For the second year in a row, Taking Your Pulse voters have picked a dessert to lead the SunFest pack.

The frozen chocolate Key lime bar is the winner of our poll for favorite SunFest food, with 20.6 percent of the votes.

It outdistanced arepas — the grilled cornbread and cheese sandwich ended up in second at 9.7 percent.

Third place went to tropical pineapple chicken, which had 5.5 percent of the vote. Jerk chicken was fourth at 4.9 percent and alligator on a stick ended up in fifth at 4.2 percent.

Click here for the full results.

Pitbull performs on the Bank Of America Stage. (Thomas Cordy / Palm Beach Post)

The temperature may have hovered in the mid-80s, with the sun blazing down and the heat seemingly rising in waves.

But Pitbull came out onto the Bank of America Stage wearing all black, including a blazer — in many cases, a poor choice color for someone trying to stay cool.

Clearly, though, Pitbull has his own inner cool.

The Miami-born Cuban-American rapper/dance-pop impresario was the unmissable highlight of the final day of SunFest 2012.

Photos: Pitbull at SunFest | Review: Matisyahu looks different but delivers | More SunFest coverage

“Mr. 305” weaved through several genres — hip-hop, Brazilian samba, Latin rap, even a little electro — seamlessly, and had one of the festival’s biggest crowds moving for a solid 90 minutes.
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Matisyahu, one of the most talented musicians out there, is about so much more than looks. But more than four months after the one-time Orthodox Jewish boy wonder shaved off his beard and let the world see his face, you can’t help but think that Matisyahu has changed.

This wasn’t even his first show in West Palm Beach since the shave heard ‘round the world. Matisyahu’s Dec. 29 acoustic concert at the Kravis Center was one of his first bare-faced performances. It was an intimate show featuring Matisyahu and Adam Weinberg on guitar. Matisyahu’s head was shaved and he seemed naked. What did it mean? Was he losing religion? Was it merely a simple lifestyle choice? Did it matter, considering his unique blend of reggae, rap and rock is unmatched and has nothing to do with his face?

At SunFest on Sunday, Matisyahu, 32, showed that he is growing into his more secular look. His face is still clean shaven, although his bleached hair has filled out. He closed out the weekend on the south stage sporting a black jacket and jeans. From a visual standpoint, much of his mystique has vanished. But Matisyahu isn’t paid to look a certain way. He earns his pay checks by giving incredible live performances. Bob Dylan changed his look (and his voice) multiple times, because he wanted to. Same goes for Matisyahu.

Matisyahu was stellar on Sunday, beginning his performance with some of his older tunes like Close My Eyes and Youth. He beat boxed, rapped and sang his heart out like he always does. His encore, One Day, was a crowd pleaser. His underrated band surprised audience members who had never seen Matisyahu live — they can rock and jam with the best of them. If only they had more than an hour to perform.

Matisyahu comes to South Florida often, and after two performances with his new look, it’s time to accept it and continue embracing such a gifted man.

Photos: Saturday at SunFest | Photos: Faces and festival-goers | Schedule, full coverage

There’s rock – the Top 40 type that the All-American Rejects claim as hard-hitting stuff but really amounts to hard pop. And then there’s real rock ‘n’ roll – the music that 53-year-old Joan Jett still owns.

Tyson Ritter, the lead singer of All-American Rejects, tried to act the ladies’ man at SunFest on Saturday. But at times he sounded creepy and sexist, trying way too hard to act cool.

Then a woman came on stage and showed Ritter how to really rock. Joan Jett, 53, is and always will be the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll. She can still draw an overflow crowd at the Meyer Amphitheatre, ripping her guitar with the best of them. On Saturday she busted out favorites like Do You Want to Touch Me? and Cherry Bomb, from her first group, The Runaways. SunFest was lucky to have her.

But it was the All-American Rejects that drew the largest crowd of the night because pop sells. It drew the kind of guy who bumps into your friend, spills his Rum & Coke and doesn’t even blink, let alone apologize. Or the guy who hits on your friend even after she made it clear that she’s married.

Yet give the All-American Rejects some credit. Ritter is a colorful lead man who plays catchy songs that sound identical live and on the radio. And he paid homage to Cinco De Mayo several times, so he can’t be all that bad. Clematis Street was buzzing with the combo SunFest Saturday and Cinco De Mayo, which is quickly becoming as prominent as St. Patrick’s Day.

