NAPA — With Sunday came the final day of BottleRock Napa Valley’s grand reopening. Despite the long layoff, everything seemed to go smoothly, all things considered. The closing night of the fest brought perennial BottleRock favorites Foo Fighters. The Foos have been connected with the fest since its earliest days.

Dave Grohl clearly took his assignment seriously, playing Saturday with headliners Guns N’ Roses, joining producer Greg Kurstin to recreate their “Hanukkah Sessions” in its entirety at the small JaMPad stage (Rosh Hashanah starts Monday) and appearing later at the culinary stage. Grohl and Kurstin faithfully recreated songs by Jewish artists… such as “Hotline Bling,” “Sabotage” and “Fuck the Pain Away.”

“Earmuffs, kids!” Grohl said before diving into the Peaches cover. At the culinary stage, Grohl engaged with fans in his laidback style.

Finally, it came time for Foo Fighters to hit the stage. The choice to open with “Times Like These” was fitting, as the song became a pandemic anthem.

The order of the evening was to keep things fun and loose, and not to take things too seriously. Grohl’s self-deprecating humor helped move the show along. The set was an even cross-section spanning the band’s catalog. “The Pretender” and “Learn to Fly” came early. The first song from this year’s Medicine at Midnight was “No Son Of Mine.” Grohl spoke to how the Foo Fighters’ latest was meant to be an upbeat party album.

“This is the kind of show we envisioned playing for this record, but all you could do at the time was sit around in our pajamas and drink cheap chardonnay,” Grohl said. “I mean, that’s what I was doing, too.”

“Shame, Shame” brought an extra roots feel. The show began to open up right around the time “Medicine at Midnight” hit, ramping up to heavier and faster selections.

The Foos then shifted into cover band mode, beginning with the Bee Gees (excuse me, the “Dee Gees”—their new alter-ego band that plays just ‘70s Bee Gees material). It was an odd fit, but it suited the band and Grohl well. He and drummer Taylor Hawkins then reversed roles for a cover of Queen’s “Somebody to Love.”

“How’s the wine and cheese fest going out there?” Hawkins joked.

Foo Fighters closed out by powering through some more of their hits like “All My Life” and “Best of You,” “Monkey Wrench” and “Everlong.”

Before ending for the evening, Grohl proclaimed that Foo Fighters are never breaking up.
“We’ve been doing this 26 years. It would be like your grandparents getting divorced; why would you do that!?” he said.

Jon Batiste

Take the image you may have of award-winning pianist and composer Jon Batiste, probably as the band leader on the “Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” and throw it out the window. While Batiste plays a good-natured sidekick on TV, and he is an accomplished “serious musician,” he showed he was so much more than that in Napa. Jon Batiste was a cross between a preacher, a carnival barker and a therapist, and performed like he was anointed by God.

Let’s first set the scene. The Plaza stage was busy, but at the center sat a grand piano. Afterward, some people stayed behind and talked through how they believed Batiste would sit at the piano and play some jazz. Perhaps something from his work on the film “Soul.” (That didn’t happen.) The stage was decorated like a tropical island (wading pools, beach balls, a barbecue) but also an astronaut helmet, while the video boards portrayed shooting stars.

Batiste is a New Orleans native, and his band members were dressed like they were going to be in a second line parade, in various colorful uniforms. Three spunky back-up singers wore a combination of sexy attire with angel wings. Jon Batiste was the last to enter. He wore what looked to be a silky blue shorts-and-shirt combo, shirt unbuttoned, with a silver robe/cape thing over it, paired with high tops and shin-length socks.

What transpired was one of those rare unicorn experiences at a festival that can only be described as magic. Batiste was a man possessed, preaching goodwill and love as he danced, jammed on different guitars (including a rectangular red Bo-Diddly-like one), attacked the grand piano (even though it was screeching with feedback—he didn’t care!), shook his butt and said some really meaningful stuff about self-worth and hope and living in the moment that seemed to strike a chord with most of the people in the audience, even if they were being pelted with beach balls at the same time.

Song-wise, yes, there were songs. On “WHATCHUTALKINBOUT,” Batiste sounded like has was scatting at times. He also sped through “We Are” and “I Need You.” He and the other singers had some pre-planned interaction on a medley of Bob Marley’s “One Love,” Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” and Bill Withers’ “Lean On Me.” He jammed on a melodica a few times as well. On “TELL THE TRUTH,” he was at one point convulsing on the stage floor. Chuck Berry would have loved it all, for this was more rock and roll than jazz or blues.

Despite how entertaining and moving they were, the songs themselves seemed to take a backseat to Jon Batiste’s message.

“I wanna give you an experience you’re never gonna forget,” he sang. “I just need you, you, you!” The audience relayed the line back to him. “I Need You” had the same vibes as “Shout.”

