BeachLife, Outside Days Make May Amazing, June Is For Music Legends

Once upon a time, the Los Angeles area was — believe it or not — a music festival “desert.” EDC was run out of town to Las Vegas in 2011, FYF Fest folded in 2016 and Coachella was (and still is) a two-and-a-half-hour drive from the city. Nothing else seemed able to lay down roots in L.A. County.

That is, until BeachLife Festival landed on Redondo Beach’s King Harbor in 2019.

The brainchild of Southern California musical stalwarts — including Jim Lindberg of Pennywise and Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray — BeachLife quickly established itself as a family-friendly affair, featuring two main stages filled with world-class acts as well as a pair of side stages promoting more local up-and-comers.

All buttressed by a wide array of food and beverage options, from classic fest favorites like Spicy Pie to full-blown, chef-driven, multi-course feasts with views.

That formula has proved durable enough to survive a pandemic in 2020 and a day’s cancellation due to wind in 2024.

This year’s edition went off with a bit of a delay on Sunday, but thankfully, no music was lost.

As has become its signature, BeachLife roughly split up its three days by genre, starting with more of a pop-forward bent on Friday. 

Børns continued his comeback tour with a fun set that featured magic tricks, balloon animals and, of course, “Electric Love.” Fitz and The Tantrums tapped into their SoCal roots with their slew of stadium anthems, including “Out of My League” and “HandClap.” 

Flipturn offered a slight departure, courtesy of their guitar-forward, Northern Florida vibes. Few fans (if any) were left “Tongue Tied” while singing along to Grouplove, and those who were found refuge as soon as the band slipped into a cover of The Beatles’ “Twist and Shout.”

Friday also saw a BeachLife first: a dyed-in-the-wool EDM act. The Chainsmokers took over the Lowtide Stage, practically shifting the sands with their heavy bass and high energy.

That turned out to be the perfect prelude to Duran Duran. The British new wave legends did their part to bring back the 1980s, including a rendition of “Girls on Film” that bled right into a cover of Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer.”

Saturday leaned hard into the Southland’s love of rock. Jim Lindberg and Mark McGrath took their yearly turns — as a solo artist and with Sugar Ray, respectively — before Switchfoot infused the day with San Diego-style, surf-infused punk rock. That dovetailed well with the San Fernando Valley alt-rock of Bad Suns, and served as a perfect tablesetter for Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. The “Godmother of Punk” had the crowd rocking to her legendary hits, from “Crimson and Clover” and “Cherry Bomb” to “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll.”

In between, Fortunate Youth and Slightly Stoopid added plenty of reggae rock to the table, with the latter bringing Chali 2na from Jurassic 5 into the fold for several songs, including a solo rendition of “What’s Golden.” Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals combined all of the above for a powerful set that saw the band’s namesake slay on lap-steel guitar throughout, especially during “Steal My Kisses.”

The Offspring finished off the night strong with a stable of staples that defined Southern California punk rock in the 1990s and early 2000s. From an opener of “Come Out and Play” to “The Kids Aren’t Alright” — with covers of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train,” The Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated” and The Beatles’ “Hey Jude” in between — Dexter Holland and company hit every note, sonically and emotionally, during their set. That all peaked with “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy),” which featured not only a cameo from Guy Cohen, the original actor from the famed music video, but also a small army of wacky, waving, inflatable, arm-flailing tube men dressed up just like him.

Come Sunday, BeachLife brought together a rootsier collection of artists and bands beneath cloudy skies. Chris Pierce and Poolside both covered Neil Young songs: the former, a deeply soulful rendition of “Southern Man”; the latter, their breakout groovy cover of “Harvest Moon.” Buena Vista Orchestra had attendees dancing in the sand, not long before Peach Pit rocked out on the very same Lowtide Stage — all of which was a warmup for My Morning Jacket’s sensational set of Southern jams at dusk.

Meanwhile, the Hightide Stage saw two titans of Americana highlight an eventful Sunday. Sheryl Crow had some fun (and then some) while attempting to soak up the sun on a gloomy day. James Taylor finished the festival with a feel-good set filled with folk classics like “Mexico,” “Carolina in My Mind” and “Fire and Rain,” with sprinkles of his self-effacing humor and charm in between.

All told, it was another successful year for BeachLife. Legendary artists, spanning generations and genres, drawing throngs of music lovers to Redondo.

I’m already counting down the days ‘til the sound of music once again blends with sea and sand in the South Bay.

Any opportunity to see Maynard James Keenan practice his craft onstage is worth taking. Danny Carey certainly took the opportunit y— though, in this case, as a spectator for Puscifer’s Normal Isn’t tour finale in Los Angeles, rather than on drums at a TOOL concert.

