ALTimate Summer Camp
August 5, 2016
Santa Monica Pier- Los Angeles, CA
For the second year in a row, ALT 98.7 put on their annual Summer Camp show at the world famous Santa Monica Pier. On a beautiful sunny beach day, filled with just enough breeze to make everyone feel good, the top up and coming, as well as established indie artists performed on one of the two outdoor stages.
Kicking off the day’s festivities was Grace Mitchell who had the crowd dancing to her upbeat tunes including NoLo. She also celebrated her 19th birthday with cupcakes and the crowd wishing her well. Following her was another young artist by the name of Declan Mckenna best known for his song Brazil which currently has 5.6 million streams on Spotify. Accompanied by a band, Mckenna definitely fit the bill, playing feel good music and sending out good vibes to the Santa Monica crowd.
As the music continued, behind the scenes, bands were being interviewed for a Facebook live stream by the DJ’s at 98.7 and lucky fans were treated to quick meet and greets with performers. VIP’s and performers alike enjoyed ping-pong and foosball in between the music. It was a super relaxed event, that had everyone at ease and just having a good time, which is rare to see.
Going back to the music, JR JR had the crowd grooving along to their indie pop, folk and electronic elements. The crowd danced along, especially to their well known song Gone, which has gained much recognition after being in the trailer for the R rated 
cartoon, Sausage Party. Lewis Del Mar another up and coming folk-pop duo from New York City was next. They played an enjoyable set and being this was a public beach event, the station (or the beach) asked all talent not to curse. Before playing their most popular song, Loud(y), lead singer Danny Miller said that the beginning of the song has an F bomb. “Out of courtesy to the radio station, I will not be saying it,” he explained to the crowd. After a few moments of contemplating, Miller changed his mind. “Actually, I am going to say it, because if I didn’t, it would defeat the whole purpose of the song.” The crowd cheered in agreement as the band started and performed the song, without excluding any words.
Up next was someone who ended up being the best performer of the night- Bishop Briggs. With only three songs to her name, Briggs is taking the world by storm, with her single River having over 11 million streams on Spotify. Accompanied by her three man band, this London born, Tokyo raised and now LA resident, commanded the stage. Bodies vibrated along with the thunderous bass hits and the cheers echoed throughout the beach as she began her set with The Way I Do which was followed by Wild Horses. Much of the remainder of her set consisted of her unreleased songs. With just three songs, you may wonder how and why this girl is getting so much attention and recognition- she just performed on the Tonight Show and she is going to be the supporting act for Coldplay. But after hearing and watching just one song live, you will understand why. Her energy is impeccable and just makes the crowd move with excitement as she jumps and runs around the stage, all while belting out the perfect lyrics with all her might. Bishop Briggs has something for everyone, which I believe is a huge reason why she is quickly heading down (or up) the road toward becoming a household name. Not only is she a phenomenal singer and performer, but the music has something for everyone. If you like electronic music, she has hints of that; if you’re into soul and R&B, you can listen to The Way I Do, if you enjoy indie-pop then she has that too. If you just like great, catchy music that you’ll be singing along to by the chorus, Bishop Briggs is for you.
After Bishop Briggs closed out the side stage, the three remaining acts performed on the main stage, beginning with The Strumbellas. The six piece band brought their blend of pop, folk, alt-country and indie rock to the beach and had Santa Monica swaying alongside their tunes. From their 2016 album, Hope they performed fan favorites Shovels & Dirt, Wild Sun, We Don’t Know as well as their most popular hit Spirits that had every fan in the audience singing alongside Simon Ward. 
A small intermission took place, as the stage was being set up for the next band, The Naked and Famous, but the crowd wasn’t bored since DJ Scotty Fox kept the crowd entertained with current and past hits. Soon after, the New Zealand indie electronic band took the stage. They treated the crowd to old favorites including Punching in a Dream, Girls Like You and also performed their latest song, released on July 8, 2016, Higher. Of course they also performed their most well known song to date, Young Blood.
As the night was coming to a close, the Los Angeles natives Capital Cities closed out the night with an energetic set that had Santa Monica dancing until they couldn’t feel their feet. The band performed an array of songs including I Sold My Bed, But Not My Stereo, Kangaroo Court, a cover of the Bee Gees’ Stayin’ Alive and of course, Safe and Sound.
The second annual 98.7 ALT Summer Camp was definitely something to write home about. Fans got to experience up and coming talent as well as more known musicians, all while enjoying the comfort of the California beach weather. This is definitely an event to keep your eyes peeled for next summer as it is the perfect way to spend a Friday day & night in sunny LA.
Review by: Nicole Lemberg
Bishop Briggs
Declan McKenna
Jr Jr
Lewis Del Mar
The Strumbellas
