The 2018 Rock the Roots Tour by Angry Orchard kicked off on June 30th, covering 11 cities across the country and I had the privilege to catch it in my hometown of Orlando, Florida!
This year the tour was headlined by Sublime avec Rome, along with Lupe Fiasco, New Politics, Poivre, Collie Buddz and many more while in addition to local and regional artists.
The Orlando, FL stop of the fest did not disappoint. Its family style atmosphere made for a very pleasant experience where those who just wanted to relax while enjoying some great music could sit on the lawn, play some games, or enjoy some delicious food and Angry Orchard Cider.
Naples, Florida based SOWFLO, opened up the night covering classic reggae hits, whilst also showcasing some of their originals. They truly showed us what Florida reggae is all about!
Collie Buddz, contributed to the tour in support of his latest single, “Love and Reggae.” He brought his good vibes to the set including classic hits like “Gimme Love” and “Blind to You”, which he closed his set with.
New Politics was a personal highlight for me as their set included their hits “Dignity”, closing with “Harlem” and “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah”.
Lupe Fiasco reminded the fans of the responsibility that comes with purchasing their ticket. He performed some of his hits which included “Outta My Head” and just before he was about to close his set with “The Show Goes On”, we were once again reminded that we were in Florida, as a thunderstorm approached. While this was a rain or shine event, safety precautions were taken by pausing the show until the storm passed. Lupe prompted the hesitant fans to leave while security led everyone indoors for about 20 minutes or so.
Once the storm passed the show went on as planned, with the headliners, Sublime avec Rome. The highlight for me was their tribute to the original frontman, Bradley Nowell by performing Sublime classics “What I Got” and closing with “Santeria”.
With this incredible atmosphere and putting the safety of the fans first, this for me will be the first of many more Rock the Roots Fests.
If you’re a music fan who enjoys Angry Orchard hard cider, this is not a fest you want to miss, so catch the next one at a city near you, however, drink responsibly!
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”140″ gal_title=”2018 Rock The Roots”]