Everyone at the Greek Theatre was treated to a steady dose of semi-theatrical, post-industrial art rock, dusted with bits of dark humor. New tracks like “Bad Wolf,” “Normal Isn’t,” “Pendulum” and “Mantastic” slotted in seamlessly alongside long-time favorites like “The Arsonist,” “Bullet Train to Iowa,” “Conditions of My Parole” and “A Public Stoning.”

The night’s entertainment also included a video comedy skit about a cooking show starring “Kitty Shunt,” wherein Maynard and Carina Round flawlessly played their parts as ominously oddball participants.

At the end, Maynard took a moment to thank the entire band and crew for the time and effort they put into the tour. He also made a point of noting that, while he may be exhausted from this go-round, his work continues apace. He’s currently on tour with A Perfect Circle in Europe, but will be playing in Honolulu with that band and Puscifer on December 19.

Now, for something completely different…how about Laurel Canyon-style indie folk, courtesy of Drugdealer?

Bandleader Michael Collins brought his brand of casual chaos in concert to the heart of Hollywood, along with a cast of characters from his independent record label, Mexican Summer.

Among the esteemed guests: Michael’s mom and dad, whom he said were helping to run the label.

Beyond those two, Kate Bollinger made a surprise appearance next to Sedona (the night’s first opener) during “Pictures of You.”

Meanwhile, Josh Da Costa, whose own band served as the second opener, made a smooth transition onto the drums for Drugdealer.

Shoutout to Loudie for providing cheap, last-minute tickets to the show. If you haven’t downloaded the Loudie app yet…well, what are you waiting for?

Speaking of Loudie…the same app got me into the Palladium for a fun night of EDM throwbacks, courtesy of KSHMR. The DJ known legally as Niles Hollowell-Dhar pulled out all the stops for one of the final shows of his U.S. tour.

The orchestral cameos on Borgeous and DVBBS’ “Tsunami” and a medley of tracks anchored by Darude’s “Sandstorm” elevated beloved electronic IDs to a whole different stratosphere. A stunning reunion of The Cataracs for “Like a G6” wound the clock all the way back to the 2010s.

Those theatrics wound around a floor-rattling set punctuated by “Secrets,” “Megalodon” and “Wild Ride.”

Not to mention a dramatic series of interstitial anime clips that added a narrative element to the whole production.

Though KSHMR’s tour is over, he’ll be playing in select spots around the world in the coming months — including Poland, Japan, Austria and Sri Lanka, as well as Kansas and New York.

Usually, a trip to Denver means a concert at the famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado. That didn’t happen this time around, but not for any lack of live music.

On the contrary: I was in The Centennial State for Outside Days, which featured Death Cab for Cutie, My Morning Jacket, Cage The Elephant, Japanese Breakfast, The Flaming Lips, Tash Sultana and more across three days at Auraria Campus in downtown Denver.

For the uninitiated, Outside Days is in just its third year, and arrives as an extension of an annual conference for the outdoors industry that’s organized by Outside Magazine. This year, the festival changed venues and leveled up its lineup, and came away with a fantastic event featuring plenty of branded freebies amid sonic waves of rock, jam, emo, indie and more.

Check out my full writeup of the fest here.

While in Denver, it was brought to my attention that The Last Dinner Party were also in town.

Or, rather, they were scheduled to be. As lead singer Abigail Morris shared during their show at Mission Ballroom in Denver’s RiNO District, a broken-down tour bus and subsequent flight delays nearly stopped them from making it to the venue.

Fortunately, the London-based art rock band arrived Denver with about an hour to spare and without bassist Georgia Davies, who was back home in the UK recovering from an injury.

Despite those challenges, TLDP put on a spectacular performance for a packed house that could hardly have been more stoked to see them. From the theatrical “Agnus Dei” to heavier tunes like “Rifle” and “Big Dog,” they rocked with their own baroque flair.

And when it came time to play their biggest hit, “Nothing Matters,” Abigail implored the audience to put away their phones and enjoy the music fully, without distraction.

To get in on the fun with TLDP, find your tickets to their remaining tour dates here.

I’d had the good fortune of seeing Gustavo Dudamel conduct the LA Phil at Coachella in 2024, but it wasn’t until the very end of his 17-year run in the City of Angels that I caught him on home turf.

Better late than never.

The first weekend of June marked Gustavo’s last as music director of the LA Phil — including a Sunday finale that was broadcast live on Classical California as part of its Celebrating Gustavo series.