“This is not just a concert … this is a spiritual practice,” Batiste yelled later. There were numerous inspirational messages that truly seemed to come from the heart, rather than being merely a sales pitch. He was telling people they are important, and in that way, his message was not unlike that of Run The Jewels a day earlier. “Cry” was a highlight. So was “Freedom.” Every freaking song was a highlight.

Megan Thee Stallion

The “hot girls” and “bad b–ches” loved rapper Megan Thee Stallion, even though she started her set 20 minutes late and also finished early. When she was on stage, she twerked and grooved through numerous sexually forward songs that drove the mostly female fans nuts.

Megan Thee Stallion had just played another festival on the opposite coast the previous night, so perhaps that’s why it seemed like she wasn’t too energized on cuts like “Realer,” “Freak Nasty” and “Simon Says.” None of that mattered to fans, who jumped and danced with the music.

Highlights included hits like “Hot Girl Summer” and “WAP,” which came early in the set, as well as “Big Ole Freak,” on which she sped up her delivery.

Turkuaz with Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew

One of the most unique performances throughout the weekend was this limited engagement performance by the Talking Heads’ Jerry Harrison (who calls the North Bay home) and all-star guitarist Adrian Belew (who played on that band’s seminal album Remain In Light, with New York funk band (and huge Talking Heads’ fans) Turkuaz.

The group, which numbered above 10 in personnel, performed songs off that album for its 40th anniversary, as well as other Talking Heads hits and original songs by each of the musical entities. All that in an hour!

The group started with a tight rendition of “Psycho Killer,” which was sped up at the end to increase momentum. Belew played solo after solo with a wide grin on his face, and at one point looked like he was playing guitar with a star-shaped pencil eraser. The players covered songs like “Crosseyed & Painless,” “Houses In Motion” and “I Zimbra.” Unlike Belew, Harrison was mostly stoic in presentation. Angular guitar and funky keyboard playing was aplenty as the sun set west of the covered Plaza Stage.

Black Pumas

Black Pumas’ set was even more incredible when you consider the context by which the band evolved. Just a few years ago, singer Eric Burton was busking in Santa Monica and working as an Amazon delivery driver. He then moved to Texas, where the band was ultimately formed.

Black Pumas, and especially Burton, were absolutely magical to watch. Within the first minute of the set, Burton had jumped into the crowd, grabbed an umbrella, and was casually strolling up and down the pit as he sang the first song. From the instrumentation to the performance, it was a joy to behold.

“Are you ready to turn up with us?” Burton asked as he sat on a speaker on the side of the stage. The band then cranked out a funk jam that immediately brought the lawn to life While the Pumas are a duo, they added plenty of extra members on Sunday to enrich their sound even more.

Walk Off The Earth

Canadian band Walk Off The Earth uplifted the audience at its hourlong set during the hottest part of the day. Its brand of earnest power pop places a lyrical focus on honesty, and many of their songs directly address situations for which there may not be easy answers. The advice in Walk Off the Earth’s songs is often that finding solace in friends and family can help listeners respond to their situations.

The band opened with power pop anthem “Oh What a Feeling,” with multi-instrumentalist Sarah Blackwood playing a ukulele. “Rule the World” was punctuated with the band singing woah-woahs in unison with the audience.

There was also a fun cover of “Eye of the Tiger” that swayed between reggae and twee. On “Fire In My Soul,” Blackwood played a white guitar with the silhouette of the late Mike “Beard Guy” Taylor, a very popular member of the band who died suddenly in 2018. On new single “Love You Right,” Blackwood and husband/bandmate Gianni Luminati sang part of one verse to each other, similar to what they did on top of the CN Tower in Toronto recently, but without being suspended hundreds of feet above Earth. “I’ll Be There,” a 2019 track, provided another touching moment.

Other highlights included Walk Off The Earth’s eight-minute medley of Beatles hits—in the chronological order of the Beatles having written them, of course. By that point, even an amazing ukulele-led cover of AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” wasn’t surprising.

Mod Sun

Mod Sun faced the same problems that plagued the start of Meg Myers’ set on Saturday at the same stage. The artist’s performance was delayed by more than hour. In the end, Mod Sun delivered one of the best sets of the day, even though he lost a lot of the audience to the day’s headliners. Those who stayed were rewarded for their patience.

Playing songs from his latest album, Internet Killed the Rockstar, he blended in mix of punk, hip-hop, and Top 40 all in one stew. His energy was infectious, and his vocals were impassioned. There was an inkling throughout the day that there might be a surprise guest for the set and, at long last, those suspicions were confirmed. Avril Lavigne joined Mod Sun to perform the pair’s stellar duet, “Flames,” live for the first time.

