Music is the Ocean Beach Street Fair’s biggest draw. This year’s lineup includes reggae, rock, funk, blues and Americana, with the gig amongst the year’s most coveted for the area’s musicians.
Ted Wigler, booker at Winston’s, also books the event’s main stage and promotes the beer garden. Meanwhile, Michael Head, owner of Cabeza Records, books the Street Fair’s 92107 Stage. Head has been volunteering with the fair since the early 1990s.
“I moved to OB in 1988,” he recalled. “I first performed at the Artists Alley stage in 1990, then booked the music and ran the sound in 1991. We used this cool flatbed truck stage that you could rent from the city for around $150.
“Those were the days. I’ve been the official talent buyer for the OB MainStreet Association for almost 15 years. Though it’s OB, so nothing is really that official,” he said.
What does he look for in a performer to be considered for Street Fair?
“At least half of the performers are from OB or have some ties to the community,” Head said. “Otherwise, we are always open to all performers. We try to mix up the styles a bit, so it’s not too heavy in one genre, but there are favorites.
“A good reggae band, a good blues band, some rock and or new alternative go a long way. Also, some bluegrass and acoustic to start the day is always nice. Then build it up a bit. We used to have as many as six stages, but now, we’re lean and focused on the two stages. They are meant to bookend the event, kind of like two main stages, really.”
What’s it like having to juggle so many artists at a major event like this?
“The pluses by far outweigh any minuses,” Head added. “I’ve met so many good friends and contacts through this and other OB events throughout the years. That’s the great part, meeting and working with so many talented people.
“That said, musicians are free spirits, and that can have some challenges. But I get it; I’m one of those, too. All of my volunteer crew are musicians as well, so they understand.”
The event’s outdoor Main Stage is located right at the edge of the beach, at the foot of Newport Avenue, in the OB Pier parking lot adjacent to the beer garden.
Music will kick off with a set from rock quartet, The Suede Grenades (11 a.m.). Other highlights will include Grateful Dead-inspired combo, The Shakedown String Band (1:30 p.m.), up and coming local trio Three-Legged Dog (3:30 p.m.), iconic Grateful Dead tribute, Electric Waste Band (4:45 p.m.), reggae/rock favorites The Resinators (6 p.m.), and closing out Main Stage, power trio Band of Gringos (7:15 p.m.).
At the opposite end of the fair is the 92107 Stage, located at Newport and Sunset Cliffs in the US Bank parking lot.
This stage will feature an opening set from acoustic Americana quartet, Black Mountain Backstep (10:30 a.m.), followed by bluesy rockers, Kris Wott & Lower Voltaire (noon), local rockers The Dave Gilbert Band, currently playing in support of their new single, “Elephant In The Room,” (1:30 p.m.), acoustic duo Mike and Delci (3 p.m.), and SDMA nominated blues group Zavala Sol (4:30 p.m.), with a closing set from singer-songwriter, Kyle Merrill.
Meanwhile, music lovers at the fair also have indoor options, with music scheduled into the night. Among the performers set to take part are world punk group, Quel Bordel at The Holding Company (7:45 p.m.), while Winston’s will have a full band lineup starting at 3 p.m., featuring Darbuka Denn, Arcadia, Brian Jones Rock-n-Roll Revival, The Rolling Backouts, Kings Tiee, and Gunner Gunner.
Volunteering to run a festival stage can be a thankless task. What motivates Head to stay involved?
“Actually, there is a lot of joy and happiness in running the street fair, at least the music part,” he said. “There are always some long and unseen hours behind the event, and always some day of event issues, but we’ve done it for so long it’s pretty smooth.
“I’ve always wanted to help the local music scene, and especially in OB. I also booked and ran the weekly music OB Farmers Market for 10 years. That was a great way to feature local and national talent for free to the community.
Head enjoys the role he’s played in bringing music to OB.
“Bringing the music is a big part of the vibe of the event,” he remarked. “Hopefully, we add a little something, even subconsciously, to the tone for all of the fans and patrons.”
Head considers the Street Fair to be “like a Christmas morning in June. We all wake up and are prepared for and looking forward to this wonderful day, this amazing annual event. It’s an OB family tradition. We want to share our community with the rest of San Diego and the world. It’s truly something to be cherished and in true OB fashion, we want to share the gift.”
