A multitude of iconic performers who burst on the music scene in the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, (many from the) ‘90s, and beyond, categorized the sixth version of the BeachLife Festival, drawing more than 35,000 people to the oceanfront from May 2 to 4, in Redondo Beach, Calif., according to festival officials.
Big-name headliners Lenny Kravitz (Friday), Sublime (Saturday), and Alanis Morissette (Sunday) led the way on the massive High Tide (the official main stage with its enormous viewing-area lawn of artificial but lush, cool grass) and Low Tide (in front of an expansive sandy beach) stages, with big 90-minute sets in front of up to 11,000 jolly souls. Other mighty 60 and 75-minute alternating performances on the High and Low Tide stages were delivered by such acclaimed performers as Train, The Beach Boys (with John Stamos), the Pretenders, Jackson Browne, Mt. Joy, Marcus King, Cake, Skip Marley, Susanna Hoffs, and Aloe Blacc.
In all, as it has in the past, BeachLife featured four stages, including the intimate Speakeasy Stage, which only held about 100 people, and the Riptide Stage, which drew up to a few hundred people through steady series of up-and-coming acts, including Midway, The Rookie5, Sullvn, Calamatix, Saxon Weiss, and Kbong & Johnny Cosmic.
In addition, BeachLife featured plenty of attendee-engagement experiences, such as a broad array of quality-product vendors, a large Punk Rock & Paintbrushes art installation, a kids’ activity area, and other attractions for everyone; some additional perks were made available for VIP and Captain’s Ticketholders. Once immersed, the toughest decision for attendees, given the beautiful conditions for this weekend beachside jukebox with temperatures that hovered from the low- to upper-60s, was whether to put on or take off one’s sweatshirt.
Alanis Morissette proved to be a perfect Sunday night headliner and final festival act –captivating and engrossing. The mezzosoprano singer/songwriter/actor/guitarist’s courageous, sometimes vengeful lyrics launched her as a cultural phenomenon in 1995 at the age of 20. Now, exhibiting plenty of smiles and kind words to go along with the many lyrics of discontent, Morrissette, her voice, her band, and the top-notch stage production resulted in a winning performance on all levels. Her performance included the following, during which many fans sang along: opener “Hand in My Pocket,” “Hands Clean,” “Head Over Feet,” “Everything,” “You Learn,” “Ironic,” and three-song closer, “You Oughta Know,” “Uninvited,” and “Thank U.” Morissette also offered a triad of songs acoustically, “Rest,” Mary Jane,” and “Perfect” in the middle of the set.
Formed in Long Beach, Calif., and synonymous with the beaches of Southern California, Sublime, who played in front of two giant inflatable dogs, one presumed to be in honor of King Louie, the band’s dog and unofficial mascot in the ‘90s, delivered a blistering, all-out ska punk/reggae rock spectacle as Saturday’s BeachLife headliner. With a massive crowd in front of the High Tide Stage, the awe-inspired audience bounced up and down in unison to such archetypical numbers as “What I Got,” “Wrong Way,” and closing selection, “Santeria,” as well as “Feel Like That,” the Sublime tune that was recorded in 2024 with Stick Figure. Covers consisted of the novelty stoner song, “Smoke Two Joints” (The Toyes), “Jailhouse” (Bob Marley & the Wailers), “The Ballad of Johnny Butt” (Secret Hate), and “Warning Sign” (Born Jamaricans). Sublime, which some folks these days refer to “Sublime 2.0,” featured lead vocalist Jakob Nowell taking his dad’s place in the band (Bradley Newell died of a drug overdose in 1996 when Jakob was 11 months-old), and also featured band co-founders Eric Wilson (bass) and Bud Gaugh (drums). Interestingly, the so-called Sublime with Rome, featuring Rome Ramirez as front man, performed at BeachLife in 2023.
Rock, funk ‘n’ soul superstar and multiple Grammy Award winner Lenny Kravitz closed out Friday’s festivities with a gripping, enthralling performance. Commanding the stage alongside the band, which included guitarist Craig Ross, who’s been with Kravitz for about 35 years, as well as long-time collaborator Cindy Blackman (Carlos Santana’s wife and drummer for Santana’s band), Kravitz led the group through his biggest hits, many of which came during a powerful closing sequence that contained “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over,” The Guess Who’s “American Woman,” “Fly Away,” and set closer, “Are You Gonna Go By Way.” The band carried out an encore of “Let Love Rule,” Kravitz’s first hit, from 1989. Kravitz also during the set touched on his 2024 release, “Blue Electric Light,” performing “Honey,” “Paralyzed,” and “TK421.”
