Okeechobee Fest returns to Florida for 2020

Tucked away in the serene grasslands of Sunshine Grove, Florida’s own fun and freak fest is back on for 2020! After hitting its first year out of the park in 2016, Okeechobee Festival and its down-to-earth vibrations grew in 2017 and 2018, before coming to a grinding halt for March 2019… apparently it was due […]

Illenium lights up Sacramento

Another amazing experience at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento! As I walked into the arena, I saw many fans dressed for an EDM concert. There were girls in fishnet cosplay and guys wearing white t-shirts with lights. There were many fans lined up at the merchandise tables before the show began. Everyone was so […]

Thievery Corporation at Belly Up Tavern, San Diego

Seeing your favorite bands at smaller venues is always a treat: intimacy abounds as interaction between players and audience members amplifies immensely. Such a venue is San Diego’s Belly Up Tavern along the coast of Solana Beach. A variety of acts cycle through the Belly Up; most returning as an annual or biannual gig. One […]

Thurston Moore at The Empty Bottle, Chicago

On December 13th 2019, The Thurston Moore Group performed at The Empty Bottle in Chicago, with support by Devin Brahja Waldman. The venue was a perfect setting for the show, providing an up close and personal atmosphere, soon to be amplified by the performance. Thurston Moore took the stage and the audience’s attention instantly gravitated […]

Happy Cat Jay hits in house single, “Era Of A Niche Hero”

London is the perfect place to pinpoint some underground house and EDM artists. Rising up through the EDM ranks is one funky self-sufficient artist by the name of Happy Cat Jay. Not only does Jay assume the role of sound engineer for his tracks, but this multi-instrumentalist pretty much composes the whole thing himself! From […]

M3F Fest returns to Phoenix March 2020

What’s better than splurging on a sample of your favorite bands thrown together in one mega live music event? Knowing the money you’re spending on the weekend is going straight to charity. That’s right: one festival makes its mark on the world by bettering the planet as it goes. M3F Festival knows how to have […]

Wonderfront 2019: Day Three

Still reeling from the previous two days, I was a child at Christmas impatiently waiting to open my presents or, in this case, the festival gates. I knew the festival grounds like the back of my hand by now; I had my sets lined up and now I just needed a beer. Local breweries were […]

Wonderfront 2019: Day Two

Day Two — let’s go! First off, kudos to Wonderfront for their festival companion app! I’ve never seen a more polished festival app that was intuitive, fast, reactive and a must-have for the festival-goer. I started my day with the app and a cup of Joe. Selecting all the acts I wanted to see then […]

Wonderfront 2019: Day One

November in San Diego can be a toss up: sometimes cold and rainy; other times, it feels like the middle of summer. The weekend of November 22nd would be where these two extremes met to create the perfect stage for Wonderfront’s inaugural bayfront festival. Seven stages spanning 1.5 miles of the treasured San Diego bayfront […]

Bad Cop Bad Cop at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach

It was a proper night of angst and love as punk rock fans packed the famous Alex’s Bar in Long Beach to see a stellar lineup of Upper Downer, Bella Novella, Bar Stool Preachers and Bad Cop Bad Cop. California locals Upper Downer started the night off with a raucous set that got the crowd […]

WORLD VIDEO PREMIERE: A-Mac & The Height “Where I’m At”

Denver-based hip hop-meets-funk band A-Mac & The Height is gearing up for an album release in February 2020, teasing fans with a funky, fresh sound in the leading single “Where I’m At” a few weeks ago. Not only that, but Top Shelf Music is happy to host the world premiere of the single’s music video […]

Cold War Kids at San Diego’s Observatory North Park

Alt lovers gathered from far and wide the night of Friday, November 15th for an intimate performance by Cold War Kids, supported by Samia, at San Diego’s Observatory North Park. Being a smaller venue (versus big amphitheater performances by CWK), the Observatory filled up real fast as opener Samia took center stage. Cool, complacent, yet […]

KAABOO Del Mar 2019: Day Three

KAABOO Del Mar started Day Three 2019 with a big public announcement — this is the last KAABOO Del Mar day EVER! Never to fear: KAABOO is simply relocating due south to downtown’s Petco Park, rebranding in the process to KAABOO San Diego from here on out. With that in mind, attendees made the most […]

The Black Keys & Modest Mouse rocked San Diego

The Black Keys‘ headlining tour, featuring Modest Mouse with Shannon and the Clams, hit San Diego’s Pechanga Arena on Sunday, November 14th. Shannon and the Clams started the night off right with some upbeat jams that got the crowd going. The quartet, based out of Oakland, consists of Cody Blanchard on vocals/guitar, Shannon Shaw on […]

WORLD TRACK PREMIERE: Dyado “End of Your Song”

Alternative Americana duo Dyado is making major waves this month, releasing two lead singles off their EP out early next year. Following a full-length album entitled Dreamcountry, cousins Matt Lohan and Luisa Stancoiff have joined forces to bring forth melodic indie-folk music, infused with their “signature hazy California spirit” and a sound quickly gaining them […]