Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament talks Ohana Fest vibes forward of his band Deaf Charlie’s debut – Orange County Register
As its seventh yr approaches, the Ohana Competition has grown to turn into a globally acknowledged music and cultural occasion because of its distinctive artist collaborations that happen all through its now annual three-day run at Doheny State Seaside in Dana Level.
It’s a smaller-scale competition area, with a capability of simply 15,000, that launched again in 2016 and blossomed out of a partnership between Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder, Pearl Jam supervisor Mark “Smitty” Smith and Southern California-based competition promoter Stay Nation.
Although they proceed to ebook top-tier acts — Pink, Mumford & Sons, Eric Church, Jack White, Purple Scorching Chili Peppers, Lana Del Rey, Incubus, Stevie Nicks and Foo Fighters simply to call just a few — that would simply promote out enviornment or stadium reveals on their very own, Vedder & Co. are dedicated to sustaining the extra intimate nature of the Ohana Competition and preserve it precisely the place it’s at, located simply steps from the place the Pacific Ocean meets the sand in south Orange County.
“It’s sacred floor for us and simply the historical past of it, with it being the primary place Ed (Vedder) ever caught a wave,” Wealthy Finest, president of reserving at Stay Nation California, mentioned throughout a latest Zoom name forward of Ohana returning to Dana Level on Sept. 29-Oct. 1.
“It simply has this vibe and this spirit,” Finest continued. “Clearly, it has grown and we’ve been requested many instances about ‘Have you ever ever considered increasing or altering websites?’ And, truthfully, it’s only a onerous ‘No.’ I don’t assume Ohana could be Ohana if it was not proper there.”
Fortunate Quantity 7
For the 2023 version, Friday, Sept. 29 shall be headlined by The Killers with earlier units by Haim, Father John Misty, Japanese Breakfast, Glen Hansard and extra. Saturday, Sept. 30 shall be topped by Vedder alongside along with his all-star band The Earthlings and units by The Chicks, The Battle on Medicine, Goose, Charley Crockett and others.
Foo Fighters will make their Ohana debut on Sunday, Oct. 1 together with Pretenders, The Backseat Lovers, Suki Waterhouse, Thee Sacred Souls and Deaf Charlie, the experimental rock mission by Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament and ex-Fitz and The Tantrums drummer John Wicks, will play its first reside present ever on the competition.
“I’m slightly bit nervous, however I’m really extra enthusiastic about it than nervous as a result of we had 4 rehearsals earlier than I left,” Ament mentioned throughout a latest cellphone interview whereas on the highway with Pearl Jam. “Once I get again, we’ll run by means of 5 extra or so, however these guys are getting collectively as soon as per week and going by means of stuff, so hopefully we’ll have a pleasant, tight little 40-minute set by the point Ohana occurs.”
Wicks and Ament shall be joined by composer and actor Marlon Grace, who seems on the songs “Dropping My Thoughts” and “One thing Actual.” They’re additionally teaming up with some musicians from the College of Montana, the place Wicks is an adjunct professor, to flesh out the very layered songs off of Deaf Charlie’s debut album, “Catastrophic Metamorphic,” which was launched in June. In response to Ament, this batch of tunes was created out of pure boredom through the pandemic as he and Wicks had been hunkered down of their respective residences in Montana.
“We by no means thought we’d play any of this reside,” he mentioned with amusing. “We’re leaning into the stuff that’s a bit extra up-tempo. There are a few songs on the report we could go away off. If we had been taking part in a membership or one thing we may do it, however we’re are taking part in in the midst of the afternoon on the seaside. That feels prefer it needs to be extra up-tempo and we’re extending some stuff and for Marlon, we’re growing a few outros so he can do some extra emcee work. That’s been the enjoyable half, form of reimagining these songs as reside songs as a result of they had been straight up artwork tasks.”
Ament has been to Ohana a number of instances as each a performer and a fan. When Pearl Jam’s supervisor first inquired about Deaf Charlie performing simply after Ohana in 2022, Ament mentioned he declined, pondering there wouldn’t be sufficient time to complete the album and rehearse, whereas additionally being on the highway with Pearl Jam.
“Then he referred to as and I occurred to be with John and I mentioned ‘Hey, we simply bought requested to do Ohana once more …’ and he simply goes ‘(Heck) Sure!,’” he recalled. “I used to be like, ‘OK, properly I’m solely going to be accessible that week earlier than.’ He mentioned he’d get the band collectively and we’d be prepared and now right here we’re.”
A singular expertise
Whereas followers can have the chance take on this debut efficiency of Deaf Charlie, there’s positive to be different surprises all through the weekend. Ohana has turn into identified for its one-of-a-kind moments and now followers count on that.
By means of the years, Vedder has joined a number of of the acts on stage for songs together with leaping on with Los Angeles punk band X early within the day for “The New World” again in 2016. Final yr, he got here out throughout Stevie Nicks’ flip to sing the late Tom Petty’s components of “Cease Draggin’ My Coronary heart Round,” and the pair had been joined by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell, who was additionally on the Ohana invoice along with his band The Soiled Knobs.
“I simply bought chills interested by that,” Finest mentioned as he recalled the latter efficiency. “That’s not only a Ohana reminiscence, that’s a second in rock historical past. It was non secular. It was superb.”
Finest credit these moments to Vedder’s backstage setup. Egos are put aside, he mentioned, because the artist space is small and encourages a extra communal and artistic ambiance.
“These moments on stage, these occur organically at Ohana,” Finest insists, noting that he and his staff usually have a look at the lineup forward of time and simply surprise what the chances might be. “They arrive completely from the artists and we, on the opposite facet, we now have no enter in that. It’s not one thing you possibly can actually plan or create, it simply has to occur. That’s because of the atmosphere Eddie has created backstage, and it’s pure and one thing we’re extremely pleased with, too.”
At Ohana, there are three levels, together with the Storytellers Stage, which is positioned inside The Cove, an area devoted to artwork exhibitions and panel discussions by conservationists, environmentalists, researchers, skilled surfers and extra. Ohana additionally brings out native meals vehicles and varied different regional meals and beverage distributors and units up activations on the seaside for followers to play yard video games, pose for photograph ops or simply chill in Adirondack-style chairs on the sand as they benefit from the sundown and take within the varied performances.
“I believe Ed and Smitty have carried out an incredible job of retaining it a bit smaller as a result of some festivals develop and develop after which you haven’t any elbow room,” Ament mentioned of the competition. “I additionally love the entire social consciousness and environmental stuff, too. And the artwork, I do actually love the galleries they’ve carried out the final couple of years. It’s simply such an incredible place to be and play.”
Ohana Competition
When: 12 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29-Sunday, Oct. 1
The place: Doheny State Seaside, 25300 Dana Level Harbor Drive, Dana Level
Tickets: $174 single-day basic admission; $549 single-day VIP admission; $479 three-day basic admission; $1,499 three-day VIP admission; $15-$39 shuttle passes; $180 premium three-day parking passes. All passes can be found at ohanafest.com.
