Enthusiastic audiences entered the fairgrounds to find two large stages, Hightide set on the turf floor and Lowtide set on the sandy beach. There were also two smaller stages, a Riptide tent and a Speakeasy lounge space with a more intimate setting. The in-between spaces were decorated with local art pieces and sprinkled with a range of food and drink vendors. 

Seal by Ron Vasquez for BeachLife

Things were off to a fantastic start camping out on the HighTide turf listening to Seal serenade his mellow tunes. The artist talked a bit about his The Masked Singer appearance before performing “Hold On” and then slowing things down with a guitar rendition of “Jade”. Seal continued with songs like “Future Love Paradise” and “Bring It On” before ending with his iconic track, “Kiss From A Rose.”

Californian native rock band Dirty Heads performed later on the  Lowtide stage and those fortunate enough to snag an unoccupied hammock got to sway in the ocean breeze enjoying their set. Seal did a great job of speaking sweetly to the crowd near sunset, but Dirty Heads had a bit more excitement to their sound which felt like a much-needed jolt of energy on the chilly beachfront. The Huntington Beach natives had the perfect Cali style for Redondo. Reggae rock tracks like “One Hand”, “Medusa,”  and “Bum Bum” echoed on the shore against the susurration of the ocean. Before leaving Dirty Heads made sure to take the crowd to a place they knew called, “El Dorado”.

Dirty Heads by Bobby for BeachLife

The main event headliner for the evening was the legendary musician Sting who wasted no time with introductions diving straight into “Englishman In New York”. The singer’s audio wasn’t as loud as some felt it should’ve been making attendees further back feel a bit left out. Regardless, Sting had fun engaging with the crowd, admitting it was his first time at Redondo. The setlist included Sting’s greatest hits across his solo career as well as time spent with The Police. Each track in his catalog evokes a different emotion. We bopped along to “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,” and cast away to the shores for “Message In A Bottle”. Even at 72 years old, Sting can still rock out especially while performing “Can’t Stand Losing You” and “Roxanne”.

Sting by Ron Vasquez for BeachLife

The following festival day was breezier with overcast clouds blanketing the sky but fans were determined to have a great time. Once by Lowtide most removed their shoes and dug their toes in the cold sand. Witnessing old-school reggae band Steel Pulse inspired many attendees to reconnect to their roots. From the bottom of their soul, the proud rasta group spoke into existence the message of peace and prosperity for all mankind. They preached the ongoing fight against bigotry, racism, fascism, police brutality, and any injustice that would keep people from uniting. Steel Pulse championed those to continue to be fighters playing “Soldiers” before taking it to another level on “Higher Than High”. We all grooved and mellowed out a bit for their 1977 love song, “Nyah Love”.

The second night highlight for many was getting to watch Incubus, the recent remastered release of their album Morning View undoubtedly contributed to this excitement. The loyal fanbase erupted before the band even got to their instruments. Noteworthy tracks such as “Pardon Me,” made many transport to their youthful angst. “Nice To Know You” lyrics howled over the speakers leading to some head bumping. Incubus continued to awe the sea of onlookers with a cover of The Beatles’ “Come Together” leading to “Wish You Were Here”.

Incubus by JP Cordero for BeachLife, top and cover image

The last day was slated to be a great day. The sun seemed to want to stay out and attendees were ready to play lining up before the gates opened. Opening duties went to the alternative band Atlas Genius. The trio of brothers from Australia were grateful for the early turnout and to BeachLife for having them. Being their first time in the United States in four years, vocalist/guitarist Keith Jeffery was happy to be back and got to work with the electric, groovy tune “Back Seat”. The brothers were excited to introduce their new upcoming album End Of The Tunnel and performed a slew of newly released tracks like “If  So,” “Nobody Loves Like You,” and “Don’t Let Love Be A Stranger” before ending their set with their most known track and summer hit “Trojans”.

