A gentle breeze guided BottleRockers through a sun-filled day 2 of Napa Valley’s renowned music festival. Either holding a binky or a beer, festival goers of all ages explored the venue’s endless amenities as they waited for Saturday’s headliners Justin Timberlake and Benson Boone.
Makua
Singer and world-champion surfer Makua Rothman greeted a crowd of eager fans minutes before his 1:15 p.m. performance at the White Claw Stage. Clad in t-shirts and open Hawaiian button-downs, the band kicked off their set with “The One And Only” — an explosion of energy that contrasted their laid-back look.
The reggae-rock rasp of the band’s second song “God And The Devil” drew in more festival goers to the barricade. Makua bounced across the stage during the electrifying guitar solos and danced with the audience.
The crowd lit up as the first riff of the third song “Clear The Air” played. Though Wiz Khalifa didn’t join Makua on stage, his feature on the song was clearly well-known to the fans in the audience.
“I came all the way from the islands of Hawaii to bring you some aloha. Are you guys ready to rock and roll?” Makua asked the crowd as the speakers hummed with the final notes of the song. Audience members headbanged and cheered as the band brought them into another reggae-rock melody.
Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory
Fans crowded the barricade 10 minutes before the band’s 1:45 p.m. performance at the JaM Cellars Stage. People in varying degrees of festival wear sat against the metal barrier to shade themselves from the midday sun.
The first riff of the set drifted through the air along with the sweet scent of marijuana. The crowd erupted in applause and pushed forward as Los Angeles singer Sharon Van Etten belted the first note of “Live Forever.”
The indie rock sound resonated with the younger members of the audience who hung over the barricade and reached for Van Etten as her ethereal voice repeated, “Let us pray.”
The JaM Cellars field was filled as “Afterlife,” an upbeat, electronic melody, poured through the speakers. Van Etten placed her hand over the bassist’s heart as she sang, “Tell me it’ll be alright.”
Van Etten picked up a guitar and strummed no more than two chords before audience members shouted, “I know this song!” Fans were enraptured by the passion she injected into every word of their third song “Idiot Box.”
“This is our last show of a five-week tour,” Van Etten shared. “Thank you for showing up this afternoon, it means a lot.”
Jalen Ngonda
For his second performance of the day, following his opening show at 12:15 p.m. on the JaM Cellars Stage, singer-songwriter Jalen Ngonda brought his soulful R&B sound to the more intimate JaM Pad. Fans stood as close to the small stage as they could, declaring their love for the artist during the pre-show interview.
Sparkles shone and smoke swirled under the 2:45 p.m. sun as Ngonda strummed the first chords of “Come Around And Love Me,” a slow melody that highlighted the raspy passion of his rich voice. Ngonda was joined on the small stage only by his electric acoustic guitar.
Ngonda’s bright vocals carried the crowd into “Here To Stay,” a romantic tune whose instrumental breaks were enunciated by the rapt audience’s occasional cheers. As he sang, “Please don’t turn away, I’ll be here to stay,” the passionate performer threw his head back to smile at the sky.
The third song was Ngonda’s version of Etta James’ “My Dearest Darling,” distinguished from the original by the singer’s high, rich vocals.
Back to his own discography, he sang “It Takes A Fool” to the captivated crowd with a smile on his face.
Lawrence
The field in front of the JaM Cellars Stage was packed as the crowd of mostly Gen Z’ers and Millennials waited for brother/sister duo Gracie and Clyde Lawrence’s performance.
Some BottleRockers munched on the festival’s many culinary creations while others passed the time with the passing of joints. At 3:15 p.m. sharp, a ringing phone echoed through the speakers and the band ran across the stage rocking matching brown suits, snapbacks and sunglasses.
“What’s up BottleRock? Welcome to the family business!” Clyde shouted as the musicians exploded into their newest album’s title track “Family Business.”
The audience burst into movement, dancing along with the band as Clyde and Gracie sang and played keyboard and tambourine respectively.
The grit of Clyde’s voice contrasted beautifully with the richness of Gracie’s as the duo carried the band through their second song “It’s Not All About You.” Dedicated fans shouted the lyrics as they leaned over the barricade and reached for the singers.
“We were here a few years ago and we are so excited to be back,” Clyde said to the screaming audience. “We’re taking the summer mostly off because my sister is on Broadway and was just nominated for a Tony.”
