KAABOO has been around for 5 years in Del Mar, CA, so while this isn't their first rodeo, it is the festival's first time in Texas, and with a new venue and new city comes growing pains. Despite all of this, the festival organizers executed the first day of festivities flawlessly.
By Rachel Bui
Everything about the festival was carefully planned. Facilities had foresight to prepare for inclimate weather, and the layout of the festival made sure that there was no noise interference between stages. KAABOO Texas maximized the use of AT&T Stadium to host vendors (food and products), an art gallery, art installations, the PALATE stage (where they held chef demonstrations), the Humor Me stage (comedy), and several music stages. The parking lots allotted for the festival were also relatively close to the festival, with a shuttle that ran between the venue and parking lots. Even the map + schedule pamphlets were ergonomic, a small detail I wasn't expecting but appreciated.
While the festival aimed to cater to multiple generations, the lineup and amenities mostly attracted a 30+ years old crowd. The best way to describe the lineup would be "Oldie but a Goodie" artists - classic musicians with solid careers. They may not be the hottest new thing in the industry, but their musical repertoire cements them as household names.
Some vendors I wanted to highlight were Pura Vida Bracelets and Hydropros IV Rehydration Specialists. Pura Vida offered a chance to spin a wheel for prizes if you followed their pop-ups page on Instagram, and prizes ranged from stickers to Not Your Mother's travel-sized products. Hydropros offered IV infusions for festival goers to rehydrate and recover from fatigue, and the cost for an infusion at their tent is definitely cheaper than the cost for treatment from EMTs.
Notable moments of the first day included Lionel Richie falling on his butt on stage, alleged a first in his 51-year career, and an audience member being invited on stage to play the drums with The Killers. Lionel Richie was a good sport about it, making jokes about it for the rest of his performance, and the fan that played the drums was dubbed "Rick from Fort Worth" over Twitter.
Overall, all performers gave solid performances with amazing stage presence, as expected from veterans of the industry. Highlights of Day 1 include Alanis Morissette, Ludacris, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Lionel Richie, and The Killers. If KAABOO keeps up with the solid logistics, Houstonians may have to travel to Arlington to replace failed Houston festivals In Bloom and JMBLYA (JMBLYA still has stops in Austin and Dallas).
For Day 2 coverage and final thoughts, click here:
https://ktru.org/bourbon-jelly-kaaboo-texas-day-2-final-thoughts