Festival Preview: Way Over Yonder Returns to Santa Monica with Jackson Browne, Local Natives, and more!

By: Krystyn Bristol –  

The Way Over Yonder Festival, best known as Newport Folk Festival’s West Coast edition, returns for a second year to the Santa Monica Pier as one of the largest folk music events this year.

This year’s festival will showcase acts such as Jackson Browne and Lucinda Williams and newer or more traditional folk performers on Friday and Saturday. This will provide fans with a great opportunity to discover new music such as the melodic and sentimental folk of Los Angeles’ very own Local Natives and veteran Linda Perhacs.

Yonder will have both an indoor acoustic venue at the Carousel and an outdoor stage for the bigger bands, where musically intrigued attendees can also discover singer-songwriters such as Joe Fletcher and soul-folk legend Moses Sumney.

An iconic landmark, the Santa Monica Pier is home to this festival, which also provides guests in attendance with a re-entry opportunity. They can take a dip in the Pacific Ocean in between sets and put their toes in the sand while enjoying a drink and watching the sunset on the coast.

Founded by George Wein in 1959, the Newport Folk Festival rose from its jazz and folk roots that introduced genre greats Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. The younger sibling of Newport Folk Festival, Way Over Yonder, provides similar aspects and represents a large culture of budding musicians and soulful tunes.

According to WayOverYonder.net, under the co-leadership of producer Jay Sweet, the Newport Folk Festival stretches the boundaries of what folk music is, with appearances by artists as diverse as My Morning Jacket, Alabama Shakes and Beck.

“Singer-songwriters such as Jackson Browne, Conor Oberst and Arlo Guthrie are also names that have been found on the bill. Way Over Yonder continues in that great tradition – and that of the traveling American musician– as Newport Folk makes its way west to the shores of the Pacific.”

Tickets for this year’s festivities are still available for purchase on the festival’s website, with Friday’s GA being $35 and Saturday’s $45. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. on Friday and music begins at 4:30 p.m. while doors open at 1:00 p.m. Saturday and performances take place at 2:00 p.m.