Southern California music and arts festival Happy Sundays is returning this weekend for its sixth and biggest year. The annual event, which takes place across various venues in Long Beach, will feature more than 60 artists across 11 stages Sunday (Aug. 28). Performers include Tropa Magica, Shamon Cassette, Taleen Kali, Nectarines and Julia, Julia (solo project of The Coathanger’s Julia Kugel Montoya, who is also a festival co-founder).
Happy Sundays co-founder Scott Montoya (also a member of band Soft Palms with wife Kugel Montoya) says the festival is always looking for a mixture of acts to satiate all music fans. “Obviously, diversity is a biggie,” says Montoya, but we want “a mixture of local bands and national acts: ones that have draw and ones that are local treasures. The goal is exposure for the bands and for the venues and festival.”
Julia Julia
The free event presented by independent music video site TheMouth.tv has become a staple for Long Beach’s Zaferia neighborhood as the city continues to grow its thriving music scene. The venues will include family-friendly spaces such as Bamboo Club, DiPiazza’s and All Time Plants, along with 21-and-over clubs including Alex’s Bar, Port City Tavern and Supply & Demand. All venues will be accessible by a continuously running free double-decker bus.
The eclectic day of music will include a drum circle by Bearspring Singers, DJ sets throughout the city and radio programming from independent San Francisco station Psyched Radio! Will host their own stage at Bamboo Club.
“Because it’s a community festival, every year there’s people giggling on the top of the bus,” says Montoya. “It’s very Long Beach – low key and laid back. Everyone is in a good mood all day and it brings a nice energy to the area.”
Sunday’s event will go beyond just musical acts. The Compound will host a family art workshop and pottery making. Non-profit organization The Sidewalk Project will also be handing out opioid overdose treatment Narcan and teaching people how to administer the life-saving nasal spray. “Between Julia and I, we’ve known quite a few people that have died as a result of not knowing what they were taking,” says Montoya.
For those seeking an escape from the Southern California heat, Happy Sundays will also feature a special screening of Queercore: How to Punk a Revolution at the Long Beach Playhouse. The documentary focuses on the queercore movement with interviews from Kathleen Hanna, Kim Gordon, John Waters, Peaches and more.
The Playhouse will continue content with TheMouth.tv immersive experience with hand-picked music videos from the festival and site that seeks to raise the standard of what streaming services pay artists. The afternoon will also include art from Lourdess Foudre and The Mad Alchemist.
Happy Sundays kicks off at noon on Sunday. See the full list of acts and events below.
