Surfer Joe Summer Festival

The Surfer Joe Summer Festival is an annual music event currently held in Livorno, Italy, dedicated to surf music and organised by Surfer Joe Music. Due to the popularity gained throughout the years within the surf music scene and the international attendance, the organization titled it "The World's Number 1 Surf Music Event". [1] It usually features surf bands from all over the world that have recently been under the spotlight of the surf music community, legends of the genre or even relatively new bands looking for popularity. It does not only features concerts but also symposiums, cultural happenings, artists meet & greets, exhibitions and other activities related to the music genre or reminding to the "California 60s style". It has also been connected to surfing, surf brands and lately it has got closer to the tiki scene.

"Today, surf instrumental bands are all over the planet. There is a sizeable core audience that grows every year. Several websites are devoted to this music, and large surf music festivals are held annually in places such as Orange County (SG101 Convention), Italy (Surfer Joe Summer Fest) [...]. You do not have to search very far to find surf music these days".[2]

History

The festival was born from an idea of Lorenzo Valdambrini (aka Surfer Joe) who organized it independently for the first two editions in 2003 and 2004. After 4 years of break, Lorenzo's brother Luca Valdambrini strongly pushed for relaunching the event and legally forming the Cultural Association Surfer Joe Music. Since then the Surfer Joe Summer Festival is organized and managed by the Valdambrini brothers with the logistic and technical support of many collaborators including Francesco Tonarini, partner with the Surfer Joe Cafe & Diner business.

"In spring 2002, Valdambrini created the web site surferjoemusic.com to promote the Italian Surf Music scene. Then in winter of 2003 he began producing shows featuring bands playing Surf Music at several venues in Italy, followed by a series of Surfin' Sundays events that paired Italian and International bands. The summer was rounded out with the first Summer Festival of Surf Music, held on the beach of Marina di Massa, a small town north of Pisa"[3]

"Ten years later, surf music attained a new measure of respect abroad when an Italian enthusiast named Lorenzo Valdambrini established an annual international festival. Named after the Surfaris song, the Surfer Joe Summer Festival has for nearly a decade celebrated California's first modern indigenous folk music..."[4]

Editions

2003

Location: Beat Cafe', Poveromo, Massa

Bands: Bambi Molesters - Braccobaldos - Bradipos IV - Cosmogringos - Cosmonauti - Crashmen - Fantomatici - Faraons - Hangee V - Link Pretara & The Rudimentals - Los Rebaldos - Pipelines - Ray Daytona & Googoobombos - Revelaires - Slacktone - Tarantulas - Urania

2004

Location: Green Park, Calcinaia, Pisa

Bands: Astrophonix - Bahareebas - Bitch Boys - Los Venturas - Slacktone - Speedsurfers - Sunny Boys - Surfin' Lungs - Wet-Tones

2008

Location: Precisamente a Calafuria, Livorno

Bands: Ambasciatori dell'Amore - Barbwires - Bitch Boys - Charades - Crashmen - Favolosi Traslatori - Jaguar & Savanas - Rifflessi - Sexual Chocolate - Sunny Boys - Surfadelics - Surfoniani - Vibrants - Wadadli Riders & Daddy-O Grande - Wavers - Wet-Tones

2008 Poster by Fred Lammers

2009

Location: Precisamente a Calafuria, Livorno

Bands: Bradipos IV - Cowabunga Go-Go - Docteur Legume Et Les Surfwerks - Ex Presidenti - Fantomatici - Hangee V - Hot Rod Surfers - Jumpin' Quails - Kilaueas - Les Arondes - Los Coronas - Madeira - Pipelines - Pollo Del Mar - Psycho Surfers - Rev Hank from Urban Surf Kings - Rodeo Clowns - Shuffles - Twang Marvels - Wadadli Riders

2009 Poster by Fred Lammers

2010

Location: Otto e Mezzo Studios, Livorno

Bands: Ambasciatori Dell'amore - Astrophonix - El Ray - Los Straitjackets - King Kongs - Los Blue Marinos - Los Kahunas - Mule Skinners - Reverberati - Sinfonico Honolulu - Slacktone - Sunmakers - Surfadelics - Surfin' Lungs - Surfoniani - Razorblades - Wet-Tones - Twang Marvels - Wadadli Riders

2010 Poster by Fred Lammers

2011

Location: Fortezza Vecchia Livorno, Livorno

Bands: Anacondas - Ava Kant - Bambi Molesters - Bradipos IV - Crashmen - Docteur Legume Et Les Surfwerks - John Blair Band - Kilaueas - Krontjong Devils - Los Derrumbes - Los Fantasticos - Phantom Four - Pocaonda - Psycho Surfers - Space Rangers - Sunny Boys - Surfer Joe & His Boss Combo - Wavers