Slightly Stoopid fills San Diego’s Petco Park for Field of Dreamz fest

For reggae rock lovers in San Diego, June 13th was a BIG day — and it started for many of us before we even made it through the gates. A bunch of Stoopidheads met up at Bub’s at the Ballpark before Field of Dreamz — a massive reggae rock festival taking place at Petco Park, home of the Padres — began for a fun photo op and the hype was already so real. Everyone was excited, not just for the festival, but to see each other. There were San Diego friends, people who came in from out of town, familiar faces from shows, and people I have only ever seen online finally standing right in front of me.

It seemed like the entire Stoopidhead community and SD reggae scene showed up at once.

That was honestly the best part for me, seeing everyone in one place! And we were all ready to turn Petco UP. Everyone was repping San Diego, too. There was old Stoopid merch, new merch, Padres jerseys everywhere, custom-made bracelets and handmade jewelry, and even custom apparel. Some fits were giving deep fan history. Others were pretty epic DIY magic. There were Padres colors, sunglasses, hats… this was not Dodger country! All of it felt very on-brand for this crowd.

Once the gates opened, we all made our way into Petco, with many running went straight to the merch lines. The limited Alpine hats, trading cards, and posters were definitely the hot items. It was funny walking around later and seeing who got what. People were proudly carrying posters, wearing new hats, comparing scores, and showing off the kind of merch that makes you say, okay, they understood the assignment and, dang it, I should have snagged some!

Inside Petco, there was such amazing energy. It wasn’t the level of noise from a Padres game, but the stadium was far from quiet. Gallagher Square and the field were packed, the sun was shining, and everyone was running around stocking up with food and gear while saying hi to friends.

It had that perfect San Diego mix of chill and chaotic.

Band of Gringos opened Gallagher Square and got things started with a heavier sound than some people may have expected. If you’re not savvy, the band plays a blend of psychedelic rock with a lil’ OB attitude (as in Ocean Beach for out-of-towners, home of Slightly Stoopid and a ragtag mix of old hippies, new hipsters, and beachy hideouts). The visuals onstage were colorful and trippy, making their set look just as loud as it sounded. It was a strong start and a not-so-subtle indication that this ballpark shingdig wasn’t just catering to reggae.

Another OB band, Boostive, came on next, bringing a totally different vibe. Their set had rhythm, horns, percussion, keys, groove, and frontperson Divina Jasso sounding amazing, as always. With so much happening onstage, it was one of those sets where you look around and see everyone really starting to let loose; I know I can’t stand still whenever they play!

Speaking of ‘let loose’ energy, Pepper started the party next on the main SMKFLWR Stage, instantly dropkicking everyone in the face. Kaleo Wassman jumped into the pit pretty early, which he tends to do; he likes to make the fans feel part of the set. Pepper is always an outrageous time, with fans at the rail grinning big, singing, and getting WAY into it.

DENM came out in a custom Padres jersey next.

Between the jersey and the bright green graffiti-style visuals behind him, DENM looked right at home inside Petco Park. His set felt real, yet raw…. laidback, but in-your-face, all the while easy to connect with. I even heard a couple people say they wanted to hear “Wild Life” and, when he finally went into it, everyone went wild. That is definitely the one song we all love to sing together!

By midday, Stephen Marley brought a calmer kind of power that made everyone slow down for a little bit. After so much running around in the blistering sun, his set seemed like a mindful reset. The music, the warmer yet powerful visuals, and the whole roots reggae switch-up gave the crowd a moment to breathe and be at peace. More calm and grounded, it was perfect.

Next up, Boston-based band The Elovaters did something quite unexpected — they came out fully decked in Padres gear! Seeing them onstage in full Padres fits made the crowd have mad respect (more than normal). Their set is always a good time, but it got even better. Everyone had been muttering all day — in-person and online — whether Scott Woodruff, aka Stick Figure, was going to show up. When Stick finally walked out for the song “Gardenia”, we all completely lost it. Everyone around me was jumping up and down, filming like crazy, yelling, hugging the people around them, and fully stoked that the rumors finally came true.

Then, it was time for a next-level hometown Slightly Stoopid show.

The classic Stoopidheads’ “STOOOOOOPID” chant started spreading through the stadium before the band even walked onstage. By then, Petco had been completely taken over with hazy smoke and smiling reggae fans. The Slightly Stoopid boys gave us everything we’d ever want from a hometown show: the older songs, some dubby jams, signature punk energy, big sing-alongs, and all their friends joining them onstage to make the set even more amazing.

The visuals made it feel even bigger, too. There were lasers, bright colorful screens, graphics with pictures of the OB pier, and live art going down. I always love seeing the new art they bring into their shows! Stephen Marley came back out for “Rainbow Country” before Stick Figure and Kaleo Wassman came out again to do “Got Me On The Run”. Roots legend Don Carlos appeared next to guest on “Wiseman” before Divina Jasso sang on “Mona June”. Those guest moments were pretty amazing; I love seeing the collaboration between some of my favorite artists!

And the vibes didn’t end there.

Z-Trip kept the vibe up during the changeover, which was honestly so needed because nobody was ready to come down yet from Stoopid’s proverbial (and literal) high. While Sublime’s stage was getting set up, DJ Z-Trip totally blew me away with his mixes. One minute it was hip hop, then suddenly it was a sample from Led Zeppelin and, somehow, it all worked. It was the perfect pick-me-up before the final set.

Seeing Sublime with Jakob Nowell, Eric Wilson, and Bud Gaugh has us elder reggae rock fans emotional these days. You could tell how much those songs still mean to everyone, with the classics hitting hard as ever. The new songs fit in better than I expected, too, especially with their epilogue album dropping just the day before the fest! Jakob Nowell brings his own fresh style to the band; it never felt like they were trying to recreate the past.

Sublime honors their legacy while giving fans one more chapter to hold onto.

By the end of the night, everyone looked sun-kissed, tired, but happy — and absolutely loaded down with merch. Posters, Alpine hats, trading cards, old Stoopid gear, new Stoopid gear. Everyone had something fun to show off. Field of Dreamz felt like Miles Doughty and Kyle McDonald of Slightly Stoopid brought San Diego (really all of southern California) together inside Petco Park for one unforgettable day.

Petco can go back to baseball now, but for one epic day, it belonged to us. Frankly, I really hope Slightly Stoopid brings the fest back next summer.

Photography by Olivia Valdes

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