Article Contributed by L. Paul Mann
Published on 2026-05-13
Sunday at Seaside Lagoon: A Tale of Resilience and Melodies - James Taylor | photos by L. Paul Mann
The final day of BeachLife Festival 2026 began with uncertainty. Early Sunday, a security threat at Redondo Beach Pier prompted an evacuation as police and K-9 units responded. For hours, the festival’s finale hung in the balance. But by 1:45 p.m., the “all clear” was given. The gates reopened, and the South Bay crowd poured back into Seaside Lagoon, undeterred by the delay and ready to reclaim the day.
With a compressed schedule, the festival slowly regained its rhythm. The early acts helped reset the mood. Chris Pierce delivered soulful Americana with “American Silence,” grounding the afternoon with warmth and purpose. Soon after, Daniel Bonte brought a country-rock edge to the HighTide stage, proving that a little Nashville swagger belongs just fine in the South Bay sun. He was followed by Dogpark, whose fresh indie-pop energy matched the festival’s discovery-minded spirit.
Meanwhile, over at the Riptide stage, Righteous Waves offered a lively mid-afternoon soundtrack. The band’s surf-rock grooves energized the crowd and helped push the day fully back into motion.
Buena Vista Orchestra brought Havana rhythms to the LowTide stage, offering a lively salsa contrast to the rock-heavy lineup. The atmosphere took a sharp turn toward celebration when the 12-piece ensemble arrived. This was not merely a tribute; it was a living, breathing continuation of Cuban son and danzón traditions.
The stage became a sea of percussion, brass, and classic acoustic instrumentation. From the first notes of “Chan Chan,” the crowd seemed transported from a California beach to a 1940s Havana dance hall. The polyrhythmic pull of the double bass and the bright staccato of the trumpets turned the sand into one massive, swiveling dance floor.
The performance was anchored by veteran musicians whose collective experience spans decades. A particularly poignant moment arrived during “Dos Gardenias,” when the lead vocalist’s weathered, soulful delivery quieted the festival chatter, proving that the emotional weight of these songs transcends any language barrier.
The energy ramped back up with “El Cuarto de Tula,” featuring a blistering percussion solo that showcased the incredible chemistry of the rhythm section. For a festival often dominated by high-gain guitars and indie vocals, the organic acoustic warmth of Buena Vista Orchestra felt like a welcome masterclass in musicality.
The energy continued to build as “Daytime Disco” kings Poolside took over the HighTide stage, creating a seamless transition into late afternoon with their signature chill-wave beats. Their set felt like a unified breath for the 40,000-strong crowd.
Following that, Peach Pit, led by Neil Smith’s eccentric charm, kept the energy youthful and vibrant, carrying the day’s dreamy interlude toward the evening’s main events.
Expectation peaked for the final three-act run, and the closing stretch proved worthy of the wait. While My Morning Jacket brought the fire and James Taylor brought the calm, Sheryl Crow provided the high-energy bridge that pulled the entire Sunday crowd together.
Taking the HighTide stage at 6:00 p.m., just as the twilight breeze began to kick in, Crow delivered an exceptional showcase of American pop-rock, reminding everyone why she remains such a natural festival mainstay.
Dressed in a metallic vest and well-worn denim, Crow projected a cool, effortless rock-star charisma. She opened with “A Change Would Do You Good,” immediately locking in with her tight-knit band. The shift from the morning’s police-mandated tension to Crow’s contagious optimism was noticeable. By the time the first chorus of “All I Wanna Do” hit, the earlier delays felt like a distant memory.
Her set was remarkably balanced, mixing the gritty, blues-infused rock of “My Favorite Mistake” with the pure radio sunshine of “Soak Up the Sun.” Crow’s band, featuring longtime collaborators like guitarist Peter Stroud, lent a muscular edge to her ’90s anthems, making sure they sounded fresh rather than merely nostalgic.
The set reached its peak with “If It Makes You Happy,” a full-crowd catharsis that sent nearly 40,000 voices carrying the chorus back over the harbor waters. She closed with the stomping energy of “Everyday Is a Winding Road,” leaving the stage with a look that signaled the festival’s final stretch was in good hands.
