On Sunday, May 24, BottleRock ended with a bang after three-days of festival fun. After two days in the books of iconic artists, the last day of the music festival proved to be worth the wait with standout performances from Kool & the Gang, Slightly Stoopid, and Backstreet Boys. With lots of big names, fans flocked back and forth between stages to wrap up BottleRock on a good note.
No. 1: Kool & The Gang
Kool & The Gang started their set at 3:10 p.m., entering Prudential Stage after playing a reflective video on the stage’s screens with the band asking the crowd, “Are you ready to party with Kool and the gang?” Their entry was met with raucous applause as the band started off their set with “Fresh” from their 1984 album Emergency. While lots of songs from their set were undeniably oldies, their greatest hits which the band saved till the very end of the set had audience members of all ages “getting down on it,” especially as the band played “Ladies Night,” shouting out the women in the crowd. Kool & The Gang closed their set in a moment of pure positivity with “Celebration,” a song that has truly stood the test of time. With one brief break opening up an opportunity for the band to explain their history, Kool & The Gang (besides their late entrance) ran a smooth set with plenty of crowd interaction and dance-worthy moments.
No. 2: BigXThaPlug
BigXthaPlug made a huge and enthusiastic entrance as the packed crowd chanted his name as prompted by his MC and hype man, DJ Five Venoms. The crowd jumped and sang along as BigXThaPlug segued into his first song. The vibes were high as BigXThaPlug surprised the crowd by bringing out a guest star, Ro$ama, to join him in singing their hit. That was not the only song that featured a collab as BigXThaPlug and DJ Five Venom bantered throughout the set to show their appreciation for their fellow artists before jumping into the song in which they had worked on together, like “Cold” featuring Post Malone and “All The Way” featuring Bailey Zimmerman. The energy in the air was undeniable as Big X jumped into one of his biggest hits, “Mmhmm,” and the crowd waved their hands in the air, jumping to its catchy beat.
No. 3: Sombr
Sombr took the stage to new heights, with his charming personality and unique dance moves lighting up the stage and putting the crowd at ease. After running late, Sombr opened his set at 6:25 p.m. at Prudential Stage with his new single, “Homewrecker,” surprising the audience with one of his most popular songs right off the bat. Sombr’s set, composed of 12 songs, included a standout Radiohead cover of “Fake Plastic Trees” towards the end. Saving the best for last, Sombr performed “Back to Friends” and “12 to 12,” closing out his set, getting fans to sing along and drawing one of the youngest audiences of the day. Orange corduroy and leather jacket and all, Sombr wowed the crowd leading into sundown.
No. 4: Slightly Stoopid
Slightly Stoopid kept the relaxed and summertime vibes that feel instinctively BottleRock. With flowers in their hair, the audience swayed along to a smooth beat, letting the music take control. To kick off their show, Slightly Stoopid played their hit “Officer,” getting the crowd moving and grooving. Keeping to their laidback vibe, the crowd varied, with some choosing to watch up close to the stage while others opted to relax and sit further back on the grass, bobbing their heads to the beat. The band played a variety of both more well-known songs such as “Closer to the Sun,” and others that are known more by their hardcore fans, like “Cypress Blues.” To close out their 75-minute-long set, the crowd all rose to their feet to jam along with the hit “Slow Ride.”
No. 5: Backstreet Boys
Backstreet Boys drew an older audience, taking on Prudential Stage at 8:00 p.m. and playing an hour-and-45-minute set, much to the delight of millennial moms and dads alike. Multiple times, the Backstreet Boys shouted out 90s babies and joked around with the crowd, keeping the crowd dancing and laughing throughout their set. The band played many of their greatest hits, opening their set with “Larger than Life” from their 1999 album Millennium. Their set never failed to bring nostalgia to the audience as people swayed along to the beat of “As Long as You Love Me” and “Shape of My Heart.” Highlights of their performance included their dance routine to “I Want It That Way” and their closing song, “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back),” which had people up and dancing along till the song’s outro. With matching outfits and all, the Backstreet Boys were effortlessly cool and gracious as they consistently thanked the crowd throughout their 17-song set and brought forth much-needed 90s boy band energy.
