DeLuna Fest 2012

Article: Kristin Chambers  |  Photo: Dan Florez

October 2012 Issue

Deluna Fest. One of the few concerts you don't have to leave the water to enjoy the music. Photo by Dan Florez.

“It’s mother eff’n Pearl Jam!” 

Sitting on a fence next to a side entrance into Deluna Fest, Matthew Pelletier wiped the sweat off his brow, gazing toward the metropolis of music resounding from the six stages set along Pensacola Beach. 

Having driven in from Gainesville, Pelletier said he came to see Eddie Vedder slay the night before, and he was not disappointed.  

“They are a bunch of aliens out of this world! There’s a reason they’ve been around 20 years rockin it, because they don’t hold back,” he said with a definitive nod.  

Alongside the popular 90s rockers, Florence and the Machine, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Foo Fighters and Dwight Yoakam made up a small part of a well-mixed roster of artists that played amongst Pensacola beach this year. A diverse scene divided by individual performances at hand, each of the three days brought a mix of fans from all over the U.S. – the majority there to see headliners, partake in tallboy Buds and a few musically filled days at the beach.  

His first time there, Tyler Stanley drove east from Dothan, Alabama to chill out and jam to Zac Brown Band and Blackberry Smoke. 

“I love the fact of being on the sand,” he said. “The atmosphere is so relaxed.” 

Friday kicked off with ska-punk-reggae legends Fishbone, a small mid-day crowd skanking through a hot afternoon before Gaslight Anthem kicked into gear with high-energy indie-punk hits. Foot stomping from slow, folk ballads into intense fiddle strokes and banjo plucks, Minnesota-based bluegrass/folk talents Trampled by Turtles redeemed their set after being told they would have to stop early due to time constraints. 

Agro 90s scenesters made their way to the main stage for Pearl Jam, who rocked a nearly three hourlong set in the festival’s first headliner performance. Cigarette smoke wafted through a tight crowd as fans sang along to 20-year-old hits like “Got Some,” “Once” and “Yellow Ledbetter.” Taking a short intermission halfway through the set, Eddie Vedder pushed hair out of his face as he raced back to the stage, trading an opened bottle of wine for his guitar. 

Known for political activism, he started the second half off with a 10-minute speech reminding the crowd to support the troops and go vote.

“Keep your ID’s on you when you lose your clothes and go swimming naked,” he told the crowd, who responded with cheers.   

Directing the energy into party mode, DJ Jazzy Jeff spun popular dance hits that ranged from “Can I Kick It” to “Rack City,” throwing in some old school Nintendo beats in to result in a contagious dance party that maneuvered through the decades. Sweat-drenched hair and minimal clothes ended the evening, framing the beach scene in the end of summer heat. 

Clear blue skies framed the mix of music on day two, bikini clad fans nodding along with reggae legend Jimmy Cliff as overly sweet frozen margaritas passed through parched lips. After getting funky with Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk on a smaller beachside setup, Foo Fighters dominated the night, rocking radio hits like “Hero” and instructing the crowd to sing happy birthday to the queen of rock and roll who had performed earlier in the day. Joan Jett, looking damn good at 54, walked on stage and was joined by Dave Grohl to throw out some f-bombs in “Bad Reputation.”

Back on the concrete, families mixed into the electro-dance scene, jumping high and getting low to Diplo. Toward the end of his hourlong set, the Philadelphia-based DJ threw himself off the stage into the crowd, fist-pumping his microphone in the air and turning the energy into a beachfront Miami club. Sweat-drenched bros crowded toward the front while girls tossed around salty hair, moving to deeper dubstep beats when Diplo demanded the sound guys turn it up. 

Frozen popsicles became the popular choice for Sunday’s attendees, who walked stage to stage alongside clusters of dragonflies and checked football scores in between. Families escaped the heat along the shoreline of crystal clear water to watch The Wallflowers, who alternated a mix of their hits and their new album Glad All Over (released Oct. 2). 

Cooling slightly as the day trickled toward the end, Florence and the Machine floated through her sweet, soulful notes, looking as if she could flitter off the stage in the sunset’s glow. During “Rabbit Heart,” she encouraged ladies to climb upon their neighbor’s shoulders, dancing with the lyrics “raise it up.” 

As the closing headliner, Zac Brown skillfully strummed his guitar while a mix of couples and families posted up on blankets and towels, watching the two large monitors displaying the frontman’s bearded face that smiled outward. High-energy covers of “Devil Went Down to Georgia” and Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name Of,” incorporated blistering rock and their Georgia roots into their sweet country croons. 

The crowd slowly dispersed following a sing-along closing number of “Chicken Fried,” brushing off white grains clinging onto sunburnt skin. Those along the beach meandered past the waterfront festival gate and back toward the gulf for late night swims beneath the starry sky. A long, sun-filled three days wearing deep on most, one girl continued to dance in the salty breeze, floating as within a dream while others closed their eyes.