(EXPERIENCE MAGAZINE) — Redondo Beach and the South Bay gathered for the 5th installment of BeachLife Festival over the weekend, SoCal’s eclectic beachfront festival at Seaside Lagoon. The talent was stellar, the booze was plentiful and despite a couple hiccups like some chillier days and an evacuation before the final three acts could close out Cinco de Mayo on Sunday night, it was still the live music party of the season. The music was once again the highlight of the three-day fest with superstar Sting lighting up Friday night, alternative rockers Incubus rumbling through on Saturday night and a host of artists impressing on Sunday before the mandatory shutdown per the Redondo Beach Police Department and the Redondo Beach Fire Department. The good news is everyone was safe. Headliner My Morning Jacket as well as Trey Anastasio & Classic Tab and Fleet Foxes never had a chance to shine under the spotlight. But there were so many memorable acts throughout the festival, Including Seal, Devo, Local Natives, Dirty Heads, City and Colour, Santigold, Pepper, Steel Pulse, Donavon Frankenreiter & G. Love, Bedouin Soundclash, The Samples, Chevy Metal, Grace McKagan, and Paul Oakenfold and Mix Master Mike were even thrown into the mix for two separate dance parties on the beach. On Sunday, the lucky bunch who did take the stage included ZZ Top, Courtney Barnett, Margo Price, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Gaby Moreno, Tito Puente Jr., BeachLife mainstay Sugar Rayand Australian band Atlas Genius.
One of the most thrilling parts of BeachLife Festival is when artists share new music with fans and that was the case for Australian indie-pop band Atlas Genius, who played new material off their forthcoming album End of the Tunnel which drops August 23. Atlas Genius lead singer Keith Jeffery spoke with the Experience Magazine following the band’s set. Regarding the song “On a Wave.” “The song’s about just letting go”, said Jeffery. “Really it’s that and another song “Don’t Let Love Be A Stranger” – they work strangely well together because they were both written prior to the pandemic, but they kind of almost hit harder now for me after, given all that we went through and where we’re at as a society, globally”.
While the super-catchy “On A Wave” didn’t make the set list, new pop/rock anthem “Don’t Let Me Be A Stranger” was performed live for only the second time ever at BeachLife. “It’s more of a downbeat, chilled song, but the lyrics really hit for me and the crowd seemed to get into it. We haven’t often written those sort of slower songs so it’s a bit of a departure for us – if you listen to our records there’s only a few slow songs”, said Jeffery.
All photos by @victoriasmithphoto
STING
ICON OF BEACHLIFE 2024
Sting‘s headlining set was a non-stop, packed collection of hits from his days with The Police to his solo records”, from the 1970s to 2000’s “Desert Rose” and most of the songs sound as timeless as ever despite having elements of punk in the 70s to new wave in the 80s to other experimental sounds.
The sweet sixteen songs included seven from The Police including fan requests, a mash-up that included a Bob Marley smash and also featured some key solo moments for all members of the band including the background singers, harmonica player, drummer and guitarist, plus Sting’s son Joe Sumner made a special appearance, but more on that later. It was also a historic evening as it was the final night the spectacular band would play together (likely due to musicians embarking on other tours and Sting’s upcoming trio tour).
Sting walked out on stage early in a casual pair of jeans and a tight t-shirt and got right to business with “Message In A Bottle”, singing from a headset for a perfect show opener all about the ocean and the beach. The band was incredible – a little reggae, a little ska, with the crowd singing “sending out an S.O.S” and Sting holding out a big note standing with his guitar as his three background singers harmonized together.
Harmonica player Shane Sager held the theme of “Englishman in New York”, with excellent reggae tinges and fantastic vocals as singers Melissa Musique and Gene Noble had a little bounce to their movements. Sting let the crowd sing part of the end “be yourself, no matter what they say”. The band was in perfect form with Kevon Webster’s piano theme for “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic”, another incredible live song with effortless, pure vocals from Sting followed by a greeting from the singer. “Thank you everybody, what a nice welcome in Redondo Beach”. He added that it was a “special” and “emotional” night as this was the last time the band would play together and the entertainer went on to introduce the talented musicians. “Can’t Stand Losing You” was apropos following his speech with the 1978 Police tune driving with a funky bass. Sting did some “yee-yo-yee-yay” call-and-response with the crowd who were eating it up as the star stood front and center on the catwalk.
