Ohana Festival returned to Dana Point this weekend, blessing fans with a sun-soaked, unforgettable celebration of music and community. Against the stunning backdrop of Doheny State Beach, James lit up the stage on Sunday afternoon, adding to the magic of an already breathtaking setting.
With only 40 minutes to squeeze in highlights from a catalogue of hundreds of songs, the band made an unexpected move – stepping onstage five minutes early and opening with ‘Five-O’. While not the most obvious choice for a bright California afternoon, the track proved inspired: it showcased the full range of the band’s musicianship and gave newcomers an ideal first taste of James.
‘Born of Frustration’ followed, with Tim immediately making a beeline for the barrier, supported by a fan as a line of palm trees framed the scene behind him. In classic Tim fashion, he soon broke free, weaving his way into the crowd to dance with fans, blurring the line between performer and audience. When he returned, the mood shifted completely as the band drifted into the hauntingly beautiful ‘Way Over Your Head’, its slow unfurling offering a moment of stillness and intimacy in contrast to the chaos just before.
‘Heads’ came next, blasting the energy skyward with its driving tribal percussion from Dave, Debbie, and Chloe – an unrelenting rhythm that perfectly underpinned Tim’s snarling, urgent vocals, a fitting delivery for the song’s political bite. Then, in classic James fashion, the set flipped on its head with the tender ‘Out to Get You’. The shift highlighted the band’s gift for contrast, showing how seamlessly they can move from raw intensity to delicate introspection, making their rollercoaster set-lists a journey in themselves.
Driven by Jim’s urgent bass-line and the flickering interplay of Saul and Adrian’s guitars, ‘Sound’ is a track so atmospheric you might not expect it to land on a sunlit California beach – but it did, and powerfully so. Known as one of the band’s most freeform live numbers, this rendition stretched out into an extended instrumental breakdown, giving Andy time to trek across the festival grounds and climb onto a distant viewing platform – nowhere near the stage in either height or distance.
‘Sometimes’ served as the penultimate track of the set, with Debbie stepping out from behind the drums to take up a guitar. From start to finish it was pure joy – a ready-made festival anthem that highlighted Adrian’s guitar heroics as he launched into a solo, surrounded by his bandmates in admiration and support. They closed with ‘Laid’, introduced by Tim with the line, “You may not know us, but you know this song.” And the crowd certainly did. Immortalised through American Pie and, more recently, The Bear, the track earned a reception nothing short of rapturous. The roar may even have been what caused Tim to skip a verse, but in true fashion, the band didn’t miss a beat, sliding back into it seamlessly and proving once again why they’re such a formidable live act.
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