2023 Cali Vibes Photo Gallery: Day 2
Article and Photography By Jeremy Morgan
After a quick stop at the Razafari Apparel tent to snag a hoody, I set my sights on the Vibes stage and gave my camera a final check.
A good number of festival-goers were decked out in Cali Vibes swag purchased the previous day, wandering around gathering supplies from the local food and drink vendors and soon finding their spot to enjoy the show.
The clouds gave way halfway through the day and that beautiful California sun came out to warm the soul. Bands popped out from backstage out with precision timing and melted faces from one stage to the next as I snapped the day away!
With the first day in the books, I quickly learned that carrying camera equipment back and forth to two (and sometimes three) stages for 10 hours a day is a lot more taxing than I thought! I had to create some sort of schedule to make sure I didn’t kill my back during my adventure.
After studying the set times on a park bench with the ocean at my back for a few minutes, I meandered my way down the road amongst a much larger crowd than the previous day to the Marina Green Park and jumped in line. A short security check and I was back in for day two!
After a quick stop at the Razafari Apparel tent to snag a hoody, I set my sights on the Vibes stage and gave my camera a final check. A good number of festival-goers were decked out in Cali Vibes swag purchased the previous day, wandering around gathering supplies from the local food and drink vendors and soon finding their spot to enjoy the show.
The clouds gave way halfway through the day and that beautiful California sun came out to warm the soul. Bands popped out from backstage out with precision timing and melted faces from one stage to the next as I snapped the day away!
Joe Samba
Claiming the first spots on my memory card was Mr. Joe Samba! Joe delivered his set with full energy and let Long Beach know what he was about, sporting a large tiki statue in the background for good measure. Being a huge Samba fan, I got my shots and fell back to the crowd to enjoy the rest of his set!
Kyle Smith
This guy has quite a following, and for good reason. Smith came out swinging, with that fiery hunger that’s responsible for getting him on stage at Cali Vibes this year, keeping the crowd hyped to the very last song. Kyle Smith has die-hard fans, some of them sporting “sexy” blow up dolls on their shoulders during his set!
Denm
“Slum Beach Denny” was in his element Saturday afternoon for his time slot on the Vibes stage, and I made sure to be front and center when he arrived. I was beyond excited to see him for a second year in a row at the festival, he’s a regular on playlists in my household…
AJC Tribute - Kaleo Wassman
Here, Kaleo Wasman of Pepper smiles at the crowd during his contribution for the AJC tribute set. This special set was a huge part of the day, drawing in a very large audience for the heartfelt presentation as many artists from attending bands traded places on stage paying their respects via melody and kind words.
AJC Tribute Set - Logan Rex
Logan Rex of Artikal Sound System strutted around the stage honoring the late Andy Chaves of Katastro, as background visuals displayed photos and memories curated to pay homage to a great vocalist taken too soon.
Fortunate Youth
Dan Kelly of Fortunate Youth serenades the festival-goers with his catchy lyrics and exceptional fashion sense. The smooth-dressing Kelly and band gave it their all as the evening set in on Long beach and had the crowd roaring from beginning to end.
Common Kings
Junyer King stands, peering into the crowd in between verses during the Common Kings performance during the golden hour of the day. King is one of the most impressive vocalists in the game and deserves every moment to share the stage with all the greats at Cali Vibes. They delivered an impressive set and paved the way for the great lineup to follow.
Damian Marley
Dreads as far as the eye can see and wavering Rasta flags in the background, Damian Marley lit up the stage as the crowd lit up what they had. The son of the late, great Bob Marley energetically used the whole stage to continue to spread the Marley legacy to each and every person gathered.
Snoop Dogg Crowd
Commanding the largest crowd I’ve seen at a single Cali Vibes stage, Snoop Dogg received a VERY warm welcome back to his hometown of Long Beach. Complete with a dancing monkey and strippers, Snoop held nothing back.
Snoop Dogg
The Doggfather himself, doing what he’s known to do best. This man looks like he’s having the best time of his career on stage, and after 30 years of listening to his music, I was finally able to see him on stage, right in front of me, in the LBC. What an end to a great Saturday full of choice music.
