www.montereycountynow.com SEPTEMBER 17-23, 2026 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 29 MUSIC After years performing solo, singer-songwriter Yvan Vucina began gathering musicians last summer to form Rebel Beach, fulfilling his longtime ambition to lead a rock band. Vucina felt a full band would showcase the true weight of his songwriting. In “Nordic Assault” the lyrics evoke a mythical mood, and the acoustic arrangement lets the words tell the story. With Rebel Beach backing him, the arrangement expands into a cinematic, atmospheric sound. The band also changes how Vucina commands the stage. On “Through the Looking Glass,” guitarists Dori Manuel and Shane Beeman build a dark, psychedelic backdrop while he pours his energy into a raw, Morrison-meetsCorgan vocal delivery. Vucina’s songs now have a physical force they lacked in solo form. Drummer Logan Mason and bassist Dashiell Stokes keep the music locked in, laying down a steady groove. “When you crank those amplifiers up and they start growling, people want to move, they want to dance,” Vucina says. “People like to mosh.” Listeners press toward the stage and jump to the music, sending the band’s energy roaring back. Their track “My Love, That’s Not Enough” has become a crowd favorite. As listeners recognize its opening riff, the excitement builds; the rhythm drives toward a chorus they echo back to Vucina. “People like the song—they like to sing it,” he says. Rebel Beach feeds off the crowd’s energy, but the band doesn’t keep the spotlight to itself. A few months ago, they began hosting Alt Night, inviting other bands to play ’90s rock covers. “I feel like ’90s is the new classic rock,” Vucina says. “It’s kind of like the dad rock for the kids now.” Alt Night has become “a place for us all to converge,” he adds—where local artists meet and support one another, and where “everyone in the room can feel that energy and it lifts everybody up.” At a recent Alt Night, a gray-haired fan threw up the horns and bobbed his head while two young women clasped hands and swung to the music. Nearby, an audience member slung an arm around Vucina and joined him at the microphone for the chorus of the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.” On another night, Anderson Moore— known as “the violin guy”—joined the musicians onstage. Alt Night hosted by Rebel Beach 7-10pm Friday, Sept 18. The Salty Seal, 653 Cannery Row, Monterey. No cover. (831) 920-2327, the-salty-seal.com. DANIEL DREIFUSS Band Stand Rebel Beach is making waves, especially at Salty Seal’s Alt Night. By Tonia Eaton Rebel Beach plans to record and release “For a Girl” this fall or winter. It’s a new song Yvan Vucina calls the band’s best work yet. TRY OUR NEW Tapas Happy Hour & Mid-Week Specials 4:30 - 6:00pm daily #Tapas! A Happy Hour Beyond Compare. Adjacent to the Casa Munras Garden Hotel & Spa | 700 Munras Avenue, Monterey Reservations Recommended | 831-375-0176 | estebanrestaurant.com DELIGHTFULLY ALFRESCO ’25 Voted Best Appetizers/ Small Plates Cornucopia Community Market offers quality nutritious and environmentally safe products, free of artificial additives and preservatives. Your Local Health Food Store Open MOn-Fri 9aM-7pM Sat & Sun 10aM-6pM 831-625-1454 26135 Carmel Rancho Blvd, Carmel (at the mouth of Carmel Valley) HAPPY Harvest Days! Your Source for Local and Organic Food for a Healthy Lifestyle • Natural, Organic Produce • Fresh Bakery and Deli • Olive Oil/Vinegar/Local Honey • Wine, Beer, Juice, Coffee and Tea Selections • Fresh, Organic Dairy Products • Healthy Snacks • Vitamins and Nutritional Supplements • All Natural Bath and Body Products
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