Jack Harlow

Kentucky rapper Jack Harlow, who’ huge on TikTok, brought in one of the biggest and most engaged crowds all weekend. The lawn was absolutely packed in anticipation of the 23-year-old rapper’s appearance. Harlow ripped through his set at a brisk pace and mixed in some shortened versions of his tracks, similar to what G-Eazy did on Friday. He saved his biggest hit, “WHATS POPPIN,” for the very end, but left some time for his DJ to have some stage time for herself.

Jimmy Eat World

Jimmy Eat World fed off just pinch of emo nostalgia while mixing in some authentic rock.

“Playing the festival is way better than playing the festival cancelation party,” frontman Jim Adkins said, dryly.

The band played newer tracks to older stuff like “Pain,” “Sweetness” and the “Middle, which held up well over the years.

“We released a new album back in October of 2019,” Adkins said at one point, followed by a long pause. “I mean, we’re still proud of it though.”

Village People

What would the Village People be without outrageous outfits, funky bass and upbeat guitar? From “Macho Man” to “Y.M.C.A.,” they had everyone grooving to the disco beats of yesteryear. The old stereotypes and machismo still brought the older crowd of fans. Original member Victor Willis led the group in front while the rest of the gang danced and sang.

“Macho Man” led everyone to start taking off their shirts before leading into a medley of “In Hollywood” and “San Francisco” medley. Nostalgia and history were the topic of the performance as Willis discussed the beginnings of the band in San Francisco with the song “San Fran.” The Village People were simply fun. They rounded out the night with “Y.M.C.A.” (of course) and there were many smiling faces and outstretched arms spelling the letters everywhere.

Jessie Reyez

Canadian singer-songwriter Jessie Reyez showed impressive range both in terms of crafting songs and also in her emotional vulnerability, taking on the mentality she was in when she wrote the songs to perform them. She showed fiery anger, love and brutal honesty.

The set included “DO YOU LOVE HER,” “Shutter Island” and “COFFIN,” where she let the audience handle significant chunks of the singing, and fans didn’t let her down. “KILL US” was an old-school ballad, on which Reyez sang with a vibrato. Then Reyes showed she could switch from that style of crooning to rapping in an instant. She introduced “ANKLES” as a song “about all the girls my ex thought were better than me.”

“You apologize when your Twitter says ‘no regrets,’” she sang. We caught one male listener mouth “crazy broad” as he walked away. He could use a Jessie Reyez song about him.

99 Neighbors

Vermont hip-hop outfit 99 Neighbors whirred its crowd into a tizzy immediately, running around all over there place. Extra props for bringing the energy as the sun beat down at an angle that didn’t really leave room to share. The group’s dozen or so songs included “Ripstick,” “Facts” and “49er.” The combination of straight hip-hop with more soulful R&B elements provided a varied sound.

MAX

Actor and hit songwriter Max Schneider, who performs as MAX, practically flew onto the stage. Clad in a sparkly lightweight powder blue suit, no shirt, with the jacket unbuttoned, he ran from side to side of the stage to drum up energy from the crowd. He opened with the short “Colour Vision” before transitioning directly to “Love Me Less,” his collaboration with rapper Quinn XCII.

All of his pop songs were sugary-sweet and bass-laden. Others like “Savage” and “Holla” were also EDM-tinged. Other notable songs included a dance remix of OutKast’s “Ms. Jackson,” Kelis’ “Milkshake” and highlight “One More Weekend,” originally a collaboration with Audien.

The Alive

BottleRock veterans The Alive, who’ve played in one incarnation or another for several years, brought a set heavy in aggressive and hard rock original songs, opening with “Mud,” “Gypsy” and “Disaster.” The middle song of the three was especially entertaining with a fast chorus, mid-tempo verses and a danceable bridge.

“Disaster,” meanwhile, was one of the still-young band’s older songs, showing how far their songwriting chops have climbed since then. In past years, The Alive has played many covers, and they didn’t leave those out this time, either, including their take on the Smashing Pumpkins’ “Siva.”

Chris Pierce

Angeleno Chris Pierce blended country music with blues and R&B to start off the day.

“Are you ready to go to church on Sunday?” he bellowed before launching into the first of his many socially conscious songs, “American Silence,” the title track to his latest album.

Pierce described the following track, “Chain Gang Fourth of July,” as a statement about employee wage theft and the inequality of the judicial system. But despite the heavy subject matter, it was a rollicking song, with a piercing blues guitar solo. He then kicked off “Static Trampoline” with a harmonica solo and howling vocals that recalled Little Richard’s call-and-response lines.

More!

Follow writer Mike DeWald at Twitter.com/mike_dewald. Follow editor Roman Gokhman at Twitter.com/RomiTheWriter. Follow photographer Adam Pardee at Instagram.com/adampardeephoto and adampardee.com.