Summer is right around the corner and for anybody that loves live music, that only means one thing – It’s finally music festival season! Fortunately, during the month of May, festival season really gets going. With events all over the place it is sometimes hard to pick which events to attend. For The Pier, we tend to choose events that are a bit top-heavy with the booking of reggae-rock bands. The Pier will be at many events this summer, but this month we’ll be sure to check out these five fests.
This year has once again shown an expansion of the festival scene around the country, with new festivals popping up all over. The Pier is no stranger to any live music event, and this summer we will once again be hitting some of the biggest and best festivals in the US. Now, The Pier predominately favors Reggae-Rock music, and in the recent past more bands from the genre have been infiltrating an array of festivals bills, and more and more events are developing with a dedication to the genre. This summer, fans of reggae-rock will not want to miss their favorite bands plays these upcoming events:
May 2015 Music Festivals
Event: Reggae On The Block
Date: May 9th
Location: Social Pavilion and Washington Square
City: Orlando, Florida
Reggae On The Block will return a second time to the historic downtown core of Orlando Florida. Kicking off at 2pm with the music playing non-stop till 1:00am, this year’s edition of the single day reggae festival will once again take place at the Social Pavilion and Washington Square in downtown Orlando. Showcasing an excellent sampling of today’s top touring reggae-rock bands, on Saturday May. 9th mellow music will fill the streets, including performances from Tribal Seeds and Iration!
Playing the second annual Reggae On The Block festival will be a total of 11 bands, all of which are notable representatives from all across the scene. Supporting the night’s headliners is a solid line-up that includes: Southern California’s Stick Figure and Fortunate Youth. The pop-reggae-rock of Ballyhoo! and the dubbed-out reggae funk from Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad. The roots reggae of Jamaica’s Rootz Underground, and Brooklyn, NY’s New Kingston. A hometown set from reggae-punk-rock forerunners, The Supervillians, as well as sets from the city’s local favorites, Savi Fernandez Band, Kash’d Out and Marley’s Collie.
Read more about the event by clicking HERE!
Event: Blaze ‘N’ Glory
Date: May 15th & 16th
Location: San Manuel Amphitheater
City: San Bernardino, California
There’s a new festival hitting southern California, and from the looks of the line-up and attractions, it’s making a good first impression. The inaugural Blaze ‘N’ Glory Festival that will be held on May 15th and 16th at the San Manuel Amphitheater in San Bernardino, CA features artists like Slightly Stoopid, Rebelution, Pepper, and hip-hop heavyweights Method Man & Redman. Festival goers are essentially guaranteed a most excellent weekend!
Located at the foot of the San Bernardino Mountains, the city of San Bernardino has a plethora of open space and beautiful views. It’s also home to the San Manuel Amphitheater, which happens to be the largest outdoor music venue in the United States. Along with two stages and an on-site campground at Glen Helen Regional Park, there will be an interactive vendor village as well as carnival rides and games. The San Manuel Amphitheater can hold a capacity of 65,000 people, so there will be plenty of room to dance, sing along, or even bust out your hula hoop.
Read more about the event by clicking HERE!
Event:Hangout Music Festival
Date: May 15th,16th & 17th
Location: The Hangout on Beach Blvd.
City: Gulf Shores, Alabama
Over the past few years The Pier has been fortunate to kick off our summer festival road trip at The Hangout. A festival that never fails to deliver big productions from great A-list headliners, the weekend is also filled with an amazing array of acts spread along the perfectly pristine white sand beaches of Gulf Shores. 2015 is the 6th year for The Hangout Festival, and once aging the event boasts an amazing line-up, with a roster composed of over 70 acts split across many intertwining musical genres playing on five stages.
During the three days of the festival 40,000 music fans will enjoy days full of music and nights topped off with performances from headliners like the Foo Fighters, Sam Smith, Zac Brown Band and Beck as well as bands made for the beach like, Damian Marley, Dirty Heads and Iration.
Read more about the event by clicking HERE!
Event:California Roots Music & Arts Festival
Date: May 22nd – 24th
Location: Monterey County Fair Grounds
City: Monterey, California
It’s not every day someone can go to a show and see so many of their favorite acts all play in one place, one after another. That’s one reason why music festivals are increasingly popular. A mellow and intimate gathering with a dedicated fan-base, California Roots is quickly becoming known for the party they throw every May.
Set to be the premier gathering for the progressive US “Roots” movement, festival organizers never fail to put together a weekend of daily line-ups which together, surpass any show a fan of the genre could see another time of the year. For this year’s event the California Roots Festival includes 10 fan-favorites set to return as well as the appearance of 29 acts, some from across the globe, all never to have played the event. Headlining the 6th edition of Cali Roots are names like The Roots, Slightly Stoopid, SOJA, Michael Franti and many more.
Read more about the event by clicking HERE!
Event:BottleRock Festival
Date: May 29th-31st
Location: Napa Valley Exposition
City: Napa, California
Over the past few years, The Pier has been fortunate enough to be able to spend most of May in California at several great music festivals. For the first time, this year The Pier will head up to Napa for BottleRock. An event quickly gaining attention for its sensuous blend of multiple art-forms, the 2015 edition is set to feature 90+ artists and entertainers. The highly anticipated third annual BottleRock Napa Valley festival at the Napa Valley Expo in Downtown Napa, will brings the world’s top touring artists on four different stages, while on a fifth stage, master sommeliers and celebrity chefs rub shoulders with guests in an intimate festival setting.
Dozens of the region’s finest restaurateurs, vintners and brewers offer the best in food, wine, and craft brews, to create an authentic wine country experience for festival guests. This is one festival that exceptionally encompasses the arts. Combining the world of culinary, fine arts, and music from an excellent line-up, BottleRock is out to prove there is no doubting the festival’s future.
Read more about the event by clicking HERE!
Article By: Aaron Solomon
