The Surfer Joe Summer Festival, also known as SJSF, is an annual music festival dedicated to

surf music Surf music (or surf rock, surf pop, or surf guitar) is a genre of rock music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Southern California. It was especially popular from 1958 to 1964 in two major forms. The first is instrumental s ...

organized by Surfer Joe Music that is held in Livorno, Italy. The multi-day event features live performances from surf and instrumental bands from all over the world on multiple stages, symposia and workshops dedicated to the history and techniques of surf music, displays of historic musical instruments, movie screenings, musician meet and greets, dancing to DJs, and a shopping marketplace.

History

The festival was created and founded in 2003 by Lorenzo Valdambrini (aka '' Surfer Joe''), who went on to organize the first two editions. After a 4 year break, in 2008, Lorenzo's brother Luca Valdambrini encouraged relaunching the event and formed the official cultural association '' Surfer Joe Music'', which would organize the event moving forward. Since 2012, the festival has taken place at and outside of Surfer Joe’s Diner on Livorno's seafront promenade '' Terrazza Mascagni.''

International Recognition

Massimo Ponte writes: ''"''The SJSF is considered the largest surf music event on this planet". John Blair mentions it in his book ''Southern California surf music, 1960-1966'': "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

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". Timothy J. Cooley mentions the festival in his book ''Surfing about music:'' "In spring 2002, Valdambrini created the web site surferjoemusic.com to promote the Italian

Surf Music Surf music (or surf rock, surf pop, or surf guitar) is a genre of rock music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Southern California. It was especially popular from 1958 to 1964 in two major forms. The first is instrumental s ...

scene. Then in the winter of 2003, he began producing shows featuring bands playing

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

, held on the beach of Marina di Massa, a small town north of

Pisa Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...

" Kent Crowley writes in his book ''Surf beat: rock 'n' roll's forgotten revolution:'' "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 California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

first modern indigenous folk music..." The Florentine mentions: "If you feel like taking a ride on an energy wave of epic proportions, head over to Livorno for the world’s number one surf music event! This beautiful stretch of Tuscan coast will become the setting of an intense four-day program of concerts, seminars and various attractions, all free of charge." A German Surf Travel Blog writes, that the Surfer Joe Summer Festival is the biggest event for surf music worldwide with over 10.000 visitors. A music genre that has its roots in the surf culture of California in the 1960s and got famous thanks to the

Beach Boys A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shell ...

. Instrumental Rock'n'Roll with pumping riffs that sounds like waves and wanderlust are rolling in. "''Mit über 10.000 Besuchern ist das Surfer Joe Summer Festival weltweit das größte Event für Surf Musik – ein Musikgenre, das in den 60ern mit der Surfkultur Kaliforniens entstand und durch die Beach Boys berühmt geworden ist. Instrumental Rock’n Roll mit pumpenden Riffs, der nach einrollenden Wellen und Fernweh klingt.''" One Step 4ward writes in its article ''Surf’s up: Summer’s best surfing and music festivals'' about the 2014 edition: "Italy may not be as renowned for its surf scene as, say Sagres in Portugal or Cornwall in England, but that doesn’t stop the Surfer Joe Summer Festival from bringing together some of the best surf culture musicians in the business. Held from June 20 to 22 in Livorno, the festival is a three-day immersion into instrumental surf music. There’s also the chance to see a huge private Fender guitar collection with instruments made from the 40s to the 70s." An article of The Two River Times about the Asbury Park Surf Music Festival mentions the Surfer Joe Summer Festival as "one of the biggest surf music festivals in the world." The festival has been mentioned on National Today's article ''International Surf Music Month – June 2023:'' "On International Surf Music Month, surf music enthusiasts unite in a shared love for the genre. Concerts and events pop up everywhere — not just in the U.S. but also in places such as Canada, Mexico, and Italy. ..2003 Surfer Joe Summer Festival Lorenzo Valdambrini organizes the first edition of the Surfer Joe Summer Festival in Italy."

Editions

2003

''Location:'' Beat Cafe', Poveromo,

Massa Massa may refer to: Places *Massa, Tuscany, the administrative seat of the Italian province of Massa-Carrara. *Massa (river), river in Switzerland * Massa (Tanzanian ward), administrative ward in the Mpwapwa district of the Dodoma Region of Ta ...

''Bands'':

Bambi Molesters The Bambi Molesters were a surf rock band from Sisak, Croatia, founded in 1995. They performed regularly in Croatia and all over Europe, often opening for the US rock band R.E.M. They released five studio albums from 1997 until 2013. In collabor ...

- 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 Calcinaia (Latin: ''Vicus Vitri'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) and town in the province of Pisa in the Italian region Tuscany, located about west of Florence and about east of Pisa. Calcinaia borders the following municipalities: Bientina, C ...