He barely took a break and immediately started “If I Ever Lose My Faith In You” featuring more incredible harmonica from Sager, crisp vocals, excellent guitars, pounding drums from Zach Jones and overall, it was a wonderful tune for the band. Some gospel-flavored background vocals elevated the song with the singer repeating “If I Ever Lose My Faith” and the crowd joined in joyfully. “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free” had a funky vibe with the background performers dancing in unison with some solid harmonica followed by standout guitars from Ben Butler. “Fields Of Gold” featured Butler again on guitar, strumming the timeless ballad beautifully on the catwalk with Sting who offered a really heartfelt vocal with Musique harmonizing from the back. “Brand New Day” was a phenomenal showcase for Sager on the harmonica on the 1999 hit that originally featured Stevie Wonder. Sting made a playful teasing face as Sager ravaged his solo, living up to Wonder’s iconic part. “Heavy Cloud No Rain” was Musique’s shining moment, owning her runs as she shared the vocal with Sting.
Sting introduced “Shape of My Heart” as being about a professional gambler, adding that “all gamblers become philosophers eventually”. The romantic ballad was complete with red lighting and some delicate guitar picking, complemented by pleasant background vocals from Musique and Noble and harmonica once again, with a soulful solo vocal from Noble. The bass and drums were extra hot on the reggae-leaning “Walking on the Moon”, the early Police song with long “yo-ohs” which the crowd loved.
The background singers danced it out and the tempo changed and got even funkier. The Police’s “So Lonely” bookended a brief moment of a cover of Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry”, which was well-received from the crowd. Sting took it back to his Latin/Middle Eastern fusion hit “Desert Rose”, a tune that has not aged one day and his arms were out for a moment. It was an outstanding song to hear live with blended vocals and as inspiring as ever. “King of Pain” also sounded fresh and not one bit dated at all and surprise vocalist Joe Sumner (Sting’s son) took over the lead while a piercing guitar solo drove it home. Then a fan requested “Roxanne” and the crowd went crazy for the megahit, dancing and singing along of course while the full band worked overtime, making the song larger than life.
Sting wrapped his epic set with a truly uplifting guitar vamp and the ensemble shined on “Every Breath You Take” with Sting “whoa-whoa-oh-oh”-ing as the crowd repeated in yet another fun call-and-response. Following the song, Musique cried and hugged Noble and Sager, the band bowed together hand in hand to both sides of the stage and Sting blew a final kiss to the crowd.
For those who missed him, Sting will return to the Los Angeles area November 12, 13, 15, and 16 for the STING 3.0 Tour which includes his music performed in a trio with Chris Maas and Dominic Miller at The Wiltern.
INCUBUS
ROCKERS OF BEACHLIFE 2024
Incubus launched their Saturday night headlining set with the moody “Quicksand” opening the show with blue lighting, quickly picking up once “Nice To Know You” started with an ethereal falsetto from lead vocalist Brandon Boyd. Chris Kilmore on the turntables aided the band with a buildup and a pow as Boyd wailed away the “nice to know you” phrase with strobe lights fluttering. A magenta and blue filter silhouetted the band for much of “Anna Molly” with powerful vocals once again from Boyd. “Stellar” kicked off with its grunge-y ballad vibes before turning into a nu-metal anthem with some especially slick moments from new bass player Nicole Row. Fans sang along to this one as molecular bits bounced around the screen.
The spotlights circulated during “Sick Sad World” as aggressive and antagonizing guitar and drums drove the tune and a guitar instrumental from Mike Einziger made this one feel very much alive. Props must be given to the lighting designer who blended artistic images while silhouetting the band somewhat throughout the set, giving the show different dimensions.
Red and black were prominent during the powerful tune “Circles” with equally impressive lighting and water color style visuals blending the band as they hit their stride with a hot live moment. “Thank you, love you guys”, said Boyd. “The Warmth” had its psychedelic and trippy effects and synth sound as fluid oil spill imagery floated across the screen. The camera captured super cool angles of drummer José Pasillas and a warped instrumental brought the tune to a crescendo.
