In the spring of 2018, KROQ, Blink-182’s Travis Barker, and Goldfinger’s John Feldmann brought the inaugural Back to the Beach Festival to the beautiful shoreline of Southern California. Huntington State Beach was the perfect spot. Orange County is home to so many great bands, especially those that emerged in the ‘90s. Bringing them – quite literally, back to the beach – is almost a rite of passage, not only for the artists but for the fans.
Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28 marked the second installment of the festival. Rain or shine, roughly 30,000 fans descended upon the beach (many with children in tow) for a taste of nostalgia and an opportunity to hear new tracks from the artists who played such a crucial role in their formative years.
The 2019 edition mixed things up a bit. Saturday featured The Drowns, the English Beat, Save Ferris, The Aquabats, Streetlight Manifesto, Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger, and Blink-182. Sunday’s lineup included the Lowlives, Teenage Wrist, Story of the Year, Less Than Jake, The Wonder Years, Anthony Green, The Story So Far, and The Used. While not every band that played is native to Southern California or was formed in the ‘90s, each embodies the vibe that the era so heavily favored.