And while Joan Jett was rocking, Third Eye Blind gave a surprisingly inspired performance. For those who think of Third Eye Blind as a forgotten ‘90s pop band from MTV’s Total Request Live, the San Francisco rockers are quite talented with a package of songs featuring lyrics that mean something. They can also improvise and jam.

Lead singer Stephan Jenkins showed off his softer side with a pair of memorable acoustic ballads. And drummer Brad Hargreaves might have given the weekend’s best drum solo during Jumper. Third Eye Blind doesn’t get enough credit, but they were always misunderstood. Their biggest hit, Semi-Charmed Life, is remembered as an upbeat pop hit, but it’s actually about crystal meth and sex addiction. Go figure.

Despite being the prime time band on the main stage, Third Eye Blind didn’t draw nearly the crowd of All-American Rejects. That’s because Girl Talk, the most unusual performers at SunFest this year, drew most of the young crowd at the south stage.

Girl Talk is one of the acts you have to see to get it. No, Girl Talk is not a Lilith Fair reunion tour. It’s the brain child of mashup artist Gregg Michael Ellis, a DJ who samples Bruce Springsteen and Elton John and Outkast and everyone else on the planet, while attractive girls dance on the stage with a skeleton that was a hologram or a LED-lit projection or something along like that. Girl Talk certainly wins the award SunFest’s best light show. It was eye candy at its best.

Pound for pound, Saturday was SunFest’s best lineup. There wasn’t a single artist who drew a Snoop Dogg like following, but there was someone for everyone. Michael Franti gave one of the best shows of the day, leaving the stage to perform right in the middle of an appreciative audience. Franti and Spearhead, long a favorite on the jam band circuit, now draw a more diverse crowd following their smash radio hit Say Hey (I Love You). Franti is perfect at turning the switch from pop to his unique blend of rock, reggae and jam. He’s no Joan Jett, but really, who is?

Photos: Saturday at SunFest | Photos: Faces and festival-goers | Schedule, full coverage

By Michael Laforgia

The sun beat down Saturday and the mercury hovered in the mid 80s, but the heat didn’t stifle the spirits of concertgoers at SunFest on the city’s waterfront.

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones perform on Saturday, May 5. (Jennifer Podis/The Palm Beach Post)

Now in its 30th year, the annual music and art festival drew thousands to downtown West Palm Beach on the event’s fourth day.

Attendees took in, variously, sets by reggae star Michael Franti, Southern rock legend The Marshall Tucker Band and ska band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.

Joan Jett and Third Eye Blind were queued up to play as things cooled down Saturday evening.

“We feel like we’re really hitting on each different market segment,” said SunFest spokeswoman Melissa Sullivan, who added: “It was a wonderful Saturday. The weather was phenomenal, the crowd has been amazing.”

Patrons also browsed tents of crafts and art for sale ranging from pointillism to paintings made by Florida’s famed Highwaymen artists.

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SunFest might have unveiled the next big thing in LP (Photo by Allen Eyestone/ Palm Beach Post)

Most TV-friendly artists need a monumental hit before their work is ingrained in pop culture.

For LP it’s happened in reverse. Laura Pergolizzi is hardly a household name. Even her stage name, LP, is off the radar.

But if you watch any TV, you’ve certainly heard her song Into the Wild, sampled for about 30 seconds in a Citibank commercial. It’s the ad with a girl triumphantly climbing to the top of mountain. And LP, who’s been around for 10 years with little recognition, could very well make her own ascension to the top.

SunFest has a history of showcasing artists like Jason Mraz just before they hit big time. LP could be the next big thing to come out of West Palm Beach’s signature music festival.

Playing on the south stage before the sun set, she didn’t draw a huge crowd on a Friday night that was overall tame compared to Thursday’s hip hop super bash. But those who did come out to see LP witnessed a performer who has that female rocker persona (she asked the crowd for a whiskey shot and she throws out F bombs) but has a sound that you can envision on the radio.

She also looks like Bob Dylan circa 1966 (or better yet a young Arlo Guthrie) with a curly fro, black vest and black plants to match. The music scene could use an LP, who channels Alanis Morissette but gives you a hint of Cindy Lauper with an overall fresh approach. Her all-male band switches it up from rock to pop to that memorable world beat from the Citibank commercial.

LP admittedly couldn’t give it her all on Friday. She was battling sickness, apologizing to the crowd several times. “I’m trying,” she pleaded. But even at 75 percent, you can see the promise. Who doesn’t like a girl rocker who can yodel?

