BottleRock’s second day in Napa draws larger crowd in warmer weather

BottleRock revved up on its second day in Napa, offering more than ?40,000 music and food fans a lineup of tunes and cuisine of every style, capped off on a warm evening by the classic rock of Tom Petty, who took the Jam Cellars stage before a crowd that occupied every inch of its outdoor space.

Earlier, legendary soul singer Mavis Staples, a veteran of the quest for civil rights and peace for more than six decades, mixed memories with pleas for fellowship, along with crackling laughter, and closed with the iconic “I’ll Take You There.”

True to the inclusive spirit of the sold-out event, now in its fifth year, fans said they came as much for the cuisine and beverage as the bands.

“There are lots of sweet brews and wines. The festival has a lot of the local flavor,” said Zulema Gomez, 34, a leadership trainer from Stockton. “That’s part of why I came, not just for ?the music.”

But her friend, 33-year-old truck driver Dustin Wimer, also of Stockton, had tunes on his mind. “We came to see Tom Petty and Devil Makes Three,” he said.

Headlining today, the event’s final day, are the Foo Fighters.

BottleRock traditionally features local acts early in the day. The Napa Valley Youth Symphony opened one of the festival’s four musical stages at noon, followed by the Silverado Pickups, a country rock band of Napa Valley vintners and wine industry professionals.

The New York City trio the Dreamers demonstrated that ’90s-style grunge rock still lives, prompting an afternoon crowd into an arm-waving to the band’s current hit “Sweet Disaster.”

Stars do double duty at BottleRock. First, soulful, crusading singer Michael Franti appeared on the culinary stage to collaborate with Napa Valley chef and restaurant innovator Cindy Pawlcyn to create a “sexy ?salad,” made with salmon ?and feta cheese. Later Franti took to the main Jam Cellars Stage to play a lively set that ended with his own crowd-pleasing rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine.”

It was a day of fun, but it was a day of heartfelt messages, too. In an afternoon press conference before her evening performance, singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco said she feels like “a more mellow person” now but remains fiercely dedicated to women’s rights.

“I think in the early years, I got a lot resistance from defensive men because I questioned patriarchy,” but now she’s hopeful that “society is evolving” and her message will be received more willingly.

The musical mix of the day had a little bit everything, from Judah and the Lions’ blend of “Folk Hop ’n Roll,” as their album title puts it, to Petty, whose anthems closed out the night.

Bearded, wearing dark glasses and a bandanna around his head, he delighted fans with “Last Dance With Mary Jane,” “I Won’t Back Down” and “Free Fallin.”