Heads took the stage for the final set of the weekend. A familiar act to Cali Roots regulars since their headlining performance at the festival’s first year, the reggae hip-hop crossover act proved a welcome vessel to bring the excitement to a close. As the lights began to dim, the energy of the performance started high as the group began their set with their 2020 single “Bum Bum.” An immersive finale by all definitions, the aesthetic allure of the music’s accompanying light show captivated fans as the band performed an impressively complete setlist including “Oxygen,” “Medusa,” and “Sloth’s Revenge.” As they wrapped up their time with their 2017 hit “Vacation,” fans left the fairgrounds fulfilled but looking toward the future. Before setting foot outside the gates, countless attendees had next year’s Memorial Day weekend plans already sorted, as many made sure to leave the fairgrounds with tickets to Cali Roots 15 already in their possession.
Check out more photos from Cali Roots Day Three.
