BeachLife: Redondo Beach’s Best-Kept Secret
Alanis Morissette performing, courtesy of BeachLife Festival.
Redondo Beach, California doesn’t get a lot of love daily. Despite being a South Bay beach city in Greater Los Angeles, we Redondo locals don’t get a lot of appreciation for how great our 75°F year-round oasis can be.
When the BeachLife Festival rolls into town every year, though, setting up camp in our beloved Seaside Lagoon, Redondo Beach earns the love it deserves.
This year’s lineup, consisting of the sexy low-rise wearing Lenny Kravitz, 80’s rock feminist queen Chrissie Hynde with the Pretenders, and a Sunday headliner that needs no introduction of her own, Alanis Morissette, proved that Redondo Beach is a force to be reckoned with.
My formal introduction to the first weekend of May, more commonly known as the weekend of BeachLife Festival, began Friday at 4:30 PM (If my job asks, though—it was 5:00 PM after closing out the work week).
The Struts started off the weekend strong, inviting the first flux of BeachLife goers and fellow 9-5 corporate workers into the festival grounds with their energy-filled hard rock and pop. Their music energized the crowd dancing/picnicking/getting drinks/singing karaoke on the Hightide stage’s turf grass while O.A.R. warmed up to serenade the Lowtide stage attendees on the sand.
Aloe Blacc then demonstrated that he didn’t come to Redondo Beach to play, opening his Hightide set with “I Need a Dollar,” effectively reminding myself that “I Need a Drink” to keep the energy flowing through his set into Train’s, and most importantly keep me wide-eyed and bushy-tailed for Lenny.
And let me tell you, Lenny Kravitz did not disappoint. Oozing sex and rock and roll, Lenny (we’re on a first-name basis) had all of Redondo Beach’s visitors in the palm of his hands. From “American Woman” to “It Ain’t Over Til It's Over” to “Fly Away,” Lenny could do no wrong.
I may have spoken too soon. Saturday started at a brisk 6:10 PM, all thanks to Lenny the night before, allowing CAKE to awaken my sleepy haze. Through the shock of the crowd realizing that a band that was popular in the 90s would, in fact, be old, gray-haired men, CAKE put on quite a show.
BeachLife continued going back in time, with 80s rock band Pretenders and everyone’s dad’s ex-celebrity crush, Chrissie Hynde, front and center, proving that age is just a number with their head-banging music.
Sublime ended out a packed Saturday lineup, although my night with Lenny caught up to me again, so I opted to listen to Sublime from the comfort of my own bed, with some minor intermittent solo dance parties.
Then suddenly, in the blink of an eye, it was Sunday and time to go back further in time to the 60s and 70s, aided by SoCal natives The Beach Boys, of course.
As an avid Pet Sounds listener, this was who I was most excited to see, and it seems that many agreed. Easily filling up the already sand-filled SeaSide lagoon, the Beach Boys knew the task at hand. Accompanied by everyone’s favorite uncle, John Stamos, The Beach Boys reminded everyone why Southern California is the place to be.
Although The Beach Boys were an arguably hard act to follow, our Sunday headliner and festival closer had no issue at all. Opening with her iconic “Hand In My Pocket,” Alanis Morissette clearly showed why she is one of the greats. Bestowing Redondo Beach with her presence, Redondo Beach returned the favor with dancing men, women, and children who couldn’t care less Monday was right around the corner, throwing up peace signs and sharing can-you-believe-this glances, trying to make sense that the Alanis Morissette was just a few feet away rocking out in the middle of the Redondo Beach Marina.
Seven years since BeachLife’s inaugural festival, Redondo Beach continues to prove why it belongs on the map. Whether it be a baby in headphones, teens trying to avoid the myriad of local teachers, influencers who look like they just rolled in from Stagecoach, or could’ve-been classmates with the original Beach Boys, this festival is for everyone.
And where else would you be able to sing The Beach Boys' song “Surfin’ USA,” with a crowd of sun-drunk strangers while standing on the very sands that inspired it?
