Beachlife leaves vibes by the sea shore

BeachLife Festival once again took over Redondo Beach, California, for a weekend in May. This year was no different as many locals gathered on the shore to hear one of the best lineups the organisers can offer.

On the first day, many festivalgoers seemed to arrive as soon as work allowed them. Clocking out and rushing to the beach felt like you were trying to catch the last wave of the day. Once inside the festival grounds and grabbing a quick beverage, fans immediately headed towards the High Tide stage to see Grouplove. It was the perfect scene to let the sun set after a long day. They featured some new tracks, giving us a glimpse of what to expect from the upcoming album.

Once Grouplove finished, everyone ran to the Low Tide stage to find a good spot in the sand for The Chainsmokers. Crammed like sardines, people pushed forward, some even climbed on a statue trying to get the best view. This set certainly catered to the younger crowd, and boy, did The Chainsmokers deliver. The energy was immaculate.

The electronic duo, Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall, wasted no time getting the crowd hyped. They started with dancehall classic Fuzzy Jones “Dust A Sound Boy” to match the oceanic scene before blending into Basement’s “Where’s Your Head At” to keep the intensity high. Their setlist featured Disco Lines’ “No Broke Boys,” Kelis’ “Milkshake,” and the mashup of Mac Miller and Empire of the Sun’s “The Spins”. The Chainsmokers’ entire set had everyone dancing. They had to flex by playing their new collaboration track with John Summit, “ALL THE TIME,” before playing “Paris“.

Saturday started with easy-going vibes. At this point, seeing Sugar Ray at BeachLife feels like a tradition. It’s not a bad thing because fans always love seeing them live to witness them perform “Someday,” “Fly,” and “Every Morning”. Poolside continued the good times by playing a cover of Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage”. Poolside kept things groovy with “Around The Sun” and being on the High Tide stage played “High Season”.

There was a huge ovation when punk icon Joan Jett and The Blackhearts arrived. Rocking all black with a leather jacket and shades to match, Jett took control of the crowd with her stage presence. Fans of all genres can appreciate Joan Jett and The Blackhearts as they played songs off the revolutionary album I Love Rock ’N’ Roll, including the album’s title track. Jetts songs have been sung in karaoke bars for decades, encouraging the audience to sing along with “Cherry Bomb” and “Do You Wanna Touch Me,” before finishing her set with “Bad Reputation.”

The Offspring had the honour of closing out day two. The California natives felt the love from the locals cheering them on. They wasted little time with an introduction as they started off with “Self Esteem”. An inflatable skeleton and psychedelic sugar skulls displayed on the LED screen matched The Offspring’s cover for their album Smash. The Offspring got a little mosh pit going for “Bad Habit” and “All I Want”. The band celebrated their set with “Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)” for which they brought out the actor from the music video, Guy Cohen, who still looks, they say, as when the video debuted on MTV.

The best was definitely saved for last, as many fans flocked to BeachLife to see Sheryl Crow. The area was absolutely packed, making it hard to squeeze through the fans that camped out. There’s something simple in her tunes that audiences of all ages could appreciate. Her fun-loving, laid-back tunes can be somewhat cheesy, but there’s nothing wrong with it. With her signature guitar strapped over her shoulder and amazing harmonica skills, Crow performed fan favourites like “If It Makes You Happy” and “All I Wanna Do” before ending with “Soak Up the Sun,” putting a cap on the perfect weekend. 

BeachLife continues to bring out the best acts to Redondo Beach. However, this year was extremely crowded compared to past years. While there were some pop-up shops to check out, it was difficult to navigate through the swarm of people pushing in opposite directions. Still, BeachLife hits the main essentials that make us want to come back: scenic atmosphere and, of course, the best music in the last few decades.