Storm Surge of Reverb

It was Sunday, the final day of the Surfguitar101 Festival. I wanted to take the morning to appreciate Long Beach a little bit more, and this time it took the form of a nice run along the beach. I try to take advantage of exercising in other climates when I can because home is 95 degrees and 100% humidity. I wish that I had had the opportunity to do things like this on Thursday or maybe Friday morning, but alas, getting here was a nightmare (see Day 1 post) so this was my opportunity. After a little breakfast, I headed over to the Golden Sails for one last day of surf music.

And again, I was late for the interview, this time with Bob Dalley of the Surf Raiders. This time I at least caught some of it, but not enough to feel qualified to tell you details. I'd met Bob and his late wife Linda at previous SG101s and he's a super nice guy, so it was great to hear him talk about his experience. His daughter also beckoned people to come by his booth with all sorts of records and memorabilia for sale, as they hoped to bring nothing home. I had glanced over it earlier but hadn't given it a deep dive. I ended up taking a look at the less popular media: cassettes and VHS tapes. The cassettes had unreleased stuff from groups like The Nobles and the Surfaris. Were they still unreleased, or were they just unreleased when somebody wrote that label decades ago? The VHS tapes had copies of Merrel Fankhauser's show amongst other things. I asked his daughter if they had been digitized. She didn't know. Welp, somebody has to! So she sold them all to me for about $10. Since then I haven't had much time to go through them, but I've found a few nice things.

Bobby Fuller Four Tribute

I appreciate these tribute acts each year, usually fronted by Matt Quilter, this year joined by Duff Paulsen, Will Heard, and Mark Reid. Admittedly I thought "are there enough Bobby Fuller Four instrumental songs to fill a set?" and the answer was "yes, but it's going to be a relatively short set". At one point Dominic Priore got up to tell the story of Bobby Fuller's demise, which is a wild story, but then stayed on to do Wolfman Jack-styled vocals for the song "Woflman"! Towards the end Matt said "We told Jeff we weren't going to play this song, but... we lied," and broke into "I Fought the Law". Vocal, but it does seem weird to do a Bobby Fuller tribute without it. Then at the end they tacked on a Brian Wilson tribute because even if he's not exactly fundamental to instrumental surf, his passing surely meant a lot to the surf music world. So they did a version of "Good Vibrations" and invited the crowd to join in which... well, we're not much of a singalong crowd. Anyway, I enjoy these tribute acts and I think this was done well.

The Apollo Four

Inappropriately a trio, clad in lab coats and with two of their members bald and their bassist with beard enough to make up for it. Despite the Astro-Man-ish look, their sound is fairly traditionally surf. While I'd heard their stuff before, I wish I had boned up a bit more in advance, as they were one of the bands I was least familiar with. Still, an enjoyable set.

The Frigidaires

The Frigidaires were sort of supporting a new album. "Hot Vacation" was on sale ahead of time on CD at SG101, though it was unlikely anybody had found much opportunity to listen to it beforehand. Except for me! They had sent me a pre-release download a little while ago, so I knew that they had something special in store.

Right off the bat they sounded tremendous. There weren't many bands with a 3-guitar attack this festival, and that's something that always sticks out when you see a band live. But they were also a ton of fun to watch. Not just with their fun uniforms (even if the Bobby Fuller tribute stole their thunder a bit), and occasional synced guitar movements, but there was a pervasive energy of being truly jazzed to be there and giving it all they've got. Chad Shivers especially activated the band, frequently coming over to other members, bumping up against them, having fun. It felt like watching friendship!

One interesting thing about this album that I'll probably mention if I get around to reviewing it -- Chad has a proven ability to write a catchy ballad, and I was surprised to not find one on the new record. However, that same sweetness was drizzled throughout the whole record, and even their pounders like "The Beast" (which sounded phenomenal live) has a bit of a dramatic, emotional twist to it that really brings it up a notch. And that absolutely contributed to the live show as well.

I had mentioned to some of them that although I'd missed a decent chunk of their Surfer Joe performance, I certainly didn't remember a show like that. Two of them separately said the same thing: that Surfer Joe set was a confidence booster that refocused them and pushed them to another level, and we were seeing the fruits of that here.

There was a fun intermission between bands: the crowning of the new winner of the Vintage Swimsuit Competition. Last year I had caught the first round in the Taboo Tiki Room, but this year this was my first glimpse. I was particularly impressed by the variety as the contestants came on-stage. The winner wore a red outfit that had apparently never been worn! Gotta say, it was probably my choice too. It was a fun change of pace and I want to thank everybody that makes it happen each year.