Following “Pardon Me” and “Karma, Come Back”, Incubus delighted the crowd with three fantastic covers sprinkled among their own songs and hits including The Beatles’ “Come Together”, with a dramatic drum section from Pasillas again and Boyd was dialed in, squatting while he sang the iconic lyrics.
Portishead’s “Glory Box” was unexpected and wonderful with the band completely making the song their own; it was trippy and psychedelic and the band brought all the stops on making this one memorable.
Finally Incubus raised the bar on a rocked up David Bowie cover of “Let’s Dance”, bringing a totally different vibe to the show The Calabasas band’s first #1 hit “Drive” was of course a highlight of the night and on “Wish You Were Here”, the pounding drums and prominent guitars backed Boyd’s warm rock vocals well.
Incubus took the mood to a serene level for their closing song, “Aqueous Transmission”, showing off another facet of their artistry before the crowd dispersed to end night two of BeachLife.
SEAL
SHOWMAN OF BEACHLIFE 2024
Seal was the surprise showstopper of the festival this year, rocking a white jacket and white pants with a silver shirt underneath. With just ten songs, he really gave them some legs, covering a variety of material with different moods as well as speaking to the audience in perhaps the most raw and authentic speech of the fest.
The British musician started off with a cover of 1973 T. Rex glam rock song “20th Century Boy”, with lots of twang from the guitars as the singer was center stage holding the mic stand. Following the song, he yelled to the crowd, simply, “California!” Dance-pop tune “The Beginning” brought some tempo in another way, with Seal’s hands up as he serenaded the crowd and got them double-clapping by the end.
With guitar in hand, Seal had some silky smooth vocals on “Deep Water”, a ballad with many warm hues and light drums, while two of the musicians offered background harmonies, and later the artist danced and clapped along, arms out singing again.
On the early 90s tune “Future Love Paradise”, Seal shared the first of many inspiring words, “the next song is about the way I see you right now”. Some catchy “na-na-na-nas” were offered to the audience in a lively call-and-response. Seal mentioned that over the years fans would come up to him letting him know how his music helped them. He also waxed about numerous artists who he admired like CSN, Joni Mitchell, Sly & The Family Stone, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Zeppelin anad Hendrix. Next was a cover of “Bonny” by new wave band Prefab Sprout, performed with an organic acoustic guitar.
Seal’s mid-90s “Bring It On” was inspiring; he grabbed a fan’s hand in the front while crouching down, voice soaring while dancing again with his arms out and balanced well with a big guitar solo. Seal pointed to his guitarist, mesmerized and did another “bring it on” call-and-response that was well-received by the crowd, with a growl in his voice for a moment. The crown jewel was next, and Seal told a brief story about being asked to do the song for a Joel Schumacher film starring Val Kilmer and Nicole Kidman – the song of course being “Kiss From A Rose” for Batman Forever. There were collective chills felt during the spectacular, Grammy-winning song. The “la-da-das” at the top alone were spine-tingling and the song really came to life with Seal’s unique and timeless vocal. “Oh-oh-ohs” from the crowd felt like a choir. ADAMSKI’s “Killer” offered dramatic chords, with reds and blues on stage, bringing a dance party element to the field with the crowd jumping to the techno-rock song.
Seal came down to the crowd level for this song and the other final tunes, making his way to the middle for the driving 90s song “Crazy”, with such a strong groove. It was therapeutic dancing along to this forever-bop. He talked to the fans once more, saying, “When I feel lost or detached or I’ve lost my sense of purpose, I realize that by coming here tonight and performing with you and seeing love on your face and empathy in your eyes, how essential it is for me and us to have that sense of purpose”. Seal concluded with the uplifting pop-rock feel-good anthem “Love’s Divine” from the middle of the crowd and during the otherworldly, piercing but sweet piano theme, made his way back up to the stage.
ST. PAUL & THE BROKEN BONES
VOICE OF BEACHLIFE 2024
Lead singer Paul Janeway was in all black with his arms out like James Brown for the start of his band St. Paul & The Broken Bones’ opening, with eight musicians in total on stage including three horns. “Flow With It (You Got Me Feeling Like)” was the soulful opener with showman Janeway wailing away and the horns echoing with panache. The Birmingham, AL band continued with “Call Me”, with the frontman dancing with frantic conviction between his amazing belts. One of the most impressive vocals during the set was “Grass Is Greener”, with Janeway at the mic stand, giving killer falsetto, and later on his hands and knees and his hand up as he cry-sang his heart out.
