Cali Vibes 2023 returns to Long Beach, CA as a 3-day festival bringing some of music’s biggest names from Snoop Dogg to Dirty Heads to Damien Marley to more.
Even though I was invited to attend all 3 days, I was only able to make it out to the Saturday concert. Cali Vibes showed me a flourishing community of music listeners from around the world, coming together in one weekend to share similar interests.
Cypress Hills smoked out those in attendance with marijuana smoke as they performed hits like, “Insane in the Brain,” to “Lowrider,” to the OG “How I Can Just Kill A Man.”
Simultaneously, on another stage, Damian Marley was accompanied by a flautist and band, as they sung several emotional songs from his late father, Bob Marley’s catalog. A video montage of Bob Marley’s photos also accompanied Damian and company on video screens, as they performed. This was an epic experience; and serves as another reminder of Bob Marley’s singular influence on music and the culture, overall.
Also contributing to the fun, Method Man and Redman, showed up at 4:20 PM to provide us California music listeners to some of that raw, New York gritty hip-hop. They honored the late great ODB from the Wu-Tang Clan, in the process.
There were certainly more stars worth mentioning, but it was impossible to see them all. A lot was going on, at all times at Cali Vibes, but it didn’t seem overwhelming.
The layout of stages was a major highlight of the festival. There were only two main stages and one smaller stage behind the back of the food court.
The merchandise section featuring band tents and vendors did get a bit jammed, but for the most part, I could handle it.
In conclusion, Cali Vibes 2023 was an all-inclusive celebration of the spirit of the reggae genre. Reggae is still a prospering scene with an admiring audience, growing each and every year.
