Bakotopia

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I never saw a schedule for the RocknRoots event at Stramler Park in Bakersfield, Ca. I just went where my feet would take me and kept in a path that literally followed the sound of music. A portion of the time I hung out with Matt Munoz of Bakotopia/Mento Buru…

The sets were short and the bands were many among the sparse fan attendance. There were three stages and if you blinked you might miss a band; or if you were feeling lazy and wanted to sit down you could miss half a dozen performances. Yet, the festival did exceed my expectations after last summer's Reggae Fest. The set-up was better and accessibility to each area made for easy movement between stages.

There may have been well over 40 bands throughout the day. There was no way I could see them all, but I did get enough of an earful of music that I could walk away pleased with the incredible diversity in performances.

Why weren't their more Bakersfield bands? I think that answer rests with labels and band partnerships. If a higher tier band attended, they could have a say and determine whether other band affiliates could attend. Some of the bands were on tour with other bands, so they came in groups, like the four band combination of Sherwood, Paulson, House of Fools, and Daphne Loves Derby.

I saw House of Fools (North Carolina), H.R. (Formerly of Bad Brains of Washington D.C.), Daphne Loves Derby (Kent, Washington), Sherwood (San Luis Obispo, CA), 30 Seconds to Mars (Los Angeles, Ca), Lords of Anger (Bakersfield, Ca), http://www.myspace.com/thew...>The Warriors (Tehachapi, Ca) and a couple of other bands who I never got their names. I also spoke with members of The Outline (Echo Park, Ca), The Fuzzy Pink Slip-Ons (Bakersfield, Ca), Vanity Avenue (Bakersfield, Ca), Mento Buru (Bakersfield, Ca), and Another Year (Bakersfield, Ca).

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(nlbelardes.com)