What do you get when you combine thousands of ska and reggae fans on the beach with performances from some of the top bands in the scene? Well, probably a lot of sand kicked up from all the skanking.
Goldfinger’s John Feldmann and Travis Barker, of Blink-182 and Aquabats fame, as well as Synergy Global Entertainment (SGE), will present the first-ever Back to the Beach Festival at Huntington State Beach in late April. The lineup, officially announced today, boasts some of the biggest names in the ska, punk and reggae genres.
The event will feature 311, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Aquabats, Hepcat, Less Than Jake, Mad Caddies, The Suicide Machines, Big D and the Kids Table and more on April 28.
On April 29, Sublime with Rome leads the roster with Goldfinger (featuring Travis Barker), Fishbone (the original lineup), Save Ferris, The Interrupters, Mustard Plug, The Aggrolites, The Untouchables and more.
Aaron “P-Nut” Wills, bassist of 311, says he’s excited to share the stage with so many great acts.
“Playing California and by the water is going to be incredible with what I think are all California bands,” he says. “It’s just going to be something you’d wish you were at if you missed it. If you enjoy being outside and you like great music, it’s just going to be something worth anybody’s time. … With all the craziness in the world, taking a break, enjoying music and being outside, it can’t really be improved upon.”
He’s particularly excited for the return of the original Fishbone lineup. The band’s comeback now is especially important partly because of the “fuck racism” messages they sing about in their tunes and because of how inspirational they were for 311, P-Nut says.
“311 wouldn’t exist without them,” he notes. “They were one of those few bands that all of us agreed were something to shoot for. They’ve got this energy, drive and a positive focus more or less, while also tackling the dark stuff. They’re a force to be reckoned with. If you’ve never seen them before, they’re reason enough to come to the festival. That’s legendary stuff right there.”
Back to the Beach will also feature a carnival midway, beach games, kid zone, vegan food, craft beer and cocktails and more.
Taking a page from the book of Warped Tour, the festival will also offer free admission for children under 10 (with paid adult admission.)
Tickets for the fest start at $39 and go on sale Feb. 23 at 10 a.m. at www.backtothebeach.com. A limited number of VIP ticket package options are available.
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/backtothebeachfest or follow @backtothebeachfest on Instagram.
By day, Brittany covers hard-hitting city news in San Diego. By night, she’s prowling the Orange County music scene, and is usually a regular attendee of local ska and punk shows. Reporting and music have always been Brittany’s passions. She wrote for her middle school and high school newspapers and studied journalism at Cal State Long Beach, where she graduated in 2012. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her French Bulldog, watching probably too many Disney movies for someone her age and napping.