Ohana Music Festival embraces musical diversity-Newport Beach News

2021-11-12 10:16:46 By : Ms. Amy Tang

Author: Simone Goldstone, NB Indy Soundcheck columnist

Ohana means family, which is the theme of the Ohana Festival held at Doheny State Beach at the end of September.

From the performance of Eddie Vedder and his daughter, the collective efforts to protect the environment, and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers came forward to save the days of Kings of Leon bowing and mourning the loss , Make this holiday feel like family. Not just any family, but Eddie Vedder's easy-going, eclectic, sloppy, and psychedelic rock family.

The band ensures that the set time and sequence of playing when they are bored will never be affected. Every genre and artist is taken into account, so every scene can seamlessly transition to another scene, or wake up the crowd when the day turns into night.

The proximity of the stage meant that there was no despair running around to make the next set. The beautiful Doheny State Beach is located behind a fence with overflowing sand and is the perfect California rug to watch surfers sailing into the Pacific Ocean.

Although there were some minor problems on the first day, such as the withdrawal of the King of Leon due to the death of the band member’s mother, and the evacuation of participants due to lightning during Greer’s performance, the entire festival was very well organized and very success.

As generations of rock and roll took to the stage, the discoveries of new artists and the enjoyment of their predecessors shined brightly. It's like the mystery of the Sphinx: a fresh face in the morning, an inspiration in the afternoon, and an evening reserved for legends.

The festival kicked off with Modern Eyes, an independent pop band, brightly on the stage with happy, good-feeling improvisations. Their dance music brand set the tone for this day. Their cheerful songs remind me of the popular version of Strokes meet the Cure.

Amo Amo then took to the main stage with rocky tropical music. Wearing butterfly-shaped sunglasses, the voice of the female anchor is reminiscent of Florence and the machine. The deep bass and grooves are very pleasant.

Kevin Garrett appeared behind them, looking more like a darker and sadder Ed Sheeran.

"I have always been sad, so this is the meaning of my music," he said half-jokingly. His voice was beautiful and moving, and the audience ate up all the Grammy-winning voices.

What awed and interested the audience was the Plague Merchant. The front desk staff took off their shirts and sneaked into the auditorium repeatedly. Plague Vendor reminds OC of its punk roots and puts the crowd in their hands.

"Everyone, surround me in a circle," the lead singer Brandon Bryan shouted from the middle of the audience. "Now give me your sunglasses!"

Just like a surrender or a punk rock exorcism, Brian wore a number of mismatched glasses, and the crowd circled him and shouted. The interaction between Plague Vendor and the audience is something I have never seen before.

Plague Merchant has a suitable name to describe the huge impact it will bring to the festival.

Orange County band Greer then stepped onto the stage. Greer really entered themselves. After OC Fair played with Flaming Lips and released a new EP, this young group sounds better than ever. The teenage band members were very vulnerable on stage, and the audience was surprised by their youth and talent.

Their charm and skill will bring the torch of indie rock to 2021. When Greer started their song "Lullaby", the sky was covered with dark clouds and flashing lights illuminated the cloudy beach. An invisible voice rang from the speakers, telling us all to evacuate the area immediately.

Everyone was taken aback and seemed shocked by the news.

"Pay attention to the announcement of when it is safe to re-enter," the ominous voice said again.

Being driven out of the festival venue like a cow, no one knows what to do. Since my car is too far to reach and the phone is out of power, I am worried that I will be trapped. But the theme of the festival, Ohana, has been extended again.

Picked up by Greer's friends and family, a kind group of people escorted me back to my car safely. We walked through the butterfly garden and walked out of Doheny State Beach, as if we were in a tropical adventure. Half an hour later, the festival announced that it had restarted.

The festival returns with regret. The front desk girl Lydia Knight (Lydia Knight) lifted the atmosphere with youthful vigor.

"What's the matter with these young groups and their talents?" a listener whispered to me. Regrettes' cute poppy punk and bright smile draw the crowd closer and give us all energy. A gentle Moshpit appeared in the crowd, and customers did not let the lightning affect their mood.

