Super Girl Surf Festival 2026: Day Three

The 20th anniversary Super Girl Surf Festival wrapped up on August 23rd, 2026 at the Oceanside Pier in Oceanside, California. The SMKFLWR Stage in the Junior Seau Pier Amphitheatre was rocking all afternoon, with a wide variety of genres represented, capped off by rapper B.o.B and electronic duo Hippie Sabotage. The World Surf League competitions […]

A night of 90s hip hop with Nas, The Roots, & De La Soul in San Diego

A blood moon shined over San Diego’s Gallagher Square at Petco Park as three of rap’s legends presented A Great Night in Hip Hop. Long Island’s De La Soul, New York City’s Nas, and Philadelphia’s The Roots joined forces to celebrate the best of the 1990s East Coast scene. A large video screen behind the […]

San Diego turns out for 311, Dirty Heads, Atmosphere, & Rome

San Diego doesn’t need much convincing to stretch summer a little further, especially when the plan involves live music under an open sky. In August 2026, 311 and Dirty Heads brought their So Glad You Made It Tour to North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre in Chula Vista, with Rome and Atmosphere rounding out the bill. […]

Ne-Yo & Akon end co-headlining tour to ecstatic LA fans

Nostalgia and party vibes hit Inglewood hard, as Ne-Yo and Akon performed their final stop of their Nights Like This Tour. I’ve been to hundreds of shows in my life, but I’ve never been to a show like this one! As a kid, I would always hear Ne-Yo and Akon on the radio during my […]

The full Outside Lands 2026 experience

Outside Lands Music Festival brought its vibrant atmosphere and eclectic lineup once again to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park the weekend of August 7th through 9th, 2026 — marking its eighteenth year! As one of the most anticipated music festivals of the summer season, its blend of diverse talent (spanning all genres, from indie rock […]

Surfer Girl slips into ‘Midnight’ with new album

Surfer Girl has never had much trouble making music that sounds good in the sun. But with their latest album, Midnight, the California-based collective proves it can hold down that same appeal with a little darkness. Led by Carter Reeves, former frontman of Aer, Midnight weaves hip hop into more reggae-rooted instrumentals this time around […]

Jack Harlow brings Monica Tour to Minneapolis fans

On Friday night, August 7th, Jack Harlow’s Monica Tour rolled through The Fillmore Minneapolis. As the second night of the tour following a four-year break, it was hard to imagine what Harlow had up his sleeve for the night. The release of Monica in March 2026 marked a clear shift in sound for Harlow and […]

Kota The Friend & friends pack Orange County’s Garden AMP

Garden AMP in Orange County brought in fans for an evening of independent hip hop as Kota The Friend showed up for his Just Happy To Be Here Tour, presented by Out Da House Productions. The show wasn’t just about Kota; it also highlighted several up-and-coming artists from Los Angeles and Orange County, giving local […]

Brighter Daze Festival 2026 set to bring reggae vibes to Reno

Brighter Daze Festival makes its return to Reno this August 29th and August 30th, delivering two full days feel-good energy to the J Resort Festival Grounds. Located in the heart of “The Biggest Little City in the World” and produced by Good Vibez Presents (the team behind beloved west coast events like California Roots and […]

Tropidelic emerges with ethereal ‘First Light’ album, out now

Nine studio albums is an incredible feat for any band. Add immense talent to the track record and it’s a wonder why Tropidelic isn’t more of a mainstream name by now. Of course, any band that takes the ‘reggae’ route in America is, somewhat discriminately, kept from the radio waves and spotlight nine times out […]

GZA celebrates 30 years of ‘Liquid Swords’ in Garden Grove

The grittiest hip hop came to the Garden AMP in Garden Grove, California, as Wu-Tang Clan legend GZA celebrated his classic 1995 album Liquid Swords by performing the record in its entirety backed by the funky, soul-influenced instrumentation of Phunky Nomads. Long-time hip hop heads all over LA and OC came into the venue wearing […]

Cali Roots 2026: Day Two

Saturday, May 23rd kicked off Day Two of year 15 for the California Roots festival at the famous Monterey Fairgrounds. Fans were lined up and running to the rail, right at daybreak, ready to listen and vibe to all the wonderful bands the day had in store. Benny Ranks kicked the day off on the Bowl […]

Tech N9ne + E-40 = 30+ years of hits in St. Louis

Even though I love hip hop music, especially underground and independent hip hop, I rarely ever actually go to a hip hop show. Nothing against it — it just isn’t really something I do. But when some of the most successful independent hip hop artists of all time come to my town, you know I’m […]

Tech N9ne & E-40 travel through 3+ decades of hits in Nashville

If I am being honest, I had pretty low expectations this past Tuesday for Tech N9ne’s show at Marathon Music Works in Nashville, TN. It wasn’t that I thought the music would be bad; I certainly know Tech N9ne is amazing. I think it was more a combination of life burnout and the fact that […]