Second Summer Strummer Fest Cool in Santa Monica on Sizzling Labor Day Weekend

Picture of Dusty Rhodes and the River Band by Rodger Caldwell

What better way to spend the hottest day of summer than chillin’ at a music festival in Santa Monica? What turned out to be a perfect location was Bergamot Station a couple miles from the beach, on Sept. 2.

The Summer Strummer Festival is but a tike, in it’s second year. Sponsored by Star 98.7, the span of bands cast a wide net, with a trend towards singer-songwriters and mainstream pop. Having said that there were a refreshing number of new bands, and some classic rockabilly punk bands thrown into the mix of 40 bands on 3 stages.

Being a new festival, the turnout was not crowded at all, not great for the promoters probably, but making it a nice breeze for those of us there. It was like going on vacation to a perfect small town, with great music, great food, and just enough of a crowd... while never traveling farther than sunny Santa Monica.

Dogs had their day there, as well as other animals. The petting zoo put there for kids was a shady respite with an alpaca, some goats, rabbits and chickens. ‘Cuties for Canines’ (http://www.cutiesforcanines.org/)was representin' for dogs at a booth there. They are a heartfelt organization that finds dogs when they are set to be put to sleep in 48 hours by the pound. They then find adoptive homes for them.

The art galleries at Bergamot station were open, so we enjoyed strolling through some adventurous art galleries as part of the package.

The music had something for everyone. On the Monster Energy Stage we heard Zeke, a hard driving tight classic punk band. Their guitars wailed and the singers did too and brought the crowd alive.

On the Lucky Brand Haybale Stage, Dusty Rhodes and the River Band was mid-set when we arrived. Their upbeat irresistible string picking-laden set was like taking a riverboat to a picnic in the Florida Keyes. The stage ended the night with Brett Denner. Described as a New Age Paul Simon, his deceptively simple songs and silky voice pulled a crowd in with the depth of his soulful honesty and sweet melodies. Having done the circuit including Joshua Tree Festival, he got the crowd cheering for more by the end of the set.

On the Star Lounge Stage was more mainstream emo rock and a highlight was One Republic. They had strong songs and a good following. ‘Apologize’ had almost the whole crowd singing along with the full sound, catchy chorus and the right mix of power and pop.

This festival is poised for greatness and we look forward to next year, and bragging that we were there in its infancy.

For more info, check out: www.myspace.com/thesummerstrummer