From Skating Polly’s fiery opening to Green Day’s bombastic coastline-shaking finale, Ohana Festival’s closing day blended grit, humor, and heart in a fittingly raucous sendoff.
Skating Polly opened the final day with their scrappy brand of punk-pop urgency, setting the tone with raw energy and unfiltered emotion. The trio’s fearless mix of crunching riffs and tender harmonies made their set both fierce and strangely vulnerable — the kind of opening that wakes up even the most sun-dazed early arriving festivalgoer.
The Criticals followed with swagger, their Nashville-bred rock balancing polish and grit. Catchy riffs and sing-along choruses carried through the midday air, drawing curious listeners closer. Their set may not have reinvented the wheel, but it had plenty of undeniable charm and just enough bite to hold attention.
Lambrini Girls stormed the stage next, their feminist punk anthems tearing through the seaside calm with unapologetic force. Loud, brash, and pointedly funny, they played like they had something to prove — and proved it with every defiant shout. They left behind a charge in the air that lingered long after the final note.
The Chats doubled down on the chaos, unleashing their Aussie pub-punk fighting frenzy with short, sharp blasts that turned the beach crowd into a pit of moshing bodies. Songs like “Smoko” & “6L GTR” hit like lightning strikes, silly and savage at once, reminding everyone that punk’s truest power lies in not caring who approves.
High Vis brought a different mood, fusing hardcore intensity with Britpop melodic touches. Their cathartic delivery and emotional weight gave the afternoon its heaviest edge, the kind of set that didn’t just entertain but demanded release. The contrast between brutality and beauty made their 40 minutes some of the day’s most striking.
Amanda Reckonwith — Eddie Vedder performing under one of his playful pseudonyms — slipped into the mid-afternoon slot with a mix of humor and heart. Playing what he called a punk-rock halftime set. Vedder played stripped-down covers and story-driven originals, delivered with Vedder’s unmistakable baritone. Joined by Glen Hansard. It was less about spectacle and more about intimacy, a reminder that even under a disguise, Vedder’s connection to this festival is as deep as the tide that hugs Doheny Beach.
James, veterans of the British alternative scene, offered a welcome dose of anthemic sophistication. Their eclectic vibe, and sweeping choruses and layered arrangements carried a timeless quality, giving longtime fans a chance to belt along while winning over new ears. “Sit Down” felt like an invitation everyone gladly accepted. Their anthem Laid built the final connection and a familiarity with the crowd.
Wet Leg kept the energy rolling with their sardonic, hook-heavy indie rock. Breezy and biting at once, they balanced absurd humor with genuinely infectious grooves. Songs like “Chaise Longue” had the crowd laughing and dancing in equal measure, confirming why their ascent has been so rapid and so deserved.
Cage the Elephant stormed into the early evening with one of the festival’s most high-voltage performances. Frontman Matt Shultz, with wiry energy and unpredictable movement, commanded attention as the band unleashed a barrage of hits that blurred the line between chaos and control. Their set felt like a sparkplug lighting the fuse before the headliners.
Green Day closed out the ninth Ohana weekend with the kind of headlining set only they can deliver: loud, anthemic, and gleefully over the top. From the first blast of “American Idiot,” Billie Joe Armstrong had the crowd in the palm of his hand, whipping Doheny Beach into a sing-along chorus that stretched from the barricade to the beer tents. The set was so loud it could be heard up and down the California coastline, from Laguna Beach in the north to San Clemente in the south, as if Green Day had claimed the Pacific as their own echo chamber. Every note carried the brash confidence of a band that knows exactly what they mean to generations of fans.
But Green Day didn’t just play to nostalgia; they reminded everyone that their fire still burns hot. Mixing classics with newer tracks, they struck a balance between youthful rebellion and veteran mastery, between sneer and sincerity. Confetti cannons, crowd chants, and Armstrong’s relentless banter turned the evening into a carnival of punk rock spectacle. By the time the last chords rang into the surf, Day Three had been stamped as Green Day’s victory lap — and a raucous finale to OhanaFest 2025.
