Driving down from Charlotte to Florida to photograph a sold out 1 day Festival. 10 bands with the Dirty Heads/ Subline with Rome as the headliner. The weather was great. Was hot but at least it wasn’t raining. Concertgoers rolled in early as entry lines grew with eager fans. Fans eagerly waiting to get checked in and be the first at the front on the stages. I got checked in and started walking around so I knew where everything was. There are 2 stages across from each other and all kinds of vendors set up. There is even a wall painting to take pictures in front of that says Orlando Vacation with a octopus painted on it.
It’s that time. “Vana Liya” kicks off the day’s festival. She was great, taking time to walk the barricade and speak to her fans and even take a few selfies. 2 stages, no band is overlapping. The roster is stellar with Dirty Heads with Sublime Rome, Hirie, Tropidelic, Artikal, Sounds System, Seranation, Of Good Nature, Little Stranger, Vana Liya, Dj C-Lioness. As the day moves along, I notice the merch line is longer than the line to get in the festival. Fans eagerly waited for their turn to drop some cash on their favorite band merchandise. The day got hotter, but it didn’t seem to slow down the bands as they maneuvered around the stage like it was their personal playground, jumping, dancing, and even crowd surfing on an actual surfboard. As the sun starts to set, the party was just getting started. It’s time for the last 2 bands. Sublime with Rome takes the stage. Eric Wilson slowly struts across the stage displaying his tie-die duds covering him head to toe. The band plays “Smoke Two Joints” and yes, the air was filled with the aroma of hemp. The band proceeded with “Scarlett Begonias” which is the band’s version of the Grateful Dead’s hit. The fans are loving it. Now it’s time for the last act Dirty Heads. As they take the stage the air is thick with aroma, everyone is on the barricades, some fans have been there all day waiting for this exact moment. The bands a blend of hip hop, reggae, and rock infused. “Super Moon” kicked off the show as fans responded to the band’s high energy. As the band plays the big screen in the back displays different scenes to go with the songs. Fog machines running to set the mood. The band had a great performance, and the crowd was loving it.
If you’ve never seen Dirty Heads or Sublime with Rom this is a must, you want be disappointed. The festival gave the fans exactly what they had been waiting for. This was a sold-out festival and was the 2nd edition of the Orlando Vacation. The festival brought nearly eight thousand fans. If you haven’t already make plans for next years festival.
Dirty Heads Gallery
