Rainbow Lagoon grooves to folk sounds

The second annual Long Beach Folk Revival Festival took place under blue skies on Saturday at Rainbow Lagoon Park in Downtown Long Beach.

Families, friends and fans stomped their feet to over 25 local and national folk roots bands that performed on four stages.

Each stage had a different vibe: the Wee Folk Stage was geared toward children; the Millworks stage and the Bose Acoustic Stage both centered on acoustic acts; Suavecita, the main stage, brought the biggest acts of the night.

Hip, vintage threads and locally crafted knick-knacks were sold at the fest. Long Beach’s Hawleywood’s Barbershop invited guests to be groomed with old school flattops and slicked-back hairdos.

People grooved to bluegrass sessions, while musicians hopped in and out of the open jam circles. Funky mustaches and luscious beards were everywhere; multiple contests were held to determine the best natural facial hair and the best styled facial hair.

Food truck delicacies like Sweet Lou’s BBQ’s pulled pork were sold, and local craft beers like Stone and Ballast Point were on tap in the beer garden.

Tons of people surrounded the main stage just after midday to watch 12 hungry contestants gorge in the 2nd annual Polly’s Pies pie-eating contest. The winner and two-time reigning champion was Jax Cole from Long Beach; she received an award deeming her one free Polly’s pie a month for an entire year.

“The secret is going all in right from the start,” Cole said. “I smash my face into the top crust of the pie and…I am sorry, but I am sworn to secrecy to tell you anything beyond that.”

Cole didn’t go to the Folk Fest just to stuff her face into raspberry pies.

“I enjoy seeing folk bands,” said Cole, “I’m here with my two kids, and we love playing all of the unique folk instruments at the symphony booth.”

Los Angeles-based band Tommy Santee Clause played on the Millworks stage around mid afternoon. Tommy, lead singer and guitarist, said he and his wife Donna Suppipat started the band about ten years ago. Their harmonious choruses reflect gospel influence.

Cal State Long Beach senior communication major Cheyenne Clark and senior anthropology major Tess Lustbaum were in the crowd, and both said they were unfamiliar with the band.

“I was so soothed during every one of Tommy’s songs,” Lustbaum said. “The whole crowd looked hypnotized like they were in a trance.”

“They’re almost similar to Of Monsters and Men, or The Lumineers,” said Clark. “This band sounds like they’re going to be on the radio next week.”

Tommy Santee Clause sound comes from “organic instruments,” Tommy said.

“Everyone in the band plays an acoustic instrument,” Tommy said. “When we get together in one of our living rooms and jam, everything sounds organic, and that’s the focus of our music.”

Fiddles, violins, mandolins, harps and many more instruments created this raw, original sound in each bands’ performances.

The Americans, a four-man band from L.A., rocked the main stage to kick off the evening. This tougher-sounding rock ‘n’ roll band stood out amongst the softer Americana folk artists.

Drummer Tim Car explained the band’s genre and why they fit at the festival.

“We play rock ‘n’ roll music,” Car said. “But a few of our songs are rooted in old folk; they are taken from fiddle tunes, and our lead guitarist has written and rearranged [the music] in an electric way. Our music is influenced by folk music and early country blues, like Charlie Patton and Bo Diddley.”

Concert organizer Shea Newkirk said the Long Beach Folk Revival Festival had a huge turnout. He also mentioned that the event has grown compared to last year’s festival and is expected to keep growing in popularity and size.