Also, on Friday…
Shovels & Rope, a guitar-and-drumkit duo that blends ingredients of folk and indie/alt-rock, opened the festivities on the High Tide Stage. Offering jangly songs of angst and love, Charleston, South Carolina-based husband and wife Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst, who alternated with each other on drums and guitar, offered mid-tempo selections such as opener “Something is Working” along with “Mississippi Nuthin’,” powerfully dissonant rocker “Evil,” and ballads “Love Song From a Dog,” “Cmon Utah,” and “Birmingham.”
Digable Planets, the hip hop and jazz rap outfit that made a worldwide impact in the early ‘90s with “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat),” were welcomed with open arms on the Low Tide Stage beach. Noting that “half-past three, on the beach is the place to be,” the impassioned eight-piece ensemble that featured original core members Ishmael "Butter Fly" Butler, Craig “Doodlebug” Irving, and Mariana “Ladybug Mecca” Vieira, grooved with the crowd through such selections as “Where I’m From” (with snippets of Ice Cube’s “Check Yo Self” and Grandmaster Flash’s “The Message”), “Nickel Bags,” and the recently passed Roy Ayers’ “Searching,” before ending with the crowd-pleasing and Grammy Award-winning “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat).”
The Struts followed on the High Tide Stage on Friday, with a commanding set of hard rock, bordering on glam rock, without however the costumes and makeup of those who blazed that trail in the ‘70s. The four-piece English band, featuring front man Luke Spiller (lead vocals), Adam Slack (guitar), Jed Elliott (bass), and Gethin Davies (drums), laid out a powerful set in which they performed several songs from their 2014 debut record, “Everybody Wants”: “Dirty Sexy Money,” and “Kiss This,” as well as a closing pairing of “Put Your Money on Me” and “Could Have Been Me.”
Rock and pop-sters O.A.R., who mix up their set lists from show to show more than most acts, dished up a fine, soulful dinnertime set of tunes on the Low Tide Stage as fans grooved in the sand. With two guitarists, including lead vocalist Marc Roberge, a bass player, drummer, and saxophonist, O.A.R. offered two tunes from their 1997 debut album, “The Wanderer” (“Black Rock” and “That Was a Crazy Game of Poker”), the anthemic ballad – and their biggest hit – “Shattered (Turn the Car Around),” and their fun mashup of The Commodores “Night Shift” and Bob Marley’s “Stir it Up.”
Singer and soft-rapper Aloe Blacc, on the High Tide Stage on Friday, dished out a captivating set of melodic pieces of music, for example from 2010, “I Need a Dollar,” as well as “The Man,” his hit from 2013 that features a sampling of Elton John’s “Your Song.” He also offered a pair from his 2025 release, “Stand Together,” an album inspired by the philanthropic community of the same name, where each track is paired with a nonprofit organization. From the new release, Blacc and company outputted “Breakthrough” and “One Good Thing,” the latter of which Blacc performed in February on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” The smooth-voiced Blacc was backed by a large band consisting of a guitarist, bass player, keyboardist, percussionist, drummer, and four-person vocal/brass section. Their set ended with a soulful, apropos rendering of The Mamas and the Papas’ “California Dreamin’,” followed by a cover of Avicii’s “Wake Me Up,” a 2013 global hit on which Blacc guested.
Alt/rock and pop stars Train presented an impressive penultimate set on Friday, performing to a huge audience on the sand. Led by Pat Monahan the lead singer and sole constant member of the band since the beginning, Train’s biggest hits were relished by the crowd, including opener “Calling All Angels,” “Meet Virginia” with elements of Steve Miller’s “The Joker” and “Save Me San Francisco.” Cover tunes consisted of “Lose Control” by Teddy Swims and Led Zeppelin’s “Going to California.” The 30-plus year-old San Francisco-based band’s satisfying closing sequence consisted of “Hey Soul Sister,” “If It’s Love,” “Drive By” that flowed into the end of The Beatles’ “Hey Jude,” The Eagles’ “Hotel California” with 13-year-old Rock Monahan on guest guitar) and “Drops of Jupiter.”
Also, on Saturday…
Tomorrows Bad Seeds was the opener on Saturday, executing a set at noon on the High Tide Stage. The reggae rockers from Hermosa Beach, just a mile-and-a-half from Redondo Beach, were led by the energetic vocals of front man Moises Juarez, who is also a member of alt-rock band Life and reggae/hip hop outfit Krooked Treez. The band played the small Rip Tide Stage at the first BeachLife, in 2019.
