On the 10-year anniversary of Ohana Festival, Pearl Jam a make surprise appearance on the opening night, performing with drummer Abe Laboriel Jr.
Ohana Festival opened its tenth year at Doheny State Beach on Friday night. The first day sprawled happily across genres, from soulful early afternoon sets to punk, Latin rock, and a surprise late-night Pearl Jam finish.
In the blaze of the Southern California midday sun, Mereba eased the crowd in. Her blend of soul, folk, and hip-hop suits a beach setting, and her warm, unhurried voice was a gentle way to begin.
Following Mereba’s smooth opening, Irish-American musician Muttlee and his project of the same name hit the Ohana Main Stage like a punk hurricane. He immediately set a new upbeat powerful tone while announcing his arrival.
The Irish rock theme was meant to continue, but the next scheduled act, Florence Road, had their equipment stolen and were unable to perform. So next up was the Japanese punk quartet Otoboke Beaver. The Beaver’s lead signer wailed in Japanese, and in between songs tried to make witty banter and charm the audience with her limited English. The Kyoto quartet plays fast, short, abrasive songs, and they drew a crowd of the curious and then the converted. Nothing else on the bill sounded like them, and the whiplash was the point.
Sugar brought a different kind of intensity. Their reunion gave the day some of its most anticipated guitar-heavy nostalgia, a wall of melodic noise for those who grew up on that early-’90s sound.
Courtney Barnett shifted the tone again, with wry, conversational songwriting and loose, jangly guitar. Her set suited the late afternoon sun better than almost anything else on the schedule.
Bad Religion delivered the punk-rock heart of the day. Their 4:40 PM to 5:25 PM slot was tight and fast, and it came with a full-circle moment. Eddie Vedder joined Greg Graffin onstage for “American Jesus,” the same song he sang with the band more than 30 years ago. In a festival Vedder curates, the cameo felt like both a tribute and a family reunion.
Billy Idol kept the punk energy high with the swagger and sneer that decades on the road haven’t dulled. His set was a run of crowd-pleasers, and he played like an old pro who still enjoys the work. Steve Stevens delivered his usual guitar pyrotechnics while Idol ran through a mix of his old standards and a few newer tunes.
Maná were a highlight and a reminder of how wide the appeal of Ohana’s artist lineup has become. Eddie Vedder introduced the superstar Mexican rock band himself before their set, which ran in a 6:45 PM to 8 PM slot. The crowd sang along with unusual force, and the band’s mix of anthemic rock and Latin melody made it one of the most joyful stretches of the day.
Then came the finale. Eddie Vedder and Friends closed the night. Their set began with Eddie on stage alone. He sang five acoustic songs, and then the rest of Pearl Jam joined him on stage, and the set turned into a Pearl Jam performance and an early look at the band before its scheduled Sunday headlining show. The PJ set delivered the biggest, most anticipated surprise of the weekend with Abe Laboriel Jr. joining the band on drums. For fans, that was the surprise the weekend needed. Vedder is at his most relaxed and generous at his own festival, with the crowd and the Pacific in front of him, and the absolute monster virtuosic Abe Laboriel behind him driving the band to new heights. The songs landed with the weight of a band playing in the place that means the most to them. Pearl Jam are not exactly unproven at this point, but an opening night that ends this way still feels like a gift.
Ohana’s tenth-anniversary opener worked because it didn’t try to be one thing. It ran from soul, through punk, indie rock, and Latin rock to a Pearl Jam ending, and the beach. The sunset and Vedder’s obvious affection for the place held it together. Day one was a roadmap for the weekend ahead, setting the table for a memorable weekend.