The Woodhavens

More friendship on the menu!

Jeff's intro for The Woodhavens was surprisingly cautious, saying that they were fairly new and he had heard recommendations and decided to take a chance. I'd heard their new album though, and was pretty pumped. They started their set by giving each other fist-bumps, which is a fun thing that I'm surprised I don't see much. I know some bands do stuff like that off-stage, but why not on-stage? Their stage performance matched their album well -- loud and impactful while still managing sincerity. In addition to the cover of Op Ivy's "Bankshot" on their album, they played a cover of Black Flag's "Rise Above", which resonated with a few old punkers in the crowd.

Their talk about "Barkada" meaning community and supporting each other was something that I immediately took as commentary on the current political climate, but as it echoed throughout the festival it was a nice reminder that this was a community. People drawn together by common interest, eager to make friends based on that alone. I may only see some of these people once a year if that, but they're friends nonetheless and people that matter to me.

I'm glad we got to see this band hot off their new album, and I think their performance had a feeling of rising to meet the moment. Lukas (also from the Delstroyers) mentioned that the honor of getting to play SG101 so early in the band's existence was not lost on them, but I think they more than justified their place.

I was hungry and tried to sneak in a trip to the empanada place I went to the day before. As I approached the crosswalk, there were Enocky and the drummer from Jackie and the Cedrics. They were amused that I was wearing their shirt. So I studied Japanese for two and a half years in college and recently have been brushing up with some Duolingo, but I've rarely had a chance to speak it outside of a classroom. I ended up walking with them for a while over to the supermarket further down the road, speaking Japanglish with them the entire way. They were so fun to talk to, and I even talked briefly with Enocky about the late New Orleans legend King Louie, who had actually given me some Jackie and the Cedrics 7"s a few years ago. It was great getting to connect with them, I was really excited that I could speak OK enough Japanese with them, it was a highlight of the festival.

The Swongos

Unfortunately that long walk meant missing a lot of The Swongos, because even in the three or so songs I caught they made a huge impression on me. I came in during a noisy, almost free-jazzy portion of a song, noticing their drummer dragging his stick along his cymbal for otherworldly effect, and of course I was struck by the vibes. No, I mean literally, they had rented a full vibraphone for the event (and you should have seen the crate it was transported in!). While I had heard both of their releases and thought they were interesting and inventive, I saw them in a different light here. Surf with exotica elements is a fraction of the equation, with a psychedelic twist and a subversive attitude much more apparent here. Easily the most unique group of the festival, and in a way that works. They looked great too, with matching retro-styled print, but their bassist in particular took that to the next level, with half-green hair, a bandana, cat-eye glasses, and a poofy dress. Much like the group itself, it's not a look I've seen but it came together, and she knew it! Pacing back and forth, whipping her hair around and twisting the dress for effect.

They finished with a cover of the theme from the video game NARC and a Slayer song. Somehow. It was amazing, and while I wouldn't trade anything from my stroll with Jackie & the Cedrics' members, I wish I lived in a universe where I could have both.

Jimmy Dale

The crowd puffed up a bit for the Prince of the Surf Guitar, Jimmy Dale. Jimmy was no stranger to this event, but his previous appearances were more occasional cameos. He's also been doing surf sets for a while now, though this was my first opportunity to catch one. I appreciated that he was joined by Dusty Watson, who backed up Dick Dale for years, and Chris Benedetto from his other more punk-oriented groups Kill Jill and Back Luckman. One legacy, one present, I like that!

And that's sort of emblematic of the show itself. He played a set very similar to Dick Dale's, with a lot of his staples and covers. He joked at one point that he doesn't play many older Dick Dale songs because he was born in '92, so he likes 90's Dick Dale. No worries, I do too. But even if the setlist was similar (right down to taking a break to hop onto drums), you wouldn't confuse the two. It was a heavier, more aggressive set sound than you'd get from Dick Dale, and that's from all involved including Dusty. He knew his audience, even sometimes introduced a song and then would laugh saying "but you guys already know that". He also played "House of the Rising Sun" and invited us to sing along, and laughed when somebody yelled back "no!". I was worried that he felt like he was a trapped into Dick Dale revival act, but thankfully he brought in at least one of his original surfcore songs.

It was a great balance of tribute while still being himself, and that especially bore out when he closed with "Misirlou". Predictable choice, but unpredictable changes to it, resulting in one of the freshest takes I've heard of the song. I thought he was great. He was confident and knew how to put on a show, and I think everybody I talked to afterwards seemed to agree.

