KALEO’S OSIDE

Around town with our resident rock star

WORDS: ALICIA STONE PHOTOS: ZACH CORDNER

On the twelfth of May in 1999, Kaleo Wassman and the two other members of his band Pepper left their hometown of Kona, and set out across the Pacific to pursue a career in music. They landed in Carlsbad, and cut their teeth playing gigs around San Diego, occasionally coming to Oceanside to visit our waves.

A few years later while playing on the road for the first time, a chance meeting with the Oceanside band Wanted Dead would prove to be a major influence in Kaleo’s life. “We actually met them in Arizona. First day of The Warped Tour 2001, we found them sleeping underneath their station wagon. We were like these guys are hard! They were the greatest, most fun band there,” reminisced Kaleo. “We were complete opposites,

Kaleo's home studio.

as far as musical style, but we were each other’s greatest fans on that whole tour. They told us stories about how Oceanside was such a special, beautiful melting pot of cultures and colors, and that made so much sense to me, because we had the same variety of people growing up on the Big Island, and we understood how similar our experiences had been.”

Now having lived downtown just a few blocks from the beach for twelve years, Kaleo has had a bird’s eye view of the current shift happening and his upbringing has given him a distinctive perspective. “When I was growing up in Kona, the population was nothing compared to what it is right now. There were a small number of people actually living there. And now I’m able to see that exciting situation happen again. I’ve lived through it once in Kona, and I’m living through it again now in Oceanside.”

One of Kaleo’s favorite activities is walking around town, and he uses the time to slow down and pay attention to the nuances that he’d usually miss while driving. He starts most days taking in the scenery in his baseball cap with his backpack on, and his earbuds in. His backpack has two specifically designated pockets, and he never makes it home without both of them filled with the trash he finds on the beach. Having grown up on an island and witnessing the impact tourism had on the environment, beach etiquette is a subject he’s very passionate about and he strongly believes it’s something we can easily teach newcomers. “I really think this gives us an opportunity to communicate some simple guidelines that people who don’t live on a coastline may not be aware of. It’s the simple idea of leaving a place better than you found it. We have such a pristine ecosystem, and this is the perfect time to remind each other how special this place is and together make it a conscious practice to ensure it stays this way.” Appreciating and showing respect to the locals in a booming community is also something Kaleo

Kaleo’s Oside

“Kaleo’s love of wandering around town has seeped into the way he writes music and since Covid-19 has kept him mostly grounded over the last two years, he has immersed himself in Oceanside”

is very familiar with, and it’s a lesson he’d like to pass along to new residents and visitors. “The similarities between Kona and Oceanside have made it very, very easy for me to relate to and maneuver in this town. Understanding how to treat the locals who have put in their time, raised their families, and started their businesses here is so important. As a collective whole, we should know how lucky we are that we get to be here. We get to help each other thrive, and we all get to enjoy this adventurous uplift.”

Kaleo’s Oside Another big draw when Kaleo first heard his new friends singing the praises of our city’s culture was the lure of the local food. When he first started coming here all those years ago, he had a few regular spots, but now he’s elated with the amount of options we have. “I love contrast. I can’t see without it. And I love the flavors that mixed cultures bring, not just with their personalities and traditions, but also with their flavors of food. And I love food! We’ve had a food explosion! Oceanside is now truly a food destination. I’ve been so passionate about checking out every single new restaurant that pops up, and I’ve been lucky enough to make some really great friends along the way.” Those relationships have come in handy after the recent launch of Rebel & Muse wine—the latest endeavor from he and his wife, Melanie’s business brand. Started in 2015, Rebel & Muse began hosting yoga retreats, added a podcast, and in 2020 premiered their own wine label. Currently available are the traditionally made Sparkling Rosé and the Blanc de Blancs with more in the collection on the horizon. Kaleo describes their events as “retreat oriented experiences in nature and workshops in Yogic philosophy.” And added, “With Rebel & Muse it’s not about removing yourself and living in a cave or on some mountain. It’s about learning how to use simple techniques as a practice to find more balance in your day to day life, and to use those applications in the moment.” You can usually After the pandemic shut down the band’s find Kaleo at The touring schedule, he began performing “Kaleo Switchboard with a bottle of Wassman” unplugged, story-telling acoustic his Rebel & Muse experiences at smaller venues that have allowed Rosé. them to showcase their wine. ”You always hear about wine being paired with cheese or charcuterie, but we’re pairing wine with music.” Kaleo’s love of wandering around town has seeped into the way he writes music and since Covid-19 has kept him mostly grounded over the last two years, he has immersed himself in Oceanside. “I’ll just walk and walk and walk while listening to mixes that have to be approved for a project, and I’ll look at the different colors and textures of the people intermingling on the beach, and if the soundtrack is matching what I’m seeing, then I know that I’m on the right path.” Twenty-three years later and after traveling the world, Kaleo and Melanie have happily chosen

Kaleo’s Oside Crackin' open a bottle of the Rebel & Muse Blanc De Blanc with Luis Jr. at The Lighthouse.

Oceanside as their base to live, love, and work. As Pepper celebrates the 20th Anniversary of their first album Kona Town, Kaleo is once again thinking of the music that led him here and appreciating his place in our community. “There are so many amazing musicians here in Oceanside. Skillet, Shane Hall, Carlos Verdugo, and Nato Bardeen—that’s just a few” explained Kaleo. “And all of the kids that are still in the garage, I’m so excited to see where they’re going to take us next! I moved from Kona to find another Kona and that is Oceanside. I just simply know I will never live anywhere else on the mainland. Coming from a small town on a big island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean to being embraced and welcomed here has made all the difference, and I feel truly grateful to say that this is my home away from home.”