Donovan Frankenreiter Show Pristine as his Surfing

The eccentric, professional free-surfer and American musician Donovan Frankenreiter cordially greeted fans at the  front door before his concert Friday.

Before a set that was a smooth as wave curl, Frankenreiter took the time to make small talk with the near-capacity crowd and sign his plethora of groovy merchandise, which included multi-colored vinyls, free CDs and fake mustaches, reminiscent of Frankenreiter’s real mustache. 

When female fans proudly sport the bushy, broom-like 'staches, you know that Frankenreiter is the headliner. The show marked the first of three which Frankenreiter will be performing at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano along his 39-stop summer tour, which will make its way into Canada and Europe. 

Not only was Frankenreiter’s performance pristine but so was his opener Kevin Miso. Miso frequently plays in South County and has a reggae/folk/rock style feel, executed with multiple loopings of ukulele, microphone tappings, guitar, shakers and keyboard. The highlight came when Miso pulled out his iPhone and used its side as a slide for a solo. 

After Miso’s impressive performance there was a slight lull before Frankenreiter took the stage. Once the respected surfer and musician appeared, he was greeted with an enthusiastic applause right before he opened with the hit song Free, which was co-written with Jack Johnson.

He played roughly an hour-and-a-half set which included a cover of Tom Petty’s American Girl. 

Frankenreiter concluded the evening with a three-song encore and brought a fan onstage to sing with him for the final song.

Then, after the final song, he quickly ran to the front door and took more time to sign autographs and make small talk.