This year, the Sweetwater 420 Fest returned to its roots near Candler Park, finding a new home at Pullman Yards in the historic Kirkwood District. The festival showcased a blend of music, beer, and environmental advocacy, embodying the passions of the brewery behind it.
Over the past two decades, the Sweetwater 420 Fest has evolved significantly. It has hosted renowned performers like Kid Rock, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, and Widespread Panic. This year, the festival reimagined its lineup, offering an entirely free concert with a $10 donation option benefiting the Waterkeeper Alliance.
The lineup featured diverse acts, including Gov’t Mule, Grace Potter, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Larkin Poe, and Andy Frasco & the U.N. on Saturday, followed by Big Gigantic, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Papadosio, Little Stranger, Hedonistas, and the Battle of the Bands Winner on Sunday.
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue delivered a stellar performance, marking their return since 2017. Troy Andrews wowed the crowd with his versatile trombone skills, blending rock, pop, jazz, funk, and hip hop from albums like “For True,” “Say That to Say This,” “Parking Lot Symphony,” and “Lifted.”
Closing out the festival was Big Gigantic, an electronic hip-hop and jazz duo from Boulder, Colorado. Producer Dominic Lalli mesmerized the audience with his saxophone skills while performing hits like “Where I Wanna Be,” “Burning Love,” “St. Lucia,” “I Can Feel It,” and their most recent singles “Always Want to Talk” and “Disco Talk,” released in March 2024. Their set featured a mesmerizing laser performance, capping off a memorable weekend of music, community, and environmental activism at the Sweetwater 420 Fest.
