BeachLife Festival 2023: Day Three

After two days of fully loaded excitement, Day Three of BeachLife Festival 2023 was upon us (aka, the Final Farewell… at least till next year!). The soothing roots reggae music of The Wailers was a perfect opus to kick it off — nothing like mornings singing familiar Bob Marley songs! Afterwards, the soft Sunday energy held strong with Poppy Harlo, Trampled By Turtles, and David Ryan Harris on their respective stages.

If the band has a standing bass, a banjo, or a violin, chances are they’re playing BeachLife today…

The hat trick was won by Trampled By Turtles, whose standup bassist actually jumped with instrument the entire time. Now, that’s talent! Blues legend Mavis Staples took over the sandy Lowtide Stage next, singing her happy tunes of yesteryear. Hearty Har at the more intimate Riptide Stage was a true treat, sounding like an extension of headliner John Fogerty… only modern. Turns out, sons of the CCR rocker front the group — Shane and Tyler Fogerty. No wonder they had mass appeal to all who gathered…

Speaking of next of kin, Miley’s little sis Noah Cyrus took the Hightide Stage next, wearing next to nothing but owning it like she invented confidence. Bravo, Noah Cyrus, you have a fan in us from now on! Seattle’s The Head and The Heart came out (a little sunburnt, but smiling) next which led to a sing-along in the sand. It was a great segue out of the Speakeasy area, where Donavon Frankenreiter just finished his incredible acoustic blues rock set. As the day rolled on, Winnetka Bowling League was a delightful pre-curser to CAAMP, singing all the faves to the festival-goers before festy co-founder Jim Lindberg (of Pennywise) did his own stripped down set at the Speakeasy.

Before we knew what happened, the sun was on its descent in the sky and the last performers of BeachLife were up.

But, the best was saved for last. As mentioned, John Fogerty — fresh off of finally owning all of his previously released CCR songs — graced the stage to fans spanning all ages. Not only that, but his boys were in tow, playing alongside their dad everyone’s Creedance Clearwater favorites. And I mean, it was hit after hit after hit after hit. 20 minutes… 35 minutes… almost an HOUR of revered, cherished tunes that man played without stopping. In the audience, you could’ve spotted the likes of John Stamos taking his own personal pictures of the event or Mike Love of The Beach Boys, rocking his iconic Hawaiian shirt and hat. What a timeless scene.

Across the way, another son of a legend was closing down the Riptide Stage — Jakob Nowell, with his band Jakob’s Castle. Considering Sublime With Rome graced the fest the night before, it was only natural to have the now-grown prodigal son play his own thing, too. Last, but certainly not least, was the crazy, crooning brothers of The Black Crowes. What a night of Southern Rock to end the ever-eclectic rundown that is the annual BeachLife Festival in Redondo, CA. It’s truly an event for the ages, so make sure it’s on your radar for 2024. And for those who simply can’t wait, there’s always BeachLife Ranch coming this fall!

Photography by Jenna Shaw; recap by Kristy Rose

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