Since 2010, the California Roots Music & Arts Festival has grown to be an integral part of the local community while at the same time drawing attendees from out of town who contribute to the local economy in a number of ways. Well-known as a multi-cultural, youthful celebration of music, togetherness and the freedom to enjoy a lifestyle that includes smoking marijuana, Cali Roots as it is affectionately known, has served as the model for this type of festival elsewhere.

Event producer Good Vibez Presents not only continues to bring in internationally known reggae acts and reggae fusion bands to Monterey, but has added adjacent music styles like rock and hip-hop that most often include elements of reggae. And the production team has created at least six other festivals with this successful brand that take place throughout the summer/fall in San Diego, Lake Tahoe, Sacramento, Tacoma, Washington and Oahu, Hawaii, among others. It’s an event that you’ve got to experience to understand how much fun today’s youth can have and how it provides a way to blow off steam after college classes let out.

Since I’m long past the days of my youth, one can say I’m in the minority at this festival, but there are plenty of baby boomers still up for the party. Primarily the demographic is for those 40 and under. As well, you’ll see so many young children brought by their parents as babes in arms, or being wheeled around in wagons, or at an age where they can run free and experience the festival scene on their own terms. I got out into the crowds all three days, mind you, they weren’t full days as the 12 hours of nonstop music is a little much for my schedule. Friday was quieter than the weekend days, but as the weekend arrived, so did the bigger crowds. Capacity is 12,000, and although technically there were no sell-out days, the arena, known as The Bowl for this festival, packed out for the headliners, mostly near the end of the day.

The main headliner and the highlight of the festival was T-Pain, who debuted at Cali Roots early evening Sunday in The Bowl. Having never attended one of his performances, I was delighted to see how much the audience loved him. And what a performer he is! Not only does he have a hip-hop style, he’s a really great singer, bringing his lovers’ R&B vibe to the stage and his signature, groundbreaking Auto-Tuned vocals. Whatever approach he brought, he also showed off his dancing prowess, wowing the crowd with every move he made. He also brings a salacious comedic slant to his moves and his raps in between songs. Everyone came to see T-Pain, and he delivered in a big way, his fans singing along and following his every request to put your arms up, sing this part, jump. He sang some of his biggest hits; “Up Down (Do This All Day)” and “Bartender” are two I could remember.

T-Pain, whose given name is Faheem Rashad Najm, talked to his fans like they are his friends. He admitted he was hungover from the night before, and since he had turned 40 years old, the energetic requirements of his program was a challenge that day. But he persevered and didn’t slack in the least, at least from my perspective. In one of those conversations, he looked out over The Bowl and exclaimed how much smoke there was hanging over the crowd. Admittedly, the air can often get pretty heavy in that space, thus The Bowl is a fitting name.

Half the fun at this festival is people watching. The clothing styles and costumes, the joy, the abandon, the laughing, the joking, the skipping, the waving of arms, dancing, the interaction between friends. You can’t find a more entertaining festival. Hanging out in the VIP bleachers above the turf in The Bowl is where you could find me most of the time, although I chose to hang out in the crowd several times, especially at the Cali Roots Stage. Everyone is so friendly, striking up conversations, grooving together and dancing with strangers, and generally being so chill about moving through the crowd. If you haven’t been down in the audience for one of Collie Buddz’s sets, you’re missing one of the signature events of the day. He always sings songs about getting high, encourages people to light up, to toss the big ol’ bouncy joints around, and then, of course, his free pizza handout. The pizza boxes come floating in over the crowd, one person grabbing a piece and passing it on, until everyone in the crowd gets their fair share. It’s so fun to see happy stoners eating pizza in the sunshine.

Another favorite performer was Jamaican reggae icon Buju Banton. He performed Friday and really gave a great performance, dressed entirely in white, high-stepping and making the stage his own. He had a great band and the sound system in The Bowl was top-notch. The power of good sound and great music cannot be underestimated. The feeling it brings to the proceedings is really beyond words, other than sublime. As I mentioned, I had to pace myself over the weekend and I wasn’t always able to be at an artist’s set nor see it on the YouTube livestream, which is a wonderful service the festival provides. I caught Rome’s set and enjoyed his singing, The Hip Abduction had a really good vibe, and I caught a bit of The Elovators at home and really like them. Love Rebelution, but missed hearing them this year.

The reggae/hard rock band Aurorawave was an interesting addition to the lineup. Their diverse genre blend is a rare breed and I thought they were good. Festival curator/producer Dan Sheehan has a particular style to his bookings for Cali Roots, bringing in a lot of the same acts over the years, watching them grow to be international touring acts and inviting them back to be part of the Cali Roots family of bands. Around that core, he introduces new acts and major headlining stars. I noticed this year that Soja, a beloved favorite, was having some problems with his voice, so he brought in a variety of singers to augment his set, including Eli-Mac, a young woman who had her own set earlier in the day. The Common Kings delivered a strong set, also bringing in Eli-Mac, who, as it turned out, became a kind of roving ambassador of goodwill. Other favorites I had the chance to see were Matisyahu, Steel Pulse, Shwayze, Anthony B, The Movement, and Protoje.

Two local bands that were on stage too early in the day for me to make their sets were Sensory Tribe and Estrella, both based out of Salinas. From what I caught on YouTube after the fact, which you all can do, too, they did well in delivering good shows. Both were elated to have the opportunity to bring their music to the festival audience and to possibly create a place for themselves among the more established artists. I checked in with Sensory Tribe and I was given their experience directly.

Sensory Tribe started the third day of Cali Roots 2025 with a strong set, which brought along the audience for a rollercoaster ride of emotions and made them dance with a world fusion riddim and think with the delivery of conscious lyrics. The stage was a party, a circus if you will, and that translated to the crowd. Amy Sheehan, co-producer of Cali Roots, approached the fearless leader El Kallpa and said, “Way to start Sunday morning with a strong and upbeat set. You woke people up, and that is not an easy task.”

Since I caught a bit of their set online, I can corroborate that. They were having a blast and sharing their best West Side Salinas vibe. I met Renee Estrella briefly later in the day after her set and made a point to look into her music. I think she has a great sound and her stage presence is exuberant and lovely. I did get on the phone with her briefly and she said she’s concentrating on her music career since coming back from Oahu where she lived for seven years. In the four years since returning to Salinas, she’s been writing songs, has gotten a manager and now has a set at Cali Roots in her pocket. She said she’d been coming to the festival every year and this first time performing was a dream come true.

“I’m proud to represent my community, my hometown of Salinas, and all the people that have been with me on this journey,” she said. “When I write songs I’m trying to empower myself and in that way empower others. The songs are reflective of me chasing my dreams.”

She has a five-song EP available and you can follow her on social media. An aside from the performance, just afterward her boyfriend Andrew Smith got down on one knee and proposed. Awwww. She’s looking forward to working together with him and as well to get some tours booked and record more. For now, she has some NorCal gigs booked and Sept. 26, she will be opening for Big Mountain at Moe’s Alley. That’s her only local gig for the time being.

Cali Roots returns again next year, same time, same place. There’s a good portion of the attendees who come every year and there is that family vibe going on between them and all who come to enjoy the music. The festival has been proactive in engaging with the local community, bringing in local food and merchandise vendors, engaging in green practices, and recognizing and uplifting the power of One Love.