2023 Cali Vibes Photo Gallery: Day 3
Editor’s Note: We want to give a thank you and quick shout out to Jeremy Morgan for the amazing coverage of Cali Vibes. You will hopefully be seeing more of Jeremy on Daily Reggae, and for anyone looking for shots from this event or for future concert photography, hit him up. Highly Recommended!
Photography and Blog by Jeremy Morgan
Highly Decent Photography
While every great festival must come to an end, and although we have reached the final day of Cali Vibes 2023, I still had a full day of great artists ready to please the ears of thousands awaiting me.
After a quick shower and a stop by the hotel cafe for some coffee and a few bananas to help my muscles make it through the day, I ventured down Pine Avenue towards the Marina Green.
Upon arriving at the entry gates, I couldn’t help but notice the drastic difference of attendance. The previous two days had a substantial line to wait in. I breezed right through the non-existent queue straight to security and beyond, no complaints from me!
I made my way to the merch booth for a last minute Cali Vibes Jersey for my niece, only to learn they had sold out the first day. Bummer! I can tell you, the merch booth was a happening spot ALL weekend long, sell-outs were inevitable.
As the day went on, the festival’s population recovered and the party was once again in full swing. Being that it was the closing day, I made a promise to myself to take it easy and not try to go full speed ahead.
By having two main stages set up at opposite ends of the grounds, they’ve figured out how to pack six days worth of music into three days. It sure makes for a big festival, but the overlapping set times make you choose between some of your favorites, causing a real case of FOMO all weekend.
I made some hard decisions, and decided to mainly camp out at the Vibes Stage for most of the day … here’s what I got:
The Movement
This was a special one for me. The Movement is a top band in my playlist, and have been for a long time now. I’ve only ever caught them at a show once before in Dallas a handful of years ago. The crowd definitely showed up for this one and showed these South Carolina boys some love.
Hirie
This woman has made it! She and her band have put in the time and effort to get to this stage, and they deserve every bit of it. I watched as she serenaded the crowd with all their favorites while Blaine Dillinger melted faces left and right on the lead guitar. What a great set!
Trevor Hall
Trevor Hall brought his blend of roots and folk music to the Vibes stage Sunday afternoon, mellowing the crowd and giving his all. You can tell Trevor has a huge passion for what he does by the performance he puts on.
Stephen Marley
The second son of Bob Marley entered the stage and took a seat, ready to address the masses. Stephen “Raggamuffin” Marley delivered a heartfelt performance that you could feel all the way to your core. By far, this was the most emotional performance for me. To see any of the Marley’s today is the closest I can ever get to being at a Bob concert, and that’s ok. They are the body of Bob and you can tell he lives close to their hearts everyday, showing a bit of himself in all of their music.
Boomyard Stage
Needing to stretch my legs a bit, I wandered over to the Boomyard stage where the Carribean party was nonstop and the dancehall was in full effect. The smell of the food vendors filled the air, as the celebration of music continued through the night.
Royal Blu
Thinking I had missed his set on Friday, Royal Blu popped up on the Boomyard Stage Sunday evening! I was just in time to hear his newly released single “Artillery” as I was walking up to the stage to grab some photos. The folks in the crowd were dancing up a storm as Blu worked his magic with the mic.
Pepper
Hawaii’s own, Pepper, is a group of wildly charismatic guitar shred-gods who have had a solid grip on the reggae music lovers for quite a while now! The audience sang along to every song as they played their Kona Town album in its entirety, commemorating its 20 year anniversary.
Pepper Crowd
Shown here, you can tell the Pepper boys have no problem generating a large gathering, especially in Long Beach, California!
Kyle, Slightly Stoopid
Kyle McDonald of Slightly Stoopid wields his four-string ax, commanding the bassline that Stoopidheads love to feel. These guys were right at home, keeping the energy alive on the Vibes stage as the sun set on the west coast.
Miles, Slightly Stoopid
As the smoke cleared, Miles Doughty appeared and let the crowd know who had the high grade anthems. Slightly Stoopid and crew put on one hell of a show. The lighting and stage presence they bring always kicks the production up a notch!
