Eddie Vedder, the lead singer of Pearl Jam, is the heart and soul of the Ohana Festival. The 2025 edition wrapped up a glorious three days of live music in Dana Point, CA on September 26th-28th. Vedder played with his side project, The Earthlings, introduced several of the artists over the weekend, and sat in with a few as well. Sets by Kings of Leon, Lukas Nelson, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Leon Bridges, Garbage, Hozier, Green Day and many more kept the fans entertained at the scenic, comfortable venue.
The relaxed, beachfront event known as Ohana Festival returned to the shores of Orange County, California, where Eddie Vedder grew up and learned to surf. He not only headlined the festival, but he was also a big part of building the list of performers. His musician friends and artists that he admires, both new and classic, filled the lineup. Live Nation produces the event, so it had the expected professional components, but the vibe is chill and on a smaller scale than most festivals, with daily attendance capped at about 15,000 per day.
Highlights from the weekend included:
Lukas Nelson has been on tour in 2025 without his longtime band Promise of the Real (who are now backing Neil Young). He performed at Ohana with what Nelson described as “my band, The Spread Eagles.” Before they came out, Nelson and Eddie Vedder did a sweet, seated duet with acoustic guitars. They performed the Pearl Jam tune “Just Breathe.” As they traded lyrics, each artist was grinning with glee, not unlike the fans packed in front of the stage. With The Spread Eagles, Nelson did “Carolina” and closed the show with the hit “Find Yourself,” both from the Promise of the Real catalog.
Shirley Manson, the outspoken, brash lead singer of Garbage, has not lost her edge or her remarkable voice. The band played a rocking set at Ohana that included a few of their biggest hits. “When I Grow Up,” “#1 Crush,” “I Think I’m Paranoid,” and “Stupid Girl” featured crisp guitar solos from Duke Erikson and Steve Marker. While Manson belted out powerful vocals, she also made passionate, vulgar social commentary between songs. Manson encouraged the crowd to sing along with her during “I’m Only Happy When It Rains.” They ended with a pulsating “Push It” as Manson delivered a foul-mouthed political statement, delivered at no one she would name, “let’s fucking fight these motherfuckers.”
Kings of Leon were supposed to headline Ohana in 2021 but had to cancel due to a family emergency. Vedder introduced the band this year and mentioned that it was better late than never for their debut on the Ohana stage. The band came out firing on all cylinders for their set. Caleb Followill’s vocals were powerful and poignant. Cousin Matthew launched intricate guitar solos, while brothers Jared and Nathan pumped out the rhythms and smooth harmonies. Their set covered a broad swath of their song catalog, including hits “Use Somebody,” “Waste a Moment,” and “Closer.” The crowd got especially loud for the band’s biggest chart topper, “Sex on Fire,” which closed the show.
Eddie Vedder and the Earthlings made their first appearance at Ohana when Kings of Leon cancelled at the last minute in 2021. That impromptu performance led to the band recording an album in 2022. They have since changed bassists from Pino Palladino to Chris Chaney. Pearl Jam’s Josh Klinghoffer and Andrew Watt play ripping, explosive guitar riffs; Chad Smith, who Vedder introduced as “the beast,” plays thunderous drum beats; Glen Hansard plays acoustic guitar, harmonizes and does the occasional lead vocals.
Their 2025 Ohana set was filled with Pearl Jam and classic rock covers, along with Earthlings originals. The rock covers started with Devo’s “Gut Feeling” and included The Who’s “I’m One.” Vedder introduced that song by saying they were his favorite band of all time, and he is bummed they are retiring (The Who are concluding their final North American tour with a show on October 1st). Later, Watt and Klinghoffer led the way on a rowdy instrumental jam intro for Led Zeppelin’s “The Song Remains the Same” before segueing into Pearl Jam’s “Rearviewmirror.”
They also did a raucous medley of English Beat’s “Save it For Later” into Pearl Jam’s “Better Man.” The “Better Man” instrumental sequence featured unannounced guest saxophonist James King, from Fitz & the Tantrums, who blew a complicated, impressive solo. The encore included a brilliant cover of George Harrison’s power ballad, “Isn’t It a Pity,” with a Beatles “Hey Jude” outro. The band closed the hard-rocking show with a frequent Vedder cover, Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World,” again featuring saxophonist King.