The smoke from the rain cleared, and the haze receded back into the ocean, as if dispelled by Lydia Knight's brilliant smile and bubblegum-like pink hair. The sunset began to fall on the turbulent Pacific waves, and the crowd was grateful that the day was not cancelled.

"Make friends! I will be your friend," Lydia said to the audience. It's refreshing to see the accessibility of young bands. When strangers meet and dance with each other, the Ohana theme reappears in my mind.

With a bit of R&B, Black Puma perfectly turns the afternoon into the evening, with palm trees lit up in neon colors.

Next is the CAAMP band, which is a perfect combination of banjo and pop music. Their standalone Bluegrass Cool is brand new and exciting. Their song "The Officer of Love" fascinated the audience, and every word was recited by the audience. Townes Van Zant's slow drag and cheerful bass make CAAMP an immediate favorite. Their songs "Vagabond" and "All the debts I owe" are ecstatic songs that I am familiar with.

My Morning Jacket appeared as the first headline news.

"Play with old things!" the audience shouted. As their performance continued, they introduced their old favorites and the audience settled down. It was obvious to me that on the first day, new, young bands were dominant. The older generation should be happy that they are such a group of sympathetic, socially aware and talented young musicians who keep the music alive.

Eddie Vedder arrived in time, saved the situation and called an all-star band to make up for the absence of the Leon Kings.

This is the first time to play with the new band. Members include Chad Smith and Andrew Watt from Red-Hot Chilli Peppers, Pino Palladino and Glen Hansard. Vader prayed for the mother of the King of Lyon. He sang a few of their songs and ended the night with the prince’s purple rain singing.

The first highlight of the second day is the back seat lovers. Their long curly hair, ripped denim and tight instruments provide a good old-fashioned indie rock. They sound like a more twisted and laid-back version of Strokes, or a hippie version of Killers. The inflatable beach ball bounced in the auditorium, reflecting the sun on a cloudless day.

Mac DeMarco, a music festival veteran and an independent boy aesthetic inventor, did not appear on the stage with his band. I have watched Mike live many times, and I have never watched his solo. He arrived, his face mask half-hidden, with a lighted cigarette in his mouth.

"I'm from Canada," he greeted, taking him to adjust his guitar with a jovial light. Starting from his classic single "Salad Day", without his accompaniment, this show feels more intimate and familiar.

"If you know these words, please sing them. You can also sing the guitar part," he joked.

I have never seen a Mac interact with the audience so much. A fan threw him a bracelet, and when he picked it up, the crowd cheered, like he drew a sword from a stone.

He told the audience the story of 50 cigars accidentally delivered to his trailer and shared these stories with Backseat Lovers. Isn't this what makes the festival incredible? Let your favorite artists get together and hang out in one place, like a crossover episode of your favorite TV show?

"Karaoke time, baby," he joked, turning on the music of the big band. As the spies on the stage rolled over, the Mac began to play Frank Sinatras' You Make Me Feel So Young.

Mac is the perfect choice to make viewers feel like friends, and everyone in the festival feels like family. This is how Mac De Marco should be heard-take off his clothes, calm down, and put a smiley button on his fisherman's hat. He is the pioneer of relaxing listening and relaxing days, and today the Mac is at its best.

Cold War Kids rekindled its vitality with splattered jeans and tougher rock songs to speed up the rhythm. Cold War Kids is from Long Beach and released a series of new albums during the quarantine period.

Irish singer and songwriter Glen Hansard amazed audiences with his heartfelt music and award-winning songwriting.

"Performing is like robbing a bank, you can be prepared, but there will always be variables," he said with a smile. To the audience's surprise, photographer Danny Clinch (Danny Clinch) appeared on the stage and played the harmonica with Hansard.

Maggie Rogers' energetic and incredible performance refreshed the atmosphere. This was the perfect transition for the night when Eddie Vedder's solo performance ended.

Sitting on a stool, against the background of the deliberately static old TV screen, Vader is covered by a spotlight lantern.

