Lake Street Dive and Jack Johnson gave West Palm Beach an evening of soulful performances, familiar singalongs, and surf-inspired storytelling at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre.
South Florida’s summer humidity was unavoidable, but it did little to discourage the crowd as Lake Street Dive opened the evening with a lively blend of pop, soul, jazz, and rock.
Led by Rachael Price’s commanding vocals, the band quickly established its personality with “Bad Self Portraits” and “Hypotheticals.” Price moved effortlessly between smooth, restrained passages and powerful vocal moments, while the musicians around her kept the performance energetic and engaging. Lake Street Dive also found success putting its own spin on familiar songs. The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back,” The Cranberries’ “Linger,” and Shania Twain’s “You’re Still the One” fit naturally alongside the band’s original material. By the time “Dance With a Stranger,” “You Go Down Smooth,” and “Good Kisser” arrived, the audience was fully engaged and ready for the headliner.
Jack Johnson’s arrival brought a noticeable shift in atmosphere. There was little need for an elaborate entrance or exaggerated stage presence. With guitar in hand and his longtime musicians alongside him, Johnson settled into the relaxed sound that has defined much of his career.
Opening with “Mudfootball,” Johnson quickly moved into favorites including “Flake,” “Sitting, Waiting, Wishing,” and “Breakdown.” The crowd rarely needed encouragement to participate, with singalongs developing within moments of recognizing familiar melodies. During “Sitting, Waiting, Wishing,” Zach Gill added an early instrumental highlight with a melodica solo.
The looseness of Johnson’s performance allowed songs to evolve in unexpected directions. “Bubble Toes” transitioned into Steve Miller Band’s “Take the Money and Run,” one of several moments where covers and interpolations were woven naturally into his own catalog.
SURFILMUSIC became much more than the tour’s name when the concert reached its centerpiece. Footage from The September Sessions, Johnson’s 2000 surf film, filled the screens as Johnson and his band performed the score live. Surfers carved through waves above the musicians while the band provided the soundtrack below, bringing Johnson’s musical and filmmaking worlds together on the same stage.
Johnson complemented the footage with stories from his surfing past, including memories involving surfer Rob Machado. Those moments captured the relaxed nature of the evening, making an amphitheatre filled with thousands occasionally feel more like friends exchanging stories near the beach.
The transition out of the film segment brought one of the night’s biggest surprises. Lake Street Dive returned to join Johnson for Tom Petty’s “You Don’t Know How It Feels.” With both groups sharing the stage, the performance felt less like a formal guest appearance and more like an oversized jam session.
“Banana Pancakes” brought another massive singalong, while Johnson continued sharing stories and inviting participation throughout the second half. Before “I Got You,” he explained how a broken tuning peg on his guitar led him to continue writing with the instrument in an altered tuning. He then invited the audience to whistle along, and thousands responded.
The closing portion became increasingly intimate, with Johnson turning to acoustic performances of “Home,” Jimmy Buffett’s “A Pirate Looks at Forty,” “Do You Remember,” and “Angel.” After “Taylor,” the familiar opening of “Better Together” provided a fitting conclusion.
Throughout the night, colorful waves, tropical imagery, and shifting lights reinforced the SURFILMUSIC concept without overwhelming the musicians. Ultimately, the evening worked because Johnson never created much separation between himself and the crowd. Through music, surf films, stories and spontaneous collaborations, the audience was invited to become part of the performance rather than simply watch it.
JACK JOHNSON
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