CLICK HERE if you are having trouble viewing these photos on a mobile device.
It’s that time of year when people really start wondering what acts will headline the next BottleRock Napa Valley.
Well, we probably won’t know for sure until January, which is when festival organizers have traditionally announced the headliners.
But that’s not going to stop me from making some predictions about who will top the bill at the 2020 BottleRock, which runs May 22-24 in downtown Napa, www.bottlerocknapavalley.com. Tickets go on sale at a later date.
Here’s some top contenders. Let’s start with the seemingly most likely and work our way down.
Dave Matthews Band
It’s going to happen one of these years, right? And, frankly, I’m surprised it’s taken this long. DMB is a just a perfect fit for the demographic and a powerful draw at the gate. Matthews has played Outside Lands before, so the timing seems right for him to make a trek to wine country.
Aerosmith
It would be a great opportunity for these classic rockers to make their long-awaited return to the Bay Area. After all, it’s only a quick flight away from Las Vegas, where they are continuing their concert residency at the Park MGM that same weekend. They have a Vegas show on that Saturday, which might leave the door open for a Friday or Sunday set at BottleRock.
The Weeknd
He’s due to drop a new album at some point. And he’s already played Outside Lands (in 2018). So, I could easily see him taking one of the three top spots at BottleRock in 2020.
Guns N’ Roses
This would be the booking that would catapult the entire bill into the stratosphere. And Axl Rose and company would be a sensational fit for the BottleRock crowd. I can just picture it right now: About 30,000 fans playing air guitar, while holding onto a glass of wine, as Slash delivers those epic leads in “Sweet Child o’ Mine.”
Kacey Musgraves
Having been a main support act at several festivals in 2019 (including Outside Lands and Lollapalooza), Musgraves is ready for headliner status in 2020. Plus, she has a huge fan base in Northern California.
Elton John
Sir Elton has already played basically every place with a roof in Northern California, including the Chase Center, Oakland Arena and SAP Center. So, is it time to start playing places without a roof? His farewell tour would be a potent draw at BottleRock, even though he’s already waved goodbye so many times in the Bay Area.
Kanye West
BottleRock has only booked one hip-hop artist as a headliner over the years, although it has featured the genre in prominent support slots. But I’d love to see organizers go West in 2020 and hand over the Sunday slot to the trailblazing artist for an evening of gospel-hip-hop from the amazing new “Jesus Is King” album. Fingers crossed, big time.
Heart
Who wouldn’t want to hear this Rock and Roll Hall of Fame act perform such classics as “Barracuda,” “Magic Man” and “Crazy on You” in the heart of wine country?
Bruce Springsteen
This would be a HUGE get. But The Boss seems more likely to headline his own show than a festival. And if he does decide to do a festival gig in Northern California, my guess is that it would be Outside Lands.
Childish Gambino
In 2019, Gambino headlined (roughly) 438,357 major festivals in the U.S., including Outside Lands. Basically the only one he missed was BottleRock. Having drawn what he dubbed as “the biggest crowd that Outside Lands ever had,” Gambino apparently has yet to oversaturate the market and would surely do big business at BottleRock.
The Chainsmokers
Sure, the group just played BottleRock in 2018. This time around, however, the Chainsmokers would likely move up from being one of the main support acts to being a main stage headliner.
Coldplay
It would be a great booking. But look for Coldplay to mount its own stadium tour as opposed to doing the festival circuit.
The Strokes
Doesn’t seem like a good fit for BottleRock — at least not as a headliner. Could work as a main support act, though.
Kings of Leon
I nearly fell asleep just writing those three words.
