Weezer, Smashing Pumpkins, Steve Miller Band Bring BeachLife To Brink Of Festival Favorites [Videos]

Joe Russo’s Practically Useless had just begun to groove through their set-opening rendition of “Shakedown Street” when an trustworthy-to-goodness little bit of the beach existence visited them onstage at BeachLife Festival in Redondo Seaside.

Not a crusty surfer-turned-coastal retiree, however BeachLife attracted (and proceeds to entice) plenty of individuals. Not a fisherman or a boardwalk busker, either, albeit not also far off.

In its place, above the crowd and onto the stage flew a large pelican that landed briefly by the side of (seemingly befuddled) guitarist and vocalist Scott Metzger, just before bounding off once more toward the horizon.

The environmentally minded may possibly place to these kinds of a sight as additional evidence of humanity’s inexorably damaging march across every single inch of terrain. But for that pelican—and, perhaps, for the thousands of songs enthusiasts who witnessed it—the instant served as a reminder of the harmony that can be identified when merging humankind and mother nature, especially when there are friendly tunes and even friendlier vibes included.

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In just three iterations spanning pre- and trans-pandemic time, BeachLife has managed to embed by itself in its environment to come to be a staple of a local community and its calendar.

That closeness to the vibe stems, in portion, from the festival’s roots at founder Allen Sanford’s Saint Rocke, the now-defunct live new music bar and club just a stone’s toss from King Harbor. In outliving (and outstripping) its origins, BeachLife has develop into a pitch-fantastic reflection of and for its surroundings.

The group, not compared with the general population of Los Angeles’ South Bay, skews older and whiter than that of larger sized festivals like Coachella, Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo. Maybe there’s some chicken-and-egg to that, given that individuals are the forms of spectators whose preferences sit closest to the sonic cross-area of ‘70s classic rock, ‘90s alt-rock, and reggae that comprised the core of BeachLife’s most current lineup.

Then all over again, it is just as possible, if not moreso, that the organizers understood their audience and played to them. To that end, they once once again nailed approximately each factor of the party.

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Friday noticed a smattering of reggae from The Long Beach front Dub All-Stars and The Aggrolites, as effectively as some more recent, edgier vibes from the likes of Black Pumas and Germany’s Milky Possibility, just before ceding to the alt glory of Cold War Youngsters and Weezer. The latter hit their audience’s collective psychographic profile even far more on the nose with a shockingly throttling rendition of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” in among these kinds of Weezer-iffic criteria as “Undone”, “Say It Ain’t So”, “Beverly Hills”, “Buddy Holly”, and, of training course, their fully assimilated deal with of Toto’s “Africa.”

Saturday introduced a likewise curated blend of musical magic to the Redondo Beach Pier. Sugar Ray and Artwork Alexakis from Everclear did their part to rep the pop rock of the ‘90s and early 2000s, with further assist from Phantom Planet, of The O.C. fame. Capital Towns and Vance Pleasure catered to those extra curious about mainstream youthful music. Reggae came by way of Matisyahu and Michael Franti & Spearhead. And in the spirit of more difficult rock, the most current rendition of Stone Temple Pilots gave way to a head-banging, evening-ending set from The Smashing Pumpkins—though even Billy Corgan dove headfirst into the current fact of Gen X when he brought his son, August Juppiter Corgan, onstage to witness daddy at operate.

Appear Sunday, regardless of what residual angst remained on the sand of the Lowtide Stage experienced melted absent beneath waves of effortless listening. From the reggae revival of UB40 and the brass-tastic rhythms of Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe and Ozomatli, to homages to rock royalty courtesy of JRAD, Cubensis and the Devon Allman Job to the folksier inner thoughts of Sheryl Crow and Lord Huron, just about every ear was awash in the glory of great vibes.

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And that was before Steve Miller Band closed out the proceedings with a monitor list that served to make rock traditional, including “Fly Like an Eagle”, “Jungle Love”, “Take the Dollars and Run”, “Jet Airliner”, “Rock’n Me”, and, of study course, “The Joker”.

All of this sweet, sweet tunes came amid the now-common milieu that BeachLife has fastened for its significantly faithful patrons. The steps among the sand at Lowtide and the turf at Hightide have been easy plenty of on the legs—certainly much more workable than the huge expanses that today’s mega-festivals are inclined to deal with. People hunting to take pleasure in some enjoyable appears with their foods and artwork could accomplish both at Riptide, wherever Cubensis place forth its handles of the Grateful Dead, and Speakeasy, where by tidy functions performed to even tidier attendees.

In concerning could be located familiar competition fare from the likes of Spicy Pie, The Middle Feast and The Berlin Truck, amid a very long, delicious checklist of foods from near and far. For people with additional culinary curiosity (and even additional to commit), there had been catered foods at the Daou SideStage Working experience, along with treats and eats galore at the numerous other VIP and private cabana encounters on supply all over the Seaside Lagoon.

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In truth, it did not take prolonged for the folks guiding BeachLife Competition to dial in the perfect reside music occasion for the South Bay. When once again, they managed to merge a terrific lineup with a loved ones-pleasant ambiance, in a room which is significant sufficient for both equally but not so massive as to be a load to individuals clomping around in flip-flops.

Just how dialed-in BeachLife truly is will be viewed this September, when the festival branches into BeachLife Ranch, with Corridor & Oates, The Lumineers, Brandi Carlile, Wilco and Dierks Bentley slated among the headliners.

On the other hand considerably BeachLife expands its model in the decades to arrive, it can—like a lot of of the excellent festivals in circulation today—claim to be a glove-like suit for the folks and the community that comprise its environment, together with the occasional stop by from nearby wildlife.