If nothing else, this was the one that the audience could really feel something. Newer 2023 song “Wolf in Rabbit Clothes” had a funk pulse and some jazzy elements, danceable and sexy, with an insane instrumental break and amazing horns including solos from the trombone, saxophone and trumpet as well as a hot band outro.
Janeway emerged back on stage in sparkling robe with his hand up for “Like a Mighty River”, he screamed, pulled the robe playfully over his head at one point and another massive instrumental illustrated just how incredible the band is. The pure disco-rock song “Apollo” was a total crowd pleaser, with Janeway hitting a super high note, the crowd cheered him on and he did a friendly “I love you baby” call-and-response with the revelers as the band cooked on this big song. “Thank you so much for being here and taking the time to listen to us”, said Janeway. He mentioned that the band’s journey started 12 years prior and in honor of their years together, they played early hit and perhaps signature song “Broken Bones and Pocket Change”, sounding forever timeless on the throwback R&B-style tune. Janeway got on the stage floor, laying down, wailing.
DIRTY HEADS
VIBE OF BEACHLIFE 2024
Huntington Beach’s Dirty Heads displayed their own unique blend of alternative hip-hop-meets-reggae-rock fusion, a welcome sound at BeachLife. They packed eighteen songs including the percussion-heavy “Medusa” with an eight-piece band and both rappers Dirty J and Duddy B alternated their non-stop vocals. Both took turns on the catchy “Bum Bum” with the two live horns going strong, while the two percussionists Jon Olazabal and Matt Ochoa brought the groove and made it danceable. “Franco Eyed” was trippy as hell with a hip-hop beat and moments of reggae while “Silence” had an almost orchestral sound, blended with the rap-rock intensity that felt like a nightmare or weird dream with really good dynamics. It was proof that a song doesn’t have to be loud to be impactful.
“That’s All I Need” was a lighter, fun, reggae-pop moment with equally-strong horns followed by a cover of Joe Walsh’s “Life’s Been Good”. Dirty Heads also impressed with their timeless “Lay Me Down” and their set included popular tracks like the soulful “My Sweet Summer”, the California-ready “Rescue Me” and the inescapable horn-blasting “Vacation”.
MARGO PRICE
STORYTELLER OF BEACHLIFE 2024
Nashville-based outlaw country singer-songwriter Margo Price was delightful from start to finish with 10 songs during her set including a new one off a film soundtrack. Price was the storyteller of the festival, adorned in a short floral dress and black boots. Her clear, folky voice had outlaw conviction with sweet Americana, leaving the mic stand with a hand up to work the crowd and emphasizing the lyric ‘take your best shot” on “Been to the Mountain”.
With honky tonker “Weakness”, her inviting tone emerged and the rock and blues elements from the band were coupled with harmonies from one of her guitarists. Price’s swagger was elevated on “Four Years of Chances”, a cool blues song with some sick organ and guitar with incredible solo moments from various band members. She had a steady bounce when performing and the dynamics on this one were solid, with her voice soaring at the end.
An unknown song about “dreaming all day in a trailer park” was happy and carefree and then she addressed the crowd saying, “We flew at 3:30 in the morning to be with you here today”, followed by applause from the crowd. The guitars were darker on “Change of Heart”, a super cool rock mid-tempo that has some 90s elements, followed by the heartfelt ballad “County Road”. The harmonica added a wonderful bluesy texture to “Tennessee Song”, balancing Price’s sweet melody.
Price worked the stage with tambourine in hand for the newer “Shelter Me”, an infectious blues-rock song with pretty falsetto, and three band members harmonized beautifully, plus there was a hot guitar solo. She shared that the song was a part of the new T Bone Burnett-curated soundtrack for indie film Downtown Owl. “Cocaine Cowboys” had the old-time country vibe that Price is suited so naturally for, with an appealing vocal and excellent phrasing throughout.
The band’s instrumental section was special here, highlighting the organ and guitars while Price took a moment banging on the drumset like a pro. The tambourine had broken in half at this point, but Margo Price shook it anyway during the powerful vocal on “A Little Pain”, with sultry phrasing, stellar blues guitar and she was on her knees at one point during a muffled mic effect. Price threw a dozen roses out into the crowd at the end of her phenomenal set.
