Beach and the Blues: Doheny Blues Music Festival Rocks

Tennessee native Valerie June plays the banjo during her set on the Backporch Stage Sunday afternoon. Photo: Allison Jarrell

Beach and the Blues: Doheny Blues Music Festival Rocks

Dave Alvin, playing with his brother Phil Alvin and the Guilty Ones, riffs during their Sunday afternoon performance. Photo: Allison Jarrell

Beach and the Blues: Doheny Blues Music Festival Rocks

Boz Scaggs performs against a dramatic backdrop on the Doheny Stage at the annual blues festival. Photo: Allison Jarrell

Beach and the Blues: Doheny Blues Music Festival Rocks

Los Angeles rocker Beth Hart opens her act on the piano at the Doheny Blues Festival Sunday evening. Photo: Allison Jarrell

Beach and the Blues: Doheny Blues Music Festival Rocks

The view from back stage at the Sailor Jerry Stage shows the seemingly endless crowd. Photo: Allison Jarrell

Beach and the Blues: Doheny Blues Music Festival Rocks

A band known as the Guilty Ones backed up the Alvin brothers on guitar Sunday afternoon at the Doheny Blues Festival. Photo: Allison Jarrell

By Andrea Swayne with photos by Allison Jarrell

Blues on the beach brought fans in droves to the 18th Doheny Blues Festival, May 16 and 17, at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point.

As is customary with the music-filled concert event, a wide variety of artists were featured throughout the two-day festival atop three stages—the small Backporch Stage, mid-sized Sailor Jerry Stage and the grandest of all, the Doheny Main Stage.

More than 25 artists/bands played—including Bonnie Raitt, Paul Rodgers, Boz Skaggs and Los Lobos—and the festival grounds included wine and micro-brew tastings, vendor booths and food. As in previous years, festival organizer Omega Events implemented several “green” practices to increase the festival’s sustainability and reduce its impact on the environment—a bike valet, recycling stations, the use of bio-diesel generators and helping to support the official nonprofit of the event, the Doheny State Beach Interpretive Association.