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

2008

''Location:'' Precisamente a Calafuria,

Livorno Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 158,493 residents in December 2017. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn (pronou ...

''Bands'': Ambasciatori dell'Amore - Barbwires - Bitch Boys -

Charades Charades (, ). is a parlor game, parlor or party game, party word game, word guessing game. Originally, the game was a dramatic form of literary charades: a single person would act out each syllable of a word or phrase in order, followed by the w ...

- Crashmen - Favolosi Traslatori - Jaguar & Savanas - Rifflessi - Sexual Chocolate - Sunny Boys - Surfadelics - Surfoniani - Vibrants - Wadadli Riders & Daddy-O Grande - Wavers - Wet-Tones Surfer_Joe_Summer_Festival_2008

2009

''Location:'' Precisamente a Calafuria,

''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 LOS, or Los, or LoS may refer to: Science and technology * Length of stay, the duration of a single episode of hospitalisation * Level of service, a measure used by traffic engineers * Level of significance, a measure of statistical significanc ...

- Madeira - Pipelines - Pollo Del Mar - Psycho Surfers - Rev Hank from Urban Surf Kings - Rodeo Clowns - Shuffles - Twang Marvels - Wadadli Riders Surfer_Joe_Summer_Festival_2009

2010

''Location:'' Otto e Mezzo Studios,

''Bands'': Ambasciatori Dell'amore - Astrophonix - El Ray -

Los Straitjackets Los Straitjackets is an American instrumental rock band that formed in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, in 1988. Originally comprising guitarists Danny Amis (formerly of the Raybeats), Eddie Angel and drummer L. J. "Jimmy" Lester under the na ...

- 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 Surfer_Joe_Summer_Festival_2010

2011

''Location:'' Fortezza Vecchia Livorno,

''Bands'': Anacondas - Ava Kant -

- 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 Surfer_Joe_Summer_Festival_2011

2012

''Location:'' Surfer Joe Cafe & Diner,

''Bands'': Bang! Mustang! - Cannibal Mosquitos - Dirty Fuse - Frankie & The Poolboys - Jaguar & The Savanas - Kilaueas - Les Chefs - Los Lagoonas - Los Venturas - Lunatones - Meshugga Beach Party -

Messer Chups Messer Chups is a Surf music, surf rock band from Saint Petersburg, Russia. The group was formed in 1998 by composer and guitarist Oleg Fomchenkov. History The band was founded by Oleg Fomchenkov (also known as Oleg Gitarkin) who had previously ...

- Ray Daytona & Googoobombos - Surfadelics - Tomorrowmen - Tonomats Surfer_Joe_Summer_Festival_2012

2013

''Location:'' Surfer Joe Cafe & Diner,

''Bands'': Alwaro Negro - Apemen -

Atlantics ''Atlantics'' (french: Atlantique) is a 2019 internationally co-produced supernatural romantic drama film directed by Mati Diop, in her feature directorial debut. It was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. ...

- Dave & The Pussies - Diabolico Coupe - Five Fingers With Parasol -

Insect Surfers The Insect Surfers are an American band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1979. The group bills itself "Planet Earth’s Longest-Running Modern Surf Band," and has been based out of Los Angeles, California since 1986. Inspired by the psychedelic surf ...

- Les Agamemnonz - Los Lagoonas - Surfoniani - Mullet Monster Mafia - Psycho Surfers - Spaceguards - Speedball Jr - Surfer Joe & His Boss Combo - Tonomats - Tony Dynamite & The Shootin' Beavers - Ukulelics Surfer_Joe_Summer_Festival_2013

2014

''Location:'' Surfer Joe Cafe & Diner,

''Bands'': Bang! Mustang! - Bradipos IV - El Ray - Fifty Foot Combo - Monokini - Paul Johnson - Phantom Four - Pyronauts - Razorblades - Slacktone - Surfites - Threesome - Tony Dynamite - Watang! Surfer_Joe_Summer_Festival_2014

2015

''Location:'' Surfer Joe Cafe & Diner,

''Bands'': A-Phonics - Aqua Barons -

- Biarritz Boys - Boss Martians -

Daikaiju is a Japanese media genre that focuses on stories involving giant monsters. The word ''kaiju'' can also refer to the giant monsters themselves, which are usually depicted attacking major cities and battling either the military or other monster ...

