It’s not all about surfing in Huntington Beach

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Shana Regan Gonzalez is not at the U.S. Open of Surfing to watch the competition on the water, per se. She sees the beach and the competition as an added bonus on top of her primary reason for attending: a free concert by her favorite band.

MGMT is performing tonight in Huntington Beach as the nightcap to a day of extreme sports. Gonzalez and her husband plopped themselves on a blanket at the front of the line at 6:45 a.m. to see the band. They are fans Nos. 1 and 2.

‘We had a nice little piece of the beach here with a view of the ocean,’ Gonzalez said. ‘But as the time got nearer people just started rushing. So now we’re here -– squished.’

But Gonzalez likes MGMT too much to really care. She likes their lyrics, their overall message, and she especially likes their song ‘The Youth,’ which she calls “the future of thought.’

That’s why she got up this morning at 3:15 a.m. to drive west from her home in Yucaipa.

‘It’s an opportunity to be in a beautiful place all day and get front row for our favorite band for free,’ Gonzalez said.

And if it wasn’t free?

‘I would not have been here at 6:45 a.m. for a spot.’

--Matt Stevens