Compiled by: Grace Dietz, Executive Arts Editor; Skylar Jones, Arts Editor
The Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair welcomed visitors with live music from locally-based bands on Oct. 6 and 7.
Free music from local bands at the event tied in flawlessly with the overall atmosphere of the Hometown Fair. Acts played a variety of genres, keeping listeners intrigued and impressing community members with their talent.
Manhattan Beach hosts the Hometown Fair the first weekend of October annually. There are three stages where music is played at the fair: the Main Stage, the South Stage and the Joslyn Amateur Performance Stage. Amateur entertainers performed songs, dances, drama shows and karate exhibitions on the Joslyn Performance Stage.
Local bands tried to make a name for themselves at the fair and were successfully able to demonstrate their talent with fluid tracks. A majority of the bands sang unique renditions of other artists’ songs, but some stood out and performed their own original tracks.
Bands performed a wide variety of music genres, including classic rock, rock and roll, country and R&B. Approximately 20 bands performed this year, including Mira Costa Principal Ben Dale’s band Truckstop, Chroma Haze, Business Casual and Glamnation. The Hometown Fair also incorporated a Battle of the Bands competition on the Main Stage, where four local amateur bands performed their music and judges chose the winner.
The performances allowed attendees of the fair to sit down and listen to the diverse music, and the bands’ sets perfectly collaborated with the exciting vibe of the widespread event. For some listeners, the music provided a soothing background noise as they shopped or walked around the fair but for others, the performances were the sole purpose for their visit to the Hometown Fair.
Musicians on the Main and South Stages had long sets, which lasted for one to two hours. The bands’ long sets allowed listeners to enjoy their music in its entirety. However, one downside to bands’ hour-long sets was that if the listener did not enjoy one band’s music, they would have to wait at least an hour before they could see another band perform on the same stage. The benefit of having many different activities and stages at the fair was that listeners could remain busy until another band could perform.
Glamnation impressed listeners with their lively renditions of songs from the 1970s glam rock era. The musicians acted and sounded exactly like rock stars from the late 1970s, as they wore mens’ bell bottoms and wigs. This aspect added authenticity to the band’s set, as they were invested in the music that they performed. Additionally, because the group only needed guitars, drums and microphones on stage, there was plenty of space for the musicians to dance around and sing, which energized listeners and made them excited to hear the band’s music.
The winner of Battle of the Bands, XYZPDQ, thrilled listeners with a unique rendition on classic and modern rock. Even though the band is filled with young musicians, it managed to capture listeners’ attention like that of a band that has been practicing for decades.
For more information on the bands at the Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair, visit mbfair.org.
Featured Bands
Jeremy Buck and the Bang:
Jeremy Buck and the Bang creatively incorporated electronic sounds and rock beats into their covers and original songs performed on the Main Stage at the Hometown Fair. The band impressed the audience with heartfelt lyrics and a steady electronic beat.
The band surprised listeners with impressive vocals and electronic beats in its covers of songs by Avicii, Mike Posner and Robin Schulz. The band immediately captured the audience’s attention with an upbeat and energetic set filled with sounds created by technology. The computerized beats and classic guitar sounds mixed perfectly together and allowed for listeners to see the band’s raw and original talent in every track.
The band’s original song, “Radio Loud,” written by the lead singer Jeremy Buck, is an emotional masterpiece that deserves to be heard worldwide. The track focuses on Buck’s emotions as he went through a difficult time 18 years ago. According to Buck, he would go home and play his radio loud, which allowed him to scream and express his feelings in the only way that he knew how, and this message makes the track powerfully expressive and melts listener’s hearts.
Business Casual:
Fishman and Daniel Dale pose for a picture after playing a set at the hometown fair on Oct. 6.
Business Casual has performed around the South Bay for the past two years. Photo Courtesy of
Cole Fishman.
Business Casual successfully relaxed listeners with its soothing vibes. The Rhythm & Blues and Jazz-based band was the last band to perform at the fair on the South Stage on Oct. 6, ending the Hometown Fair on a high note.
The band consists of Costa students Kira Levin on vocals, Cole Fishman on guitar, Jesse Eads on bass, Daniel Dale on keys and Henry Stanton on drums. Songs performed by Business Casual included expressive guitar solos that demonstrated the amazing talent of the band members. Levin appealed to the listeners with her voice as she mastered the vocals on every track.
The serene vibe of the R&B music was a refreshing change from the loud and energetic bands that performed throughout the day. The powerful yet tranquil vocals and mellow vibes left listeners feeling peaceful and calm.
Thin Ice:
Local resident Russ Lesser and his band, Thin Ice, astounded audience members with upbeat tracks portraying beach culture in the South Bay. The family-based band includes Costa junior Caroline Lesser, her father, grandfather, uncles and cousins. Pat Dietz from the Dietz Brothers Music store also played with the band.
Almost every song performed by the band featured a different lead singer, as Thin Ice has many musicians. This aspect was refreshing and diverse and contributed to making a vibrant and powerful performance. Thin Ice created distinctive music due to the variety of ages in the group and the voices perfectly coincided with each other.
Thin Ice’s cover of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” was the strongest track performed. The powerful vocals from Caroline Lesser awed listeners and made them stick around to hear other tracks.
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