By Allegra Papera
Staff Writer
This year, the music festival, Beach Goth 4, taking place at The Observatory in Santa Ana, proved its ability to attract and entertain a diverse audience with its broad lineup and unique environment.
Beach Goth’s exciting performances, enthusiastic attendees, and Halloween themed environment all contributed to making this year’s festival a success
Since 2012, the Dana Point band The Growlers have hosted Beach Goth, a Halloween themed music festival. Performances by quirky musicians are paired with young festival-goers applying that same eccentricity to their costumes.
This year, the festival’s lineup impressed with headliners like Mac Demarco, Grimes, Juicy J, and the festival’s presenters, The Growlers, playing both nights.
The Observatory’s parking lot and surrounding areas were transformed into festival ground for the event. The Beach Goth Stage used for headliners was located in what is usually the venue’s parking lot with a smaller “Meash Mosh” stage to its side was used for other entertainment. A wide selection of booths for band merchandise and souvenirs were found right inside the festival’s entrance, opposite the Beach Goth Stage. The Observatory itself was transformed into “The Graveyard”, an indoor stage ornate with Halloween themed decorations, while the smaller Constellation Room stage became “Outer Space”, hosting smaller acts and a total of four live performances of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
The Beach Goth stage being at the festival’s most central location allowed for passersby to be exposed to new kinds of music. The stage’s location also created easy access to performances. Whether attendees felt more comfortable in the packed crowds or in more secluded areas, the speakers were loud enough to expand sounds for all in the area to hear and enjoy performances.
Being the backbone of the event, the smaller acts managed to entertain and leave lasting impressions on festival-goers. In particular, Los Angeles band featuring two Costa alumni, Allah-las performed at “The Graveyard” stage on Sunday night, drawing a large and passionate audience with their beachy, nostalgic sound and friendly, inviting stage presence.
In addition to the strong presence made by performers, Beach Goth’s guests played an integral role in its colorful and energetic ambience. Attendees seemed comfortable displaying their vibrant and eclectic personalities freely in a welcoming environment consisting of people with similar interests. As Halloween is woven throughout the festival, guests were able to express their creativity along with the performers, arriving in anything from the simplest of costumes to the most extravagant. A group of teenage boys were convincingly dressed as the “droogs” from A Clockwork Orange.
With a presence majorly made up of teenagers from Los Angeles and Orange County, Beach Goth offers an exciting weekend with a youthful essence that allows attendees to let out their most enthusiastic selves. During performances by rebellious acts like FIDLAR, audience members nearest to the stage could be found moshing and dousing themselves in water to stay cool during their turbulent displays of adoration for the performers.
Despite the festival’s many strengths, its weak point was without a doubt its food prices. Notably dry hamburgers were offered for $5, and cheeseburgers of the same quality for $6. Worst of all, water bottles, which were completely necessary for the dehydrated guests after a wild performance, were priced at $3 each.
However, these flaws did not take away much from Beach Goth’s dynamic experience. The festival made itself an otherworldly sanctuary for Southern California’s young audience, infatuated by combinations of music and fun.
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