If Thursday night was about keeping it real, Friday night was about letting loose for some weekend fun. After L.P. left the south stage, Passion Pit gave the night’s best performance.

An interesting thing has happened in the 2010s. Indie rock and electronic music have joined forces to give us a fun and refreshing sound. Call it indie dance or chill wave or whatever label best fits the genre, but it has semblances of that 1980s synthesized sound with a modern touch. The 1980s have turned into a fine wine of sorts that is better appreciated with age. And bands like Passion Pit are embracing its spirit.

Passion Pit’s lead singer, Michael Angelakos, fits the indie, hipster part. He came out in a full suit – shirt untucked – and gave an inspired upbeat performance.

He poked fun at the night’s headliner, asking the crowd, “You guys aren’t at Creed?” He was kidding. Passion Pit is much hipper than Creed, especially with the youngsters.

What makes Passion Pit work is that they bring out the glow sticks and synthesizers but still tout a full six-piece band that can rock. It’s not surprising that happy music like Passion Pit is resonating today. The economy is just starting to rebound after years of decline and Americans want fun to heal the pain. In the 1990s, when depressing grunge dominated the charts, the country was thriving. It all makes sense.

SunFest did get a taste of the ‘90s on Friday when Creed closed the night, sounding exactly like they did more than a decade ago – heavy metal that’s pop enough to chart. The Florida natives were crowd-pleasers, playing hits like Arms Wide Open and Higher. It worked for some, but it certainly didn’t have a Snoop Dogg-like effect. SunFest drew a bigger crowd on a Thursday night than it did on a Friday night, and that tells you about what people want to pay to see in South Florida.

But there was still plenty to see on Friday, and those who were there might have witnessed an artist in LP who will draw a much larger crowd in future SunFest outings.

Miami native Pitbull brings his party music to the Bank of America Stage on Sunday afternoon.

Michael Franti and Spearhead, 3:45 p.m., Bank of America stage: A fusion of world music, soul and a cry for social justice, the SunFest vets put on an electrifying live show that both challenges social divisions and also sometimes just makes you feel good, like Say Hey (I Love You).

Mighty Mighty Bosstones, 4:15 p.m., FPL stage: Speaking of feeling good, a Bosstones show is a sure-fire way to get there, fueled by enthusiastic horns, frenetic dancing, a Ska beat and the gruff voice of lead singer Dickie Barrett. Come for hits like The Impression That I Get and Rascal King and stay for the party. It’s always a good one.

The Marshall Tucker Band, 5:15 p.m., Tire Kingdom stage: Southern rock pioneers from South Carolina who helped establish the genre with a blend of blues, rock, gospel and country. Their hits include Can’t You See.

Cris Cab, 6:30 p.m., Bank of America stage: A nice boy from Miami with reggae-flavored grooves is promoting his new Echo Boom, featuring collaborations with Pharrell, Melanie Fiona, 88-Keys and more.

All-American Rejects, 7:45 p.m., Bank of America stage: They’re responsible for some of the catchier and, in parts, deceptively simple songs on the pop landscape (Gives You Hell, Move Along, It Ends Tonight.)

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, 9 p.m. Tire Kingdom stage: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-honored band, led by legendary guitarist/actor/icon Jett, brings its patented grinding, good old-fashioned sound to SunFest. I Love Rock and Roll? You know you do, too.

Third Eye Blind, 9:30 p.m., Bank of America stage: Dissonance, heart-splitting angst and a wry, sometimes brutal sense of humor are some of the trademarks of ’90s rock, and 3EB’s sound certainly fit, with hits like Semi-Charmed Life, Jumper and How’s It Gonna Be.

Girl Talk, 9:30 p.m., FPL Stage: Also known as one Gregg Gillis, Girl Talk is one of the most talked-about up-and-coming acts playing SunFest this year. An engineer by trade, Gillis is quite the technical wizard, a master of mashups, electronic and dance music. All Day, his latest album, explores his work of sampling, what his Web site calls “pop collages.”

Other acts Saturday:
BANK OF AMERICA STAGE
12:45 p.m.: Common Ground (rock)
2:15 p.m.: SOJA (reggae)
TIRE KINGDOM STAGE
2 p.m.: Shootout Winner
7:30 p.m.: We Are One (rock)
FPL STAGE
1 p.m.: Cypress (hip-hop/rap)
2:45 p.m.: Stop The Presses (pop)
6:45 p.m.: A Rocket to the Moon (pop/ alt./rock)
8 p.m.: Oval Red (hip-hop/rap)

SUNDAY
Pitbull, Bank of America stage, 3 p.m.: Miami’s own Latin hip-hop mogul, the dapper rapper rhymes in both English and Spanish and seems to be on every commercial currently playing on television. He’s also a TV host and responsible for some of the most irresistable dance grooves playing right now at a club or a party near you.

