Kevin Bronson on September 29th, 2018

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Headliner Eric Church — surprising with a crowd-pleasing acoustic set — was one of the highlights on the first day of the third annual Ohana Fest at Doheny State Beach on Friday.

Church’s passionate fans arrived early to stake out territory close to the stage for his 18-song set, which include songs such as “Hippie Radio,” “Heart Like a Wheel” and “Desperate Man,” the title track from his latest album.

Festival founder and curator Eddie Vedder made a couple of cameos, playing a well-timed “Here Comes the Sun” on ukulele and, along with Cindy Wasserman, joining the John Doe Folk Trio for one of the highlights of Doe’s solo catalog, “Golden State.” The charismatic Amos Lee injected a lot of storytelling into his main-stage set; Nikki Lane impressed with tunes new and old; and afternoon acts such as the Pow Wow Family Band and War and Treaty won over early arrivals.

Photos by Samantha Saturday