The Port of Los Angeles Lobster Festival and Music Weekend

Emily Manthei

Avid seafood lovers will be flocking to San Pedro to celebrate a weekend of lobster at the Port of Los Angeles Lobster Festival on September 12–14. As the name suggests, the event’s main attraction is the fresh Maine lobster that will arrive daily by air to be served up by the truckload. Known to serve more than 16 tons of lobster over three days, the Festival holds four Guinness World Records for its lobster-serving accomplishments, such as Most Lobster Cooked/Served in 8 Hours, Largest Serving of Lobster, and Most Seafood Prepared at an Outdoor Event. Visitors can also nosh on fare from local restaurants at the Ports O’Call. Vegetarians will receive free admission to the Fest (which is $10 at the door) if they try the 50-item salad bar at Ports O’Call Restaurant.

Once you’ve enjoyed your lobster meal, stick around for live music, starting at 7 p.m. on Friday and 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. L.A.-based ’80s electro-synth-pop group Berlin will headline with founding member and lead singer Terri Nunn on Saturday at 9 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m. From their first LP Love Life in 1984 until the band’s dissolution in the late ’80s, Berlin made waves with catchy, provocative hits like “Sex (I’m a…),” “The Metro” and “Take My Breath Away.” Reunited in 1999, the group has released four more studio albums and a record of live cuts before dropping their most recent LP Animal earlier this year.

Friday night’s show will open with a performance by Orange County-based rockers Well Hung Heart. The female duo’s vocals are backed by heavy guitar and drums to create a sound reminiscent of Garbage and early-’90s grunge. Watch for Horses will follow with a more mainstream-pop sound pulled from their debut 2013 EP Evil Kid and a new release slated for January 2015. SXSW veterans Beware of Darkness will close the night with a more indie-alternative-rock set.

Saturday afternoon will showcase pre-teen prodigy indie rockers Pretty Little Demons; L.A. mod-rock power players Queen Caveat led by the commanding Lauren Little; quirky indie eastsiders Irontom (think Death Cab for Cutie meets early Devo); and synth-pop-infused rockers Tapioca and the Flea. Saturday’s evening entertainment starts at 5 p.m. with the down-tempo electro-dance jams of Shana Halligan (of Bitter:Sweet). Taking the stage at 6 p.m. will be Japanese drumming cultural ambassadors TAIKOPROJECT. At 7 p.m. R&B songstress and “The Voice” veteran Jessica Childress will croon a set of soulful tunes, followed by Sweet & Tender Hooligans (self-described as the “ultimate tribute to Morrissey and the Smiths”) at 8 p.m. and Berlin at 9 p.m.

Sunday’s musical offerings are the most diverse with a set by popular cover band Up Next and a reprise by TAIKOPROJECT. The Damselles & the TC4 will switch eras to bop along to doo-wop tunes followed by a truly unique mash-up of heavy metal and mariachi from Metalachi and another encore by Berlin.

Free parking can be found at the Cabrillo Way Marina on 22nd and Miner Streets. Free retro red trolleys will operate along the vintage electric railcar line from the World Cruise Center (which offers paid parking at $1 an hour) to the Marina. Simply hop off at the Ports O’Call station.

The Festival runs on Friday, September 12 at 5 p.m.–11 p.m.; Saturday, September 13 at 11 a.m.–11 .pm.; and Sunday, September 14 at 11 a.m.–7 p.m. www.lobsterfest.com