“What a great place for a concert,” singer-guitarist Nick Hexum of 311 told the large crowd that had gathered on the sand at Redondo Beach’s Seaside Lagoon on Friday.
The rock band hit the Lotide stage with “Beautiful Disaster” at sunset on the first evening of the three-day Beachlife Festival. Suddenly the cool wind, blowing with shades of orange, yellow and pink that colored the sky, didn’t lose sight of Hexum & Co., who in the moment paused to breathe.
By the beginning of the afternoon, the venue was packed with fans who had finally made their way into the festival, many of whom noted that they would leave early to start a three-day weekend of music, each day as headliners. Weezer, The Smashing Pumpkins and the Steve Miller Band. With cold beverages, expensive pizza slices and other portable fest delicacies, patrons walked back and forth between the two main stages and made a few pit stops to enjoy some of the smaller attractions along the way.
While 311 pulled through a pretty flawless set filled with hits like “Come Originals,” “Down,” “Do You Right,” popular covers of The Cure’s “Lovesong,” and hits like “Sunset in July” and “Too Late” Rocket from. “Friday’s headliner Weezer’s Turn was plagued by a sound problem. The Hightide Stage, the fest’s second main stage, located close to civilization on a vast bed of fake grass, remained at a fairly low volume throughout the day.
While this was a good volume for bands such as Dreamers and Milky Chance, it was a huge noisy later in the day as Black Pumas vocalist Eric Burton’s soulful delivery was lost in the increasing noise pollution.
By the time Weiser took the stage, he was quiet, even directly in front of the band and behind the soundboard. As the people fired the “hash pipe”, the crowd singing along, easily ejected them. As they launched in “Beverly Hills,” fans started chanting “Turn it on!” Raise more!” Some patrons opted to move closer to the stage, but the volume did not increase as they were packed and squished together.
It wasn’t until after Weezer burst through Metallica’s cover of “Enter Sandman”—arguably the quietest cover of that song ever performed live—that the festival’s techno crew began to mess with the sound. Although it didn’t change much, it was a little faster on either side of the stage. Despite the low voice murmurs, fans still danced and sang along.
Like 311, Weezer’s set featured big hits like “Buddy Holly,” “Pork and Beans,” “El Scorcho” and “Undone – The Sweater Song” as well as “The Good Life,” “All My Favorite Songs”. were involved. “Feels Like Summer” and the brand new “A Little Bit of Love”, which the band withdrew in March.
Earlier in the day, the Cold War kids of Long Beach were impressive on the Lotide stage, where fans raced through the thick sand and blazing straight to hear songs like “Hang Me Up Too Dry,” “We Use to Vacation.” He stood in the sun. “Can We Stop?” and a rocked out cover of Rihanna’s “Love on the Brain.”
One of the biggest musical highlights of the day was courtesy of Los Angeles pop indie band Cannons, which really moved the crowd with songs like “Fire for You” and “Bad Dream.” Singer Michelle Joy enthralled the audience and inspired them to clap and sing on the cover of Harry Styles’ hit “Golden”.
Aside from offerings in the two main stages, there’s a lot more to discover at Beachlife. Curated by Pennywise frontman Jim Lindbergh, the shaded and cozy speakeasy is located in the corner of the venue, which also opened the festival on Friday. The small Riptide stage, located near the entrance of the venue, also offered some fun action for those who went a little overboard. Although the sets of 311 and Cold War Kids competed for straight time, hundreds of fans split up to watch The Agrolights and Long Beach Dub Allstars.
And musical talent wasn’t just on display this year, thanks to the punk rock and paintbrush art exhibit, located next to the Speakeasy Stage. The exhibition, which attracted curious crowds throughout the day, is made up of dozens of paintings, photographs, drawings and other artifacts created by musicians and artists inspired by the music.
“It just shows the talent of these musicians that might otherwise go unnoticed,” said art show curator Emily Nielsen while standing near the stage on Friday afternoon. “And we add culture to the festival so that it’s not just about the music.”
Hung on temporary walls, the artwork included pieces from musicians such as Eric Sandin, drummer of punk rock band NOFX, who created portraits and other images on surfboards, including Frankenstein’s face, on the festival’s pop-up art display. was hanging. , Also on display was the work of Jurassic 5’s Chali 2na, whose realistic portraits of faces were a crowd favorite.
“It’s amazing how beautiful these are. I am a fan of Jurassic 5 and never knew he was such a talented painter,” said Torrance resident Jason Withero, as he admired some of the composer’s pieces.
Other artwork that attracted much attention was a painting by Escondido-based ballpoint pen artist and skater Paul Kobriger, who created portraits of musicians such as Mike Ness of Social Distortion, which was on sale for $150, as well as images of Tom Watts. She was too. Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson, whom they smoked a joint with.
Staff writer Richard Guzman contributed to this report.
beachlife festival
When: May 13
Where: Beach Lagoon, Redondo Beach
next: With The Smashing Pumpkins, The Steve Miller Band, Sheryl Crow, Vance Joy, Stone Temple Pilots, Lord Huron, UB40 and more, the fest will run from May 14-15.