Ilana Tel-Oren on November 4th, 2018

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The second edition of Long Beach’s Tropicália Festival hadn’t even begun, and already it was off to a lousy start — set times weren’t released until Friday afternoon, and some notable names were missing, including Sunday’s headliner, Cardi B, the beloved local Chicano artist Cuco and BADBADNOTGOOD. The online backlash from Cardi B’s cancellation was pretty harsh, with fans demanding refunds because they were going “just to see her.”

But with a lineup stacked with indie favorites like Toro Y Moi, Frankie Cosmos, Devendra Banhart, Mac DeMarco and more, Cardi B was just the off-center cherry atop an already-stacked lineup. The festival was quick to replace her with SZA, who is actually an even better fit for the lineup. And the fans who were actually at the festival on an early Saturday afternoon didn’t seem to mind the cancellations too much. One attendee shrugged and said, “SZA is better. … I’m more surprised Morrissey hasn’t backed out.”

Morrissey not only didn’t back out, he performed a spirited set of hits that proved salve for any trials and tribulations that Tropicália inflicted.

Getting in to the festival grounds was a bit of an adventure. There was parking the car, to a Lyft, to a shuttle, to a long security line — all of which took just under an hour. But once inside, the sun was shining and the music was good.

There were basically four types of music going on here: Latin, indie rock, punk and the R&B-infused dream-pop that’s taking over the indie scene. The day provided more raucous sets, like twin duo The Garden, and punk band The Frights, while the night hosted dreamy acts including Mazzy Star and Mild High Club.

While the festival grounds were idyllic, once the crowds really drove in at night, going through the tunnel that separated the main Chalino Stage from the smaller Juana and Chavela stages was like being squeezed through a chorizo casing — slow and uncomfortable. And we were practically tripping over people trying to get to the front of the Chavela stage, which did not have monitor screens, making it quite challenging to see the artists, especially when it came time for Kali Uchis to take the stage. But once you got over the tight quarters and figured out some of the prime viewing spots, there was no question about it: this lineup delivered.

Here are some highlights from Day 1:

► Morrissey bookended his set with the Smiths songs “William, It Was Really Nothing” and “How Soon Is Now,” singing along with the whole crowd. Fans watched as security scrambled to get fans off the stage after they stormed the barricade to give Morrissey a hug. He didn’t seem to mind, and is probably used to it. There also was that jarring moment that followed when Morrissey said, “When we go to Mexico, I’ll be proud to sing this song,” and while images of bloodied bulls barreling over bull fighters hit the screen, he sang  “The Bullfighter Dies.” One thing’s for sure, the man has an incredible voice that can soothe the souls of the saddest people. Ironically, while no meat was served on the festival grounds from 5 to 11 p.m., festival-goers were herded like cattle outside the grounds to the shuttles, as they grabbed hot dogs from the hot dog carts on the way out.

► Kali Uchis was a much needed perk-up after a string of moody acts like Mazzy Star and SadGirl. This was probably the most packed the Chalino Stage had been all night, but everyone watched, even if all fans could see were a glittering speck. She opened her set with “You’re Dead To Me.” The genre-defying Columbian singer knows how to write songs that will get you moving, incorporating pop with soul and funk, R&B, jazz and rock. She charmed she audience when she shared that she had ripped her skin tight pants on stage, saying, “If it can happen to Spongebob, it can happen to me.” Her set ended with a warming wash of yellow stage lights for “After The Storm.”

► Toro Y Moi’s midday set felt way too short, even at 40 minutes. He teased new song “Freelance” and played some favorites including “Girl Like You” and “New Beat.” It was a perfect way to forget about the heat beating down on you as you dance the day away.

► Devendra Banhart addressed the crowd in Spanish, but his message was clearly one of love and unity. People danced and sang along to the catchy “Baby,” and couples embraced for the slower, bossa-nova-esque “Mi Negrita.” It felt as though you were transported to a tropical island.

► If you didn’t get enough time embracing your boo yet, a backlit Mazzy Star singing “Fade Into You” would provide another opportunity to do so.

► “This is ‘franking’ beautiful, look at that,” Greta Kline pointed to the sunset in the middle of her set. Frankie Cosmos charmed the crowd on the Chavela stage with their lighthearted indie-rock. Her cult following sang the words to every single song, and it’s quite possible that Mac DeMarco was spotted backstage dancing along. “Being Alive” provided some opportunity for the crowd to jump around and sing along, “It matters quite a bit / even when you / feel like shit being alive.”

► Mild High Club’s jazz-infused psych rock finally made people notice that BADBADNOTGOOD was not on the roster. But this group complete with a “new extended band” including a horn section and multiple keys players was a decent stand-in to get your dose of body-rocking jazz. “Tesselation” and “Skiptracing” had the crowd swooning.

► Still Woozy, Omar Apollo and Jasper Bones inspired with genre-bending sets. Still Woozy is a new favorite, and the crowd sang along to the R&B inspired electro-indie outfit who broke into dance towards the end of their set. Still Woozy invited Indiana-bred  Apollo to the stage for a freestyle duet that the crowd ate up.

► High-energy sets from the Garden and the Frights’ offered plenty of opportunities to crowd-surf and mosh. The Garden — twins Wyatt and Fletcher Shears, hyped up the crowd with some serious body movements, including jumping off the drum set multiple times and jumping up and down to a crouch while spinning around.

Photos by Maximilian Ho