Saturday was full of non-stop action, as the Riptide Music Festival got kicked off at around 10 a.m.
The promoters didn’t release the lineup times until the night before, so I didn’t know what to expect until Friday at 5 p.m.
In typical weekend fashion, I woke up at 10:30 a.m. but that still gave me enough time to see just about every artist at the fest.
Saint Motel. Photo by Ron Elkman, USA Today Network.
Saint Motel opened first. Despite a limited crowd, the fans were extremely receptive to the energetic indie pop. The lead singer (who played keyboard, too) was backed up by the drummer, a trumpet player and a saxophonist. Their 2016 hit single, “Move,” was by far a crowd favorite.
I only caught parts of the Pepper performance while getting settled into the beach locale.
There was only one stage, which made things incredibly crowded, especially getting into the afternoon and evening. I’m not sure of the exact attendance, but there had to be at least 10,000 people there, probably more.
Despite arriving just before noon, I found a spot pretty close to the stage, which meant I was shoulder-to-shoulder with people the entire afternoon, but I didn’t encounter anyone that would ruin the day. The stage setup was pretty cool: two sides rotated so while one artist was performing the stagehands could set up the other side for the next artist.
It was a low-key crowd. Everyone was gathered for the music, which made an awesome setting. Plus, it’s hard to beat a Saturday enjoying the beach, brews and music. Although, there was a tall fence blocking the final 50 feet of the beach leading to the water, probably to make sure nobody snuck into the shows.
Andrew McMahon. Photo by Ron Elkman, USA Today Network.
Andrew McMahon was the first full act I saw. I felt bad for Andrew because his equipment was lost when he flew into Florida, so he was stuck playing a piano the whole time. It was peaceful, but definitely not the bass-kicking I was hoping to get. During his performance he asked for a beer, and someone from the crowd gladly threw him an unopened can.
Dreamers. Photo by Ron Elkman, USA Today Network.
Dreamers came on at 1:30 p.m. and though I didn’t recognize the band name, I definitely recognized a few of their songs. Their music was a melodic mix of rock, electronic and pop. It brought a little more thump than the act before, which I applauded. The Dreamers were a late addition after Good Charlotte pulled out for personal reasons.
Glass Animals. Photo by Ron Elkman, USA Today Network.
Glass Animals came on next, and they were one of the most anticipated artists of the day. Like Dreamers, I didn’t think I had heard any of their music, but I recognized quite a bit of it. The crowd was in a trance—partly because of the dome of cannabis smoke that surrounded, but mostly because of the smooth grooves reverberating from Glass Animals. People around me couldn’t be bothered. They were into it, which made it even more enjoyable for me.
Miike Snow was the next artist on, but I missed most of his show waiting in line for the bathroom and getting food. It was 3:30 p.m. at this point, and all I had in my stomach was a breakfast sandwich from Dunkin Donuts and several pints of beer. I needed to re-energize. The black-charred burger wasn’t the most satisfying, but it would have to do.
The Struts. Photo by Ron Elkman, USA Today Network.
The most surprising act of the day was the next band, The Struts. Lead man Luke Spiller brought the energy, and I finally got some of the electric guitar I was craving. The Struts stood out the most in terms of stage presence and style, and it was probably the most traditional band there in the sense that it was straight rock and roll. Spiller was in a getup you’d expect from an ‘80s hair band, which was entertaining.
Robert DeLong. Photo by Ron Elkman, USA Today Network.
Robert DeLong’s flight was late getting in from Seattle, which reduced his set time. Most of his equipment stopped working, so he went from music heavily influenced by making beats electronically to a guitar and vocals. He clearly wasn’t happy about it, but he gave the crowd what he could, which was admirable.
Dirty J of the Dirty Heads. Photo by Ron Elkman, USA Today Network.
Finally it was time for the anticipated act of the day, the Dirty Heads. I’ve followed the band since they released their debut album, “Any Port in a Storm,” in 2008.
They started off by playing one of my favorite songs, “Burn Slow,” which got the crowd pumped. The bass rattled my ears and I was lost in the music, singing along.
Duddy B of the Dirty Heads. Photo by Ron Elkman, USA Today Network.
It was the first time I got to see them live, and it was about eight years overdue. Toward the end of their 30-40 minute set, they started playing music from their newest album, which I hadn’t listened to much, but it brought the crowd from energized to mellow, which was a perfect way to transition into the final two groups of the night, Silversun Pickups and AWOLNATION.
By the time the Dirty Heads finished, I had been standing for more than seven hours straight, so I was ready to go home.
My roommate, who I went to the festival with, suggested hitting Tucker Duke’s in Boca on our way home, which was much more satisfying than the abominable burger earlier in the day. Mix a food coma with tired legs and I was down for the count when I got home.
Overall, it was a successful first year of Riptide. I’m looking forward to seeing who comes to South Florida next year.
