Indie icons & grunge heroes ignite the coast!
The first day of Ohana Fest 2025 arrived like a rolling wave — steady, bright, and full of hidden currents. By the time fans gathered at Doheny State Beach, the atmosphere felt like a perfect California postcard: golden sunshine scattered with pockets of drifting clouds, the Pacific breeze carrying both salt and chill into the crowd. Yet any hint of cold was erased by the warmth of the people — blankets spread across the grass, surf-town locals mixing with festival travelers, everyone buzzing with that Friday promise of music ahead.
What makes Ohana Fest so magnetic isn’t just the lineup — it’s the communal vibe. There’s something about hearing guitars crash against the ocean air, about watching the sun dip lower while a thousand voices rise. Friday’s bill delivered on every level: sharp garage rock from Hinds, raw indie grit from Kim Deal, soaring Brit-rock via Stereophonics, country soul from Lukas Nelson, grunge-tinted anthems with Garbage, arena singalongs from Kings of Leon, and finally, an intimate yet powerful set by Eddie Vedder & The Earthlings. Day one wasn’t just a kickoff; it was a reminder that music and coastline belong to each other.
HINDS
Madrid’s garage-rock band Hinds brought pure unfiltered joy to open Day One. Their set felt like cracking open a cold beer on the beach — fizzy, loud, and just what you needed. With playful harmonies and raw riffs, they turned Doheny into their own backyard party. Songs like “Hi, How Are You,” “Coffee,” and Charli XCX’s cover “Girl, So Confusing” sparked easy singalongs, and their stage banter carried that mix of sass and sincerity fans adore.
What hit hardest was the carefree spirit — no posturing, just four friends throwing their energy into the crowd. By the time they closed with “En Forma”, fans were grinning ear to ear, feeling like they’d stumbled onto a secret jam session. Hinds reminded everyone that festivals don’t need polish to shine — sometimes scrappy, unvarnished rock is the exact antidote to overthinking. Their sunny chaos matched the shifting weather perfectly: clouds rolled in, but their songs kept the vibe bright.
KIM DEAL
When Kim Deal walked on stage, a reverent hush spread through the field — the kind reserved for legends. The former Pixies and Breeders mastermind wasted no time leaning into her trademark blend of jagged edges and sweetness. Her voice, still elastic and slightly weathered, carried tracks like “Cannonball” into the salty air, instantly anchoring fans back to the ‘90s. But this wasn’t just nostalgia. Deal balanced classics like “No Aloha,” (Breeders’ cover) and “Gigantic” (Pixies cover) with sharper, newer material that reminded everyone why her songwriting has never gone stale.
There’s an honesty in her delivery that feels lived-in, like flipping through an old photo album that still makes your heart race. What stood out was how understated her presence was — no flash, no spectacle, just raw musical gravity. Watching her under a patchwork sky of sun and cloud, you got the sense that Deal doesn’t need to prove anything; she simply embodies indie-rock authenticity.
STEREOPHONICS
The Stereophonics brought a stadium-sized punch to the California coast. With Kelly Jones’ raspy voice soaring against crisp guitar lines, their set was equal parts grit and grandeur. Opening with “Vegas Two Times”, they immediately unleashed that cathartic, arms-raised energy that defines Brit-rock at its best. The crowd responded in kind, singing as if the Pacific itself was echoing back. Their mix of moody slow-burners and high-voltage tracks created a dynamic arc — tender one moment, roaring the next.
What impressed most was their ability to make a sprawling outdoor space feel intimate, especially on “Maybe Tomorrow,” where Jones’ delivery was hushed yet commanding. The shifting sun and clouds added a cinematic edge, as if nature was setting light cues to their songs. By the end, closing with song “Dakota,” the Stereophonics had turned Doheny Beach into a mini-Wembley, proving that their sound travels seamlessly from Welsh valleys to California shores.
LUKAS NELSON
Lukas Nelson brought a soulful calm to Ohana Fest yesterday, opening his set with a moment that felt both intimate and reverent. Sitting center stage with just his guitar, he began with an acoustic rendition of “Just Breathe” — the Pearl Jam ballad he famously performs alongside Eddie Vedder. Stripped down, the song carried a raw weight, with Nelson’s voice stretching warm and unhurried across the crowd, a perfect reflection of the festival’s oceanfront serenity. From there, he leaned into his own catalog, weaving heartfelt songwriting with flashes of country grit and blues swagger.
