Day two of Ohana Festival 2022 is a solid rock ‘n roll day, and ends with the festival creator putting on a show.
If Ohana Festival day one was a blues-gospel-soul tinged baptism, then day two was a solid rock ‘n roll revival.
Mike Campbell and the Dirty Knobs started the day’s headliner section of sets. Campbell and the Dirty Knobs played a short seven-song, 40-minute set. Making the most of it with a mix of Heartbreakers’ songs and some from their own catalog. Their song “F**k That Guy” drew the crowd into a fun sing-and-shout of the chorus.
The hard rock tour bus took a slight detour on its way to see Mr. Vedder and The Earthlings, when it visited the stringed instrument virtuoso Billy Strings and his bluegrass shred fest. Right from the opening notes of the first song, Billy and his band were firing on all cylinders. From the opening bell, they were shredding on the fiddle, guitar, banjo, and stand-up bass. With such ferocious playing, they made you wonder if and when they would take a little break and grab a breath between songs with the first three songs blurring one into the next.
Manchester Orchestra was one of the bands that everyone was whispering about. They were the “adult alternative” band (whatever that means) you didn’t want to miss out on. With many in attendance yet to find out who Manchester Orchestra was, they would find out soon enough, despite the fact the band has been making a lot of noise since 2006. Those fortunate enough to catch their set were in for a hard-rocking, high-energy performance. The Atlanta trio brought everything to bear on the beach and put on an impressive 45-minute set.
Jack White took to the stage to a crowd ready to rock ‘n roll, sing along, and stomp to his songs. White and his band touched on the highlights of his career with the White Stripes, The Raconteurs, and his solo work. With the crowd ready to pop at the end of his set, the tension was building as the opening bass line of “Seven Nation Army” rang out. When that first bar of notes was played, the crowd exploded into pumping fists and cheers with White and his band tearing up the Ohana stage and delivering a sweet release of the built-up anticipation.
Capping a solid day of rock ‘n roll, Eddie Vedder and The Earthlings‘ set was a solid mix of Pearl Jam tunes, songs from Vedder’s solo album Earthling, and covers. The weekend’s tributes to Tom Petty continued with the Heartbreakers’ guitarist Mike Campbell joining The Earthlings on stage for emotional covers of The Heartbreakers’ “Room at the Top” and “The Waiting.” Later, the Earthlings would sprinkle in a little of The Who with a cover of “I’m One.”
You can’t go to see Eddie Vedder or Pearl Jam and not get at least a little reminder of the urgency of the time we find ourselves in. Vedder found himself emotionally wrapped up in the subject and decided to leave it as just a reminder to take care of each other, the earth, and its vital oceans. He also explained what the realization of the dream of Ohana meant to him, and the evolution of the idea. From the first time he caught a wave at 12 or 14 years old (he could not remember), mere yards out into the surf line from the very beach we were all standing on, the idea of having a music venue cut into nearby cliffs overlooking the waves where live bands could play while surfers surfed to the final iteration of what that initial idea evolved into today.
The set wrapped with a fiery and impassioned encore with covers of George Harrison’s “Isn’t It A Pity,” Temple of the Dog’s “Hunger Strike,” with the grand finale of Neil Young’s familiar and favorite of Eddie Vedder, “Rockin’ in the Free World.”
Be sure to check out our coverage of day one and three.
