The BeachLife Festival once again blew away the crowds. At least on the first two days.
The fifth iteration of BeachLife, like the previous years, drew thousands of people to Redondo Beach to enjoy life music, food and other entertainment, though the third and final day ended early on Sunday because of high winds.
But the Friday and Saturday musical performances, and the audience’s general enjoyment, were. “on par with some of the best days we’ve had at BeachLife,” said co-founder Allen Sanford
Friday was a particularly “magical day,”Sanford said, with Sting, Seal and Dirty Heads performing. It was a day where “everybody over delivered,” Sanford said.
Sunday fans, however, missed out on seeing acts such as Fleet Foxes, Trey Anastacia Band and headliner My Morning Jackets because high winds created safety hazards.
Sanford vowed to make that right with fans, even though a specifc refund policy had yet to be worked out.
“We understand that we’ve got some disappointed people that came to see the music,” Sanford said, “and we don’t intend to shut the door on those people.”
Refunding fans isn’t all that simple, Sanford said: The festival, for one, was about two-thirds through the final day. Besides the Sunday-only ticket holders, there are also those with three-day passes.
“It’s not a one-size fits all,” Sanford said.
The co-founder said he is working with the bands to “provide an outcome that will make everybody happy.”
Winds reached 43 mph on Sunday — exceeding the 30 mph threshold set earlier. So around 5:15 p.m., a team of Redondo Beach police, fire personnel and BeachLife staffers stopped all performances, according to a joint statement from city public safety agencies and festival organizers.
Attendees were told to steer clear of the free-standing stages and seek refuge from any hazards, according to the statement. Safety personnel had done a mock drill last week that included a stage collapse scenario because of high winds.
“BeachLife ownership has always placed public safety as the highest priorty,” the statement said, “and in this instance, their commitment to public safety was clearly demonstrated.”
By 5:50 p.m., more than 95% of the 7,500 guests and staffers were safely evacuated with no reported injuries.
Organizers and fans had hoped the evacuation would be temporary. Bu because of the sustained winds and the “complexities required to reopen the venue,” the release said, Redondo Beach Fire Department Chief Patrick Butler and Police Department Chief Joe Hoffman made the decision to cancel the rest of show.
Structural engineers would have to give the OK, and there’d need to be safety sweeps for explosives, before allowing attendees back onto the festival grounds, according to the statement. And that just wasn’t possible with the limited time remaining Sunday, Hoffman said.
So at about 6:30 p.m., thousands of fans milling outside the festival grounds and at nearby venues learned that the rest of the festival was cancelled.
In all, Sanford said, the structures were actually blocking the winds.
“So if you were in the HighTide area, for example, on the grass, those structures were blocking the wind but that was the problem,” Sanford said in a Monday interview. “The wind was starting to lift those structures up.”
Had the team taken a chance and just waited for the winds to calm down, Sanford said, he would not have been able to forgive him if even one person gotten hurt.
“I learned that all of these things that we plan and train for are real,” Sanford said, paying compliments to his team for responding instead of freezing during the crisis.
But even though the festival ended on a sour note, the rest of it was thrilling.
Ozzie and Bonnie Albillo, for example, were among those standing in the corner of a BeachLife VIP elevated platform Saturday night before headliner Incubus took to the festival’s largest stage.
Desite having purchased three-day VIP tickets, they missed Friday’s acts because they had to cart their kids around for softball championships.
“We really wanted to see Sting,” Ozzie Albillo said. “But the kids come first.”
The couple has purchased VIP tickets for the three-day festival since its inception in 2019. They both said they enjoy discovering new bands. This year’s find was new wave/hip-hop artist Santigold. Bonnie Albillo called her a really good performer, while her husband said he was eager to get home to download her discology.
The Albillos are so trusting now of the BeachLife curation of musical content that Ozzie said next year, he’s going to “buy tickets blind” without knowing the lineup ahead of time.
But what really stands out for the Torrance residents, Ozzie Albillo said, is the chill vibe.
“The atmosphere is what makes it,” he said. “The community is what makes it.”
The souful, safe BeachLife vibe was no better displayed than late Friday afternoon. Seal strutted his stuff out on the catwalk, striking poses, belting out his Grammy-winning hit “Kiss from a Rose.”
Soon after, suddenly, the British powerhouse hopped off the end of the catwalk — and into the crowd below.
Seal sang at least three songs from the middle of the enthralled crowd, while BeachLifers filmed with their phones and listened to his heartfelt confession about self-doubt and losing his sense of purpose.
“The reality is,” Seal said, “some mornings, I wake up and I feel like (expletive).”
But by performing at BeachLife, Seal said, he saw love and empathy in people’s eyes — “in your eyes, in your eyes,” — as he pointed at attendees inches away.
“Thank you for reminding me of my sense of purpose,” Seal said before imploring people not to lose their own sense of purpose and launching into yet another one of his hits as he moved back toward the stage.
Fans were again center stage on Saturday as indie-rockers Local Natives called pop vocalist Jordana on stage to perform with them.
Jordana had delivered a stirring performance on the smaller RipTide stage the day before.
“She played yesterday and said it was the most fun she’s ever had in her life,” said a Local Natives vocalist, as he pointed out into the crowd. “And that’s because of you.”
Throughout the three-day festival, nearly everyone had a recommendation for a recently discovered artist. The names that kept popping up were Santigold, Chevy Metal and Cydeways.
But the laid-back melodies and hard rockers that BeachLife organizers are known for isn’t everyone’s jam.
Robin Eagan, for example, was displaying his photography/mixed-media artwork at the festival through the group Punk Rock and Paintbrushes. He enjoyed seeing Devo on Saturday evening, he said.
“But, in general,” Eagan added, “it’s not really my type of music.”
Eagan and his girlfriend, Crystal Azua, spent a lot of time hanging out at the small Speakeasy stage, which was overflowing with audience members.
“It’s crazy how many people turn out for this,” Azua said.
And, it seems, audience members aren’t the only advocates for a supportive, collaborative atmosphere. The musicians, as well, are down.
On Sunday afternoon, South Bay guitar prodigy Saxon Weiss wowed the Speakeasy crowd with his swift guitar fingering and mature songwriting. Weiss was backed up by bassist Tal Wilkenfeld and drummer Kiel Feher.
Weiss’ mother, Cassie, said it took a lot of hard work and practice for Saxon.
“To have him be up there,” Cassie Weiss said, “and surrounded by some of the best musicians in the world is just incredible.”