KAABOO Del Mar: Top picks for Saturday

Cherub

1:45-2:30 a.m. (Sunday), Encore Stage: It’ll technically be Sunday when Nashville-based, electro-pop duo Cherub takes the stage shortly before 2 a.m. But those hearty enough to stick around for the late-night set will be rewarded with one of the weekend’s best shows. Sure, one-time college chums Jason Huber and Jordan Kelley have an unnatural fixation with ‘80s R&B. And they pretty much do everything in a way that you can’t exactly tell if they’re kidding. But no other performance promises the party potential like this one. Scott McDonald

Neon Trees

3:30-4:45 p.m., Zuma Stage: There are bands that sound great live, and then there are bands that sound, look and feel great live. That’s Neon Trees. Since 2008, the four-member rock band from Provo, Utah, has been gradually climbing the charts, propelling big time after their first single, “Animal,” reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Everybody Talks” led them into larger mainstream success in 2012, and their third studio album, “Pop Psychology,” brought Neon Trees even further into the limelight with the single “Sleeping with a Friend.” Fun local fact: Tyler Glenn (vocals, keyboards) and Chris Allen (guitar, vocals) originally met and started the band as neighbors in Murrieta before they left to call Utah home. Michelle Dederko

The Roots

4-5:30 p.m., Sunset Cliffs Stage: TV viewers know The Roots as the remarkably versatile house band on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” Others know Roots’ drummer and leader Questlove for the key role he played early in the careers of Common, Jill Scott and Erykah Badu. Since its 1988 launch in Philadelphia, the group has set the bar in hip-hop consistently high. Drawing from funk, old-school soul, jazz and rock - minus the misogyny, materialism and violent imagery prevalent in so much hip-hop - The Roots aim to entertain and provoke audiences. They succeed on both counts. George Varga

Young the Giant

7-8:15 p.m., Zuma Stage: Young the Giant is known for California-style indie rock, most likely to be heard on a surfer’s beach playlist. Their hits, “My Body” and “Cough Syrup,” were successes in 2012, and pushed the group to the top of many music critics’ “YES!” lists, giving them room to attempt a slightly different sound. Their most recent album, “Mind Over Matter,” can be described as a step away from their wind-swept sound into a more melodic, cohesive piece. The band has spent 2015 touring across the U.S. Liz Bowen

The Silent Comedy

12:30-1:30 p.m., Zuma Stage: San Diego’s favorite folk rock and Americana band The Silent Comedy will take the Zuma Stage by storm, performing the hits that made them a national success, such as “God Neon” and “Always Two.” In 2010, their album “Common Faults” won the San Diego Music Awards’ best pop album. The four rockers have performed many big festivals such as 91x Wrex the Halls, SXSW and Moonamp Festival. Jarnard Sutton

Source: DiscoverSD