On a balmy Friday night, July 26, The DREAMERS opened for co-headliners and early 2000’s alternative sensations The Dirty Heads and 311 at the beach side venue, Jones Beach Theater. The venue is a slice of summer as you pull into the vast and confusing parking lot and walk into the gated amphitheater right on the water. With the smell of saltwater in the air and sight of seagulls dipping overhead threatening to drop a load on you really just screams summer beach madness. As the stadium continued to fill up as the night went on, you could cut the crowd’s anticipation with a knife.
DREAMERS took to the stage after the previous bands at approximately 6:45 and got right into their optimistic pop melodies and forlorn lyrics. The crowd-pleasers “Die Happy,” “Sweet Disaster,” “SCREWS,” and “Painkiller” got a cacophonous reaction from the crowd. Promoting their second album on this tour Launch Fly Land, DREAMERS commanded the stage with songs from their new and second album, chronicling personal reconstructing after heartbreak. A subject everyone can relate to. The trio, Nick Wold, Jacob Wick, and Nelson are riding the waves of success after touring with headliners The 1975, Catfish and the Bottlemen, The Mowglis, and Weezer to name a few. Also, after a stellar performance at this summer’s Governor’s Ball, DREAMERS are making their way into the pop alternative scene. It is no surprise that this opener is on their way to becoming a headliner.
At approximately 8 pm, the crowd swarmed with their merch shirts for co-headliner with 311, Dirty Heads. This California based reggae-rock band gripped the crowd with their top hits such as “Vacation,” “Lay Me Down,” “My Sweet Summer,” “Lift Me Up,” their newest release, and “Dance All Night.” Known for their reggae rhythms and melodies combined with hip hop and rap, their ethos is all about the laid back Southern Californian attitude. Formed in 2003 by frontman punk rocker Dustin Bushnell and his friend rapper Jared Watson. Their songs are jammed pack full of positive vibes and infectious grooves with the wide array of instruments used from brass to indigenous drums, to ensure the perfect summer playlist.
The last band but certainly not least were 311. It was clear by the light show and the packed stadium that this is what the crowd was waiting for as a timer counting down the twenty minutes between set changes on a galactic screen saver. The pinnacle of the ’90s and early 2000’s rap-rock, 311 wowed the crowd as they began with some of their most well-known, including “Amber,” Beautiful Disaster,” and “Love Song.” The cult following of this band was made clear as youngsters jump and headbang in the mosh pit in front of the stage. Playing songs from their newest album “Voyager,” 311 turned up the headbanging gear to a 7 with “Crossfire.” A more heavy and experimental sound compared to their previous album, it still features the bands signature reggae beats and heavy guitar riffs. An album that pleased the masses and quelled the die-hard fans.
