Surfer Joe Summer Festival

The Surfer Joe Summer Festival, also known as SJSF, is an annual music festival dedicated to surf music 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 surf music 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 scene. Then in the winter of 2003, he began producing shows featuring bands playing Surf Music 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 Surf Music, held on the beach of Marina di Massa, a small town north of Pisa"

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 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. 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."

2003
Location: Beat Cafe', Poveromo, Massa

Bands: Bambi Molesters - 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, Pisa

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

2008
Location: Precisamente a Calafuria, Livorno

Bands: Ambasciatori dell'Amore - Barbwires - Bitch Boys - Charades - Crashmen - Favolosi Traslatori - Jaguar & Savanas - Rifflessi - Sexual Chocolate - Sunny Boys - Surfadelics - Surfoniani - Vibrants - Wadadli Riders & Daddy-O Grande - Wavers - Wet-Tones

2009
Location: Precisamente a Calafuria, Livorno

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

2010
Location: Otto e Mezzo Studios, Livorno

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

2011
Location: Fortezza Vecchia Livorno, Livorno

Bands: Anacondas - Ava Kant - Bambi Molesters - 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

2012
Location: Surfer Joe Cafe & Diner, Livorno

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 - Ray Daytona & Googoobombos - Surfadelics - Tomorrowmen - Tonomats

2013
Location: Surfer Joe Cafe & Diner, Livorno

Bands: Alwaro Negro - Apemen - Atlantics - Dave & The Pussies - Diabolico Coupe - Five Fingers With Parasol - Insect Surfers - 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

2014
Location: Surfer Joe Cafe & Diner, Livorno

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

2015
Location: Surfer Joe Cafe & Diner, Livorno

Bands: A-Phonics - Aqua Barons - Bambi Molesters - Biarritz Boys - Boss Martians - Daikaiju - Dead Rocks - Five Fingers With Parasol - John Blair & Ivan Pongracic Band - Kilaueas - Los Coronas - Lost Acapulco - Messer Chups - Pirato Ketchup - Satan's Pilgrims - Sine Waves - Surfer Joe - Surflamingo - Taikonauts - Terrorist Bengala Party - Tremolo Beer Gut - Urban Surf Kings - West Samoa Surfer League

2016
Location: Surfer Joe Cafe & Diner, Livorno

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!

2017
Location: Surfer Joe Cafe & Diner, Livorno

Bands: 5.6.7.8's - Akulas - Arno De Cea & The Clockwork Wizards - Bamboogie Injections - Black Flamingos - El Ray - Hicadoolas - Huntington Cads - Illuminators - Insect Surfers - Jason Lee & The R.I.P. Tides - Kingargoolas - Link Protrudi & The Jaymen - Los Banditos - Los Drigos - Los Fantasticos - Los Freneticos - Orgaphonics - Randy Holden - Surfer Joe - Surfin' Lungs - Tomorrowmen

2018
Location: Surfer Joe Cafe & Diner, Livorno

Bands: Balu und Die Surfgrammeln - Daikaiju - Dave & The Pussies - Fascinating Creatures Of The Deep - Fat Tones - Frankie & The Poolboys - Krontjong Devils - Los Blue Marinos - Lulufin The Woo Hoo - Messer Chups - 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

2019
Location: Surfer Joe Cafe & Diner, Livorno

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

2023
Location: Surfer Joe Cafe & Diner, Livorno

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