My hometown Redondo Beach hosted its sixth annual BeachLife Festival, a three-day music festival that gathers over 30,000 people each year. This year, it kicked off on Friday, May 2, and ran through the weekend; I had the pleasure of attending on Saturday and Sunday. I’m glad I could return home to see the local community come together. Throughout the festival I found several family friends in the crowd and met other local photographers.
The first performance I saw was Sublime, which was the perfect headliner choice for a Redondo Beach festival, given the band’s Long Beach roots. As a long time Sublime fan, I’ve gotten the chance to see them perform as Sublime with Rome. I jumped at the opportunity to see the reformed band, with Jakob Nowell, filling the role of his father Bradley Nowell, the founding lead singer. At 29 years old, Jakob has a strong stage presence, showing off his own persona while embodying his father’s pitch. Additionally, the stage design included icons of Sublime’s past; a big blow-up dog, an ode to the original band mascot, Lou dog; and a red felt couch, which appeared in early Sublime photos and home videos. A mosh pit broke out halfway through the set, a wild crowd of middle-aged adults who couldn’t stop jumping not five feet from me.
On Sunday, I was excited to watch the Beach Boys with special guest John Stamos. The band seemingly has not aged a day as founding member Mike Love carries its legacy, joined by the charm and stylings of multiple backup vocalists. The crowd was dressed on theme, with flower leis and Hawaiian shirts everywhere. The Sunday bill also included Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jackson Browne, and Los Angeles indie-rock band, Mt. Joy.
Alanis Morissette closed the festival as Sunday’s headliner. A big screen projected her musical backstory, and she wore a matching bedazzled guitar and shirt, perfectly encapsulating her iconic power and raw emotion. She delivered a soul-stirring performance that electrified the crowd, leaving everyone with unforgettable memories of Morissette’s timeless voice and fierce spirit.
