I have been hearing incredible things about the BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach since its debut in 2019, so I jumped at the chance to attend this year. While it is a three-day music festival, I attended the Saturday show for what I considered to be an absolutely stellar lineup.
The festival grounds are set against the backdrop of King Harbor near the marina and breakwater in beautiful Redondo Beach. It was a cool, overcast day and the décor and vibes were positively laid-back – very much in tune with the overall beach theme.
As I was making my way to the Hightide stage, I could hear Kyle Smith’s blend of SoCal style reggae with ska, punk rock, and hip hop drifting over from Riptide stage. I arrived in time for Newport Beach’s own Sugar Ray, who made a grand entrance in white leisure suits to the “Welcome Back, Kotter” theme.
Their set kicked off unexpectedly with a funky cover of Ginuwine’s “Pony,” and lead singer Mark McGrath kept the energy high with hits like “Every Morning,” “Someday,” and “When It’s Over.” They even threw in covers of “Blister in the Sun” and “Blitzkrieg Bop” before closing with their breakout hit, “Fly.”
While the Hightide is on a large expanse of Astro turf, the Lowtide stage is located right on the sand. Fans lounged on beach towels, ready to enjoy some reggae from the Long Beach Dub Allstars.
Led by singer and artist Opie Ortiz, they blended reggae, dub, ska, and punk with tracks like “Kick Down,” a cover of Madness’ “One Step Beyond,” Operation Ivy’s “Take Warning,” and as a nod to Sublime, “Doin’ Time.”
Before beginning their set, the keyboardist playfully claimed, “This isn’t Redondo Beach; today it’s Long Beach.”
One of the excellent features of BeachLife is the live feed from each of the main stages, shown throughout the festival on the big screens and VIP cabanas. Fans could essentially plant themselves in front of one of the main stages and catch the act playing on the opposite stage on the big screen for most of the day.
If the VIP option is your thing, BeachLife had you covered. The options and amenities available for the VIP attendee included boat mooring, private cabanas, a sky deck for viewing, commentary, gourmet food, meet and greets, and VIP only front-row access.
Being a huge Bangles fan, I was very eager to see Susanna Hoff’s solo set, and she did not disappoint. Wearing her signature black and white Rickenbacker guitar strung around her neck, she launched into the classic Simon and Garfunkel-penned “A Hazy Shade of Winter.”
All the fan favorites were delivered: “Manic Monday,” “Love Hurts,” “Eternal Flame,” and “Walk Like an Egyptian.”
Back on the sand, Skip Marley brought his grandfather Bob’s legacy to life on the Lowtide stage.
He gave an incredibly powerful set of reggae, closing out with his rendition of Marley’s immortal “Get Up, Stand Up.”
As I made my way back and forth between the main stages, I was amazed at how big the festival was. I could spend all day bouncing from stage to stage, exploring all the different exhibits – such as the “Punk Rock and Paintbrushes” – and try the many free samples of food items throughout the festival grounds.
Returning to the Hightide stage, Cake took the spotlight, opening with a dramatic recorded intro before launching into “Frank Sinatra.” Their set spanned their career and included crowd pleasers like “Never There,” “Short Skirt/Long Jacket,” and “The Distance,” complete with a bubble machine.
As the day wore on, the size of the crowd swelled, but I managed to make my way back to the sand for a powerhouse set by The Pretenders. Way back in 1981, I was working in a large store record department, and I played their first album to death. I was super excited to see them for the very first time.
They opened with “Hate for Sale” and “Turf Accountant Daddy,” then proceeded to play a hit-packed set that included “Back on the Chain Gang,” with the crowd providing back-up vocals.
“Don’t Get Me Wrong,” “Message of Love,” and “The Wait” were standouts. Frontwoman Chrissie Hynde paused during “Boots of Chinese Plastic” to check on a crowd issue, showing her concern and professionalism. She praised the festival’s smooth organization and invited fans to dance and sing along. They closed their set with the punk rock song “Precious” as fireworks illuminated the sky.
And finally, it was time for the mighty Sublime. There was an intense feeling of anticipation in the air, and perhaps just a hint of ganga. Inflatable Louie dogs flanked the stage as Bradley Nowell’s son appeared and announced, “I’m Jakob and this is Sublime” They kicked things off with “Date Rape,” the first Sublime song to get airplay on KROQ – which eventually launched their career.
Since Nowell teamed up last year with his father’s former bandmates – Eric Wilson on bass and keyboard, and Bud Gaugh on drums – they have been making new fans and keeping the legitimate legacy of Sublime alive.
They tore through a loaded setlist which included “40oz. to Freedom,” “Badfish,” “Smoke Two Joints,” “What I Got,” and “Doin’ Time.” Recently, Sublime teamed with Stick Figure to give new life to a short, 1996 sample of Bradley singing and turn it into a new song. The collaboration became “Feel Like That,” which the crowd at BeachLife really dug.
Sublime ended the night with a crowd-swaying rendition of everyone’s favorite – “Santeria.”
BeachLife 2025 may have been my first time at the festival, but it definitely will not be my last.