Led by the band’s two remarkably dynamic and multitalented front men, guitarist/vocalist Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz and keyboardist/vocalist Zach Gill, and its unique songs-and-exploratory jamming blend of rock, jazz, funk, pop, and electronica, all delivered with unique danceability and fascinating originality, ALO turned a lot of new heads during its first BeachLife appearance, in the early afternoon at the Low Tide Stage. The endearing band, which has a rabid live-performance following, appeared in support of a brand-new album, “Frames,” and their set featured three such tunes: opener “Black Canvas” as well as “Separated Come Together,” and “You May Not Get It All.” ALO, whose roots can be traced back some 35 years when Lebowitz, Gill, and bass player/vocalist Steve Adams attended junior high school (and began playing) together about 110 miles up the coast in Isla Vista, Calif. (drummer/vocalist Ezra Lipp joined in 2018), also offered up plenty of their most enduring material, including “Blew Out the Walls,” “Try,” “Girl I Wanna Lay You Down,” and “Maria.”
The charismatic Mark McGrath, synonymous with the band he leads, Sugar Ray, followed on the High Tide Stage with rousing versions of the bouncy ‘90’s hits he’s offered at each and every BeachLife (six appearances). Following an introductory piece of John Sebastian’s old “Welcome Back,” the mid-afternoon audience swayed and sang along with iconic, perfect-for-the-beach tunes such as “Every Morning,” “Someday,” which included a bit of The Rascals’ “Groovin’,” and “Fly.” Sugar Ray also performed energetic versions of the Violent Femmes “Blister in the Sun” and the Ramones “Blitzkrieg Pop.”
Delivering a grooving sound that mixed reggae, surf rock, ska, and hip hop, the Long Beach Dub Allstars, whose roots overlap with the origin of Sublime and vice-versa, ran through an energetic set in front of the sand on the Low Tide Stage. Fronted by Opie Ortiz, who is a renowned artist known for tattoo work, murals, and even cover art for Sublime albums, the Dub Allstars’ performance showcased plenty of material from their first two albums, “Right Back” (1999), such as “My Own Life” and “Rosaroto,” and “Wonders of the World” (2001), including “Listen to DJ’s” and “Rolled Up.” The band ended with two enduring popular covers – Sublime’s “Doin’ Time” and the Grateful Dead’s “Scarlet Begonias.”
For a few years in the mid- to late-‘80s, The Bangles, from Los Angeles, had a bunch of hit singles that cemented their place in pop music history. Susanna Hoffs, the band’s rhythm guitarist and vocalist, has carved out a solo career since the early ‘90s. Performing a whole bunch of Bangles hits with her band, Hoffs, smiling and visibly enjoying herself while singing and playing her Rickenbacker guitar on the High Tide Stage, was a great complement to BeachLife. The audience sang and grooved along to such notable cover tunes as “A Hazy Shade of Winter,” the 1966 Simon & Garfunkel recorded in song of which The Bangles had a hit single. The show also featured Jules Shear’s “If She Knew What She Wants,” Prince’s “Manic Monday,” “Hero Takes a Fall,” the tender “Eternal Flame,” and closer, “Walk Like an Egyptian.” Hoffs, whose band of six included backup vocalist Petra Haden, also offered a cover of the Everly Brothers’ “Love Hurts.”
Leaning heavily on the music – and spirit – of his grandfather Bob Marley, the reggae sounds of the 28-year-old Skip Marley’s uplifting early-evening Low Tide Stage set drifted over those assembled on the beach on Saturday. His crowd-pleasing set spotlighted such Bob Marley & the Wailers hits as “Positive Vibration,” “Jamming,” “Is This Love,” “Could This Be Love,” and closing call-to-action anthem, “Get Up, Stand Up.” Skip Marley, who was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and is a grandson of Bob and Rita Marley, also showcased his own music, with the inclusion of such songs as “Lions,” “Heathens,” and “That’s Not True.” Fronting a band of seven, including two backup vocalists, he introduced “Refugee,” in these times of birth-nation scrutiny in the United States by saying, “I don’t believe in borders or barriers. We are all Jah people. I’m a refugee, you’re a refugee, right?”
John McCrae and his veteran Sacramento-based band Cake performed next on Saturday, on the High Tide Stage. In addition to the quirky alt-pop/rock band’s biggest hit, “Never There,” which had a splendid trumpet component, and first single, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Lifestyle,” their set included three tunes from their 1996 record, “Fashion Nugget” (opener “Frank Sinatra,” as well as “Stickshifts and Safetybelts” and closer, “The Distance”), and three from 1998’s “Comfort Eagle” (“Love You Madly,” “Meanwhile, Rick James,” and Short Skirt/Long Jacket.”)
