Ohana Fest Breaks the Modern Music Festival Mold

Eddie Vedder knows how to throw a party, and his approach is clearly different than most on the festival circuit right now. His annual gathering known as the Ohana Festival, held in the breezy seaside locale of Dana Point, is truly an alternative festival. This past weekend, there were no grueling treks from stage to stage where agonizing decisions about overlapping bands had to be made, nor were there any obvious “influencers” snapping selfies while ignoring the music. And the Pearl Jam singer didn’t spend his time hidden backstage in his trailer, either.

Vedder was side stage most of this past weekend, enjoying the eclectic mixture of sounds and joining many of the acts to jam. The event felt relaxed, soulful and like an authentic celebration, even with some of the usual trappings, such as high-priced food, drink and merch.

Ohana's line-ups aren't tailored to any one demographic, though the fest does skew older. Genres represented include country, rock, new wave and soul, and in terms of line-up, the fest is intriguingly all over the place. It's also very well-organized, with lots of seating (two sets of bleachers) from which to watch its two stages and multiple monitors throughout.

Friday, early sets by Keanu Reeves' band Dogstar, country singer Jaime Wyatt and 80's indie balladeers Crowded House entertained those who took the workday off early. But most got there just in time for the evening set by Devo, a quirky choice for the bill that totally paid off, bringing a burst of energy to fans waiting for Pearl Jam later. We've seen Devo at Punk Rock Bowling, Cruel World and Darker Waves in recent years, and notably, the band is a square peg that somehow fits any shape, mood or crowd. Though their arty post-punk ditties are robotic at times, they're joyful and hooky as heck.

Vedder showed his love for Mark Mothersbaugh and his Akron, Ohio-bred bandmates, surprisingly enough, during Pearl Jam's set by referencing two of their best known cuts. During PJ's emotive "Daughter," he busted out a full verse from Devo's "Beautiful World" that was so expertly-placed and re-worked, we wanted to hear his full cover just as much as the Vs. single. He also referenced Devo's take on  "Satisfaction," as opposed to the original Stones version, with a quick "can't get me no..." lyric layover during the 2020-era track "Who Ever Said."

Vedder also joined the Black Pumas for a stirring version of Otis Redding's "Sitting on the Doc of the Bay," near the end of the band's powerful set —a best of the fest— on Saturday. Throughout the weekend he popped up to play with Crowded House, Cat Power and Hansard, too. It's no wonder avid fans follow the band all over the world ala The Grateful Dead; they truly live up to their name as potent jamsters who love what they do and sound fierce and fresh every time they do it.

Speaking of fresh, Sting's headlining turn on Saturday saw the rock legend giving off vitality and jovial energy as he played Police songs alongside his best known solo material, both of which sounded stronger as the set —full of hits such as "Message in a Bottle," "So Lonely" and "Fields of Gold"— progressed.

Unfortunately, the band right before him, Turnpike Troubadours, were all wrong for the slot they got. There was a real disconnect with fans waiting for the Police singer and it wasn't just music style. The band were low-energy, lacking interaction with the crowd, and as the night grew colder, they failed to warm things up. The Troubs should have been booked much earlier in the fest, with The Pumas, Cat Power or Jenny Lewis, who also played Saturday, opening instead. Rock-driven acts from the Sunday line-up would have worked too, such as Alanis Morissette, The Breeders or Kim Gordon. But that is the risk of really mashing things up. 

Ohana Fest's activist spirit is all about this inclusive melding of expression, but its intention to highlight a loving and liberal point of view is always front and center. It was seen and heard on its intimate Storyteller Stage and in the adjacent lounge called The Cove filled with info booths from groups ranging from Planned Parenthood to Surfrider Foundation. Incorporating politics of this sort might also be seen as a risk, especially in "purple" Orange County, but Ohana —which means "family" in Hawaiian— established its ethos a long time ago. 

So it was no surprise when Vedder spoke about abortion rights and environmental concerns from the stage. Pearl Jam played on Sunday too, but his vision was pretty much encapsulated at the start of their show Friday, when he said the following: "We got women, we got men, we got boys, we got girls, we Mr. and Mrs. and Ms., we got they and them, we got surf, we got turf, we got storytellers, we got artists, and it's all because mother nature provides this scene to enjoy ourselves and celebrate her."