Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness at Ohana Fest 2018 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA. 9/30/2018. (Photo: Derrick K. Lee, Esq. | Blurred Culture)

By Derrick K. Lee and Rachel Ann Cauilan
*Note: This is just a preview of the article. To read the full version, visit blurredculture.com.

Mumford & Sons, Beck, Young the Giant, Switchfoot, among others bring their love, light and memorable performances to an epic final day of Ohana Fest 2018.

Sunday’s third and final day of Ohana Fest drew in the largest crowd of the weekend. With more than 25,000 fans over the course of the weekend, headliners Mumford & Sons, Beck, local Orange County indie rockers Young the Giant, San Diego natives Switchfoot and Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness closed off Sunday’s Ohana Fest, making it a true celebration.

The festivities began with a slow calm as vendors, artists and festival-goers arrived. Doheny State Beach’s waves crashed calmly along the wayside.

Ambar Lucid at Ohana Fest 2018 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA. 9/30/2018. (Photo: Derrick K. Lee, Esq. | Blurred Culture)

Openers to the day arrived on the Tiki Stage, such as alt-rockers The Alive, the rock-and-roll of The Palms, and the sultry soft lullabies and ethereal pop melodies from newcomer Ambar Lucid, the bilingual Spanish and English artist whose performance and voice was absolutely simple yet mesmerizing.

As Lucid took to the guitar and ukulele, accompanied by only an additional guitar player, her acoustic set was undoubtedly soothing, and demonstrated her knack for drawing forth her emotions through her effortless playing. Her single, “A Letter to My Younger Self” is an exciting introduction for the 17-year-old bilingual Mexican and Dominican singer, and is surprisingly mature for such a young woman. Her music provided the most appropriate soundtrack for an easy going mid-afternoon siesta — and we can’t wait to hear more from her. (…)

Allan Rayman at Ohana Fest 2018 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA. 9/30/2018. (Photo: Derrick K. Lee, Esq. | Blurred Culture)

Throughout the lazy sunny Ohana sky, Allan Rayman performed a solid set that really showcased his sensually raspy voice. A particularly memorable moment of the performance was when he sang the standout Roadhouse 01 track “13”. When he sang, “There you go again, acting like it’s all about you,” he did so with such a particular cool and tasteful swagger, it was just irresistible.

With his own elusive brand of R&B, the Canadian singer-songwriter won a Juno Award for Breakthrough Artist of the Year this year in Canada — and his blues-rock anthems were definitely something I wanted to listen more of. (…)

Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness at Ohana Fest 2018 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA. 9/30/2018. (Photo: Derrick K. Lee, Esq. | Blurred Culture)

Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness took to the main stage and kept their set fun and energetic, as McMahon and his band were adorned in yellow flower crowns and shades. McMahon started off at the grand piano, but his energy couldn’t be contained as he would eventually do a massive leap off of it, causing the audience to hold their collective breaths for a safe landing.

Formerly the lyricist and band member of Something Corporate and pop-punk act Jack’s Mannequin, McMahon had me reminiscing of my pop-punk days as he sang his biggest electronic-pop hit “Cecilia And The Satellite” and the fun and upbeat piano meets electronic hit “Synesthesia.” (…)

Switchfoot at Ohana Fest 2018 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA. 9/30/2018. (Photo: Derrick K. Lee, Esq. | Blurred Culture)

Just steps away from the beach and under a hazy Orange County sky, Jonathan Foreman of Switchfoot said, “I look out at all of your eyes right now and I’m reminded of what an incredible thing it is to be human and to be alive right now. What a gift, right?”

As Foreman played through the beginning riffs of their 2004 hit single “Dare You To Move,” he continued, “If Ohana means family, we’re united right now by a bigger thing than just blood. We got spirit. Do you feel that? Are you feeling that Ohana? This one’s a dare.” (…)

Young The Giant at Ohana Fest 2018 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA. 9/30/2018. (Photo: Derrick K. Lee, Esq. | Blurred Culture)

Local Orange County heroes Young the Giant from Irvine were a pleasant surprise. The indie rock band, known for their breakout hit “Cough Syrup,” truly got the crowd moving with an explosive and high-energy set. Fans towards the front were incredibly awed by the band, singing back every lyric and moving to every soul-crushing beat. Frontman Sameer Gadhia, dressed in a floral blouse, loose pants and patterned knee-high socks complete with a belt-buckle, really had the moves to make anyone — including myself — swoon. He was a complete joy to watch, as he went from jamming on a drum-pad to shaking a tambourine, banging on a cowbell as the rest of the band played an exciting career-spanning set. (…)

