MusicOverboredSeptember 28, 2016Portrait Series, Music Festivals, Photographer: Anna Maria Lopez

KAABOO Festival

MusicOverboredSeptember 28, 2016Portrait Series, Music Festivals, Photographer: Anna Maria Lopez

KAABOO Festival entered its second year with heavy-hitters Aerosmith, Lenny Kravitz, Hall & Oates, Goo Goo Dolls and more on the lineup. Billed as the more "comfortable" festival compared to its peers, KAABOO was a mix of art and entertainment in addition to its musical centerpiece. Activities included a swimming pool guests could lounge at, a complete spa, large-scale contemporary art exhibition, indoor comedy club to beat the heat, and an upscale food plaza. Their target demographic is a little older, the music fans who still want to rock out but don't have the energy to stand in the sun for three days while catching their favorite acts. We get it.

The Del Mar festival's huge variety of artists pulled in a diverse and eclectic range of attendees from frat bros to wealthy San Diego housewives and grunge punk kids. Overall, it felt like a smaller version of Coachella with its multitude of VIP areas with a majority of the festival catered to those with Hang 5 passes. However, the diverse roster provided plenty of entertainment for music fans new and old. While it wasn't packed with the level of energy you would find at younger-geared festivals, it was a valid and nostalgic opportunity for people to come together to celebrate the arts. We caught up with a couple of our favorite acts while attending to see what their craziest festival find has been and what artists are on their radar.

Photography by Anna Maria Lopez

The Mowgli's

Kaaboo has gone all out with hot air balloons, a spa and swimming pool. What is one of the most cool or unique experiences you've seen at a festival?
I think one of the coolest things I've seen at a festival was at ACL. Our label had this plane that flew overhead that said 'The Mowgli's Love You' over the whole festival and that was really cool.

Another great aspect of the festival is their large art exhibition. Who are a few of your favorite present-day artists?
Alex Pardee and Charles Bukowski.

The Struts

Kaaboo has gone all out with hot air balloons, a spa and swimming pool. What is one of the most cool or unique experiences you've seen at a festival?
Luke: Seeing Aerosmith at Download Festival was great and it will be great to see them again today. Just normally when we see great bands, bands that we want to see and hear. That's quite rare today.

Another great aspect of the festival is their large art exhibition. Who are a few of your favorite present-day artists?
Luke: I'm enjoying The 1975. I like that album, the second one. I haven't really listened to the first one much. I like the sound of Bleachers, they're quite cool. Temples, they got a new album coming out soon. I like them. There's a band in the U.K. called The Vaccines which are really nice. The music's just fantastic, it's almost like The Ramones but more melodic.

Finish Ticket

Kaaboo has gone all out with hot air balloons, a spa and swimming pool. What is one of the most cool or unique experiences you've seen at a festival?
There's a nap area at Bonnaroo where everyone was sleeping. That was also the stage we played at, so...

Another great aspect of the festival is their large art exhibition. Who are a few of your favorite present-day artists?
Michael: I gotta look at my instagram real quick. There's this thing called Dragon School at Chinatown in Oakland and they've been going around and painting all the businesses with mostly like giant golden dragons. It's a ton of murals. They invite guest street artists in to do shit. It's really cool so if you go through Oakland, definitely drive through Chinatown and take a look at all the art.

Bryce Fox

Kaaboo has gone all out with hot air balloons, a spa and swimming pool. What is one of the most cool or unique experiences you've seen at a festival?
The hot air balloons were crazy. If I wasn't afraid of heights and the thought of climbing to the sky in a wicker basket I'd a been all up in those balloons. The spa was super cool as well and I really wish I took advantage of it. However... I was too preoccupied with the excitement of having my own artist trailer so I missed out on the spa and some other bands and artists I had planned on seeing. But that was my first trailer, come on!

Another great aspect of the festival is their large art exhibition. Who are a few of your favorite present-day artists?
The art exhibits at the festival were out of here. My favorite present day artists would include Vik Muniz and Banksy. Vik's art is like a classic detailed scrapbook art, or at least my favorite pieces of his would fit that description. Each piece is such a statement with so much depth and time that went in to it. Very inspiring. And as far as Banksy goes I don't know if I like the idea of Banksy better than the art or not. But I do know he's like the modern day renegade artist with controversial and clever pieces and a mysterious brand that just makes everything that much more interesting.