The crowd’s cheers of support blended into the third song “Casualty,” a melody blanketed in brassy notes from accompanying trumpets.
Just after asking the crowd if they were “ready to get loud,” Gracie belted a crescendo that had everyone on their feet in seconds. The fourth song “Shot” featured a short line dance from a few of the band members that was as silly as it was synchronized.
Not a person in what was easily the most upbeat audience of the day thus far was still. The crowd vibrated with effervescence, bringing a much-needed boost of energy to what was starting to become a sun-sleepy setting.
KALEO
Those looking for an older sound filled the field at the Verizon Stage for Grammy-nominated Icelandic rockers KALEO. The singers were met with rapturous applause as they walked on stage promptly at 4:15 p.m.
Parents boosted their children on their shoulders to get a better view as the rock n’ roll twang of “Bloodline” pulsed through the speakers. Lead vocalist and guitarist Jökull Júlíusson’s deep and soulful voice guided the enthralled audience into “USA,” a song loaded with heavy bass and complicated riffs.
4 Non Blondes
“What’s up party people?” asked Linda Perry’s 9-year-old daughter Rhodes as she introduced 4 Non Blondes for their second performance in 30 years.
Perry and her old bandmates reignited not just their partnership but memories of the San Francisco rock group as they took to the JaM Cellars Stage at 4:45 p.m. with a call-and-response of their hit song “What’s Up?” that every person in the crowd enthusiastically answered.
The chanting bled into Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll,” an electrifying tune that had both band and audience members dancing in sync.
A sign reading “Linda Perry I came from Brazil to see you!!!” bobbed in the wind as the band moved from song to song. Perry injected lines and melodies from “What’s Up?” into each one, providing a fresh setlist that couldn’t help but demand attention.
“It feels really good to be at BottleRock,” Perry said. “I’ve never been here cause I don’t go out much. It’s true.”
Fans headbanged with the band to “Train,” a fast-paced acoustic number accompanied by energetic instrumentals. The air was thick with smoke as the event transitioned into the festivities of the evening.
Benson Boone
Dedicated fans of rising pop-rock star Benson Boone reserved their spots at the JaM Cellars Stage barricade as early as 1:45 p.m. Teenagers with “I <3 Benson Boone” buttons slung jackets over the metal bars at 4:45 p.m.
When the clock struck 6:15 p.m., a mere minute after the show’s scheduled start time, some fans attempted to start a chant that declared, “We want the Boone!”
Thousands of people stood shoulder to shoulder as they eagerly awaited the Washington-born soon-to-be superstar.
To start the show, Boone front-flipped off a piano and landed in the center of the stage just in time for the first riffs of “Sorry I’m Here For Someone Else” to ring throughout the field-turned-stadium. The upbeat melody and Boone’s energetic dancing had the crowd hanging onto every word.
“We’re gonna have a good time tonight,” Boone said as he introduced the second song. “You sound so good it makes me wanna… cry.”
“Cry” was a rollercoaster of angelic high notes and breathy half-spoken lines. The crowd made for a perfect background choir, singing along to every word without instruction.
The third song “Coffee Cake” was highlighted with a slight outfit change: a removal of Boone’s jacket that made the audience audibly swoon. Boone strut across the stage and dragged the mic stand with him as poppy, high-toned beats played behind him. No one in the crowd was still — the audience moved like a wave.
“Unless you’ve got anywhere else to be,” Boone said before his fourth song “Drunk In My Mind,” “this is the place to be.”
The 75-minute set ended with his 3x Platinum viral hit “Beautiful Things” — but the night was far from over.
Ice Cube
For as many people as there were waiting for singer-actor Ice Cube’s arrival at the Verizon Stage at 8 p.m., there were twice as many joints. The all-ages crowd was alive with anticipation, and the only hands free of pot or pints were the ones taking pics instead.
At 7:59 p.m., the large screens flashed with red and orange flames as an electronic voice asking, “What’s the definition of a pyroclastic flow?” boomed throughout the field. “That’s what happens when Ice Cube starts to flow. Nothing can survive a pyroclastic flow, and no one will survive this one.”
Ice Cube opened his set with “Hello” to greet the screaming crowd. “I Rep That West” came immediately after, with numerous call-and-responses that were answered with growing eagerness.
