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The fifth annual Beach Goth music festival took over Santa Ana's Observatory Grounds this weekend, and while it still definitely brought its eclectic mix of performers, a somewhat-last-minute venue switch resulted in some overcrowding issues that possibly hindered the experience of festival-goers.
LAist photographer Annie Lesser reported that the stages inside reached capacity very early on, making it nearly impossible to see indoor performances; the lines to get in were dauntingly long.
Thus, the smaller outdoor stage also appeared to be over capacity—the fire marshall shut down the photo pit for security issues. This made things particularly rowdy for the sets from the Violent Femmes, King Krule, and the queen Patti Smith, who drew the largest crowd of the night.
Patti Smith playing "Gloria in Excelsior" at Beach Goth. Godmother of Rock �?��?🤘�?� pic.twitter.com/Cx6upRjqi0
— spooky snook (@taylorsnook) October 23, 2016
Other highlights of the night came from TLC (R.I.P. Left Eye!) and their incredible backup dancers, and their DJ who donned an incredibly spooky mask covered in black crystals. Plus, Chili crowd surfed!
Day 2 of the festival kicks off in a couple hours. We'll try to catch a livestream of Gucci Mane's performance later.