The TASTEMAKERS OF BEACHLIFE 2024 were definitely Los Angeles-based band Local Natives, who have layered harmonies, multiple vocalists and solid songwriting. Standout moments included 2022 mid-tempo earworm “Just Before The Morning” as well as blues-rock standout “Coins”. Psychedelic, indie-rocker “April” and pop-rock confection “NYE” and 2019 falsetto-happy ballad “When Am I Gonna Lose You” rounded out a stellar showcase of Local Natives’ versatility as a band.
Philadelphia electronic-rock/hip-hop talent Santigold was the ARTISTIC MOMENT OF BEACHLIFE 2024 with a similar stage setup to what was enjoyed at Pasadena’s Just Like Heaven festival in 2022, but perhaps more elevated. Joined by two musicians as well as two backup singer/dancer hybrids who wore white sunglasses and never broke their serious character, Santigold’s duds were a sheer all-white number, opening with big hit “L.E.S. Artistes”. The funk-leaning “Shake” found the two sidekicks catching Santi in their arms and the performers shook tambourines at one point and later pounded their fists in the air.
Santigold smiled from cheek to cheek for much of her set, clearly enjoying herself. “Disparate Youth” never disappoints and the performers hit their poses and creative angles and moves as Santigold effortlessly sang through her dubtronica tune with some reggae tinges. She flew her hands out to the fans like she was passing along her magic.
BeachLife excels in some creative musical pairings and the COLLABORATION OF BEACHLIFE 2024 was for sure G. Love and Donavon Frankenreiter, who were all kinds of carefree funk and bluesy fun.
They featured some excellent vocalists like the jazzy inflections of Hawaii native Ron Artis II as well as Hermosa Beach band Fortunate Youth’s frontman, Dan Kelly. G. Love owned the harmonica on several songs including the funky “Move By Yourself” with an alluring vocal from Frankenreiter. Another shining moment for G. Love on the harmonica was on the duo’s cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Miss You”. Frankenreiter’s “It Don’t Matter” was another highlight, closing out the set with a loose feeling and the fans singing the song title along with the band.
Elsewhere, ZZ Top were firecrackers, donning their sequined outfits and signature beards for 70s and early 80s smashes like “Sharp Dressed Man”, “La Grange” and the inescapable “Gimme All Your Lovin’”. They were the THROWBACKS OF BEACHLIFE 2024 and so were DEVO who brought their new wave vibes with 80s classic “Whip It” as well as the catchy “Girl U Want”.
Hawaiian reggae-rock band Pepper were all kinds of fun, Courtney Barnett served up some always-consistent indie rock and hair in the face and Gaby Moreno performed beautifully in both Spanish and English.
Throughout the fest, attendees could pop in and out of the Tito’s Riptide Stage to hear everyone from Tito Puente Jr. to Grace McKagan. They could cross over the beach to the well-branded SpeakEasy Stage presented by Grillo’s Pickles to hear a variety of talent, grab a tasty pickle, sit atop a pickle ride as well as experience some late-night fun from Mix Master Mike and Paul Oakenfold.
The most decadent-sounding beverage Gelato Water sponsored the LowTide Stage and could be seen throughout the festival, with artists drinking out of the pink cans (but it simply tastes like water!) and Subaru Pacific HighTide Stage had a lot of hitmakers gracing the stage. Other memorable giveaways included Hippeas chickpea puffs, Kinecta Federal Credit Union’s always fun ice cream truck and perhaps the food vendor of the festival was Sunday at Captain Kidd’s Fish Market & Restaurant, where hundreds of festival goers gathered, socialized, threw back some wine or beer and made a friend (or five) over some chowder or fish tacos while they awaited the news on the evacuation. It was a wrap after an hour or so, but here’s to hoping My Morning Jacket, Trey Anastasio & Classic Tab and Fleet Foxes are booked in 2025!
BeachLife Ranch, the country/Americana/folk-leaning offshoot of BeachLife Festival has taken place in the fall for two consecutive years, launching in 2022 and continuing in 2023, however this year it will pause and return in 2025. The brand will focus its efforts on BeachLife Grotto restaurant, opening later this month as well as CA Surf Club, opening later this year. BeachLife Festival will also return in spring 2025.
