Arts & Life

Long Beach shore can jam

The hottest month of summer came to a close with a blazing lineup at the 2014 Shoreline Jam festival on August 30 and 31.

Entering its fourth year, the festival expanded into a two-day event at Queen Mary Waterfront Events Park.

The festival featured some world-renowned artists, and the two-day passes were $45.

Huntington Beach-based The Originalites played early Saturday afternoon for a sparse crowd, but performed as if all of Long Beach were watching.

The slight breeze coming from the bay played with the band members’ chest-length hair as they played their balanced brand of ska reggae and Spanish sing-alongs.

“Porque, porque, te fuiste,” shouted vocalist and saxophonist Michael Belk in Spanish which translate into, “Why oh, why did you leave?” The Long Beach native played saxophone sequences on a polychrome saxophone between lyrics.

The upbeat ska reggae of The Originalites was quelled by The Aggrolites and Stick Figure.  These acts played roots reggae, appealing especially to the older demographic.

While many attendees stood at the fringes of the stage to introduce themselves to the lesser-known artists, some sat at tables or under the shade of an giant inflatable Heineken bottle waiting for sundown.

Danielle Carson, Daily 49er
Danielle Carson, Daily 49er

Some parents sported children on their shoulders and danced with them. Between sets they could be seen playing with the giant Connect 4 or Frisbees that were scattered on the grass.

Attendees fled to the beer tent and neighboring food vendors, shelling out $8 for beer, $10 for mixed drinks and $13 for kabobs. The beer line augmented and so did the number of tipsy reggae fans.

“This is the longest beer line I’ve ever seen,” one attendee shouted. Another attendee threw popcorn at the cashier when it was announced that they were no longer accepting credit cards.

Once the sun went down, The Grouch and Eligh switched up the mood with their poetic hip-hop. Eligh was rattling off a flow that was clear and crisp, and The Grouch was down to earth with his grounded lines.

A Dirty Heads fan said this was his first concert without his parents, and he was waiting for the headlining band to play.

The Dirty Heads came on stage and concluded the first day with a bang. The wind caught the light blond of the bassist’s hair as he approached and backed away from the edge of the stage. He oozed lyrics like honey and sang melodically, timing impeccably with lead singer Jared “Dirty J” Watson. 

The crowd was intoxicated by the heavy bass as Watsonstomped around the stage. The band was engulfed by machine fog. 

The Dirty Heads’ performance was hip-hop heavy. It featured some interludes with such heavy bass it resembled dubstep.

Danielle Carson, Daily 49er
Danielle Carson, Daily 49er

There were some unfamiliar elements in their performance, and they eventually brought out Rome Ramirez of Sublime to play their best-known hit, “Lay Me Down.”

At some points the crowd was cheering so uncontrollably during a stall in a song that the band itself seemed disbelieving of the support.

Toward the finale of the show, Watson commented on the tradition of bands going off stage before their encore.

“I don’t know why we would do that if we’re having such a good time…” he said. “So instead of going off stage, we’re just going to play another song for you guys.”

The second day brought even more fans, and the lineup was stacked.

Seedless played as the temperature cooled.

The crowd packed closer to prepare to swoon for Long Beach native J Boog and his melodic Hawaiian reggae.

The performance featured percussion in the form of both bongos and drums, J Boog’s reggae appealed to both hip hop fans and fans of roots reggae.

Other musicians like Collie Buddz closed his set with “Blind To You Haters.” He appropriately encouraged fans to stick their middle finger in the air. Collie Buddz eventually jumped onto the railing supported by event security.  Fans were ecstatic to touch him as he sang.

Pepper started its set with none other than “Give it up,” comically changing the lyrics to get the crowd riled up for their performance.

They glistened as they jumped energetically around the stage. The band did power squats as they flirted with the photographers. They paused frequently during songs and winked at the girls that were spilling over the railing.

Lead guitarist Kaleo Wassman and Bassist Bret Bollinger put on a dynamic show, but in the limelight and the gleam of crazed girls’ eyes, did not forget to remind the audience to recognize the drummer, Yesod Williams, who bashfully stood and accepted the applause.

“We’ve got some teenagers out there,” Wassman muttered, proceeding to sing the introduction of Magic!’s “Rude” and chuckling at the fans who started to sing along.

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