Day 3 of Beachlife Festival did not start off like the previous days. As I walked down to the festival, a helicopter was circling the Redondo Beach Pier, asking people to evacuate. Another festival attendee informed me there was potentially an active shooter on the pier. Yikes!
Police were swarming the area around the festival, preventing people from going any further south. The line to enter the fest was already forming, so I got in. And waited. The two hours that followed in line let us get to know other people in line, and the festival volunteers kindly brought out bottles of water to those waiting. As it got closer to 2pm, we were finally brought in, though it wasn’t clear if the bands meant to go on earlier were cut or not.
Thankfully, the fest managed to push all the sets for the day, so I was able to catch indie rockers Dogpark. I had listened to the band’s new EP, but seeing them in live definitely elevated my opinion of the group. Their singer has an incredible voice – one just as suited to R&B as indie rock, giving songs like “Washington Square Park” a soulful edge, while the band laid down smooth, funky rhythms as easily as Strokes-style rockers. My friend joining me at the set was instantly won over, and I was certainly dancing along to “Dive Bar Named Nirvana.” The crowd for the band on the Riptide stage was sizable, boding good things to come for the group.
Getting a handle on the new start times for each act, we moved to the High Tide stage, while grooving to the sounds of the Buena Vista Social Club on the Low Tide. More dancing was to come for Poolside‘s set. While I had seen the group back in 2023 at the Bellwether, their sound is far better suited for a daytime, outdoor stage like Beachlife Festival. The vibes were peak, as the group’s sunny, indie chill tracks like “Ride With You” and “Feel Alright” made the audience feel like they were basking in the sun (even though it was overcast throughout the day). The band also premiered a couple new songs, including their upcoming single featuring Thunder Jackson (who I had met a creatives dinner in the Hollywood Hills years back shortly after he had moved to Los Angeles – nice to see things going well for him). Frontman Jeffrey Paradise dedicated “Around the Sun” to his parents who were in the audience, before closing out their set with their hit cover of Neil Young‘s “Harvest Moon.”
While I was interested in seeing Peach Pit, I decided to watch the Canadian band’s set on the High Tide screen to have a good spot for Sheryl Crow’s set. While not the same as seeing them in the flesh, the group’s hooky blend of indie rock sounded great even from across the festival.
Sheryl Crow is one of those artists who you may often forget has as many hit songs as she does. Well, she reminded the large audience in attendance why she was one of the biggest acts of the 90’s and early 2000’s. After starting her set with the bluesy rocker “A Change Would Do You Good” and the country track “Can’t Cry Anymore,” she pulled out her first 90’s hit “All I Wanna Do.” Pure audience singalong. She pulled out the soundtrack hit “Real Gone,” “My Favorite Mistake” and one of the first smashes I had forgotten about – “Leaving Las Vegas.”
Crow got personal discussing her battles with depression, and how it inspired “Cross Creek Road,” and pulled out her hit cover of Cat Stevens’ “The First Cut is the Deepest.” While I found myself being pulled across the festival to get a good spot for My Morning Jacket, I couldn’t leave until Crow played “If It Makes You Happy,” a staple of alternative radio back in the day. While I was surprised she left out “Strong Enough,” she did close out with another hit I had forgotten about, “Every Day is a Winding Road.” That it is.
While I had planned to see My Morning Jacket at Beachlife two years prior, their set was canceled due to high winds, so this was their redo. When the first up-swing notes of “Off the Record” started (the first song of theirs I ever heard), I was onboard. The band’s reputation as a fantastic live act held up, as they turned even short pop rock nuggets like their opener into extended jams. Jim James and company did an incendiary take of “Laylow” and then a hymn-like “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth).”
The passion and skill in their performance was fantastic. “Time Waited” sounded incredible. Almost spiritual. That aura kept up for “Golden,” before the band took things into funkier directions with “Everyday Magic.” While the remainder of the set were tracks I was not as familiar with (I was hoping for “I’m Amazed,” but oh well), the group was still a powerful live force that knew how to meld hippie aesthetic with southern jam band style.
When the original end time of Day 3 was 9pm, I was happy because I could stay for all of James Taylor‘s set. But with the push of times, Taylor’s set didn’t start until 8:30pm, and I had personal obligations to get back for. I was thrilled that Taylor began his set with “Mexico,” my favorite song of his. The legendary folk songwriter showed off his wry sense of humor, while also delivering personal stories about his battles with addiction and how they inspired songs like “T-Bone” and how the death of John Belushi played into “That Why I’m Here.”
Taylor played a lovely rendition of “Millworker” (from a Broadway show that ran for 2 days), and then the fluffy, feel-good “Shower the People.” As it hit 9pm, I sadly had to make my way back to the car and say goodbye to Beachlife Festival for another year. On the way back, I speculated who they should book for next year. Names like Tears for Fears came to mind, and Hayley Williams would be welcome. But with all the factors that go into making a festival like this happen, there are too many variables to consider. I’ll wait to be surprised.
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