Monster Energy Outbreak Tour hits San Diego, with Zero 9:36 & more

Zero 9:36 came to San Diego’s House of Blues Voodoo Room, with support from Garzi and Fame on Fire! I’m such a sucker for these smaller venues, because it’s so intimate and I feel like the bands are so much more appreciative of the people who comes out! GARZI kicked off the night, who told […]

An interview with Anton Newcombe of Brian Jonestown Massacre

After nearly three decades of music, psychedelic rock gods The Brian Jonestown Massacre are still going strong! Longtime veterans in the music scene, they have managed to keep their style fresh and ever evolving. Their 19th studio album, Fire Doesn’t Grow on Trees, is set for release June 24th and they are hitting the road […]

Shinedown sets stage ablaze in Des Moines, Iowa

Shinedown brought their Revolution’s Live Tour to the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa on April 12th. Supporting Shinedown were The Pretty Reckless and Diamante. Rather than the usual square stage, with standing room directly in front of it, this stage was assembled into a T-shaped catwalk, with fans on three sides. This layout […]

Two full weeks of SXSW 2022

SXSW is known for many things… whether it’s throngs of happy music lovers, rediscovering their love of seeking the best new bands, or the pack of tech guys in networking nirvana. Or, the film geeks and geek-ettes, gawking in gritty discourse over the merits (or lack thereof) of their latest screening. For me, though, SX […]

A night of classic rock with Foghat in North Tonawanda

It was a royal classic rock night, with Head East opening up for Foghat in North Tonawanda, New York at the Riviera Theatre on April 16th! Both classic bands performed very well and energized the crowd, spanning all different age groups. It was evident that Foghat has been worshipped for generations — and will continue […]

Eclectic Soundtrax Podcast, Ep. 69: Nathan Ruyle

Welcome to an all-new episode of Eclectic Soundtrax Podcast! Hosts Victor Ramos and Skunk Manhattan are joined by Nathan Ruyle from his new post sound facility in Burbank, CA. Ruyle works as a sound designer, supervising sound editor, re-recording mixer and founder of the independent post-production sound company, This is Sound Design. In a career […]

Reverend Horton Heat at OC’s Garden Amp

On April 8th, Reverend Horton Heat headlined a show at the Garden Amp. They were supported by the Delta Bombers and 40 Acre Mule. 40 Acre Mule out of Texas started the night out, getting everyone moving with their mix of country, soul and rock sound. It was my first time seeing them and I was really […]

The Darkness rocks Nashville like never before

I walked into my favorite Nashville venue — the Brooklyn Bowl — on a recent Friday evening, not truly knowing what to expect from the upcoming night of music. I was there to see The Darkness and local favorites, The Dead Deads. The latter all-girl grunge rock group is widely considered to be one of […]

Fan-curated Blue Ridge Rock Festival resurfaces for 2022

The 5th Annual fan-driven Blue Ridge Rock Festival returns this September 8th through 11th! After the mishaps of last year, I was really scared the fest wasn’t going to return… I’ve heard a lot of people left the fest unhappy and there were a lot of negative things to said about it. I can understand […]

Papa Roach returns with ‘Ego Trip’ album

Papa Roach fans — it is now time to fill those eardrums with new tunes! The rap metal band’s astounding eleventh album has just been released, so let’s dive into these amazing fresh tracks from a longtime genre heavyweight. The first song off the album, “Kill The Noise”, is completely different from anything Papa Roach […]

Testament’s Bay Strikes Back Tour hits San Luis Obispo

After two long years, the Bay Strikes Back Tour was finally back in action, starting off in San Luis Obispo on April 9th, 2022. With 80s thrash metal legends Death Angel, Exodus and Testament, it was a night of head-banging hard rock, well overdue! This was my first official metal show, so it was cool to […]

Bad Religion packs punk rockers inside Majestic Ventura Theater

What a night celebrating a sold-out show with Slaughterhouse and punk rock legends Bad Religion at the Majestic Ventura Theater! One of my favorite things about going to concerts is knowing that, sometimes, I might not know who the opener is and I get to experience someone new. It was cool to see a young […]

Sad Summer Fest to hit the road once more for 2022

Hey emo kids! We might be in a post-Warped Tour era, but that doesn’t mean all our emo rock punk summer vibes are lost! Sad Summer Fest is back for its third installment and have yet another STUDDED lineup across 8,177 miles of the United States. In fact, they’re even bringing Waterparks(s)! Thats right, Waterparks […]

SXSW 2022: Best Bands

SXSW made its cautious, yet triumphant return earlier in March after its abrupt cancellation in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic. The city of Austin took a safe approach to this year’s festival by opening many onsite testing facilities, as well as administering a digital pass for all vaccinated festival-goers. Even with safeguards in place, the […]