The Left Coast Luau festival will make its debut at Oak Canyon Park in Silverado on Saturday, Sept. 9. Headlined by rockabilly group Reverend Horton Heat, the single-day event is set to deliver a heavy dose of fun and rock ‘n’ roll, but it’s also raising money for a good cause.

Following the devastating wildfires that ravaged the Hawaiian island of Maui and claimed the lives of over 100 people earlier this month, Orange County-based concert promoter Brew Ha Ha Productions announced that all of its profits from the Left Coast Luau would directly benefit the Maui Strong Fund.

The Reverend Horton Heat’s James Heath, who hails from Dallas, Texas, but has successfully headlined concerts and festivals in Southern California for decades, said that turning the festival into a benefit was a smart move. The cause resonates deeply with his band since “our music shares so much with this community,” he noted during a recent phone interview.

“It’s a great thing that the festival is helping so many people out during a time that feels uncertain, I’m just happy to be a part of it,” he continued.

Brew Ha Ha Productions owner Cameron Collins, who produces craft beer and music festivals throughout Southern California and beyond, said that he and his team were inspired to donate to the fund after watching the work some of their fellow brewers were doing in Maui via social media.

“I know Garrett (Marrero), who owns Maui Brewing, and he was posting and going live from there and he’s been running around and bringing in supplies and generators and all of that stuff, so we’ve been following that,” Collins said during a recent phone interview. “I was just like ‘Man, this is crazy,’ and sending him notes of encouragement. But then I woke up and I was like, you know what, I can’t just support people by telling them ‘You’re doing great.’ You have to take it upon yourself to do something and Tiffany (Collins) and I wanted to donate all the profits from this event.”

Collins said some of the Southern California brewers participating in the event have offered to donate the beer they’ll be serving (typically the event pays for that in advance) and various acts have pledged their performance fees after expenses to go directly to the Maui Strong Fund, too.

The end of summer luau-themed bash will also feature sets by Long Beach Dub Allstars, Ozomatli, Social Distortion guitarist Jonny “Two Bags” Wickersham, The Cramps tribute band Teenage Goo Goo Muck and more. Those 21-and-older can enjoy craft beer, seltzer and cider tastings from local and regional breweries including Stereo Brewing, Ten Mile Brewing Company, Artifex, Brewheim, Harland, Wild Barrel and more from 2-5 p.m. (included in ticket price). Additional drinks and cocktails, Polynesian-inspired dishes and other festival eats will be available for purchase.

For Heath, a show in Orange County feels like a homecoming. He’s been touring for nearly four decades and he’s gotten used to grueling nights out on the road, but he always looks forward to a Southern California crowd.

“I say this all the time, but Southern California, especially Orange County, is one of my favorite places to play in the world,” he said. “We haven’t been out there in quite a while, and we have a lot of fond memories playing out there. I think we played every other year for a couple of decades, so it’s been a long ride, so it’s neat to come back for something like this.”

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Heath erupted onto the music scene in the late ’80s during a fresh rockabilly revival. Drawing inspiration from Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, Heath immersed himself in that sound, but offered a modern twist. As Heath recalls, Southern California embraced that rockabilly rise and he did well performing in venues like The Troubadour and The Roxy in West Hollywood, which led the band to the area each year. The Reverend Horton Heat was also popular at larger-scale festivals like the annual Hootenanny, which also took place at Oak Canyon Park, the So-Cal Hoedown, which took place in San Pedro and downtown Santa Ana, and his own festival brand, Horton’s Hayride, in Long Beach and San Pedro.

“What we play and what we represent really falls in line with Southern California culture, and it’s never died,” Heath said. “It’s always been strong there for rockabilly culture and it still is.”

While thinking back on the more than 5,000 shows he’s played throughout his career and all the setlists he’s curated, Heath said Left Coast Luau seems like a place and time he’d like to try out some new songs. The band has a fresh arsenal of cover songs thanks to its 2023 record, “Roots of the Rev (Volume One),” which consists of tracks that have had some sort of impact on the band.

The record includes the Elvis Presley and Little Richard popularized “Reddy Teddy,” Eddie Cochran’s “Twenty Flight Rock” and Carl Perkins’ “Right String, Wrong Yo-Yo.” Heath said it was important to pull together a record that harkened back to some of the influences that brought together Reverend Horton Heat in the first place.

“I’ve always wanted to make a record to explain why we are the way are, to show people the history of the band and the relationships we have with other artists,” Heath explained. “I just think it’s important for us to do. But also, I’ve always wanted to make a vintage-sounding record and amassed a collection of old vintage gear. So, when we had the chance after the quarantine, we felt like it was the right time to finally put together an album of all these tracks we have ties to and love.”

Heath and the band aren’t quite sure just yet what the Left Coast Luau setlist will look like, but he does hope fans will leave satisfied with the band’s rockabilly sermon and knowing they’ll all be there for a good cause.

“We still haven’t thought about what we want to play exactly, but we know this one’s going to be special,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s going to be a good, old classic Reverend show.”

Left Coast Luau

When: Saturday, Sept. 9

Where: Oak Canyon Park, 5305 Santiago Canyon Road, Silverado

Tickets: $39 general admission and $99 VIP tickets are available at leftcoastluau.com. Parking is $20 cash-only on-site.