Before his grand finale, Dudamel put together a program titled “Celebrating the Musicians of the LA Phil.”

The Thursday night show featured spectacular solos throughout, from Whitney Crockett’s brilliant bassoon during Gioachino Rossini’s “Rondo: Allegretto from Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra” and Ryan Roberts’ mind-bending oboe on Benedetto Marcello’s “Adagio from Oboe Concerto in C minor” to the strings of Bing Wang and Joanne Pearce Martin during Felix Mendelssohn’s “Adagio from Concerto for Violin, Piano, and String Orchestra” and Robert deMaine’s crystal-clear cello on Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Pezzo capriccioso.”

In addition to those fantastic performances — all captained by Dudamel’s emphatic mannerisms — the night belonged to three special guests in the audience. Andres Martin was in the house to watch Christopher Hanulik captivate on bass to his “Allegro Obsesivo from Concerto No. 1 for Contrabass and Orchestra.” Likewise, Gabriela Ortiz was there to witness the world premiere of her piece, “Mujer Arena,” which was an original commission for the LA Phil.

But the biggest such surprise came at the top of the show. Legendary film composer John Williams watched as Thomas Hooten, Christopher Still, Jeffrey Strong and James Wilt led the world premiere of “Bravo Gustavo!”, which the 94-year-old Williams composed as a commission for the LA Phil.

Now, Dudamel will move on to his next starring role: as the Music and Artistic Director of the New York Philharmonic. That doesn’t mean, though, that the Venezuelan sensation will be a stranger in Southern California. In fact, he has three dates with the LA Phil scheduled for this summer, including an orchestral collaboration with Foo Fighters at the Hollywood Bowl on August 22.

Find tickets to all of Gustavo’s upcoming performances here and all LA Phil dates here.

My overnight trip to Las Vegas to experience No Doubt’s Sphere residency marked two milestones for me:

In this case, that trinket was an orange plushie that fell from the ceiling and into my lap during “Don’t Speak,” as Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, Tom Dumont, Adrian Young, Stephen Bradley and Gabriel McNair brought one of the band’s signature songs to life in front of a facade of an orange grove.

Together, they did a masterful job of packaging up No Doubt as not just a band, but a quintessential story of love and loss in rock and roll. From “Spiderwebs” and “Hey Baby” to “Hella Good,” “Just a Girl” and “Sunday Morning,” Anaheim’s finest took a packed house on a trip down Memory Lane, with a dizzying swirl of emotions in song connected by interview montages with the band members in between songs.

Read more about how No Doubt brought reggae, ska and punk to Sphere here, and get your tickets to the final weekend of their run here.

After basking in the glow of another Sphere show, I hustled back to L.A. in time to catch Paul Simon’s first visit to the Hollywood Bowl since 2018.

Talk about musical whiplash…

Where No Doubt dealt in their characteristically loud, in-your-face ska-punk-pop, Paul literally came in on a tour titled A Quiet Celebration, and accurately so. The legendary singer-songwriter took the audience on a tour of material new and old, from his 2023 album Seven Psalms to cherished classics and deep cuts from his earlier solo work, with features from his wife, Edie Brickell.

As well as a pair of Simon & Garfunkel favorites: “Homeward Bound” and “The Boxer.”

Read more about Paul’s triumphant return to The Bowl here, and find tickets to his upcoming tour dates here.

Before we pay homage to this month’s inductee into The Charcoal Club, a quick update on The People’s Artist:

We’ve reached the Group Finals! Come Thursday, June 11 at 7 pm PT, the first-place finishers in each group will advance to the Quarterfinals. Vote counts will reset and groups will be reshuffled, with spots in the Semifinals on the line.

If you like my work and want to continue to support my journey as an artist, please vote here! You can vote for free every 24 hours with a Facebook account. If your account is inactive, deleted or nonexistent, you can also cast votes by making a $1-per-vote donation to The Art of Elysium.

In other news…with No Doubt’s 18-show stint at Sphere coming to a close, I had to squeeze in a shoutout to Gwen. The original queen of Southern California ska-punk has long since ascended to mainstream superstardom, and is as deserving as any modern pop star of a spot in The Charcoal Club.

In this instance, the image of Gwen comes from one of her solo performances. Hence, the lack of houndstooth patterning, though there are still hints of ska-worthy plaid hiding in her flowing outfit.

You can find the original work in my shop, along with posters, prints and other merch.

For all the latest updates, follow The Charcoal Club on Instagram, TikTok, X, Threads and Facebook, and visit our website.