Dia Frampton, Bank of America stage, 6:30 p.m.: The wide-eyed songstress first gained fans as one-half of the band Meg and Dia, with her sister. But she gained even more ground as a contestant on the first season of NBC’s The Voice, having been championed by singer Blake Shelton. Frampton opened for Shelton and released her solo album Red last winter.

Foreigner, Tire Kingdom stage, 7 p.m.: Founder Mick Jones is the only original member of the Anglo-American band that electrified audiences in the 1970s and ’80s with Hot-Blooded, Feels Like The First Time, I Wanna Know What Love Is and Cold As Ice. But he and his new mates, including talented lead singer Kelly Hanson, hold it down nightly with the hits, and the fans love it.

Matisyahu, FPL Stage: 7:30 p.m.: Part worship and praise session, part reggae concert, part cultural meeting place, a Matisyahu show is a live experience that’s hard to replicate. The New York-born musician may have shaved his beard recently, but his honest explorations of peace, human nature and the love of God remain riveting.

The Fray, Bank of America stage, 7:45 p.m: The earnest piano rockers (How To Save A Life, Where Were You) bring a thoughtful, honest mood to pop music.

The Verizon Wireless Fireworks Show, 9 p.m. Sponsored by the Gater 98.7, SunFest’s annual final chapter lights up the night sky over the Intracoastal Waterway to some upbeat classic rock. Talk about ending on the right note.

Other Sunday highlights:
BANK OF AMERICA STAGE
1:45 p.m.: Qwote (pop)
5:15 p.m.: Ratham Stone (alternative)
6:30 p.m.: Jessie Baylin (folk rock/pop)
TIRE KINGDOM STAGE
12:30 p.m.: Cielo (latin)
2 p.m.: The Fab Four (pop)
4 p.m.: Odyssey Road (rock/tribute)
5:30 p.m.: Connor Christian & Southern Gothic (country/southern rock)
FPL STAGE
1 p.m.: Urban Gypsy (flamenco/jazz fusion)
2:30 p.m.: NEEDTO
BREATHE (rock)
4:30 p.m.: D.V.N.O (alternative)
6 p.m.: Simplified (rock)

One of my favorite stops at SunFest, besides doing my sad ’90s twirly dance up front at random shows, is the wine-tasting booth, when I trade my martini glass for a wine glass. This year, it’s sponsored by Maison Louis Jadot, and features their Beaujolais-Villages and Macon-Villages wines. It’ll be a fun respite on the long walk between musical stages, food, art and jaunts to go people-watch. And people-watching is a lot classier in French, non?

Maison Louis Jadot wine tastings, located in Trinity Park inside of SunFest, now until Sunday. See: SunFest.com

Snoop's still got it (Photo by Gary Coronado/Palm Beach Post)

Wiz Khalifa might have drawn the biggest weeknight crowd in SunFest history – until Tha Doggfather barked an hour later.

West Palm Beach’s otherwise underutilized waterfront came to life Thursday night in a huge way, with a hip hop show that turned downtown West Palm into an urban mecca.

If there’s any question what draws a crowd to Palm Beach County’s only music festival, SunFest promoters received a loud and rambunctious answer: Rap, old and new.

Early on, it looked like the hip-hop torch had been passed to Wiz Khalifa, last year’s Best New Artist at the American Music Awards. Wiz, the 24-year-old prodigy with a stick-thin frame, all-American red, white and blue saggy pants and a radio-friendly lyrical style sure to keep him in the Top 40 for years to come, blazed his way into West Palm Beach like a superstar. He arrived just two days after being arrested for his second marijuana bust in three weeks, but in the world of hip hop, that’s called street cred.

While Wiz is the new big thing on the rap circuit, Snoop Dogg – once an even younger and bigger new thing – reminded South Florida that he’s still a force.
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Once again, the Downtown Development Authority is offering a bike valet service for anyone who prefers to take a two-wheeler downtown instead of a four-wheeler for SunFest.

The service allows riders to park bikes just steps from the Clematis Street entrance, and also takes away the worry of finding a place to chain their bikes.

The service will open 30 minutes before SunFest each day and close 30 minutes after the event shuts down for the day.