Attendees watch singer Dave Daniels performing on the Speakeasy Stage at the BeachLife Ranch Festival on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Day one headliner Jack Johnson performs at the BeachLife Ranch Festival on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Thousands of music lovers turn out for day one of the BeachLife Ranch Festival on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Thousands of music lovers turn out for day one of the BeachLife Ranch Festival on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Day one headliner Jack Johnson performs at the BeachLife Ranch Festival on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Day one headliner Jack Johnson performs at the BeachLife Ranch Festival on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Day one headliner Jack Johnson performs at the BeachLife Ranch Festival on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Seth Avett sings and plays guitar at he BeachLife Ranch Festival on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Scott Avett sings and plays banjo at he BeachLife Ranch Festival on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
The Avett Brothers, Seth and Scott, perform on the Lowlands Stage on day one of the BeachLife Ranch Festival on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Shakey Graves performs on the Highlands Stage on day one of the BeachLife Ranch Festival on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Rome & Duddy perform on the Lowlands Stage at the BeachLife Ranch Festival on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Lee Pennington from North Carolina shops for a cowboy hat at the BeachLife Ranch Festival on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Penny Cordero of Redondo Beach sings karaoke at the BeachLife Ranch Festival with his kids on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Ryan Boss of Palos Verdes Estates attends day one of the BeachLife Ranch Festival with his kids on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
The BeachLife Ranch Festival offered fans plenty of fun activities and photo ops away from the music stages on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Duke Noor of Hermosa Beach attends day one of the BeachLife Ranch Festival on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
The BeachLife Ranch Festival offered fans plenty of fun activities and photo ops away from the music stages on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
The BeachLife Ranch Festival offered fans plenty of fun activities and photo ops away from the music stages on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
The BeachLife Ranch Festival offered fans plenty of fun activities and photo ops away from the music stages on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
The BeachLife Ranch Festival offered fans plenty of fun activities and photo ops away from the music stages on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Fans turn out for day one of the BeachLife Ranch Festival on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
After a first day of BeachLife Ranch where more than 10,000 people came out to Redondo Beach’s Seaside Lagoon to hear the mellow tones of superstar Jack Johnson, Day Two got off to a mellow start under blue cloudless skies.
It was more of the same laid-back atmosphere in the sand with, at least early in the day, with fewer cowboy boot and hat wearing attendees.
BeachLife organizers said they expected as much, given the sell-out crowd for Johnson the night before.
Christine Burns and Ann Gottwig took a break from BeachLife Ranch festivities on Saturday, Sept. 23, to visit burger spot The Standing Room in Redondo Beach. It was the first multi-day music festival for the Ventura County residents. (Photo by Lisa Jacobs/SCNG)
Notable performances for Saturday evening included Shooter Jennings, son of Waylon, Wynonna Judd, The Doobie Brothers and Cody Jinks.
Wynonna Judd shared a heartfelt moment with the crowd during a pause in her performance Saturday: “Now that my momma’s gone you’re my family of choice.”
On Saturday late afternoon, Ann Gottwig and Christine Burns were spotted a few block from the festival grounds near the popular Redondo Beach burger takeout window The Standing Room on Catalina Avenue.
The pair — wearing clear mini-backpacks — declared themselves music-festival virgins. Neither Ventura County woman had ever attended a multi-day festival before. They purchased three-day passes and were staying a local hotel.
“We were researching festivals,” Gottwig said, “and this one seemed the most casual to me.”
Burns, who grew up in Hawaii, agreed.
“It’s the perfect mix of country and beach life,” Burns said.
Both women own horses and are accustomed to living on acreage, said Gottwig, who added she likes a “country lifestyle.”
It was fun to spend some time in a beach town, said Burns.
The two enjoyed the acts on Friday, especially headliner Jack Johnson, who embodies a mellow, surf vibe.
Gottwig said the atmosphere of the festival was just right, though food and beverages a little pricey. Still, she enjoyed the vendors set up around the stages. In particular both women liked a jewelry vendor.
“I would like to see more vendors selling products,” said Burns, who added she likes to shop and it gives her something to do when not listening to one of the acts.
Inside the festival gates, hat retailer Brixton was doing a pretty good business, according to Riley DeBence, manager. The retailer was selling cowboy hats, flannel shirts and other western wear. Hats start at about $109, according to the retailer’s website.
“You have a lot of new people to the country scene and (our hats) help people feel goo about what they have going on,” DeBence said.
You could customize a cowboy hat, for example, with the date of the festival or with initials. Some did so with their wedding dates.
“We see a lot of people yelling and getting stoked as they walk away,” DeBence said.
For her part, Gottwig said she was most stoked about seeing Chris Isaak perform on Sunday. Both music lovers were thrilled at the prospect of The Doobie Brothers, scheduled to perform Saturday ahead of Cody Jinks, whose music neither really knew, they said.
Shakey Graves performs on the Highlands Stage on day one of the BeachLife Ranch Festival on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
They wondered aloud why a band with a household name was playing at 7:20 p.m. instead of headlining at 9pm.
“I don’t know,” Burns said “The Doobie Brothers might want to go to sleep, so that’s why they’re earlier.”
In addition to Isaak, BeachLife Ranch performances on tap for Sunday include Parmalee, Midland and country superstar headliner Brad Paisley.
Due to noise curfews in Redondo Beach, Paisley’s set is earlier than other closing acts. He begins at 7:45 p.m. and ends at 9:15 p.m.
For more information, see beachliferanch.com.
–Staff writer Hillary Ma contributed to this article
