A weekend at KAABOO

Yet again, the festival experience proves to be one of San Diego’s best attractions

KAABOO is San Diego’s largest music festival, spanning three full days every fall. The festival prides itself on hosting a wide variety of artists from a wide expanse of genres like rock n roll to rap, appealing to all types of music fans. Follow along as The USD Vista breaks down all the highlights of this rocking weekend in Del Mar.

Friday

Festival goers danced their way into another KAABOO experience this past Friday afternoon. The music festival’s lively line up kicked off with singer/songwriter Andrew McMahon’s cool vibe and continued on with 80s rock band REO SpeedWagon. With perfect weather, great music, and cool art murals, the energy and excitement at the Del Mar Racetrack venue climbed to new levels.

As crowds piled in, band The Silversun Pickups took the stage and reminded everyone why alternative music is here to stay with their songs “Lazy Eye” and “Panic Switch.” Needing a boost of energy, long lines of hungry people waited for their chance to indulge in delicious meals from trending food trucks like Me So Hungry, Great Balls of Fire, and The Middle Feast.

After refueling, people headed over to the Sunset Cliffs Stage to revel in country star Maren Morris’ powerful voice. With the sun setting behind her, Morris got the whole crowd to sing along to her hit songs “I Could Use A Love Song,” “The Feels,” and “80s Mercedes.”

Across the fairgrounds on the Grandview Stage, the old school hip-hop crew Wu TangClan celebrated their 25th year together. They started their set by getting the crowd chanting “hip-hop forever!” Rapper RZA fed off of the crowd’s enthusiasm and led the crew into “Bring Da Ruckus.” The Staten Island crew then continued on with songs from their newest album “36 Chambers,” going acapella for crowd favorite “Protect Ya Neck.”

Shortly after Wu Tang concluded their iconic set, Snoop Dog gave arguably the best performance of the entire day. Starting strong with “All I Do Is Win” and “P.I.M.P,” Snoop had the crowd grooving and singing throughout his entire set. Snoop shouted out the ladies with “California Gurls” and even brought out pole dancers to fire up the crowd. Toward the middle of his set, Snoop honored his friend Tupac’s birthday by having the crowd yell “We love you. We miss you. Rest in peace,” then paid tribute to Easy E by playing “Boyz in the Hood,” and Biggie with the song “Hypnotize.” Naturally, Snoop ended the night with his hit song “Young, Wild, and Free,” leaving the crowd feeling high on life. 

The headliners Kings of Leon delivered a solid performance with their hits “Use Somebody,” “Waste a Moment,” and of course “Sex on Fire.” Though many festival-goers enjoyed the classic rock bands, some believed Snoop Dogg stole the night. 

Saturday

With the temperature rising, Saturday’s artists continued to bring the heat. Cheat Codes brought the cool beats and vibrant outfits to the Grandview Stage. Their electronic remixes to “Turn Me On” and “No Promises” inspired a mosh pit of high school boys to fire up the crowd. The DJ trio concluded with “Feels Great” and rained dollar bills into the crowd. 

Across the fairgrounds, Bryan Adams’ booming voice brought out everyone’s inner rocker. Adams’ performance will be remembered for his iconic hits like “Summer of ‘69” and “Heaven,” but also for his incredible mastery of the guitar. Following his set, the crowds did not move an inch so they could keep their spots to see One Republic. Lead singer Ryan Tedder started with “Stop and Stare,” and then showed off his piano skills in the group’s famous song “Love Runs Out.” Tedder then explained the groups’ lack of touring with their successful songwriting for other artists. Following this statement, the dynamic group sang “Sucker,” which they sold to the Jonas Brothers and “Halo,” which they wrote for Beyoncé years ago. Tedder belted the group’s newest release “Somebody to Love” and had the crowd hollering during his riffs in “Secrets.” The group ended strong with “Counting Stars” and joked that KAABOO is really just “Coachella with air conditioning.” 