Tedeschi Trucks Band got a shockingly short, mid-lineup set, but made the most of it. Susan Tedeschi’s vocals and guitar riffs were stellar as usual. Husband Derek Trucks effortlessly played mind-bending slide guitar solos that fascinated the audience. Mike Mattison opened the set on lead vocals with a soul-drenched version of Dr. John’s “I Walk on Gilded Splinters.” “Midnight in Harlem” featured Trucks’ haunting guitar intro, Tedeschi’s compelling, soulful voice, and saxophone player Kebbi Williams’ scintillating solo. Vedder came out to join the band on The Who’s “The Seeker.” Tedeschi and Vedder alternated on vocals and their smiles showed how much they were enjoying the moment along with the crowd. Trucks delivered another understated, but brilliant solo as Vedder watched in amazement. As Tedeschi led the band through the set closing, Joe Cocker’s version of “With a Little Help from My Friends,” the backing vocalists and many in the crowd joined in.
Leon Bridges played a set of sultry neo-soul and R&B songs. He also threw in southern rock and gospel church inspired tunes. Bridges showed off his powerful pipes on tunes like “There She Goes,” “Better Man,” and “You Don’t Know.” The smooth, catchy “Texas Sun” featured more Bridges crooning. He played acoustic guitar on the crowd favorite, which also featured an inspiring lap steel solo by Will Van Horn. The church vibe was strong when a beautiful organ intro opened “River.” Bridges played a slow, moody guitar melody, and his soft singing was supported by smooth backing vocals and harmonies from his bandmates. The band finished the set with a stimulating performance of the title track from his debut album, “Coming Home.”
Early in Hozier’s set, he told the crowd, “I grew up near the coast in Ireland, so I really love this ocean air.” The singer led his band through a dramatic set, filled with smoke, gyrating lights, and a blend of folk, blues, rock, and soul songs. Lots of female fans could be heard screaming deliriously, all set. At about the midpoint of the show, he left the stage and, with an acoustic guitar in hand, went to a temporary riser in the middle of the audience. It felt like an intimate interlude as he serenaded the crowd with “Cherry Wine,” from his self-titled debut album. Much of the set was songs drawn from that album. He ended the show with his first single, “Take Me to Church,” which drew thunderous applause.
Green Day got the cherished closing set at Ohana. They wasted no time busting out the hits as “American Idiot,” “Holiday,” and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” got the crowd energized from the get-go. Lead singer and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong miraculously looks and sounds like it is still the dawn of the new millennium. He gave shout-outs to Huntington Beach and Anaheim before joking that he’d be going skinny-dipping after the show. While the crowd roared their encouragement, the band proceeded to blast through several more of their hits, including “Welcome to Paradise,” “21 Guns,” “Minority,” and “When I Come Around.”
Armstrong had dedicated “Welcome to Paradise” to Eddie Vedder. When the band was ending their set with a touching rendition of Good Riddance (Time of Your Life), with Armstrong on acoustic guitar flanked by Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool at the front of the stage, Vedder snuck out to join them for the festival finale. He did not sing, but hugged it out with the trio as they wrapped up the show and the festival weekend.
here were a few additional surprises and special moments over the Ohana weekend. Eddie Vedder played with no less than six bands, but his greatest gag was when he came out on stage alone with an acoustic guitar on Sunday in the mid-afternoon. The scheduled artist for that smaller stage was “Amanda Reckonwith.” No one knew who that was or that Vedder used that pseudonym when checking into hotels over the years to avoid unwanted attention. As the smallish, uninterested crowd realized what was happening, Vedder joked, “I was wondering what kinda festival producer would think it’s a good idea to drop an acoustic set on a day all about punk…and then I realized—I’m that producer!” He was joined by Earthlings bandmate Glen Hansard for a few of Hansard’s songs and a few tunes from Into The Wild that blew away the surprised audience.
If there had to be a country music artist mixed in between the rock, blues, and soul bands at Ohana, Vedder and the booking team could not have done better than to bring in Margo Price. The singer’s spectacular voice and winning stage presence, plus her talented, tight band, won over the crowd with a strong set of ballads and country rock tunes. Highlights of the set were the politically charged “Don’t Let The Bastards Get You Down,” a song she wrote with her husband and Kris Kristofferson. She also played the catchy “Too Stoned to Cry,” which she recorded with Billy Strings.
The 2025 edition of Ohana Fest featured surfer dude vibes, comfortable ocean breezes and fantastic performances, making Dana Point, CA a Fall Southern California destination for live music. Eddie Vedder has boundless energy and truly seems to love this pet project that allows him to play a variety of live music with friends while helping to spread the word about protecting the oceans and conservation. The talented musicians that he admires and books for the festival make it a special weekend that will seemingly attract an enthusiastic audience for years to come.
Live photos courtesy of Andy J. Gordon ©2025
