Maybe you grew up, as I did, going to the beach and bringing your favorite music along for under-the-umbrella tunes. Whether it was on your Walkman, Boombox, Ipod, or through speakers linked to your latest Spotify or Apple Music playlist, a little sunshine, a little sea breeze, and great sounds were the vibe you were after.
Beach Life Festival offers those vibes and all that great music from just about anyone’s playlist live. Running on four different stages this weekend, May 3-5, the performances are varied and eclectic, from big name mainstream acts like Sting to bands with a more local SoCal following like Dirty Heads and smaller acts such as Jordana or Surfer Blood. The end result is a well executed, mellow, and super fun festival with guests able to stand or sit to the sidelines on astroturf or sand, with VIP-level front row or upper level choices also available.
We wlll be attending all weekend, and judging by Friday’s strong set list, if you can snag tickets for this weekend’s performances, you should.
Even before the music started on Friday, we enjoyed the festival.
Kinecta Credit Union handed out free ice cream truck treats; Grillo’s pickles passed out free tasty dills with a dot of dill dressing along with pickle-logo baseball caps in exchange for “riding the pickle” the equivilent of a fun kid’s pony ride outside shopping centers past, rather than a bucking bronco ride. We won a purse at a Dakine-sponsored promo game booth, tried a bag of delicious HIppeas – nacho flavored chickpea puffs, enjoyed a video walk through of surf sponsored by Gray Whale Gin, and posed for selfies at designated spots that ranged from giant Beach Life surfboards and deck chairs to a neon-lit arch telling us to “Bring the Aloha.”
Certainly the bands did. We started the day at the main stage for a jubilant, fun set by The Samples on the Hightide main stage. The band jubilant, engaging, and got the daytime attendees up and dancing with songs such as “Shine On, ” “My Town,” and “Taking Us Home. ”
The rock-pop band was a perfect, sunny-afternoon start to the day with touches of reggae in the mix.
Switching venues to the Lowtide stage – almost as big a venue as Hightide, but located close to the edge of the festival’s Seaside Lagoon location, with glimpses of the marina and a sandy audience space – we saw Bedouin Soundcloud. One of the newer acts on the roster of big stage acts, Bedouin Soundcloud is a staple of Sirius Radio’s alternative music channels.
The Canadian alt rock band played their radio hit “Mountaintop,” along with cuts from their 2022 album release “We Will Meet in a Hurricane.” Sweetly, lead singer Jay Malinowski rocked out, along with a special appearance by his sweet son and two of the little boy’s female friends for a love-fest sing-along.
Over at the Main Stage, Donavon Frankenreiter and G Love offered rousing surfer rock tinged with a bit of cowboy and hip-hop style blues, in a strong set accompanied by video projection of dancing flames.
Things were starting to get crowded at the festival, and this was a vibrant set by an accomplished, tight band.
Riptide is one of the festival’s smaller stages, with a convenient Tito’s-sponsored covered area and bar. The diminutive size didn’t mean the musical offerings were small however. Jordana was a powerful singer with a tight back-up band.
Her intimate, evocative electro-acoustic pop was hard to leave to see other acts. Her single “Safe House” was lovely. Expect to hear more from her.
City and Colour on the Lowtide stage drew a deservedly big crowd. The richly melodic Canadian act knocked it out of the ballpark with lovely, danceable songs like “Meant to Be” and the more hypnotic “Bow Down to Love” in a tight hour-plus set.
Their mix of folk and alt-rock sound is my “thing,” and although the act has been performing quite awhile, I was delighted to hear them for the first time. It won’t be my last. Lead singer/songwriter Dallas Green started the band in 2004.
Seal was a huge draw on the High Tide stage, and as sunset beckoned, this was probably the first fully packed venue. Seal remains a wildly engaging performer, bounding onto stage in a white ensemble, the jacket to which he quickly removed as he launched into hits like “Kiss from a Rose” replete with red lights and projected falling petals, and “Crazy.”
The British pop/glam rocker has deservedly won multiple Grammys, and brings joy to a stage.
The Dirty Heads over at Lowtide was equally dynamic. The SoCal favorite brought tons of fans to rock out to its reggae infused hip hop, rock, and rap.
Their hit “Vacation” was a big highlight, but darker, enigmatic rap sounds like “Medusa,” which opened the hour and 15 minute set were also strong.
Over at the Riptide meanwhile, the Florida-originated Surfer Blood rocked out on the smaller stage, serving up a harder edged version of surfer sounds with an occasional edge of metal.
The ultimate Friday act was of course headliner Sting.
With full darkness descended on the astroturf field of the Hightide main stage, the viewing area was body to body, and this was the one concert in which we were viewing close to the light booth rather than at the front. It was a vantage point from which we could see the folks in the VIP sections and sponsored and bar spaces from Jack Daniels to Skechers viewing from the elevated sidelines, and beyond them, the balconies of the Redondo Beach Sonesta Hotel jammed with viewers as well.
Sting began with tried and true favorites such “Message in a Bottle,” “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic,” and “Walking on the Moon.” It was Sting’s first performance in SoCal in some 20 years, and as such was memorable in of itself. Terrific back-up singers and big screens bursting in color and images of waves added to the fun, and while the nearly 90 minute set may have lagged a wee bit in the middle, the finish with “Roxane” and “Every Breath You Take” had the crowd singing along again.
A truly strong day of music, sunshine, and great vibes, this kid-friendly fest should be on every music lovers’ calendar. Tonight, Local Natives, DEVO, and Incubus will be rocking out; tomorrow, it will be a pleasure to see Atlas Genius and hear songs from their first new release in five years
Three-day GA and GA+ passes were listed at $399 or $549 with in and out, and VIP is available for $399 as well as single-day tickets set for $159 (GA), $229 (GA+) and $399 (VIP). If you’re looking to splurge a three-day Admirals pass starts at $995. Saturday is SOLD OUT. But Sunday is still up for grabs, and high recommends for doing so.
- Genie Davis; photos by Jack Burke