Ten days have past, the music has stopped, the food has been eaten, and the laughs have finally settled. KAABOO has ended, but the memories have not been forgotten. As an avid festival attendee, I wasn't sure what to expect heading into KAABOO. I have attended festivals all over the world, of all shapes, sizes, and genres, but KAABOO was something different. This year KAABOO was held September 15-17th in Del Mar, California at the Del Mar Racetrack and Fairgrounds.
photos by aLIVE Coverage
Getting to the festival was quite easy. KAABOO offered attendees the option of purchasing parking passes, but it seemed that the popular way to and from the festival was ridesharing with Uber and Lyft. Once dropped off, attendees were guided to a tram to take them around the track and to the festival entrance. With multiple lanes already set up, security was quick and efficient, allowing attendees to get to the fun stuff faster. Once inside the grounds, festival goers could go left to the Trestles or Grandview stages, or right to the Chefs stage, Artwork & Palate, Humor Me, Club Elevate, Tourmaline, and Sunset Cliffs stages. Even if that was all the festival had to offer, it still wouldn't be easy for attendees to decide on what to do all day. But to make things harder, there were tons of activities to do in between!
photos by aLIVE Coverage
photos by aLIVE Coverage
As fans flocked into the festival, on the first day, crowds started to grow quick at each stage. We decided to check out Arsenio Hall to get a quick laugh in at the Humor Me stage to get the day started, which did not disappoint. After, it was almost time to head to Sunset Cliffs stage but we decided to take a quick detour to the Grandview stage to watch DJ Diesel (SHAQ) throw down some crazy beats. On our walk to see Weezer at the Sunset Cliffs stage, we grabbed a quick drink from the Rockstar Booth to make sure we had some energy for a night full of music. Once at the Sunset Cliffs stage, Weezer rocked out and had attendees dancing. After some throwbacks, it was a quick run to the Grandview stage to see David Guetta. Between the pyro and the massive drops in his set, it was exactly what fans needed to make it through one more set of the night. The main attraction, The Red Hot Chili Peppers!
photos by aLIVE Coverage
photos by aLIVE Coverage
As I stood there and waited for the set to start, I looked around, and noticed one thing about KAABOO that I hadn't seen at most other music festivals. I noticed that it wasn't just younger people in the audience, there young people, old people, couples, and even full families. It seems that KAABOO's line up had attracted all ages and walks of life. As the lights dimmed and The Red Hot Chili Peppers came on, I knew it was going to be a great weekend. For the next hour and a half I think I can say that everyone in the crowd was on their feet, singing all the lyrics and smiling along with friends as they watched Anthony Kiedis belt out song after song. For those who still had some party left in them, Club Elevate was open late into the night with performances by Kap Slap, Le Youth, and Martin Jensen.
photos by aLIVE Coverage
As Saturday began and we made our way to KAABOO, it seemed to almost be routine. No issues with the rideshare drop off once again. A quick tram ride and entry and we were ready for all the festivities day 2 had to offer. As the sun came out, we decided to start slow, we strolled on over to Palate and checked out the Rock N' Chef Competition. Never before have I seen an actual full mobile kitchen at a festival! We sat for a while and watched two chefs go head to head in a cook off. The smells were intoxicating, and our mouths were watering, so we decided to wander into the Artwork and Palate center. We grabbed some polenta and beer and browsed all the incredible art KAABOO had to offer. So many different pieces from different artists, all in different mediums. From painting, to sculpture, to glass collages, there was something for everyone! The way it was setup made it very easy to not only see the art, but to also converse with the artist about their process.
photos by aLIVE Coverage
photos by aLIVE Coverage
photos by aLIVE Coverage
Once full, we headed outside to enjoy some tunes. At the Sunset Cliffs stage, Machine Gun Kelly had the crowd jumping. Song after song, the energy kept building, he even climbed the Camera boom during one of his songs to hang above the fans. In between sets we took a walk through the different vendors to check out what else the festival had to offer. We browsed some flower crowns, grabbed a bag of chips from the Kettle stand, and then even a massage from the CareCredit Tent! While we took a break to refresh and energize, Logic, Garbage, and Jane's Addiction kept crowds entertained. Relaxed and full, we took a stroll over to the Sunset Cliffs stage just in time for Ice Cube. Cube started his set like he was shot out of a cannon. He gave the crowd exactly what they were looking for with a ton of throwbacks. My personal favorite was when he had the crowd singing along to “It Was A Good Day.”
This is where it got tough. Fans had to make a choice, between MUSE, or P!NK for the final act of the night. Some fans tried to split their time, but both stages were very crowded and at the opposite ends of the venue so it was hard to go from one to the other. We checked out MUSE for the first hour, and they did not disappoint! Not only was the music incredible, but their visuals were stunning with LED's all over the stage, including some on one of their guitars! To close out the night, we rushed over to the Sunset Cliffs stage to watch P!NK. We made it just in time to see her fly over the crowd and belt out a few tracks. Truly a memorable night.
photos by aLIVE Coverage
photos by aLIVE Coverage
As sunday rolled around, it still seemed like there was still so much to do. To start the day we grabbed a slice from Spicy Pie, a beer from the Coors tent, and headed to the Grandview Stage to see Milky Chance. As the sun came out, the crowd began to grow, and the last day of KAABOO was in full effect. As Milky Chance kept the tunes coming, BASK party goers seemed to enjoy the pool and sand more and more. As the day went on, T-Pain, LIVE, and Andy Grammer all went on to give spectacular performances. As for us, we decided to stay at the VOSS stage and check out Pepper and Pete Yorn. Both put on memorable performances and had a mixed crowd of young and old. As the day pressed on we decided to take a break from music and head to see David Spade at the Humor Me stage. We got a break from the heat, and got some big laughs throughout the set. With a smile on our face we walked over to see Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers close out the festival at the Sunset Cliffs stage.
photos by aLIVE Coverage
photos by aLIVE Coverage
photos by aLIVE Coverage
Three days, multiple artists, some art, a ton of food, and a handful of laughs. KAABOO provided the perfect ingredients to make for one of the best festival experiences in the country. They are only a few years in, but you can bet KAABOO will be around for a long time. Did you sadly not get a chance to attend this year? if so, don't sweat it, luckily for you early bird passes for 2018 are already on sale. KAABOO will be held September 14th -16th, 2018. According to the fest, “Early bird HANG LOOSE (general admission) three-day passes can be purchased for $209; HANG FIVE weekend passes are available for $799; and HANG TEN weekend passes are on-sale for $2799.” Head on over to the festival's website and take a look, and make sure to not miss this one of a kind festival next year!
