Allie Schratz

Making its debut on the California festival circuit next month, Kaaboo is the new music event you’ve likely heard nothing about all summer. Taking place at the seaside Del Mar Racetrack and Fairgrounds from September 18-20, the fest will feature an eclectic lineup of musical talents spanning No Doubt, The Killers, Zac Brown Band, Snoop Dogg, Counting Crows, and Bonnie Raitt, offering a little something for all types of music lovers. If it wasn't clear enough from that taste of the lineup, this isn’t your coastal answer to Coachella. Kaaboo doesn't think of itself as a festival, but rather a "mix-perience" (yep) that provides an "adult escape," with clean amenities, artisanal cuisine (plus celebrity chef demos and book signings), fashion pop-ups, local artwork and even a bourbon lounge. A comedy tent will host the likes of Joel McHale, Chris D’Elia, and Lewis Black; and views of the main music stage can be enjoyed from a variety of vantage points: on a chaise lounge, in a pool, on a volleyball court or inside a premium cabana. We can't really figure out the target audience for this self-described "sound voyage." It seems like Kaboo is trying to attract an older crowd with its Cuban cigars, ample seating options and serious aversion to dirt (citing a variety of places to "clean up" which begs the questions—from what? and... how, exactly?). But maybe they're trying too hard? Like a kid that's begging to be taken as seriously as the grownups (Kaaboo uses the word "grownups" a lot