Staff Editor on September 30th, 2018

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“When I grow up I want to be Karen O,” Eddie Vedder told the big crowd Saturday night at the third annual Ohana Fest at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point.

Take a number.

With Karen O smiling and slamming her mic all over the stage, Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ explosive, exuberant set put an exclamation point on Day 2 after a tame-by-comparison Friday.

Vedder, curator of the festival, played a set heavy on cover songs, including Cat Power’s “Good Woman,” and was joined by fellow main-stage performer Liz Phair for “Better Man.” Earlier, Vedder had guested with Johnny Marr on “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out.” Among the material from Marr’s new album “Call the Comet,” the song “Day In, Day Out” was a highlight.

Marr was preceded on the main stage by Canada’s Bahamas, who dispensed chill grooves to mellow out the afternoon crowd and wisecracked, “It’s really an honor to be here supporting the soft rock community, keeping it alive like … shoe cobbling and things like that.” On the Tiki Stage, fellow Canadian Billy Raffoul entered the stage to the Mighty Mouse theme before meting out some rough-and-tumble rock ’n’ roll.

L.A.’s Plague Vendor had their moment early on the main stage, with singer Brandon Blaine accidentally splitting his pants within the first few songs. He took it lightly, even showing it off, “Let her rip!,” but also looked to Vedder, standing side stage, to round up some help in taping up the rip. L.A.-based acts Lauren Ruth Ward and NomBe also turned in crowd-winning sets, and Nashville’s Lilly Hiatt added some Southern soul to the proceedings.

In all, it was a splendid Saturday, thanks to the California sunshine and mild temperatures. Vedder thanked Mother Nature for the good weather, saying “We put her on the guest list, gave her a good bottle of wine — oh, wait that’s my mom.” Vedder’s mother, as it turns out, was celebrating a birthday on Saturday.

||| Also: See our Day 1 coverage here.

Photos by Samantha Saturday