The double threat, clad in a black t-shirt with his name embroidered in white lettering on the chest, stood at the top of the stairs in the center of the stage for the first few songs. His presence alone commanded the unwavering attention of the crowd at large.
For his third song “Gangsta Nation,” Ice Cube brought out former rap supergroup Westside Connection member WC, who performed the rest of the set with him. As WC rapped, Ice Cube mimed rolling a joint with his microphone, pretending to lick and seal it before bringing it to his mouth to smoke.
“This side of the crowd is real crazy,” the rapper said to the left half of the audience, whose heads were covered by a cloud of smoke. He started a chant between the two sides of the audience, with each declaring, “Party over here, fuck you over there!”
As the sun slinked behind the stage, Ice Cube and WC performed O.G. songs like “Why We Thugs” and “Natural Born Killaz.”
“I wanna take everyone back to the ‘90s,” Ice Cube said. “Some people might not wanna go way back to the 1900s. So for those that don’t wanna, too motherfucking bad — we’re going back anyways.”
The rappers took the audience back to the ‘90s with “Steady Mobbin’” and further to the ‘80s with NWA’s “Straight Outta Compton.”
“If I take this shit back, BottleRock, you are all witnesses. Don’t snitch on me,” Ice Cube said as he introduced the 1989 hit song.
The crowd barked and hoofed as the song finished, matching the energy Ice Cube threw out and pushing it right back onto the stage.
With humorous sketch-like quips prefacing each song, Ice Cube began to close out the night with “No Vaseline” and “You Can Do It.” The crowd didn’t dwindle for a second — they could have stayed there all night.
As stars started to sparkle in the sky, Ice Cube asked, “Do you know why you had a good time tonight?”
More dedicated fans who picked up on the clue started cheering immediately, but the rapper had mercy on those less-versed in his discography and further explained, “You had a good time tonight because today was a good day.”
The crowd reignited as the bright chords of one of his most well-known songs “It Was A Good Day” burned through the speakers. Not a mouth was closed nor a hand down during it — one person even waved their crutch to the beat.
Asking, “Can I do one more?” Before immediately barreling into his final song of the night, rappers Ice Cube and WC finished the set with 2024 single “It’s My Ego.”
Ice Cube left the stage as the moon began to rise, saying, “God bless and goodnight.”
Justin Timberlake
Grammy-award winning singer, songwriter, actor, dancer and record producer Justin Timberlake kicked off the final show of the night at 8:15 p.m. on the JaM Cellars Stage with a crowd of fans that were packed like sardines into the biggest field the venue has to offer.
The air smelled like perfume and puffs of something sweet, and by 8:20 p.m. the all-ages crowd was getting antsy. The screen lit up with close-ups of each of the singer’s ensemble, with dancers to vocalists each getting a minute to introduce themselves to the audience.
The rhythmic acapella clapping of “Mirrors” echoed through the open field before Timberlake hopped onto the stage, shouting, “California! You ready? Let me hear it.”
The crowd provided more than just backing vocals as Timberlake gestured with his microphone to encourage them to fill in parts of the chorus.
The singer rocked a pair of shades under the shimmering stars as “Cry Me A River” moved the set from energetic to emotional. Ad-libbing throughout the song, Timberlake shouted, “Sing it to me!” each time the chorus played, to which the audience avidly complied.
“Y’all ready to dance tonight?” Timberlake asked as the band strummed the beginning of “No Angels.” He answered his own question with robotic choreography that enunciated the electronic, poppy notes of the song.
An evidently well-practiced microphone flip paired with a charismatic smile marked the beginning of “Lovestoned/I Think She Knows.” Timberlake and his band broke out in synchronized dance moves during the bridge as someone in the crowd shouted, “You look good up there man!”
The crowd was engulfed in the bright night sky as the screens went black before the start of the fifth song. An acoustic guitar now sat on Timberlake’s chest as the lights turned back on and the first strum of “Like I Love You” buzzed through the speakers.
Sat at a piano, Timberlake serenaded the still-packed crowd with “Until The End Of Time” to finish the 90-minute set. The crescent-shaped moon hung just above the stage as he closed out the second sunny day of Napa’s BottleRock.
BottleRock concludes its three-day event Sunday with headliners Noah Kahan, Khurangbin, Cage The Elephant and Flo Rida.
Mary Ellen Wells • May 25, 2025 at 10:04 am
What a fabulous article with great photos- I felt like I was there with you! Thank you!