The OC Fair goes reggae with Tribal Seeds, Mike Love, & more

On Sunday, August 10th in Costa Mesa, the Pacific Amphitheatre pulsed with the heartbeat of modern roots reggae. As part of the Orange County Fair’s 2025 Summer Concert Series, Tribal Seeds headlined a stacked lineup that felt less like a concert and more like a spiritual gathering of California’s reggae faithful.

The Simpkin Project kicked things off with the kind of slow-burning groove that makes you forget you’re standing in a crowd of people. Their set was a warm hug of harmonies and dub-soaked rhythms, with tracks from their latest album Helping Hand weaving seamlessly with their longtime fan-favorites.

The crowd was swaying like palm trees in the venue’s coastal breeze.

Then came Mike Love, barefoot and bearded as always, wielding his guitar like a wand. His voice — with equal parts honey and thunder — wrapped around the amphitheater. Using looping pedals with precision, Love built sonic cathedrals in real time. It was mystical.

The Expendables rolled in next, bringing the kind of swagger only 25 years of road-tested reggae rock can deliver. Their set was tight, loud, and unapologetically fun. Guitar solos soared, basslines thumped, and the crowd — many of whom clearly grew up on their surf-punk anthems — responded with roars and raised beers.

It was a victory lap and they ran it like champions.

By the time Tribal Seeds took the stage, the amphitheater was packed and pulsing. With songs like “The Garden” and “Gunsmoke”, they wasted no time plunging into their signature blend of roots reggae, dub, and spiritual uplift. “In Your Eyes” hit like a sermon, with frontman Steven Jacobo’s vocals cutting through the night air like incense smoke. The band was locked in: tight, confident, and clearly feeding off the crowd’s energy.

The band closed with “One Time” and, as the final notes echoed into the Orange County night, fans lingered, reluctant to let go of the magic. Tribal Seeds and their cohorts created the perfect summer night of dancing with American reggae grooves that refused to quit. Cheers!

Photography by Sean McCracken

Share this article

or