To keep the good times rolling, the younger crowd sprinted to get a good spot for The Black Eyed Peas. The musical group has not performed in the United States since 2011. To remind everyone of their deserved popularity, Will.i.am got it started with a remix to “Imma Be” and “Rock Ya Body.” With the crowd singing along to every word, the group threw it back with “Boom Boom Pow.” KAABOO then introduced the group’s newest addition, Filipino born singer Jessica Reynoso (J Ray Song) before her voice exploded in “Just Can’t Get Enough.” Their colorful stage outfits paired perfectly with the vibrant backdrops and their high energy for “Pump It.” Will.i.am then took control of the DJ booth for “I’m Alive” and “Baby Are You Down,” getting the entire audience to scream the words. 

The headliner of the night, Dave Matthews Band, brought the spirit of American rock with their impressive collection of a strings ensemble, saxophone, violin, drums, and guitar. Matthews closed out the musical acts of the night with another legendary performance of “Crash Into Me” and “The Space Between.” 

Those who stayed late that night enjoyed the silent disco, where they danced under colorful lights and original beats. 

The last event of the night concluded with world-famous comedian Bert Kreischer on the Humor Stage. Known for cracking hilarious jokes without his shirt on, Kreischer had the audience laughing so hard that their stomachs hurt. His eye-watering and relatable bits about his family left everyone wanting more. Saturday’s incredible performances had the crowd even more excited for Sunday.

Sunday

The last day of KAABOO was filled with throwbacks starting with girl-rock band “The Bangles.” While singing their number-one hit “Walk Like an Egyptian,” the crowd copied the famous dance move and sang along. 

In contrast to the 80s sensations, The Revivalists slowed down the pace with their chill vibes. With their well-known songs like “Wish I Knew You” and “Next to You,” the crowd swayed in the band’s relaxing energy. 

Many of the festival’s comedy fans attended Bob Saget’s stand up show in the late afternoon. For fans of the “Full House” star, it was another awesome opportunity to have a good laugh. 

Colbie Caillat took over the Trestles Stage and performed her recognizable song “Brighter Than the Sun,” and brought everyone back to the mid 2000s. Senior Emily Kirvin attended the festival on Sunday and shared her view on the musical acts. 

“Caillat fit right with the SoCal vibes of KAABOO,” Kirvin said. “She played all of her most uplifting songs and the crowd loved it. Her music is so fun it puts you in the best mood.” 

Before running over to watch Sheryl Crow take the stage, people explored the palate exhibition to buy some gourmet tacos and mouth-watering slices of pizza. During the beautiful San Diego sunset, Crow displayed an incredible stage presence with her songs “All I Wanna Do” and “Strong Enough.”  She continued with songs from her newest album, “Threads,” and brought a feeling of nostalgia through her voice. 

While the headliners of the night were about to take the stage, Duran Duran brought the 80s to life on the Grandview Stage. The crowd sang along and rocked out with “Hungry Like the Wolf.” 

To close out the night, Mumford and Sons gave the most epic performance of the weekend. Lead singer Marcus Mumford opened up with a powerful version of “Guiding Light” and followed by crowd favorite “Little Lion Man.” Mumford’s hypnotic voice entranced the crowd with “Beloved,” making every person feel as if he were singing only to them. He then showed off his drumming talents with “Lover of the Light” and had the crowd cheering him on with his soulful rendition of “Delta.” The incredibly talented group was dearly missed during their short breakup, and they could not have done a better job redeeming themselves after their absence.  

Kirvin, a big fan of the British folk rock band expressed her emotions during their performance. 

“Seeing Mumford and Sons is always a spiritual experience for me,” Kirvin said. “From the stage setup, to the lighting, to their endless catalog of hits, their set was definitely the highlight of my weekend. They manage to make their performances so personal, despite the fact that they are playing for thousands of people. I felt so connected to the rest of the audience and to the band itself.” 

After their final song, Mumford and Sons alluded to KAABOO moving to Petco Park in 2020 and the move was confirmed later that night.