If James Taylor provided the festival’s sunset-soaked heartbeat, My Morning Jacket acted as its wild, psychedelic soul. Taking the stage just as the last hints of sunlight faded, Jim James and his crew transformed Seaside Lagoon into a whirling cauldron of reverb and rock-and-roll mysticism.
From the moment James stepped out, draped in a characteristic shimmering poncho, the atmosphere shifted from beach party to interstellar voyage. The band opened with the slow-burn intensity of “Victory Dance,” James’ ethereal vocals bouncing off the harbor walls before they launched into the galloping rhythm of “Circuital.”
The middle of the set was where the all-star musicianship truly shone. During an expansive, nearly 15-minute rendition of “Phone Went West,” the band embraced its jam-band sensibilities, weaving in a snippet of George Harrison’s “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth),” a poignant nod to the day’s earlier security tensions that resonated strongly with the crowd.
The energy reached a fever pitch during the closing stretch. The twin-guitar attack of James and Carl Broemel during “Mahgeetah” was a highlight, but it was the set-closer, “One Big Holiday,” that genuinely stole the weekend. The iconic opening riff struck like lightning, triggering the largest mosh pit the Redondo Beach sand had seen all year. It was a loud, triumphant, cathartic wall of sound, the kind of performance that makes the case for My Morning Jacket as one of the best live touring acts in the country right now.
Victory Dance
Off the Record
Lay Low
Phone Went West, including “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)” snippet
Golden
Circuital
Touch Me I’m Going to Scream, Pt. 2
Mahgeetah
One Big Holiday
While some of the James Taylor crowd seemed caught off guard by the sheer volume and space-rock intensity, by the time the feedback faded on the final song, the entire lagoon seemed to be in a trance. It was the perfect high-octane bridge between Sheryl Crow’s radio-ready anthems and Taylor’s gentle finale.
As the sun dropped below the horizon Sunday evening, Seaside Lagoon felt less like a festival ground and more like a massive family reunion. James Taylor did not merely play a set; he offered a communal sigh of relief for a crowd that had started the day behind police tape and uncertainty.
Entering to a standing ovation, Taylor appeared as the quintessential “Captain of the Coast,” waving his hat in a triumphant greeting. He was backed by his legendary All-Star Band, a group so tight they functioned more like an orchestra than a rock ensemble. The rhythm section, anchored by iconic drummer Steve Gadd and bassist Jimmy Johnson, provided a core warmth that made even the largest festival stage feel intimate.
The set was a masterful balance of BeachLife energy and meditative folk. Taylor leaned into his more rhythmic, island-style catalog early on. “Mexico” was a standout, featuring soaring harmonies and tropical percussion from Luis Conte that had the audience swaying under the illuminated palms.
Taylor’s voice remains remarkably preserved. His warm baritone carried over the Pacific breeze with a clarity that made every lyrical story land with emotional precision. Whether he was joking about the morning’s delays or introducing Lou Marini for a soulful sax solo during “How Sweet It Is,” his presence became the anchoring force the festival needed to bring its three-day marathon to a close.
Taylor’s setlist was a curated trip through five decades of American songwriting, leaning heavily on the hits that shaped the troubadour era while still allowing space for soulful grooves.
Country Road
Mexico
Sweet Baby James
Fire and Rain
Carolina in My Mind
Up on the Roof
Shower the People
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)
Your Smiling Face
Steve Gadd: Drums
Jimmy Johnson: Bass
Michael Landau: Guitar
Larry Goldings: Keyboards/Piano
Luis Conte: Percussion
Lou Marini: Horns
Walt Fowler: Trumpet/Keyboards
Kate Markowitz, Dorian Holley, and Andrea Zonn: Vocals
Once the final notes of “Sweet Baby James” faded, BeachLife was complete. It had not simply been a concert day. It was a reminder that even after a morning of chaos, there is still a way back to music, to community, and to the shared relief of thousands of people singing together by the sea.
