'I Can't Believe It!' Jack Johnson Plays Secret Show In Encinitas

The crowd at Breaker’s, Benji Weatherly’s Hawaiian restaurant in Encinitas, was already solid enough to be standing room only by 8:30 P.M. As an official afterparty venue for the Solento Festival, not to mention a beloved local hangout, people were steadily cruising through as the night progressed. 

Not only did the festival have people excited to gather and continue hanging late in the evening but rumor had it that Jack Johnson was to play a secret show. Having heard these whispers myself, I reckoned it could very well happen but could also turn out to be just a rumor. Regardless, I was at Breaker’s when one of the world’s most well-loved musicians discreetly approached the backdoor led by Benji and a small entourage that included the GOAT. 

A young woman not far from me tapped her friends on the shoulder as she said, “Oh my God! Oh my God! It’s Jack Johnson… I can’t believe it! He’s actually here!” 

Once Jack’s presence was confirmed on stage, it didn’t take long for the entire crowd to condense to sardine-like levels as everyone clamored for a view and held their phones up high to record the action. I wish I could say I was up front for it all but I was too far away to actually see or hear anything that happened once he took the stage. 

What I do know is that he played a handful of songs much to the crowd’s delight and the entire appearance went off without a hitch. Jack shook some hands with fans before he made his exit and then the crowd started to disperse. If there was any doubt as to his relevance with surf fans, it was certainly put to bed. 

Since then Jack has announced a trio of dates to see the films and hear tunes from he and friends. You can read more about it through the link below.