Locals’ Summer
BeachLife Nights is ready to light up
by Gavin Heaney
There’s a sweet serenity to fall in a beach town. Kids are back in school, the tourists have left and the trampled sand slips peacefully back into place. The air is subtly cooler, the sky a more stable cerulean and the sun shines with a bit more starlight. The receding south swells of summer meet the first north swells of winter, providing peaky, uncrowded waves for local surfers who, like school kids themselves, begin to repopulate their ocean playground. It’s locals’ summer, the best part of the year and we have it all to ourselves. What better way to take it all in than a classic sunset beach bonfire with friends, music and tasty grinds?
BeachLife Nights will light up this weekend in Redondo Beach with reggae music, beachside bonfires and BBQ. The newest micro music festival is an offshoot of the BeachLife Festival and will thread the summer vibe through winter until the three day BeachLife festival in May.
“BeachLife Nights is going to be a scaled back version of our larger festival,” said Jim Lindberg, the Pennywise frontman who serves as the festival’s brand director. “It’s taking place on our LowTide sand stage and will have an even more chill beach vibe with the same high-quality artists, production and food and drink we bring to the May festival. We’ve got international superstars like Michael Franti, The English Beat, and then Iration bringing the reggae vibe, Donovan Frankenreiter bringing the surf vibe and our good friends Fortunate Youth keeping it local. So even though the festival is scaled down, the entertainment sure isn’t.”
Michael Franti & Spearhead, Soja, The English Beat and The Rookie5 will perform on Friday night. Iration, Fortunate Youth, Donavon Frankenreiter and Anuhea will perform on Saturday. Fans will also be treated to a surprise acoustic performance with one of the scheduled artists each day at the Kona Big Wave Aloha Lounge.
Additionally, Michelin-starred chef Curtis Stone will host a VIP barbecue inside the exclusive VIP Lounge, including a special performance on the Jack Daniel’s culinary stage.
“There’s no better way to end summer than with sunset concerts on the beach,” said BeachLife kingpin Donovan Frankenreiter. “Two amazing nights in Redondo on the sand with incredible food. I am so excited to come play.”
Franti, who is burning to bring his bouncy soul-shine songs to the South Bay with his band Spearhead, just gets better with age.
“I’m more excited to play music today than I’ve ever been,” Franti recently told Forbes. “And I know that’s the same for the band members. We’ve been doing it now for over 30 years and to wake up every day and go, ‘I cannot wait to do this, it’s the best feeling.”
In a time of dicey division, Franti makes it even more his mission to remain positive and find simple, natural solutions.
“I believe optimism is the highest form of courage. It takes bravery to show up in that way.” he said.
He sings in “See You In The Light;”
The vampires gather around me, angling to take a bite.
They want to drink my blood of courage, and try to take away my fight.
But no, no, no, they can’t do that, for one truth I’ve learned in life.
You want to scare away the vampires, you simply guide them into the light.
Franti was adopted at birth and struggled to feel acceptance his whole life. His musical message is appropriately all about including people.
“It’s been my goal through my music to make people feel they can be themselves and it’s okay to be that way,” he said. “You’re hearing lyrics that affirm your values in life, yet trying to look beyond yourself and embrace those with other experiences.”
His jubilant and dynamic live performance backs up his words. When he’s not full tilt rocking with the band, he’s a man of the people, strolling out into the audience, seeking refuge in community. He’s gone barefoot since 2000 — except when he is required to put flip flops on when boarding a plane or eating in a restaurant — as a means of keeping his feet on the ground. At BeachLife, he’ll be happy to put his feet in the sand.
“There are moments where the music is super loud and intense and rocking and then there will be moments where it’s just me and the guitar and I’ll go out into the audience,” he said.
As Halloween gets closer and the vampires close in, there’s one last shot of South Bay summer to be caught this weekend at BeachLife Nights. For Allen Sanford, BeachLife founder, it’s more than his business to bring us the music. It’s the way he enjoys the locals’ summer.
“We know the fall is a busy time for everyone, and we thought it’d be fun to enjoy some live music without needing to force a full-day, all weekend commitment,” he said. “BeachLife Nights is going to be a great opportunity to bring your beach chair or blanket down, enjoy Michelin-level barbecue from Curtis Stone, and put your feet in the sand to some amazing live music with positive energy and vibes. We look forward to seeing the South Bay come out and do what we do best — enjoy the BeachLife.”
For more information, see BeachLifeNights.com. ER
