Ohana Music Festival Draws Record Crowd Near San Clemente

DANA POINT, CA — The first ever Ohana music festival brought more than 22,000 fans to Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA over the Saturday, August 27 and Sunday, August 28 weekend for music, cultural exhibits and ocean awareness, drinks, artisan food and more.

Both days were packed with events and surprises.

Saturday night concluded with an all star jam of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ In The Free World” during Eddie Vedder’s set, featuring Vedder, 11-time World Surfing League champion Kelly Slater, Jack Irons, Lily Meola, Band Of Horses, John Doe of X, members of Mudhoney, and various other artists who performed throughout the day.Vedder also joined artists including Elvis Costello, X, Cat Power, and Jack Irons onstage both Saturday and Sunday for once in a lifetime collaborations. Sunday night wrapped up with a breathtaking performance under the stars by songstress Lana Del Rey.

The festival featured over 17 performances on two stages, with headliners Eddie Vedder and Lana Del Rey, plus Elvis Costello,City And Colour, Band Of Horses, X, Cat Power, Mudhoney, Corinne Bailey Rae, White Reaper, Ryan Bingham, Jonny Two Bags, Jack Irons, Wilderado, Lily Meola, The Palms, and special performances by Polynesian dancers.

Live Nation President - Booking, Los Angeles Rich Best says, "We built Ohana around an idea, not a genre of music. To bring together such a wide range of artists – from X to the powerful soul of Corinne Bailey Rae, and of course Eddie Vedder, the great Elvis Costello, and the captivating Lana Del Rey to name just a few – and have it work so seamlessly was exciting to be a part of. I'm already looking forward to next year."

"As a 25-year resident of South Orange County, the opportunity to bring such an incredible event to my home community was one of the best experiences of my career,” says Ohana co-producer John Reese of SGE. “We were able to raise a significant amount of money for the San Onofre Parks Foundation which directly supports the California State Parks system, as well as incorporate several non-profit groups that work tirelessly to save our oceans and beaches."

In all, a combination of proceeds and fundraising from the Ohana festival and the Ohana Luau raised over $175,000 for the San Onofre Parks Foundation, a California non-profit that cooperatively works with the California State Parks to develop, preserve and enhance the recreation and experience of California's unique and beautiful coastal parks. Vedder addressed festivalgoers on Sundaystating, “We're proud of your participation, because we can raise money to protect our beaches against big developers.”

The Ohana Luau -- an intimate kick-off celebration and charity gala the night prior, Friday, August 26 at the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel -- served as a night of inspiration and entertainment. Similar to the festival, Eddie Vedder was actively involved at theLuau.

He joined comedian and roastmaster Jeff Ross on stage for a cover of The Who’s “Squeeze Box,” did a duet with comedian and director Judd Apatow that paid tribute to the late comic Garry Shandling by using lines from Shandling’s journals as lyrics, and also joined John Doe to perform X’s “The New World.”

Additionally, Vedder played a few of his own songs including tracks off of his first solo album, Into The Wild, and shared his personal tie to the cause, with Doheny State Beach being the first place he attempted to surf many years ago. Vedder explained how thrilled he was to return to the beach for Ohana, and see it in the same condition as when he left. Other highlights included Jeff Ross pulling audience members on stage for personal roasts, performances by Dallas Green of City And Colour and Lily Meola, a heartfelt speech by big wave surfer Greg Long on behalf of the San Onofre Parks Foundation (an organization founded by his father Steve Long), and hundreds of one-of-a-kind items that sold at auction.

State Parks Superintendent Rich Haydon adds, “This weekend's Ohana Fest produced by Live Nation and Synergy Global Entertainment was a great success! The event benefitted California State Parks and the San Onofre Parks Foundation. The record crowd was well behaved and enjoyed a well produced event.”

Photos by permission.All artist photos by Stephanie Cabral.