Article Contributed by L. Paul Mann
Published on 2026-09-30
Billy Idol and Eddie Vedder | photos by L. Paul Mann
The air at Doheny State Beach carried the distinct salt-and-sage scent of Southern California’s coast as the 10th-anniversary edition of Ohana Festival kicked off on Friday. Curated with precision by Eddie Vedder, the gathering continues to challenge what a major outdoor music event can represent by staying anchored in intimacy, marine conservation and grassroots community rather than commercial excess.
Early in the afternoon, Vedder set the atmosphere for the entire weekend by walking out unannounced with a ukulele to perform a serene acoustic rendition of The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun.” The sparse, uplifting moment welcomed the early beachside crowd and mirrored the shimmering light off the Pacific coastline.
Few venues rival Doheny Beach’s natural layout. Steps away from the main stages, gentle peelers broke against the sandbar all afternoon. Festivalgoers lined the shoreline perimeter, watching local surfers carve through clean, knee-to-waist-high rolling waves. The contrast between high-gain guitar amps and the ocean’s steady rhythm created an atmosphere unique to Dana Point, in which nature provided the authentic stage long before the scaffolding went up.
Tucked into the cove area, the Storytelling in the Cove Stage served as the day’s ideological heart. Between musical sets, panels featuring oceanographers, Indigenous community leaders and coastal activists took the floor, carrying the discussion from performance into public issues.
The day’s discussions tackled practical marine conservation, plastic reduction and local coastal protection initiatives. Rather than feeling like a forced side attraction, the stage drew dedicated crowds sitting in the shade, connecting the songs on the main stages to the real-world issues facing California’s coastline.
Day 1 Stage Performances
Friday’s musical curation bridged distinct genres and generations, moving from delicate alternative soul to blistering punk, retro synth-pop and arena-scale Latin rock.
Mereba: Opening the day with warm, elaborate soundscapes, Mereba’s soulful folk-R&B vocals drifted elegantly across the sand, setting a relaxed, welcoming rhythm for the afternoon.
Muttlee: Fronted by Levi Evans, the California up-and-comers delivered tight, driving indie-rock hooks and infectious melodies that quickly drew early arrivals down to the main stage barrier.
Midnight Generation: Injecting a lush burst of disco-infused synth-pop and funk, the Mexican collective had the beach crowd dancing below the afternoon sun. Their tight rhythm section, retro keys and modern production made them one of the day’s most refreshing surprises.
Otoboke Beaver: Delivering the day’s most chaotic blast of adrenaline, the Japanese punk quartet unleashed a nonstop, hyper-speed assault filled with lightning-quick breakdowns and wild theatricality.
Sugar: Bob Mould’s seminal ’90s power-pop and alternative outfit brought massive walls of distortion and driving rhythms, filling the beach air with dense, thunderous guitar textures.
Courtney Barnett: Delivering a demonstration of deadpan lyricism and raw, left-handed guitar work, Barnett kept the sunset crowd locked in with energetic, sprawling renditions of her catalog favorites.
Bad Religion: Southern California punk royalty took the stage as the sun dipped. Piercing three-part vocal harmonies combined with Greg Graffin’s cerebral lyrics—with Vedder even crashing the stage to guest on “American Jesus”—proved their urgency hasn’t dimmed.
Billy Idol: Injecting pure post-punk glamour into the evening, Idol and longtime guitar partner Steve Stevens tore through classic hits with swagger, crisp riffs, multiple costume changes and unmatched showmanship.
Maná: The legendary Mexican rock titans brought an emotional high point to the night after Vedder personally introduced them. Fusing stadium rock with Latin rhythms, their sweeping sing-alongs reverberated down the shoreline in a celebration of cross-cultural unity.
What began as an intimate Eddie Vedder & Friends set quickly turned into an incredible rock spectacle.
Vedder opened solo with intimate acoustic renditions of “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town” and “Far Behind.” The emotional core deepened when he brought out Simon Good to perform Glen Hansard’s “Song of Good Hope” as a moving tribute to the late Irish songwriter.
The crowd thundered when Billy Idol rejoined Vedder onstage. With Vedder on acoustic guitar and Idol taking lead vocals, the duo launched into a soulful cover of The Who’s “I’m One” from Quadrophenia. Vedder introduced Idol with deep reverence, celebrating their shared roots in rock history.
Vedder ended the acoustic segment with Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament on acoustic guitar for the song “Bee Girl.”
Later came the evening’s centerpiece shock: Vedder kicked into “Corduroy,” then paused to tell the crowd he needed a bit of extra help. The curtain behind him pulled back to reveal his Pearl Jam bandmates—Mike McCready, Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament—joined by a surprise guest behind a kit bearing a giant question mark on the bass drum: Abe Laboriel Jr., longtime powerhouse drummer for Sir Paul McCartney.
Marking Pearl Jam’s first performance since Matt Cameron’s departure, Laboriel Jr. brought a colossal, thundering groove to the full electric set. The band tore through heavy hitters like “Hail, Hail,” “Scared of Fear,” “Dark Matter” and “Wishlist” before closing the night with a soaring, cathartic “Baba O’Riley.” Vedder later revealed that McCartney had graciously allowed the band to “borrow” Laboriel for the weekend, turning the performance into an unforgettable moment of rock ’n’ roll camaraderie.
Eddie Vedder’s vision for Ohana has always gone far beyond a standard weekend lineup. The Hawaiian concept of Ohana—family connected by choice and united purpose—runs through every detail of the grounds.
Proceeds directly support the San Onofre Parks Foundation, Doheny State Beach Interpretive Association and various climate initiatives. By placing environmental activism and social justice alongside legendary live music, Day 1 showed that music festivals can still act as genuine catalysts for community change.
