Sunday proved why Ohana Fest feels like home!
Sunday at Ohana Fest 2025 felt less like the final day of a festival and more like a homecoming. After two days of highs, the ninth edition closed on a note that underscored its very name — Ohana, which means “family.” Under the shifting mix of California sunshine, fleeting clouds, and that ever-present ocean breeze, Doheny State Beach became a communal space where strangers turned into choruses, and artists blurred the line between stage and crowd.
Day three delivered an eclectic sweep of sound. Amanda Reckonwith (revealed as Eddie Vedder and Glen Hansard) opened with a surprise intimacy, weaving folk and hope into the salt air. British alt-legends James brought raw communion, with Tim Booth dissolving barriers by literally dancing among the fans. Rising indie provocateurs Wet Legkept things cheeky and sharp, their razor-wire riffs cutting through the breeze. Then came the raw fire of Cage the Elephant, rattling the beach with sweat-soaked rock theatrics. Finally, Green Day brought the festival to its feet with a set of anthems that turned Doheny into one massive choir, capped by Eddie Vedder’s return for a closing that felt more like family than fandom.
Ohana’s finale was not just music by the ocean — it was belonging, in every note.
“Amanda Reckonwith”
EDDIE VEDDER & GLEN HANSARD
When the bill promised Amanda Reckonwith, the crowd expected the unexpected. What they got was a gem: Eddie Vedder and Glen Hansard trading songs in a stripped-down, luminous set that felt more like a living room session than a festival opener. Their five-song run included the hopeful lift of “Song of Good Hope” and the tender ache of “Falling Slowly” from Hansard’s Swell Season days, both delivered with raw intimacy that silenced the field.
Vedder’s renditions of “Society” and “Hard Sun” carried added weight against the Pacific backdrop, their lyrics echoing the natural vastness around us. The surprise name, the minimal setup, the palpable camaraderie between the two — it all underscored what makes Ohana unique: family, chosen and shared. For fans who arrived early, this was not just an opener, but a once-in-a-lifetime secret gift, one that set the emotional tone for the rest of the day.
JAMES
British veterans James turned Doheny into a swirling sea of movement from their very first notes. Opening with the spacious, atmospheric “Five-O,” they set a tone of grandeur before diving into the rolling chant of “Born of Frustration.”The highlight, though, was watching frontman Tim Booth abandon the stage entirely, wading into the crowd mid-song to dance, sing, and lock eyes with fans as if he’d known them for years. That act of immersion blurred the line between artist and audience, transforming the field into one shared heartbeat. By the time they closed with “Laid,” the festival had erupted into a euphoric singalong, the crowd’s voices rising over the surf and the breeze.
For a band three decades deep into their career, James brought both wisdom and wildfire, proving that connection — physical, emotional, musical — is the truest fuel for longevity.
WET LEG
Wet Leg hit the stage like a well-aimed wink—playful, sardonic, and irresistibly sharp. Their set was a cocktail of humor and bite, with “Catch These Fists” and “Wet Dream” delivering sly smirks wrapped in serrated guitar lines. Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers’ chemistry, along with the rest of the band, felt casual yet cutting—rippling across the field and pulling fans into their tongue-in-cheek world of irony and intimacy. By the time they launched into “Too Late Now,”their sound swelled heavier, almost sprawling, before snapping back with the deadpan chaos of “CPR.”
Their charm lies in the balance: polished enough to command a festival stage, unfiltered enough to feel like they’re making it up just to see if you’ll laugh, cry, or both. Against the California backdrop, Wet Leg landed as the perfect palate cleanser between veteran acts—a reminder that music can bite and giggle at once without ever losing its edge.
CAGE THE ELEPHANT
If Day 3 had a lightning strike, it was Cage the Elephant. From the opening blast of “Broken Boy” through “Cry Baby”and “Spiderhead,” the Kentucky-bred rockers tore into Doheny Beach with chaotic precision. Frontman Matt Shultz was a blur of energy — thrashing, leaping, writhing — embodying every lyric as if exorcising it in real time. Their set balanced raw power with emotional gut-punches, especially on “Trouble” and “Shake Me Down,” which transformed the festival field into a collective catharsis.
By the time “Come A Little Closer” closed the set, fans were drenched in sweat and sound, shouting every line like scripture. Cage the Elephant proved once again that they are one of the few modern rock bands capable of delivering both spectacle and sincerity. Their set wasn’t just high-octane — it was survival, the kind of performance you feel in your bones long after it ends.
GREEN DAY
Green Day ended Ohana Fest’s ninth edition with the swagger and stamina of a band still hungry after decades at the top. From the opening volley of “American Idiot” and “Holiday,” the beach exploded into a sea of pogoing bodies, fists in the air as if it were 2004 all over again. The band’s energy was ferocious, yet playful — most memorably when a fan was pulled from the crowd to help sing the bridge of “Know Your Enemy,” a perfect encapsulation of punk’s democratic spirit. Staples like “When I Come Around” kept the momentum rolling, each chorus amplified by thousands of voices.
At the core of this firestorm are the band’s pillars: Billie Joe Armstrong, the ever-charismatic frontman whose sneer and sincerity drive every lyric; Mike Dirnt, the bassist whose harmonies and low-end grit fuel the songs; and Tré Cool, the percussive engine, equal parts precision and chaos. Together, their chemistry remains untouchable.
The finale brought the weekend full circle: “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” with Eddie Vedder stepping back on stage to join in. It wasn’t just a closer; it was a sendoff that fused family, friendship, and fire into one unforgettable moment on the sand.
The final day of Ohana Fest 2025 was a masterclass in what it means to build community through music. From surprise intimacy to sprawling anthems, every artist carried the weight of the festival’s namesake: Ohana, family. The weather mirrored the music — shifting, unexpected, beautiful — while the crowd stayed bound together, not just by headliners, but by the energy of sharing something unrepeatable in real time.
As Green Day and Eddie Vedder closed the weekend arm in arm, it felt less like the end of a concert and more like a vow renewed — that this seaside gathering remains one of California’s most soulful, singular festivals. Music here isn’t just performed, it’s lived, absorbed into the salt air and woven into memory. Day three didn’t just cap the weekend — it embodied it: wild, communal, unpredictable, and unforgettable.
Ohana 2025 was more than a lineup. It was a family reunion!