His performance felt less like a showcase and more like a gathering — one where emotion, storytelling, and community mingled under the California sun. Lukas doesn’t just sing songs; he inhabits them, and yesterday he reminded everyone at Doheny State Beach why his presence is such a grounding force in modern Americana. Nelson proved that sometimes the most powerful moments come in hushed tones.
GARBAGE
With a flash of attitude and unmistakable charisma, Shirley Manson stormed the stage and reminded everyone why Garbage remains one of alt-rock’s fiercest forces. Dressed in an aggressive, stylish, and perfectly suited for a rock concert stage look, Manson stalked the stage with equal parts menace and magnetism, her vocals slicing through songs like “Only Happy When It Rains” and “Stupid Girl.”
The band’s industrial crunch hit especially hard against the natural backdrop of waves and wind — a jarring but thrilling contrast. Fans screamed every word, many reliving the soundtrack of their youth while others discovered the band’s bite for the first time. What stood out was Manson’s sharp, unfiltered banter — fiery, funny, and politically pointed. Garbage’s set wasn’t just a performance; it was a statement that rock’s edge hasn’t dulled. With the sun dipping low, their gritty, neon-tinged sound made Doheny feel like a late-‘90s club transplanted onto a California beach.
KINGS OF LEON
As twilight crept in, Kings of Leon took command with the effortless swagger that only comes from years of arena dominance. Caleb Followill’s drawl rang across the shoreline, instantly recognized and instantly magnetic. They launched into “Find Me” and the crowd exploded, voices rising as if to compete with the crashing surf. What makes Kings of Leon so potent live is their blend of Southern grit with widescreen rock ambition. Tracks like “Use Somebody” and “Waste A Moment” carried emotional heft, while deeper cuts reminded fans of their more ragged early days.
The set was a reminder of how far they’ve evolved — still grounded, still driving, but polished in delivery. Watching the Followill clan under the dimming sky, you could feel how their sound has matured into something both communal and personal. By the end, song “Sex On Fire” caused a massive, beautiful singalong. The fans were sweaty, smiling, and shouting for more, proving Kings of Leon remain festival heavyweights.
EDDIE VEDDER AND EARTHLINGS
Closing the night was the hometown hero himself, Eddie Vedder, backed by his band The Earthlings, with Chad Smith on drums, Josh Klinghoffer on guitar and keys, Chris Chaney on bass, and Andrew Watt on guitar. Glen Hansard also joined the band for this special occasion. From the first strum, it felt less like a headlining set and more like a gathering among friends — raw, vulnerable, and powerful. Vedder’s baritone, weathered yet unshakable, wrapped around songs like “Far Behind” and “Song Of Good Hope, carrying both ache and resilience. Between songs, his stories about the ocean, family, and community stitched the night together, grounding the performance in the very soil of Dana Point.
There was a sacred weight when he dipped into Pearl Jam territory, “Corduroy” and “Lukin,” the crowd roaring back every lyric like scripture. They also included covers of other great bands, such as “I’m One” by The Who and “The Song Remains The Same” by Led Zeppelin. What made it unforgettable was the intimacy — despite thousands in attendance, it felt like Vedder was singing directly to you. With the cold night breeze settling in, his voice became the ultimate warmth. In the end, they selected the iconic ”Rockin’ In The Free World” by Neil Young. It was the perfect, poetic close to Day One.
By the time the last note rang out across Doheny State Beach, Day One of Ohana Fest 2025 had already etched itself into memory. What stood out wasn’t just the caliber of the performances, but how seamlessly the music synced with its environment — the shifting skies, the salt air, the collective heartbeat of the crowd. From the playful chaos of Hinds to the sacred intimacy of Eddie Vedder & Earthlings, the day felt like a carefully woven tapestry of eras, styles, and emotions. Festivals often promise escape, but Ohana offers something rarer: belonging.
On Friday, every voice raised in song, every dance step on the grass, every cheer against the ocean breeze built that sense of community. Walking away under the darkened sky, you couldn’t help but feel lucky to have witnessed the alchemy of coast and sound, already eager for what the weekend would bring next.