Atlas Genius by Bobby Rivero for BeachLife

Sugar Ray by JP Cordero for BeachLife

Mark McGarth’s band, Sugar Ray, has been a staple at BeachLife Festival for 5 years straight, and for a good reason – you can always depend on McGarth and Company to give you a shot of 90s pop nostalgia. Songs like “Fly” were practically written for the beach while the catchy lyrics in “Someday” get stuck in your head and then quietly whispered later at random. Mark McGarth has been in the entertainment industry forever and knows how to engage crowd reactions such as crowd participation or poking fun at his movie roles like in Scooby Doo. 

The Riptide tent quickly filled with excited spectators waiting in anticipation for the arrival of Tito Puente Jr. honoring his father, ‘The King of Mambo’, Tito Puente Sr for 100 years of gracing the world with mambo. Throughout this performance, Junior’s small orchestra used every bit of the tight space to pay homage to the Caribbean classics. Without hesitation, Tito Jr. elated the crowd by playing his timbales for“Mambo Gozon,” leading to adorning chats, “Tito! Tito!”. Junior was appreciative of the diverse crowd, preaching the importance of preserving the art of Afro-Cuban music. Tracks like “Juventud del Presente,” “Cha Cha Cha,” and a cover of Santana’s “Oye Como Va” were a huge hit.

ZZ Top by Bobby Rivero for BeachLife

ZZ Top closed out the weekend with a taste of southern blues-rock. They made the Chicagoans happy when they began their set with “Jesus Just Left Chicago” before stepping into “Gimme All Your Lovin”. 

Unfortunately, during the ZZ Top set strong gusts of wind led to a swift evacuation, and due to safety protocols, the event wouldn’t continue for the rest of the evening. While the attendees may have been disappointed to miss out on Trey Anastasio of Fish and My Morning Jacket, the safety of eventgoers is always the top priority.

BeachLife event organizers offered fans a refund for the third day, a notable gesture that’ll go a long way in getting the support of people to attend the festival next year. While it wasn’t the ending we all wanted, it was overall a great weekend to experience seeing some supreme talent live. The BeachLife team’s commitment to bringing great artists together for locals to see is why it is one of the best events of the year.

All images courtesy of the festival

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Day one was off to a slow start, no lineups, no crazy crowds, just enough people to colour the park. With House of Boom being the first stage you come across after entry, it was the first area to get filled. Walking into a half point of Ricktoxic’s set, taking in the scene, dropping a couple moves while making our way to the front, soaking in the strobe light and the pretty damn awesome stage set up we quickly nicknamed the area the “Trap Tent”. With many options ahead of us we stayed behind a little longer to watch M|O|D light up the early arrivers on fire. Note to self, this one is a keeper.

“That area is my favourite! I love it! It’s my favourite!” screamed a young girl in cut-off shorts, pointing at the House of Boom just an hour later. This is the tent everyone loves, where the sun don’t shine, the drinks are plenty and the music doesn’t stop (all DJs smoothly replaced each other with an occasional parting hug).

A little later Fake Blood played an early show on the main, Dreams, stage. As soon as the first beat dropped you knew, this was it: tank tops are coming off, bodies are up in the air, Canadian flags are starting to unfold, and everyone’s favourite Nickelodeon characters are prying into the sky (Spongebob was a particularly popular one). People, get ready, now we dance. Following Mr Keating the most memorable act of the night was no other other than Paul Van Dyk. As soon as he graced the stage with his appearance the ground shook and the crowds shifted, the man still knows how to bring it and for that we take the hat of to him.

Day two started at the main stage with DJ’s Dzeko and Torres, it was obvious that Toronto was familiar with the duo and was undoubtedly ready to party…again. The tent and the Echo Beach were nearly empty while the main stage was already a hot mess for Dzeko and Torres’ midday performance. The bar for the rest of the day was set. By the end of their hype set, the grounds had filled to the rim, the fans were on queue, and the rest of the evening was up to the talent.

Moving on to the House of Boom, it was time for some hip-hop sound and hard beats. Taking the crowd by storm, Flosstradamus did what he does best: an intense, loud, and incredibly ratchet show for his fans. Feeling like you were in an intimate club with a full laser show and wicked sound system, he did not fail to make the crowd sweat.

We lingered behind to see Dillon Francis do his thing and watch the evening party starting to blow up one neon t-shirt at a time. As soon as his set was done, the entire venue looked like a carnival for EDM fans everywhere, complete with light shows, lasers, fur, wings, superhero masks, and, of course, a few crazy fans dressed up as Elvis (I mean why not, right?).

