By Armando
The Wonderfront Music & Arts Festival made its long-awaited return to the San Diego waterfront on Friday, kicking off three days of music across eight stages with over 80 artists on the bill, and Day 1 did not disappoint.
Among the night’s standout performances were Los Angeles indie pop outfit Saint Motel, whose cinematic sound and high-energy live show made a strong impression at the Port of San Diego stage, as did Young the Giant, who brought the kind of anthemic rock presence that tends to own a waterfront crowd after dark. Over at Seaport Village, Detroit-bred singer-songwriter Quinn XCII delivered a set full of the genre-blending, feel-good energy he’s become known for, while country singer-songwriter CAM kept things lively at the Events.com Embarcadero North stage with her sharp songwriting and easy charisma.
Closing out the main stage was headliner Zac Brown Band, who packed the Events.com Headliners Stage and gave the crowd a night to remember. A highlight of the set came when the band brought out Caroline Jones, the singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who had just been officially announced as the first female permanent member of the group, only weeks before the festival. It was a timely and memorable moment for fans who knew exactly what her joining the band meant.
Tonight the festival continues with G-Eazy, SOJA, and Swae Lee taking the stages ahead of headliner Kings of Leon, and the weekend closes Sunday with three-time Grammy Award winner and multiplatinum solo artist Gwen Stefani topping the bill on the final night.
The festival’s eight stages span the downtown waterfront across three locations: the Events.com Headliners Stage, the Port of San Diego Stage, and the Sugarshack Sessions Stage at Embarcadero Marina North Park; the Coors Light Stage and the ImmerXion Stages at Seaport Village; the TUStreams Stage and the Silent Disco Stage at Ruocco Park; and the Spirit of San Diego Marietta Stage at the 5th Ave. Landing. Water taxis run between the venues, keeping the whole sprawling setup surprisingly easy to navigate.
Go to wonderfrontfestival.com for tickets and more details. See some of the photo highlights from yesterday’s performances below.
