One Love Cali Reggae Fest 2020: Day One

Eager fans basked in the glorious California sun as they began their One Love Cali Reggae experience. The festival kicked off its 5th Anniversary at the Queen Mary Events Park in Long Beach on Friday, February 7th. The amazing three-day festival, presented by Goldenvoice, kicked off Day One with three stages, hosting 26 must-see bands. […]

4th & Orange interviews at One Love Cali Reggae Fest 2020

It was a nostalgic weekend for Long Beach locals, as 4th & Orange made their festival debut at the One Love Cali Reggae Festival on Friday, February 7th 2020 — the same day they dropped their new single “In The LBC”! Formed in 2019 by longtime friends Garrett Douglas (lead singer) and Chris ‘DJ Irey’ […]

Pennywise sells out Ace of Spades, Sacramento

On January 19th, SoCal punk legends Pennywise returned to Sacramento to play Ace of Spades for a sold out show. The bill featured seasoned favorites The Adolescents and Guttermouth beside Sac local Slaughterhouse, who opened the night. As fans lined the block, you could feel the anticipation from young and old fans alike. This was […]

TSM #HotList: February 20th, 2020

Welcome to another installment of our Top Shelf Music Artist #HotList, with host Alexia Johnson! This episode brings forth the talents of Skunk Funk, The Irie, Boca 45 and Pacific Roots… which makes a pretty funky bunch! Follow us on social media (specifically Instagram) @topshelfmusicmag to be the first to know more music news as […]

The Melvins sell out Casbah San Diego

There’s something about driving a couple of hours to a show that is just better than going to a local show… more build up, more anticipation and you feel like you’ve accomplished something more, as well. My excitement was running high during the two and a half hour drive on the way down from Pomona to […]

Sublime With Rome hits TopGolf Las Vegas

Fans of all generations gathered together in fellowship to celebrate and venerate the music of Sublime, carried out by Sublime With Rome on January 8th at TopGolf in Las Vegas. Some wore tie-dye and flowers in their hair, many opted for a 90s grunge style, while others donned the iconic ‘Sublime sun’ on their apparel […]

BeachLife returns to Redondo May 2020

Year Two of festivals usually capitalize on where the inaugural year went right and work out the few kinks Year One went disastrously wrong. It’s a learning curve that could make or break a fest, considering music festivals are a dime a dozen these days. Some festivals, however, know how to do it right from […]

Beartooth & Motionless in White at SOMA San Diego

Beartooth and Motionless in White kicked off the New Year on January 8th at SOMA San Diego as part of their Diseased and Disguised co-headlining tour, named after their most recent album releases. As I rolled up to SOMA, the line waiting for doors to open was wrapped around the building! All ages — from […]

Top Shelf Music News: Episode 1

Welcome to the inaugural episode of Top Shelf Music News, with your host Matt Cook & Kristy Rose guiding you on this daring quest. It being right after the holidays, a lot is going on in the music industry, from festival announcements to new music to hot gossip of the bands you love. This episode […]

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 […]

Between You & Me at Chain Reaction Anaheim

Tearing up a Friday night at Chain Reaction, up-and-coming band Between You & Me are ready to conquer their second North American tour with their first full-length album out to the world. The guys — consisting of vocalist Jake Wilson, guitarists Jai Gibson and Chris Bowerman, bassist James Karagiozis and drummer Jamey Bowerman — all came […]

The Last Gang at Anaheim’s Chain Reaction

When looking for something to do on a Wednesday night, there was nothing else to consider when I saw that The Last Gang was playing October 2nd at the infamous Chain Reaction in Anaheim, California. As the crowd settled into the bar, Orange County’s own favorite punk band Chaser took to the stage. I was […]

After effects of Aftershock 2019

Wow! Can’t believe this is the 8th year of Aftershock in Sacramento, CA. This year, the festival took place at Discovery Park and had a sold-out crowd, including huge headliners. The bar was set very high, but the music, fans and overall experience definitely delivered. Fans were dressed in metal, gothic, and alternative clothing on […]

Senses Fail rocks Anaheim’s Chain Reaction

Senses Fail brought a special performance on October 16th at Chain Reaction in Anaheim, CA, playing songs fans haven’t heard in either a long time or not even at all, while making for alternative history in a unique, cozy venue. Bringing along epic performers Hot Mulligan and Yours Truly, the energy from the intimate venue […]