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Lit Headlines
OC Super Show at Great Park Live
March 26th, 2026 Review by Todd Markel
This show was originally billed as a celebration of Orange County’s music culture. Then, as it tends to happen, politics showed up uninvited and started flipping tables. A few bands bowed out, some fans followed, and for a minute it felt like the whole thing might quietly disappear. But as they say, “the show must go on,” and so it did – just with a slightly trimmed lineup and a bit more “let’s see how this goes” energy.
Set against the backdrop of Great Park Live in Irvine, the event turned into an ideal mashup of great music and craft beer culture. For the first three hours, breweries were happily pouring samples, giving everyone a solid excuse to “pace themselves” while catching the early sets.
Crowd-wise, things started a little light with plenty of elbow room and short beer lines. Honestly, not a bad problem to have. By the afternoon, it filled in nicely, though never to the point of bedlam. You could actually walk up, grab a drink, and even make your way to the rail without too much effort.
Opening honors went to Scums of Suburbia out of Huntington Beach, who earned their slot the old-fashioned way – by battling other local bands for it. They played like a group with something to prove – raw, loud, and hungry – and it paid off. A strong start that woke everyone up.
Next up was Good Man Down, a band I didn’t know going in, but I immediately recognized a few faces mid-set thanks to Scott Shiflett (Face to Face) and Kevin Baldes (Lit).
Not a bad “Oh, hey, I know that guy” moment. Their set was tight and confident, leaning into a polished country-rock vibe. Highlights included “The Long Goodbye,” “Been There Done That,” and a crowd-pleasing cover of Eddie Rabbitt’s “Driving My Life Away.” They wrapped things up with “One Good Reason,” leaving a solid impression. It wouldn’t be out of place to see them at the Stagecoach Festival.
San Clemente’s Tunnel Vision kept things breezy with their reggae/ska/punk blend; very fun, and very sun-soaked, they fit right in with the day’s vibes.
Then Mest hit the stage and took a good many of the crowd straight back to the early 2000s, in the best way possible.
Plenty of energy, plenty of sing-alongs, and a noticeable batch of younger fans experiencing their first concert.
Frontman Tony Lovato even had his young daughter dancing stage-side, which was easily one of the more wholesome moments of the day. They kicked off with “Drawing Board,” ran through favorites like “Rooftops,” and closed with “Cadillac.”
One of the biggest standouts of the day was Monique Powell and Save Ferris, who basically injected a shot of pure ska energy straight into the festival. From the get-go with “Turn It Up,” through “The World Is New,” and closing with a rapid-fire finish of “Artificial Life,” “Lights Out,” and “I Know,” their set had the crowd moving nonstop. If you weren’t dancing, you were at least strongly considering it.
The nostalgia factor was cranked up a little with the celebration of 20 years since the opening of the Slidebar Rock-N-Roll kitchen in Fullerton, which just happened to be co-owned by none other than Jeremy Popoff of the band Lit.
They had a pop-up merch booth, there were photos, rock and roll memorabilia, and there were even rumors of the Slidebar’s legendary mac and cheese. Sadly, despite a determined and extensive search effort by yours truly, the mac and cheese remained elusive to me.
Seeing Lit was a major highlight of the day for me, the last time being when they closed out the old Anaheim House of Blues at Downtown Disney. They are now based out of Nashville, but their OC roots are still strong, and their set felt like a hometown victory lap.
Popoff gave a nod to the Slidebar and the people who put this festival on, before they launched into a hit-filled set. “My Kinda Life” kicked things off, “Zip-Lock” got one of the first big crowd sing-alongs, and of course, “My Own Worst Enemy” closed things out with everyone loudly proving they still know every word.
At one point, I overheard a guy nearby sum it up perfectly: “Man… that was great.” Hard to argue with that level of analysis.
Closing out the night was Story of the Year, who made a grand entrance, literally, when Dan Marsala was rolled onstage standing atop a road case like a conquering hero.
They brought the intensity, mixing newer tracks from their recent album “A.R.S.O.N.” with songs like “Gasoline (All Rage Still Only Numb)” and “Disconnected” with their signature high-energy performance style. It seemed like many in the crowd cut-out early, possibly due to the many younger fans in the crowd, but those who stayed got a powerful, high-octane finish to the night.
All things considered, the festival delivered: great music, good beer, perfect weather, and a reminder that the OC music scene is still very much alive and kicking. Sure, it had a few hiccups, and a glaring lack of mac and cheese, but it still managed to hit all the right notes.
FESTIVAL PHOTO GALLERY
by Todd Markel Rock Images
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SID 260327 | TRACI TURNER | EDITOR