The Pretenders, one of the weekend’s most anticipated acts, closed out the Low Tide Stage slot with a riveting sunset performance on the beach, on Saturday. Now 74, guitarist, vocalist and rock ‘n’ roll luminary Chrissie Hynde displayed top form as she dished out many of the band’s biggest selections. Opening with the recent “Hate for Sale,” The Pretenders offered several songs from their self-titled debut album from 1979/1980: “Kid” and “Private Life,” which appear back-to-back on the record, along with “The Wait” and closer “Precious.” Fans also rocked out to “My City was Gone,” “Back on the Chain Gang,” “Don’t Get Me Wrong,” “Time the Avenger,” “Bad Boys Get Spanked,” and “Message of Love.” The set also featured “Let the Sun Come In,” from their 2023 project, “Relentless.” Early on, Hynde also gave a nod to the band’s original lead guitarist (James Honeyman-Scott) and bass player “Pete Farndon,” acknowledging the bad effects drugs played in the band in the very early days, taking both players in 1982 at the age of 25. “If not for them, we wouldn’t be here; if not for us, they probably would,” Hynde said. Hynde also showed her humanity when, during “Boots of Chinese Plastic,” she saw a member of the audience in distress. She stopped the song and urged security to render aid before restarting the tune. Notably, Martin Chambers, who has been with the Pretenders since the beginning, was not with the band at BeachLife.
Also, on Sunday…
The angelic, elegant voice of Hawaiian-born singer/songwriter Lily Meola, performing as a trio with Bre Kennedy (guitar, backing vocals) and Hadley Kennary (keyboards/lap guitar) got things started on the High Tide Stage at noon on Sunday. Wearing a fabulous overcoat and boots, the amiable Leola charmed the crowd with warmhearted banter, along with soft ballads and upbeat, strum-heavy tunes. Their performance, in which Meola enraptured and chatted with the crowd, featured several of her original tunes, such as “(Don’t Quit Your) Daydream,” which she sang with a young girl brought up from the audience who knew the song, probably from Meola’s run in 2022 on “American’s Got Talent,” in which she was a semifinalist. Other Meola self-penned tunes included “I Want To,” “Cowboy,” Heartbreak,” “Rodeo,” “Gasoline,” “Sleeping With My Boots On,” and “Mar Vista.” Meola also offered portions of “Jolene” (Dolly Parton) and “Take Me Home Country Roads” (John Denver).
Todd Park Mohr and his Big Head Todd and the Monsters performed on the Low Tide Stage Sunday afternoon as part of their 40th Anniversary tour. Mixing quite nicely with the ocean breezes, the band ran through compelling versions of four tunes from 1993’s breakout album, “Sister Sweetly,” including “It’s Alright,” “Circle,” “Bittersweet,” and “Broken Hearted Savior.” The foursome also performed hit songs “Resignation Superman,” and “Broken Hearted Savior,” and also offered rousing versions of John Lee Hooker’s “Boom Boom” and closing tune, AC/DC’s “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.”
Bluesy, soulful singer/songwriter and rocker Marcus King performed next on Sunday, on the High Tide Stage. “This is how we do it in Carolina, baby,” said the Greeneville, South Carolina, native before an awesome sonic assault onto the crowd. With a voice reminiscent of Warren Haynes, King and his band of five (King on guitar and lead vocals, as well as an additional guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, and drummer), ran through some of their most popular songs, such as “Goodbye Carolina,” “Wildflowers & Wine,” and “Beautiful Stranger.” The engaging King, outfitted in cowboy hat and boots, Wrangler jeans and a bandanna in his back pocket, also dished out splendid covers of “Rock My World - Little Country Girl” (Brooks & Dunn), “Trudy” (Charlie Daniels Band), “Honkey Tonk Hell” (Gabe Lee), “Heard It in a Love Song” (The Marshall Tucker Band), and closer “Ramblin’ Man” (Allman Brothers Band).