By 10 pm, The Flats were packed and the energy was insane. Most of the crowd was moving towards the main stage to see the final set of Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike with a mission to secure a decent dancing square for Wolfgang Gartner and Tiësto. If anything, even only in their second year, Digital Dreams has figured out how to go out with a bang. Getting the highest payed, and one of the most respected DJs in the world to end this two-day festival was a brilliant move. Tiesto seemed to be a joy for everyone that night. He and the crowd went through it, from the past to the present, Tiesto threw out his greatest hits from the ninety’s to his most popular songs of today, all lit up by fireworks and laser beams with bursts of confetti floating off into the jumping crowd.

Even if this isn’t your cup of tea, it is hard to ignore how much effort went into the festival. Even more so, the appreciation of music and the coming together of thousands of people in the city of Toronto are proof that this is certainly not the end of the dream. It just might be a rebirth of rave on this side of the globe.

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The first event of the day is on Emerson place. Upon entering you see food trucks lining one sidewalk, Kimchi tacos the popular item, a blending of Korean and Mexican food that fits well with the attitude of the festival. On the other side of the street you see a group of Hispanics selling freshly grilled corn still in the husks.

The bands are set up in two locations: one is performing on the street, the other in a backyard, reducing the set up time to almost nothing. Pow wow! Is the first band I see. They’re an eclectic group that blends 50s rock with Pacific Northwest grunge. Their vocals are soft under the heavy guitar and floating keyboards. This is their third performance of the day and they are off to one other after finishing up. During the performance and blowing through songs that should be danced to—there is some shuffling, there is some dancing when newcomers and friend approach but only to show appreciation for the music—one of their amps gives up and they fiddle with it trying to bring sound back to the rhythm guitar. The drummer makes small talk, noticing what the audience notices. At Hillstock the performances are intimate and the distance between performer and musician is marginal.

Later in the day, the performances head to an after-party at The Bishop, a pop up art space. A unique thing happens during the first set, a band called Slothrust brings their heavier-than-thou punk and Zola Jesus operatic vocals to the space. At first they are illuminated by lights that run along the ground, but as the set begins they quickly wink off and are told by a technician: “you’ll just have to play without lights or vocals.” They trudge along producing their sonic sludge. The lights were eventually regained. The tension in the crowd grows. New Yorkers are generally not a mobile audience, they appreciate the music in their own ways and don’t succumb to mob mentality. (A week earlier in Thompkins Square Park, a place notorious for being a hotbed of punk activity, I stumbled upon an outdoor concert with high mohawked people wearing piercings standing around. The bands were playing full volume, but they stood. No skanking was had that day.) As the songs grew louder and more discordant, the crowd finally erupted and began moshing, those who were laid back gravitated to the left, the moshers pushed and shoved at the right. And New York City produced the most polite mosh pit I’ve ever seen.

Then came the SPECIAL EVENTS, an enigma. The two hype men started their music on their laptop and began walking through the crowd warming up: “How many raps do you think I’ve done? Just go ahead and say a number… that’s way too low.” They asked the crowd to unlock their butts, pulling people in closer and closer. The SPECIAL EVENTS were certainly the most interesting music event of the festival, although their beats were prerecorded and quite possibly not their own. They have elements of Das Racist without the later development of racial conscious. What instead they seem to rely on is appropriating the “bro” culture and putting a spin on it. Their samples include Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, and Brittney Spears, the first two pop vixen’s songs are spun at an increased tempo and higher tone. The groups antics include bringing a ladder into the dance circle they’d created and shouting “We are America; we do it big.” Humor in hip hop has steadily increased the past few years (Lonely Island, Turquoise Jeep, Childish Gambino) and SPECIAL EVENTS make their own humor without sacrificing the drive to have a party. I’m suspicious of this band, suspicious that what I find as humorous and fun is really just an attention-grabbing stunt, but SPECIAL EVENTS for now get credit for re-appropriating pop music and finding small jabs they can get in, all in good fun.

Cover image courtesy of Hillstock Festival

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