Cali Roots 2025: Day Two

On Saturday, May 24th, Day of Two of Cali Roots Festival in Monterey came alive — and the fans were ready for it. 

It was going to be yet another day with a stacked lineup across reggae genres. 

The day started with an explosion of energy from Florida artist Surfer Girl at the Bowl Stage, entertaining early-risers to the max. With a lot of playful charisma, Surfer Girl was then followed by Monterey locals Estrella across the way on the Cali Roots Stage before Fia lit up the Bowl once more. San Diego band Boostive, a vibey collective, broke away a bit from the typical ‘reggae’ sounds of the weekend, creating atmospheric harmony that went well into midday at the Cali Roots Stage.

Back at the Bowl, Aurorawave hit like a cannon, fusing heavy metal with reggae elements in songs like “Kindness”, “No Love Lost”, and “Villain”. This was my first time seeing the new side of Iya Terra frontman Nathan Aurora live — and it definitely wont be my last. At the same time on the OG Stage, Cali Roots contest winner Doah’s Daydream was busy making fans (and unicorns, as it turned out) dance and sing.

The day continued with roots and dancehall vibes from renowned Jamaican artists Tarrus Riley and Anthony B before the folk-infused Mike Love hit the crowd with strong messages of peace, love, and unity. Capital Dub, another one of the contest winners, had a pop-up set near the Nowell Foundation booth — a perfect setting to dance and donate to a worthy cause. Meanwhile, The Movement was raging on the Bowl Stage, that is, until J Boog took the fest to the next level over on the lawn. And, at the same time, attendees had the opportunity to listen to Bradley classics — right next to the Nowell Family booth — thanks to the raging pop-up set by Sublime tribute band, Burritos. 

Wow, that was a party!

Injecting hip hop into the day was Atmosphere next at the Bowl, followed by Iration closing out things on the Cali Roots Stage, playing songs like “Daytrippin'”, “Automatic”, and even a cover of “The Joker” by Steve Miller Band. The night ended with another San Diego (and festival) staple, Slightly Stoopid, entertaining the masses with fan-favorites like “2am”, “Officer”, “Bandelero”, and so many others. Day Two was wrapped; luckily, there was still one more action-packed day to go! Stay tuned for Day Three coverage.

Photography by Sean McCracken

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