"It's like hanging out with friends," he told us, which is exactly how he feels when he connects with every audience. He first told the story of visiting George Harrison in Friar Park and sang "Don't Be Shy" by Cat Stevens.

Vedder covers everyone from Pretenders to REM, interspersed with Pearl Jam tunes and his own solo songs such as "Far behind" and "Rise".

Eddie's daughter, Olivia Vedder, dressed like a Renaissance princess, wearing braids and satin dresses, sang "I am my father's daughter". Ohana's subject was filled with air once again.

With his own solo music, the superstar band from the night before came out, the band sang some Who songs, and then Clash's "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" He used Neil Young's "Continue in the Free World" Rock and roll ended that night, Chad Smith broke the style of his drum Keith Moon.

On day 3, rejuvenate in the new 70s psychedelic inspiration combination Night Moves. A small but dedicated fan lined up early in front of the roadblock to catch the Minneapolis indie band and their wail of the wah pedal.

Lead singer John Pelant wore a burnt orange jacket that matched his sunburst guitar and performed a rock show with interesting twisting effects. The guitar solo is incredible, and it is great to see that Prince and Dylan’s hometown still produces great musicians.

The festival Independence King Real Estate plays next. With their groundbreaking hit single "Green Isles", they have been touring the festival since 2015. If we stick to Ohana's theme, people can see music passed down from generation to generation: Pearl Jam, Real Estate, Night Moves. This is a good example of how music changes and develops on the basis that it has been built. Real Estate wore smiling floral T-shirts, pink guitars and thick pilots to remind the audience of what indie bands at the festival are best at.

Shovel and Ropes wore black sunglasses and a harmonica to make the day full of rustic atmosphere.

Cavetown is a very young British self-made online band, they use beautiful gaze melody to cover up their sad lyrics. Their guitarist has bleached hair and looks like a young Kurt Cobain.

"I'm really just a kid," singer Robbins Kinner exclaimed with his red mullet. Someone threw him a plush tortoise, he gladly accepted it and put it on the keyboard. Although the themes of the lyrics are heavy, such as divorce and depression, the organization masks these sad thoughts with distorted, interesting melodies. This contrast reflects the struggle of a new generation of people with technology and social pressures. They want to behave like one thing, but have a different feeling in their hearts.

In the past three days, young people under the age of 20 have been brilliantly talented.

Another British artist, Jade Bird, undoubtedly felt at home in cloudy weather, and he provided a fascinating scene. Wearing the matching green corduroy pants and jacket, Bird continued to use her beautiful voice, impressive range and gentle lyrics. Joni Mitchell likes the feeling of folk songs. Drums and beats keep the atmosphere alive through the cool mix of original and electric sound.

Yola then walked onto the stage wearing a tropical print dress, as if he was in a Miami club. Her voice shook the whole festival with its intensity and affection.

Continuing to celebrate female artists, Sharon Van Etta is the next one to surprise us. Black hair and fishing nets, her smoldering appearance and darker atmosphere are the perfect transition to the evening. Her avant-garde and poignant songs attracted the audience.

"I used to be 17 years old," she sang, pointing to a young girl in the crowd and looking her in the eyes.

Brandi Carlile started her set with the cover of Joni Mitchell's "Woodstock". After that, Yola also joined her stage, and the two lit up the night with powerful voices. The festival was crowded with people, palm trees lit up, and surfers glide in the dark water outside the fence.

Eddie Vedder is on the stage again, this time performing with the rest of Pearl Jam. The live debut of their new material for their 2020 album Gigaton, "Dance of Clairvoyance" and "Quick Escape" became hit songs.

Guitar improvisation is a psychedelic ember that ignites the night, and fans of all ages dance and change jobs with one of Seattle Voices' original idols. Two hours of hit songs and new materials made fans revel in nostalgia, and new listeners quickly became devotees.

In addition to the primitive magic they perform, it reminds everyone that the festival is to pass the torch of rock and roll, from primitive people to young teenagers who maintain their spiritual vitality.

In the past three days, Eddie Vedder has made us all a member of the Pearl Jam family, a celebration of generations. In this regard, I say Maholo.

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