(Also, if you’re interested in commissioning me for a custom piece, reach out! A direct reply to this email will do.)

The 81-year-old Brit rock legend visits the Hollywood Hills One Last Time to recap a career full of hits, including “Maggie May,” “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” and “Young Turks.” Get your tickets to Rod’s farewell tour here.

The Canadian rock legends extend their four-night stint in Inglewood to start their Fifty Something Tour across North America. Co-founders Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson welcome Anika Nilles on drums to fill the incomparable shoes of the late, great Neil Peart.

Score tickets to all of Rush’s remaining tour dates here.

James Blake is having himself a Greek Week in California.

The beloved British singer-songwriter is bringing his distinctive brand of piano-meets-bass music — as typified by his latest album, 2026’s Trying Times — to Berkeley’s William Randolph Hearts Greek Theatre and L.A.’s Greek Theatre on consecutive nights.

As far as male vocals go, they don’t come much more angelic than James’. Be sure to secure your seats to his tour here.

The Bay Area’s concert calendar is looking pretty dry this weekend — but never fear, GRYFFIN is here. The San Francisco-born DJ and producer is playing a pair of hometown shows at the Cow Palace in Daly City this Friday and Saturday.

Grab your tickets to see GRYFFIN here.

Now in its second year with Blue Note as the title sponsor, the Hollywood Bowl’s annual jazz fest will feature plenty of heavy hitters in its 2026 edition.

Saturday will see Wyclef Jean atop the marquee, with Robert Glasper’s band R+R=NOW — comprised of Terrace Martin, Chief Adjuah, Derrick Hodge, Justin Tyson and Taylor McFerrin — following up Yussef Dayes and Elena Pinderhughes on the lineup. On Sunday, Patti LaBelle will take top billing, with Gregory Porter, Samara Joy and Cimafunk in support.

Arsenio Hall will host both nights. Get your tickets to either evening (or both) here.

No single venue can contain a pop superstar-turned-silver screen sensation like Ariana Grande. So it is that she’ll be splitting time between Crypto.com Arena in downtown L.A. and Kia Forum in Inglewood on The Eternal Sunshine Tour.

Get your tickets to those dates and more here.

Mere days after Rush leaves town, Metric, Broken Social Scene and Stars will be in L.A. to pick up the baton for Canadian rock bands in Southern California with a triple-header at the Greek Theatre. 

Get your tickets to this three-pronged All The Feelings Tour here.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but Bruce Hornsby appears to be the only member of The Grateful Dead — whether a full-on band member or touring member — who’s still on the road.

(Though we certainly hope to see Mickey Hart back onstage in some form, perhaps curating some “Drums” and “Space” at Sphere?)

In any case, Bruce will be back in action with The Noisemakers for two nights at the legendary Troubadour in mid-June. Track down tickets here.

Juneteenth has become a staple of the spectacular on the Hollywood Bowl’s annual calendar. Chance The Rapper figures to continue that tradition (and then some) with his signature blend of hip-hop and R&B, Chicago-style.

Get your tickets to this summer holiday extravaganza here.

The Compton-born rapper returns to his home turf for what’s sure to be a raucous night at The Roxy on the Sunset Strip. Snag your tickets to see YG here.

The rising pop star and girlfriend of Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert returns to Inglewood, this time for a headlining show on The Locket Tour, in support of her latest album.

Grab tickets to see what all the fuss is about with Madison Beer here.

If R&B is more your speed, check out Khalid at the Greek Theatre. The 28-year-old from El Paso, Texas has collaborated with Billie Eilish, Halsey, benny blanco, Marshmello and Normani, among others, and is currently headlining his own It’s Always Summer Somewhere Tour.

Check out tickets for Khalid’s shows here.

Even with M.I.A. officially off the bus, Kid Cudi’s Rebel Ragers Tour should be a blast for hip-hop heads everywhere. The Cleveland-bred rapper will be joined by OutKast’s Big Boi, Dot Da Genius and Chip Tha Ripper when he strolls into Crypto.com Arena in late June.

Tickets to the tour are available here.

For the third year in a row, The Roots will serve as the backing band at the Hollywood Bowl as their hip-hop compatriots pop in for The BET Awards. The 2026 edition of A Roots Picnic should once again be a rapper’s delight, with Nas, T.I., Bun B and De La Soul already announced and more surprises to come.

Don’t miss your chance to see The Roots — be it at The Bowl or the night before, at Blue Note Los Angeles. Get your tickets here.

The Spanish pop star kicks off her North American tour in support of her latest album, 2025’s Lux, with two nights at the Forum in Inglewood.

Snag your seats here.