- Dead Rocks - Five Fingers With Parasol - John Blair & Ivan Pongracic Band - Kilaueas - Los Coronas - Lost Acapulco -

- Pirato Ketchup - Satan's Pilgrims - Sine Waves - Surfer Joe - Surflamingo - Taikonauts - Terrorist Bengala Party - Tremolo Beer Gut - Urban Surf Kings - West Samoa Surfer League Surfer_Joe_Summer_Festival_2015

2016

''Location:'' Surfer Joe Cafe & Diner,

''Bands'': Aloha Sluts - Bad Riders - Bang! Mustang! - Barbwires - Boss Fink - Bradipos IV - Charades - Demon Vendetta - El Caminos - Hell-O-Tiki - Les Agamemnonz - Longboards - Los Apollos - Los Banditos - Los Oxidados - Los Protones - Los Venturas - M74 - Mullet Monster Mafia - Psycho Surfers - Razorblades - Shar-Keys - Stingrays - Stories From Shamehill - Surf Coasters - Surfin' Boars - Twin Tones - Volcanics - Watang! Surfer Joe Summer Festival 2016

2017

''Location:'' Surfer Joe Cafe & Diner,

''Bands'': 5.6.7.8's - Akulas - Arno De Cea & The Clockwork Wizards - Bamboogie Injections - Black Flamingos - El Ray - Hicadoolas - Huntington Cads - Illuminators -

- Jason Lee & The R.I.P. Tides - Kingargoolas - Link Protrudi & The Jaymen - Los Banditos - Los Drigos - Los Fantasticos - Los Freneticos - Orgaphonics -

Randy Holden Randy is a given name, popular in the United States and Canada. It is primarily a masculine name. It was originally derived from the names Randall, Randolf, Randolph, as well as Bertrand and Andrew, and may be a short form (hypocorism) of the ...

- Surfer Joe - Surfin' Lungs - Tomorrowmen Surfer Joe Summer Festival 2017

2018

''Location:'' Surfer Joe Cafe & Diner,

''Bands'': Balu und Die Surfgrammeln -

- Dave & The Pussies - Fascinating Creatures Of The Deep - Fat Tones - Frankie & The Poolboys - Krontjong Devils - Los Blue Marinos - Lulufin The Woo Hoo -

- Molokai Cocktail - Monokini - Necronautics - Operation Octopus - Phantom Four - Reverbly Ones - Seasick Surfers - Space Cossacks - Stronzo Gelantino & The Boo-Men - Surfer Joe & The Bradipos IV - Tikiyaki 5-0 - Typhoons - Wave Chargers Surfer Joe Summer Festival 2018

2019

''Location:'' Surfer Joe Cafe & Diner,

''Bands'': Atollo 13 - Atomic Mosquitos - Bradipos IV - Del-Toros - Dirty Fuse - Dome La Muerte E.X.P. - El Zeb - Fat Tones - Ghiblis - Guantanamos - Hicadoolas -

- Kilaueas - Killers From Space - Les Agamemnonz - Locals - Los Coguaros - Molokai Cocktail - Moms I'd Like To Surf - Mullet Monster Mafia - Par Avion - Phantom Dragsters - Requel - Rps Surfers - Sonoras - Surfer Joe - Surfoniani - Topdrop - Trabants - Tremolo Beer Gut Surfer Joe Summer Festival 2019

2023

''Location:'' Surfer Joe Cafe & Diner,

''Bands'': A-MEN (USA/Denmark), BABALOONEYS (Canada), BRADIPOS IV (Italy),

DAIKAIJU is a Japanese media genre that focuses on stories involving giant monsters. The word ''kaiju'' can also refer to the giant monsters themselves, which are usually depicted attacking major cities and battling either the military or other monster ...

(USA), DAVE & THE PUSSIES (Austria), DR. TRITON (Mexico), EL RAY (Denmark), EL SANDEMAN & THE SUNDOWNS (USA), EL ZEB (France / Belgium), GREASY GILLS (USA), GUANTANAMOS (Italy), HUMANGA DANGA (Belgium), JIMMY DALE (USA), KILAUEAS (Germany), LES AGAMEMNONZ (France), LORDS OF ATLANTIS (USA), MANAKOORAS (USA),

MESSER CHUPS Messer Chups is a Surf music, surf rock band from Saint Petersburg, Russia. The group was formed in 1998 by composer and guitarist Oleg Fomchenkov. History The band was founded by Oleg Fomchenkov (also known as Oleg Gitarkin) who had previously ...

(Russia), SATAN'S PILGRIMS (USA), SCIMITARS (USA), STORIES FROM SHAMEHILL (The Netherlands), STRINGS AFLAME (Mexico), SURFARIS (USA), SURFER JOE (Italy), SURFNADO TIKI SQUAD (Italy), UNDERCURRENTS (Romania), UNKLE KOOK (Italy), VOLCANICS (USA), WAVE ELECTRIC (Italy), ZAKO (Italy) Surfer Joe Summer Festival 2023

References

{{reflist

External links

Official web siteSurferJoeMusic.com
Rock festivals in Italy Surf music Live music Rock festivals