A gloomy afternoon in Redondo Beach, California was no match for the BeachLife Ranch Festival which whisked away the day with superb performances from country and Americana artists such as Pillbox Patti, Rome & Duddy, Shakey Graves, The Avett Brothers, Jack Johnson and more. On the first day, September 22, the festival started strong with sets from emerging and returning legends of the country and Americana scenes; proving what it means to be an artist of the Americana genre. Within a nine-and-a-half hour time frame a multitude of artists demonstrated the contemporary elements of soft rock, bluegrass, country and acoustic rock with an introduction to the festival that made the night truly memorable. 

Throughout the day, festival-goers filled the beach city with hopes of indulging in root-rock and bluesy country all while enjoying their beach getaway, achieving the perfect mini-vacation in a span of a three-day weekend. Day one of the festival embodied the dynamic mix of  the surfer cowboy lifestyle by fusing beach life and ranch life in a way that only a true Americana fan can ever dream of. A day brimming with boozy beverages, a selection of food and music intended to get people moving. 

Goodnight, Texas

To start the day, Americana-folk rock band Goodnight, Texas opened up their set with “Button Your Collar,” a track that is accompanied by banjo, acoustic guitar, melodic vocals and lyrics that embody the inner country sound of oneself. Their song “Tucumcari” accentuated the ambiance of the glum weather with a story of an outlaw on the run toward a desolate town in New Mexico. 

The members of Goodnight, Texas also showcased their multitude of talents by incorporating a selection of instruments in their performance such as mandolins, harmonicas and heavy bass, proving themselves a force to be reckoned with. The band played their newest single “Tough,” a track they had yet to perform to an audience. They closed off their set with “Takin’ Your Word For It”, a song heavily reliant on vocals making the set a performance worth watching. 

Pillbox Patti

In true fashionista style, Pillbox Patti hit the stage adorned in a fringe shrug, sunglasses, a pink fuzzy hat and a sleek black tumbler as a statement piece. Patti introduced herself with “Good People,” a song about bad habits that die hard. As a proud Southerner, Pillbox Patti introduced her next song “Eat Pray Drugs” as the only things she was able to do in her Florida town. 

Fusing country, hip-hop, pop and ballad, the artist performed unreleased songs such as “Bad Motherfucker” and “Few People,” tracks that reflect the good, the bad and the ugly that the songstress has faced in her lifetime. Pillbox Patti proved herself to be the next big thing in the country scene with her down-to-earth attitude and blunt lyricism that can only be identified as one of a kind. 

Rome & Duddy

To present the carefree nature of their personalities, the duo group “Rome & Duddy” walked on stage with smiles plastered on their faces and drinks in hand to begin their hour-long performance. Created by members Dustin Bushnell of “Dirty Heads” and Rome Ramirez of “Sublime With Rome,” “Rome & Duddy” is a side project that creates a feel-good atmosphere with their music and good intentions. The duo performed songs such as “Roll Me Up” and “Cannabis Tree” to showcase their music which was heavily inspired by Jimmy Buffet and Bob Marley, which is what member Rome said to have intended. 

Notably, the duo also performed songs from their respective groups such as “Lay Me Down” by Dirty Heads and “What I Got” by Sublime as a means of demonstrating their duality when it comes to fluxing and flowing with surf rock and reggae. Performed on the sandy beach portion of the festival, the aura was at its purest within that hour-long set.

Devon Allman and Donavon Frankenreiter

Duo Devon Allman and Donavon Frankenreiter made history as the globe-trotters who performed fifty shows in a fifty-day timeframe, with BeachLife Ranch Festival being the last show to complete the record. The duo performed songs such as “It Don’t Matter” and “Fired Up!,” illustrating their impeccable vocal skills and guitar-plucking expertise that had crowd-goers up and dancing throughout the night. 

They closed off their set with “Where Ya Gonna Run To?,” a song that embodies what Devon Allman and Donavon Frankenreiter are all about: gritty rock and gruff, yet clean vocals. 

Bahamas

To slow down the night, Afie Jurvanen, stage name Bahamas, gave an intimate performance at the Lowlands stage with songs from his discography that range from folk and indie to Americana. 

Bahamas performed songs such as “Any Place,” “Stronger Than That” and “Whole Wide World,” proclaiming himself to be not only a skilled singer but a prolific guitarist and songsmith as well. Although the singer didn’t speak much during his performance, he let his songs do the talking for him, painting a picture of what it means to be a soulful artist with lyrics that will pique the interest of anyone listening.

Shakey Graves

Under the stage name Shakey Graves, Alejandro Rose-Garcia delivered a bluesy country performance at the main Highlands stage. With a genuine rags-to-riches story, Shakey Graves told the tale of his musical journey with songs that highlighted his road to fame with an explanation behind each song, including his song “Built To Roam.”

Throughout his performance, the singer expressed gratitude to those who supported him, proposing a toast and a song to those both in attendance and outside the vicinity of the festival “To your family, whether you love them or hate them, or if they’re here with you right now,” he expressed before performing “Kids these Days.” Shakey Graves, to make it short, captured blues and country beautifully in an hour-and-fifteen-minute performance that captured the hearts of festival attendees with his charismatic stage presence and soothing vocals. 

The Avett Brothers

To pick the speed back up, The Avett Brothers shredded on stage with a band complete with cello, violin, banjos, harmonica, guitar and piano. Opening with “Satan Pulls The Strings,” the band started strong with a song heavily reliant on raw vocals and string. The brothers introduced themselves and went on to give a performance filled with lively songs such as “Roll Me Up And Smoke Me When I Die” and “Vanity.”

The Avett Brothers also provided an emotional performance with a tinge of comedic relief with “Murder in the City,” a musical note questioning life and “which brother is better.” 

Jack Johnson

Considered the most anticipated performance of the night, Jack Johnson, known for his soft style of acoustic rock took the night away by garnering a crowd of thousands of festival-goers. It was an absolutely full house for Johnson, given the fact that the singer transcends generations with his impact on acoustic rock. Johnson performed numerous hit songs such as “Banana Pancakes” and “Upside Down” which had the audience singing along with their hearts on their sleeves. 

To spruce up his performance, the surfer-turned-singer performed “Costume Party,” which exhibited his bottle-blowing skills. The artist was nervous at first, stating that it may “sound like shit,” but pleasantly surprised the crowd by proving he’s a jack of all trades instrumentally. Jack Johnson also performed an acoustic cover of MGMT’s “Kids,” renditioning the electro-pop hit into a soft-swaying ballad that took the crowd aback. The night ended with “Better Together,” an intimate song that brought the festival to a splendid finish.  

Photo Credit: Jenna Houchin