Fears unfounded. For the third time this event, a Japanese group impressed with spectacular showmanship. Their sound was always active and in-your-face, and their members were a joy to watch, always in motion and adding character to sound. When I went through photos after this event, I cracked up at how often in the background I'd catch their drummer peeking out with a goofy face. While they didn't dip into the J-Rock surf hybrid you'd see on some of their 90's output, they still felt pretty modern and inventive, and rarely slowed down. They even had two new songs that they had released just before the event, released on mini-CD!

But there were surprises too! Attendees from 2024 might have noticed a returning character from last year in the crowd since Friday: Ruiko from The Why's. I think a lot of us were smitten with her bubbly-yet-savage stage energy last year, and she was greeted with an enthusiastic welcome as she took the stage with The Surf Coasters for a bit. And then she swapped out for Ferenc Dobronyi, who I believe has gotten to know them well over the years. These were super fun surprises and you could tell the band was enjoying the mix-up just as much.

A few people called out for them to play "The Intruder" and for a moment they might have felt pretty let down as the set was seemingly ending without it. But they were given two more songs and used them well: floating along beautifully with "Albatross" and then slamming back down with "The Intruder". Couldn't ask for much better than that.

Deadbolt

The final band of the evening was The Scariest Band in the world, Deadbolt. They were an interesting choice because despite a persistent reverby twang, they're absolutely a vocal band. Still, I was excited about it, as my brother had seen them and raved about it.

As he brought them on stage, Jeff revealed that he had made a special request that they play music from their Spaghetti Western offshoot band Strangers 1800. So their set began with them dressed in cowboy outfits. One member seemingly was only on-stage to chomp on an (unlit) cigar and wield a gun. Their guitarist also held a gun. In the midst of songs they would shoot at each other and a recording of a pistol firing would play each time they pulled the trigger. There was a lot of shooting each other, including the poor defenseless drummer. When they switched back to Deadbolt, they lead their drummer off at gunpoint, and he was replaced by another drummer. The cigar guy just joined the audience. It was stupid. And very funny.

Having taken off their hats and donned biker vests, they were Deadbolt again. I have to admit that while I heard familiar songs, this stage was set up better for instrumentals than the mumbled vocal stylings of Deadbolt, so that aspect didn't come through well. But there of course was talk of hippies. At one point their guitarist took an angle grinder out and sprayed sparks onto the bass guitar. Then he karate-chopped some clearly pre-split wood. It was fun, it was funny, though admittedly I was losing steam.

And then that was it. Another SG101 done. And there were a few trends that I noticed.

1. Probably the most women I've seen on-stage at SG101. The drummer for Jackie and the Cedrics noted that all of the drummers from Japan were women, and added that she didn't know why. As Jimmy Dee pointed out in his review of the new Fuzziyama Surfers EP, there's a theory that Karen Carpenter touring Japan may have influenced this. Regardless, there are lots of women that come to and enjoy this festival, and I hope that if we can stop acting like there's not, we'll see even more.
2. Uniforms! Never not a thing in surf music, but by my count only 8 bands out of 24 main stage bands didn't have a uniform. I love 'em, don't stop.
3. There were a few more bands my age! The Greasy Gills, The Woodhavens, The Frigidaires, Jimmy Dale... sure that's a small fraction, but it's refreshing nonetheless. I mean sure, barely a Gen Z in sight, but I'll take it.
4. Sometimes it feels like Saturday is the main event and the other days are for the hardcore. If you thought so too and skipped Sunday, you missed out. Sunday's lineup might have been shorter but it was whammy after whammy.

As I mentioned earlier, I wish I could tell you about the morning Pool Parties -- they seem like a smart addition. Though from what I understand, they weren't able to pull the same numbers that The Ghastly Ones brought in last year, this still felt like a very healthy event worthy of its prestige. My real fear is that this is the last year for a while that we'll see a strong international presence, and as I write this I remind myself that we could have had great shows from I Jeziak and The Surfers and LHD were things different today. It'll be a challenge for Jeff, Art and the SG101 team, but even if we won't see a lineup like this for a while, I feel confident that it'll remain worth my while.

It was so great seeing everybody and making new friends. Every year there are people I wish I got to talk to, and this year is no different. I hope to see you at the next one. In the meantime, I'll miss this. This is a community, and I'm glad to be a part of it.

All hail BigTikiDude

Back to Day 1

Back to Day 2

Want to see more pictures? I took TWELVE THOUSAND OF THEM but over the course of a month whittled them way down to roughly 700. 

The ones I'm really proud of are HERE

And I have another 500 HERE that might be of interest to people in bands etc.