On Saturday, May 10, at White Park in Riverside, where triple-digit temperatures couldn’t dim the color, community, and celebration, Beaux Gris Gris and the Apocalypse stormed the main stage at the Riverside LGBT Pride Festival with a fiery set that fused blues, soul, and swagger into one of the day’s most electrifying performances.

Formed by Louisiana-born vocalist Greta Valenti and British guitarist Robin Davey, Beaux Gris Gris and the Apocalypse brought a genre-bending blend of swampy blues rock, New Orleans soul, and high-octane Americana that felt tailor-made for the spirit of Pride. With Valenti’s powerhouse vocals at the helm, part Janis Joplin howl, part Southern preacher swagger, the band commanded the crowd’s attention from the first downbeat.

Backed by a tight rhythm section and electrifying keys, the band’s set was a sonic journey through backwater ballads and raucous rockers. In their live performances, originals like “Bungalow Paradise” and “Heartbreaker” show off the group’s dynamic range, while fiery rendition of “Fill Me Up” turn into a full-on call-and-response with the crowd, blurring the lines between stage and street revival.

Midway through the set, just as momentum was peaking, the power unexpectedly cut out and the stage fell silent. But what could’ve been a disaster turned into one of the most memorable moments of the day. Without missing a beat, harmonica player Sugarmill Slim stepped confidently to the front of the stage and launched into an impromptu jam. Valenti grabbed a bullhorn and joined in, transforming the technical hiccup into a raw, acoustic street-corner-style performance that had the crowd cheering even louder. It was an unplanned, unscripted detour that only added to the band’s magic—a reminder that great performers don’t need power to electrify.

Despite the heat, Beaux Gris Gris and the Apocalypse didn’t hold anything back. Rather than staying planted on stage, Valenti turned the performance into a full-park celebration. Midway through another song, she climbed over the crowd barrier and made her way through the audience, dancing with fans and weaving between picnic blankets and lawn chairs, all while continuing to sing. In one especially charming moment, she knelt beside a young child and encouraged them to sing along, smiling as they joined in with delight. It was a spontaneous, heartfelt gesture that captured the band’s approach to live performance—breaking down the divide between stage and crowd, and inviting everyone into the joy of the moment.

Later in the set, another standout moment unfolded as Sugarmill Slim and guitarist Robin Davey came together at the front of the stage for a rollicking jam session. With Davey ripping through bluesy guitar licks and Slim wailing on the harmonica, the two traded riffs with infectious energy, grinning and laughing as they pushed each other creatively. It was pure, unfiltered joy—two musicians locked in the groove, clearly having the time of their lives, and inviting the crowd to revel in the spontaneity right along with them.

What made the performance especially resonant at Riverside Pride was the unspoken synergy between the band’s roots in resilience and reinvention and the ethos of the LGBTQ+ community gathered at White Park. Valenti, openly queer and fiercely expressive, didn’t need to preach inclusion—it was baked into every note of her performance, every fierce stomp in platform boots, every smile tossed toward the audience.

As the final notes rang out and the band took their bows, it was clear: this wasn’t just a set, it was a celebration. A reclamation of joy, music, and queer identity in the heart of Riverside. And for everyone lucky enough to be at White Park that afternoon, Beaux Gris Gris and the Apocalypse made sure Pride didn’t just shine—it roared.