Presenting an astounding 25 songs in 75 minutes, The Beach Boys late afternoon performance on the Low Tide Stage, a big party in the sand, was one of the weekend’s high points. The 11-person band, which included original member Mike Love (age 84), and Bruce Johnston (age 82, who joined the group in ‘65) brought into the fold actor/musician John Stamos on guitar, drums, and vocals, as well as Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath as vocalist and head band cheerleader. In their career, The Beach Boys, who formed back in 1961 in Hawthorne, Calif., just seven miles up the road from Redondo Beach, had 36 songs reach the Billboard Top 40 singles chart, and they performed a whole bunch of them at BeachLife. This included “Surfin’ Safari” from 1962, as well as “opener “Do It Again,” “Surfin’ U.S.A,” “Shut Down,” “Surfer Girl,” “Little Deuce Coupe,” closing number “Fun, Fun, Fun,” “I Get Around,” “Don’t Worry Baby,” “California Girls,” “Barbara Ann,” “Sloop John B,” “Wouldn’t it Be Nice,” “Help Me, Rhonda,” “Good Vibrations,” “God Only Knows,” and “Kokomo.” They also performed a cover of the Ramones’ “Rockaway Beach.” A group billed as “Brian Wilson with Al Jardine & Blondie Wilson,” core members of the Beach Boys but without the band name due to legal issues, reeled off a bunch of Beach Boys hits at the first BeachLife Fest in 2019.
Led by Matt Quinn on lead vocals and guitar, five-piece indie rock band Mt. Joy followed The Beach Boys for an early evening High Tide Stage set. They invited Marcus King to jam with them on “Astrovan,” and bassist Tal Wilkenfeld guested on “Let Loose”/”I Know You Rider.” Their pleasing set also featured “Bathroom Light,” “Silver Lining,” “Sheep,” “Dirty Love,” “Coyote,” “Julia,” and “Strangers.” Mt. Joy’s new project, "Hope We Have Fun," is set for release on May 30, and the band is slated to play the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville on June 4.
Sayin that “I can’t remember the last time I played a festival,” Jackson Browne, singing and strumming on an acoustic guitar, closed out the Low Tide beach stage on Sunday. Indeed the over-40 portion of the crowd seemed to recognize most of Browne’s songs, which covered much of his 50-plus years in the business. But most everyone of all ages seemed to bop and nod along with his acclaimed old hits, “Doctor My Eyes” (from 1972), “Take It Easy,” (1973), and “Running on Empty” (1978). The toes-in-the sand audience also got to experience live other renowned Browne material, including “Somebody’s Baby,” as well as more obscure selections such as “Cut it Away, and “These Days,” a song he wrote at age 16, and was subsequently recorded by Nico in 1967, Tom Rush in 1970, and Gregg Allman in 1973. Browne’s set also included Steve Van Zandt’s 1984 anti-President Reagan tune “I am a Patriot,” in which he added a billionaire reference toward the current presidential administration: “And I ain't no Democrat / Sure ain't no Republican / And I ain’t no billionaire / I only know one party / And it is freedom.” Browne welcomed 13-year-old electric guitarist Saxon Weiss to the stage for an ending duo of Take it Easy,” and “Our Lady of the Well.”
The intimate Speakeasy Stage, at which several dozen people could sit or stand, presented music all day, all three days, including some pretty big names. Hermosa Beach’s own Jim Lindberg, he of Pennywise (and Black Pacific) fame, and who is also recognized as a BeachLife Creative Director, returned to the fest as a performer, playing with a band of four at the Speakeasy Stage on Friday. Milo Ackerman of the punk band Descendents also played the Speakeasy on Friday, while on Sunday, Rusted Root’s Michael Glabicki, whose set as a duo with Dirk Miller included “Send Me on My Way” and “Ecstasy,” and musician, surfer, entrepreneur, and BeachLife board member Donavon Frankenreiter also performed.
The Riptide Stage featured such performers as Midway, The Rookie5, Sullvn, Calamatix, Saxon Weiss, and Kbong & Johnny Cosmic.
Philanthropy also remained a focus at BeachLife, supporting many organizations, many specifically as they relate to the preservation of beaches and oceans. Charitable partners for 2025 included St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Surfrider Foundation (“dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world's ocean, waves, and beaches, for all people”), Heal The Bay (“an environmental nonprofit established in 1985 that is dedicated to making the coastal waters and watersheds in Greater Los Angeles safe, healthy, and clean”), Wyland Foundation (“dedicated to promoting, protecting, and preserving the world’s oceans, waterways, and marine life”), Redondo Beach Education Foundation, and Redondo Beach Police Foundation.
At BeachLife, top-tier ticketholders were able to attend performer meet-and-greets, enjoy side-stage access, a Captain Culinary Experience with famed chef Curtis Stone, and rent elevated private cabanas. BeachLife 2025 also helped introduce the new two-building California Surf Club, a project of festival co-founders Allen Sanford and Rob Lissner that is located within the fest site, and included a VIP restaurant, as well as a private club for top-spending attendees.
