By sunset on the second day of Eddie Vedder’s annual Ohana Festival in Dana Point, California, the sky was a fury of tangerine ribbons and set the stage for the evening’s top acts, who brought bold performances of unity to the heart of Orange County.
Tyler Childers, who headlined Saturday, brought his message of loving thy neighbor — echoing an earlier speech by Alabama Shakes frontwoman Brittany Howard, who wore an “ICE OUT” pin during the band’s set — to his signature ferocious performance. And at twilight, New Orleans bandleader and composer Jon Batiste delivered a contagious tour-de-force of joy and struggle, careening from ragtime classics to contemporary numbers.
A large part of Saturday’s top slots were dedicated to country acts, and several musicians weaved in songs of everyday Americans and calls of solidarity. Earlier in the day, during Stephen Wilson Jr.’s standout afternoon show, the rising Nashville star (and former microbiologist) took a playful jab at AI before launching into his working class salute, “Gary.”
“This is for all our fixers out there that show up and get our lives back on track. Cause I do not believe AI will show up at your dorm when life hits the fan,” Wilson told the crowd. “But I do believe AI will and if his name is Gary, you’re probably in pretty good shape.” Behind Wilson was a tiny robot held captive in a birdcage.
Mid-way though his set, Vedder surprised the crowd and joined Wilson on stage for an excellent rendition of “Hunger Strike,” the Temple of the Dog track originally sung by Vedder and Chris Cornell. It was one of several cameos by Vedder this weekend, who joined Bad Religion on Friday to sing “American Jesus.” (Vedder originally provided backing vocals on the 1993 Recipe for Hate track.)
Batiste and his band took to the stage right before sunset and performed a nonstop medley that put his spin on New Orleans jazz, gospel, soul, and funk. The hour-long celebration saw Batiste dance across the stage as he moved from the piano, saxophone, and melodica, and included a majestic performance of “Freedom” from his Grammy-winning album We Are that was amplified by the indomitable Desiree “Desz” Washington. At one point, Batiste led the crowd as thousands sang Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” then amped it up with a rollicking rendition of “When the Saints Go Marching In.”
After the sun dipped behind the ocean, Alabama Shakes, who dropped their first album in 11 years, I Must Be Dreaming, last month, delivered a dazzling performance that stretched back to their 2012 debut album, Boys & Girls, alongside Sound & Color tracks “Guess Who” and “Dunes.” Their set also brought offerings from their latest LP, including their standout, “American Dream.”
Howard paused the show to address the audience in the heart of Orange County’s conservative enclave. “I was thinking about people who risk their life, living to protect each other, protect their communities, protect their neighbors, protect our rights, and when I see that, it gives me hope for our future,” said Howard. “At the end of it all, it’s really just us taking care of each other.” Her message was met with cheers from the crowd.
While not originally scheduled, Florence Road performed during the break before Childers’ headlining set. The Irish rock band was set to play on Friday afternoon but hit a snag when theirgear was stolen from their vanthat day. Luckily, fest organizers were able to squeeze them into an evening slot. Lead singer Lily Aron thanked Vedder and his crew for putting the band “on this gorgeous stage at this gorgeous time.”
As Childers closed out the night, the “Long Violent History” singer drew in the crowd with his stage set up like a living room with lamps, a console TV, and wood chair strewn around his band. Childers opened with lead Snipe Hunter track, the searing “Eatin’ Big Time.” After following up with the “randy” title track “Rustin’ in the Rain” from his 2015 album, Childers sang the more “appropriately considered” love song and fan-favorite “All Your’n.”
Childers proceeded to tear through an exhilarating lineup that included the likes of the yearning “Oneida,” toothy “Dirty Ought Trill,” and the ornery, tall-tale telling “Whitehouse Road.” At one point in the night, he had the crowd literally barking and howling in ode to his rabies-wishing “Bitin’ List.” He ended the end with the gut-wrenching “Lady May,” the one song he hopes to remeber if he’s “hit in the head tomorrow and I couldn’t remember anything that I ever wrote or played.”
Before bidding adieu to the crowd, Childers left the audience with a neighborly invite to get to know someone in the crowd. “One of the most important things that you’ve had the opportunity to partake in this evening, other than listening to music, one of the most important things above all the clinking jangling of the keys and the beating of the strings and the banging of the drums, the one biggest, most important thing that you’ve had the opportunity to do is a little bit of fellowship,” he said in one breathless delivery.
While the likelihood of nothing in common is high, Childrens pointed out: “You both showed up September 26, 2026 at the Ohana Festival. That, ladies and gentlemen, is called an icebreaker.” He pressed on: “And if you ask me, there needs to be a little bit more breaking of the ice so that we can all swim in the cool waters of fellowship that lay beneath it.”
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