KAABOO 2017 Delivered Live Music, Culinary Delights, Comedic Performances and Worldly Art!

KAABOO is the ultimate live music, culinary, comedy and art festival.

Photo by aLIVE Coverage

Music, food, drinks, art and comedy. There really is something for everyone at this 3-day event which was held last weekend (September 15-17). Held in San Diego at the Del Mar racetracks and only about 20 minutes from the heart of downtown, this year’s KAABOO was the third annual.

Tagged by Thrillest as one of SD’s “unmissable events” and described as much more than a music festival by Forbes, KAABOO is an all ages event.

When it comes to food, hungry bellies were certainly welcome with more then 20 different restaurants and vendors spread out throughout the grounds. KAABOO guests were able to enjoy artisanal offerings in the PALATE area. In this upscale culinary environment, people were able to sample local and regional delicacies and small-batch specialties from a variety of vendors. Celebrity chefs could also be found here milling about and sharing tips. There were also of course quicker food purchases known as POSH NOSH which included everything from corn dogs, burgers, mac and cheese, specialty fries, ice cream and whole lot more. Along with the food, there was also an incredible selection of craft beers, craft distilleries and spirits and exclusive wineries at KAABOO.

All Access writer Leah Brungardt watching Alanis Morissette with her flower crown on!

Next up was the INDULGENCES area when men and women could experience a taste of spa and wellness. In the Women’s Indulgences space, there were flowers crowns being made by Cake & Punch, hair styling by Paul Mitchell The School San Diego, massages being given by Elivelife Spa and other spa treatments focused on women done by Momma’s Medi Spa. In the Men’s Indulgences space, there were also massages given by Elivelife Spa, cigars being sold by Golden State Cigars, personal men’s style consultations and fittings by Annie Lush of J. Hilburn Menswear and even a barber called V’s Barbershop.

Artwork Seen All Over KAABOO

Photo by aLIVE Coverage (Norm MacDonald)

A big part of KAABOO is all the incredible artwork everywhere. Artists of all kinds from all over the world can be seen on the grounds painting large murals or creating installations. There is also a separate building that housed a gallery of art that guests could check out throughout the festival. This contemporary art show showcased over 80 artists.

In a separate area, headlining comedians entertained crowds of people that waited in lines ahead of time to see them in the HUMOR ME space. Some of the comedians that were there were Norm MacDonald, David Spade, Arsenio Hall, Patton Oswalt and Maria Bamford.

Photo by aLIVE Coverage (P!NK)

As far as the music goes, there were 4 main stages where bands of all genres performed; Sunset Cliffs (Sponsored by Mercedes Benz) and Grandview (Synchrony) were for the larger acts, while Trestles (VOSS) and Tourmaline (Virgin) were smaller stages. In Club Elevate (JEWEL Nightclub), DJ’s closed out KAABOO each night. The headliners each day were Red Hot Chili Peppers and David Guetta (Friday), P!NK and Muse (Saturday) and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (Sunday).

This All Access writer was only able to attend Saturday and Sunday shows. However those days were still fun of incredible live music.

Photo by aLIVE Coverage (MUSE)

It’s no surprise the crowd came out in full-force to see P!NK during her Saturday night set. Since her debut in 2000, the singer has released seven records, sold over 40 million albums, over 78 million singles and has won numerous awards throughout her career. Her lively performance included her biggest hits like “Get The Party Started,” “Just Like A Pill,” “Trouble”, ‘“Just Like Fire” and “Try.” She mashed up her hit “Funhouse” with No Doubt’s “Just A Girl” which the audience loved. P!NK’s powerful voice really shown through during her acoustic renditions of “Who Knew” and her cover of 4 Non Blondes’ “What’s Going On.” Half-way through her show, she even welcomed a marriage proposal on stage. During her final songs “Raise Your Glass” and “So What”, in true P!NK fashion, she was suspended high above the crowd on wires.

Photo by aLIVE Coverage (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers)

Meanwhile on the opposite end of the festival, MUSE was entertaining a whole separate audience. This British rock group was formed in 1994 and is made up of Matt Bellamy (lead vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards), Chris Wolstenholme (bass guitar, backing vocals, keyboards) and Dominic Howard (drums, percussion). In their career, they have won two Grammy Awards, two Brit Awards, five MTV Europe Music Awards and eight NME Awards. They have sold over 20 million albums worldwide and have released a total of 7 albums. Muse performed songs off all their albums including their hits “Madness,” “Super Massive Black Hole,” “Time Is Running Out” and many others. On stage, they dazzled the crowd with their colorful visuals and changing back panels.   

To wrap up the entire festival on Sunday night, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers certainly brought everyone together at the end of it all. There was nothing happening at any other stage during the time so all KAABOO guests were focused on them. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers were formed in Gainesville, Florida in 1976. The band members are Tom Petty (lead singer, guitar), Mike Campbell (lead guitar), Ron Blair (bass) Stan Lynch (drums) and Benmont Tench (keyboards). Charlie and Hattie Web known as the Webb Sisters also provided back-up vocals during the show and have been on the road with the band all year. Their set included all of the group’s biggest hits, “You Don’t Know How It Feels,” “I Won’t Back Down,” “Free Falling,” “Don’t Come Around Here No More,” “American Girl” and many others. Petty’s fun humor between songs was charming and endearing. At one point, he even told the crowd he wished he could have hugged every one that night.

Along with the headlining bands, this All Access writer had the pleasure of seeing several other bands, including Jared + The Mill, Garbage, Jane’s Addiction, The Wallflowers, Ice Cube, Alanis Morrisette, Andy Grammer and LIVE. Each act wowed their audiences and delivered their brand of alt, rock, hip hop and pop tunes.

Jared + The Mill

Photo by aLIVE Coverage (Garbage)

Photo by aLIVE Coverage (Live)

Photo by aLIVE Coverage (Alanis Morissette)

Photo by aLIVE Coverage (Andy Grammer)

Photo by aLIVE Coverage (Ice Cube)

Photo by aLIVE Coverage (The Wallflowers)

Photo by aLIVE Coverage (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

Photo by aLIVE Coverage (Janes’s Addiction)

All photos – “photos by aLIVE Coverage” unless not noted below photo.

For the full musical line-up from KAABOO check out- https://www.kaaboodelmar.com/lineups?1_route=/client-embeds/kaaboo-2017/1/1/__/

Special thanks to Mason Jar Media for all their coordination.