Sombr’s BottleRock set ends with a jolt: ‘You can’t cut me off’

He may have just one full-length album to his credit, but there was no question that Sombr was one of the biggest draws at the 2026 BottleRock Napa Valley. Scheduled on the main Prudential Stage directly before Backstreet Boys, the festival's most anticipated headliners, the 20-year-old pop sensation delivered a triumphant set Sunday, May 24. The turnout reflected how quickly Sombr, born Shane Boose, has moved from streaming breakout to festival force, with his 2025 debut album, “I Barely Know Her,” arriving after “Back to Friends” and “Undressed” helped turn him into one of pop’s fastest-rising young acts. But his momentum nearly hit a snag near the end. Shortly after performing his breakthrough single “Back to Friends,” the lanky singer leaned into the kind of drama that suited his stage look, which was complete with a black leather jacket, tight red pants and a disco ball necklace. “They’re trying to cut me off,” he said, introducing what became his closing song, “12 to 12.” “You can’t cut me off, motherf—s. We’ve got another smash hit.” It was not entirely clear whether the production crew was actually trying to end the set (the Backstreet Boys did end up going on later than scheduled) but the moment added a jolt of friction to a performance already packed with sleek, high-emotion anthems. Sombr powered through songs including “Homewrecker,” “We Never Dated” and “I Wish I Knew How to Quit You,” all from “I Barely Know Her.” The set’s climax came with “Back to Friends,” which had the crowd singing along, matched only by his aching, hyperdramatic take on Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees.” The performance lasted just over an hour, but the impression he left felt much bigger. Sombr is scheduled to return to the Bay Area for a performance at the SAP Center at San Jose on Oct. 7.