Inaugural KAABOO Del Mar Festival, Day 1 Sep.18, 2015 photo: Lauren Ratkowski
The KAABOO Festival in Del Mar had its inaugural run Sep.18-20 at the picturesque Del Mar Racetrack. With the ocean breeze and laid-back crowds, KAABOO was everything you could want from a decent-sized festival, with less of the hassle and off-putting elements of the big boys.
With seven stages, including one just for comedians such as Joel McHale, Tig Notaro, and Lewis Black, a beautiful main stage, and even a stage with grandstand seats (Yes! Seats! At a festival!), there were always plenty of places to be and great acts to see.
There were also a ton of awesome vendors with friendly, smiling faces, peddling wares ranging from sunscreen to artisanal alcohol, and all the food options one could ask for. Inside the shaded “Posh Nosh” area, one could find all kinds of tasty, artfully prepared goodies, as well as an exhibition area where demonstrations and chef competitions took place throughout the weekend. Free-standing food booths and tents were also available near every stage, offering burgers, hot dogs, gyros, lemonade, Thai food, and more.
KAABOO gets extra points for extra-special and thoughtful touches. These included hydration stations, where a smiling, and most-often bearded, man would fill up your water bottle for free, free festival-wide wifi and the nicest portable restrooms one could ask for. The trailer-housed bathrooms were wood-paneled, clean, even air-conditioned! KAABOO certainly knows what they’re doing as far as amenities go. Upgraded essentials like these really helped to make the potentially miserable festival experience truly enjoyable.
There were also tons of VIP experiences to be had like cabanas, a full-service restaurant and special viewing areas, if that’s your kind of thing. A unique feature of the festival was the various art exhibits, including a huge, contemporary Art Fair, which featured work from over 80 regional and national artists. A real highlight were all of the large, eye-catching murals that you could watch being created in front of your very eyes, by local artists. In other words, there was plenty to do in-between sets, and if you wanted more after the headliners turned in at the end of the night, KAABOO even had an Encore dance party that went ‘til the wee hours of the morning with DJs like Girl Talk and Griz.
Even with all these awesome offerings, it’s the music that people come to a festival for and KAABOO had an eclectic, yet solid lineup that would please any music fan. With big names like No Doubt, Snoop Dog, Sheryl Crow, Zac Brown Band, Spoon, Train, The Roots and The Killers, fans had plenty of star power to take in and enjoy. However, KAABOO also provided a perfect spotlight for lesser-known acts like Jamestown Revival, Peter Matthew Bauer, and Allen Stone. No matter what their status, the quality of performance across the board was excellent. There’s nothing quite like grooving to some tunes outside with some fun-loving people, the grass underneath your feet, and the sun starting to dip below the horizon, and KAABOO’s lineup administered the perfect soundtrack to do just that.
With the overwhelmingly positive response from both festival-goers and performers alike (Sheryl Crow, Jamestown Revival and No Doubt were just a few of the acts who hoped to be back next year), it will be interesting to see how KAABOO develops. It could turn into a monster, like one Indio festival that shall not be named, or it could remain a seaside gem, for lovers of art, sunshine, and live music.