Mumford & Sons at Ohana Fest 2018 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA. 9/30/2018. (Photo: Derrick K. Lee, Esq. | Blurred Culture)

Mumford & Sons closed out the festival with a strong and memorable 15-song set. With their notable folk rock style meets bluegrass and alternative rock, Marcus Mumford drummed on a couple songs and teased details of their new album Delta coming this November. Aside from their big hits “Little Lion Man,” “I Will Wait,” “Awake My Soul” and the incredible moving song “Believe” — where Marcus sings “So open up my eyes / Tell me I’m alive / This is never gonna go our way / If I’m gonna have to guess what’s on your mind” — fans were treated to performances of their new songs “Woman” and “Guiding Light” off their new album — a little different for the lively and upbeat folk rock band. The songs are still notable of the band’s strong and emotionally-powered lyrics, yet they sonically feel a bit more deep and emotional. (…)

Before heading into the last song of the night, Vedder took a moment to remind the crowd what his festival is all about and how important it is to protect the oceans. (…)

To read the rest of this article, visit blurredculture.com.

Ambar Lucid at Ohana Fest 2018 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA. 9/30/2018. (Photo: Derrick K. Lee, Esq. | Blurred Culture)

Allan Rayman at Ohana Fest 2018 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA. 9/30/2018. (Photo: Derrick K. Lee, Esq. | Blurred Culture)

Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness at Ohana Fest 2018 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA. 9/30/2018. (Photo: Derrick K. Lee, Esq. | Blurred Culture)

Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness at Ohana Fest 2018 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA. 9/30/2018. (Photo: Derrick K. Lee, Esq. | Blurred Culture)

Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness at Ohana Fest 2018 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA. 9/30/2018. (Photo: Derrick K. Lee, Esq. | Blurred Culture)

Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness at Ohana Fest 2018 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA. 9/30/2018. (Photo: Derrick K. Lee, Esq. | Blurred Culture)

Switchfoot at Ohana Fest 2018 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA. 9/30/2018. (Photo: Derrick K. Lee, Esq. | Blurred Culture)

Switchfoot at Ohana Fest 2018 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA. 9/30/2018. (Photo: Derrick K. Lee, Esq. | Blurred Culture)

Switchfoot at Ohana Fest 2018 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA. 9/30/2018. (Photo: Derrick K. Lee, Esq. | Blurred Culture)

Switchfoot at Ohana Fest 2018 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA. 9/30/2018. (Photo: Derrick K. Lee, Esq. | Blurred Culture)

Young The Giant at Ohana Fest 2018 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA. 9/30/2018. (Photo: Derrick K. Lee, Esq. | Blurred Culture)

Young The Giant at Ohana Fest 2018 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA. 9/30/2018. (Photo: Derrick K. Lee, Esq. | Blurred Culture)

Young The Giant at Ohana Fest 2018 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA. 9/30/2018. (Photo: Derrick K. Lee, Esq. | Blurred Culture)

Young The Giant at Ohana Fest 2018 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA. 9/30/2018. (Photo: Derrick K. Lee, Esq. | Blurred Culture)

Mumford & Sons at Ohana Fest 2018 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA. 9/30/2018. (Photo: Derrick K. Lee, Esq. | Blurred Culture)

Mumford & Sons at Ohana Fest 2018 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA. 9/30/2018. (Photo: Derrick K. Lee, Esq. | Blurred Culture)

Mumford & Sons at Ohana Fest 2018 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA. 9/30/2018. (Photo: Derrick K. Lee, Esq. | Blurred Culture)

Mumford & Sons at Ohana Fest 2018 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA. 9/30/2018. (Photo: Derrick K. Lee, Esq. | Blurred Culture)

Mumford & Sons at Ohana Fest 2018 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, CA. 9/30/2018. (Photo: Derrick K. Lee, Esq. | Blurred Culture)

Be sure to click through the individual day links to see all of the of the acts that we were able to catch this year at Ohana Fest!

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This article is featured on Blurred Culture.