Los Angeles set for Snoop Dogg’s Once Upon A Time 2021

Once Upon A Time in LA 2021 returns from its 2019 debut! The festival was planned to come back in 2020, yet fell victim to the COVID-19 pandemic (as most did). The multigenerational jam-packed lineup for this year gives us a mix of oldies, funk and old and new-school hip hop. Hosted by Snoop Dogg, […]

Experiencing Reggae Rise Up Florida 2021

The seemingly endless live music drought inflicted by COVID-19 has had its impact on fans, musicians, crews, promoters and everyone else associated with the live music industry. There has been a lot of articles and opinion pieces published on this over the last couple years, so this will not be belabored here. What is of […]

A chat with The Collection at Shaky Knees Fest

The Collection is an amazing seven-piece band hailing from Saxapahaw, North Carolina. Their wild live shows and upbeat blend of pop rock have earned them a 2019 NPR Tiny Desk judges pick, as well as a recent opening spot with Larkin Poe. Their latest single, “Get Lost”, was released a few weeks ago and they […]

Reliving the rush of Aftershock 2021

After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Aftershock Festival returned to Sacramento’s Discovery Park for not three, but FOUR days! This year was the fifth installment of the event and brought a lineup that included Metallica, The Original Misfits, Volbeat, Cypress Hill, Body Count, Rancid, Gojira, Social Distortion and many more rock and […]

Billy Idol performs The Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas

A thunder of rock ‘n roll came rolling in as the legendary Billy Idol took Vegas’ Cosmopolitan stage by storm on October 22nd, electrifying the packed theater with a fierce passion to rock out. Thriving in his native space of performing, Idol exuded a natural confidence that comes from over 40 years of commanding the […]

An evening with James Taylor in Anaheim

On October 30th, after over a year-long delay, James Taylor took to the stage at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. After a quick set change, following an incredible set by Jackson Browne, the lights dimmed and a triangle-shaped cloth was dropped from the ceiling to the stage. At the same time, videos of fans […]

The spectacular, stunt-filled circus of Goldrush AZ 2021

Goldrush Festival returned this year bigger and wilder than ever over the weekend of September 24th, 25th and 26th at the good old Rawhide Western Town & Event Center! Not only did this festival have a completely insane lineup, but Goldrush was also stacked with so many incredible activities around its grounds! In its 4th […]

WORLD TRACK PREMIERE: Nolo Grace “Don’t Wanna Go Home”

Alternative pop rising star Nolo Grace returns with her “Don’t Wanna Go Home” single, premiering exclusively with Top Shelf Music before it hits all digital outlets on November 5th! The Korean-American songstress debuted earlier this year, after learning to embrace her voice and vision over quarantine with producer husband Martin Wave. No novice to production […]

The full Shaky Knees Fest 2021 experience

Shaky Knees is Atlanta’s premiere alt and indie rock music festival and Friday would mark its triumphant return to the Peach State after a 2020 absence. Located in the heart of downtown in Central Park, the festival would be a sight for sore eyes for many hungry music fans excited to return to live music. […]

Beth Crowley talks her spooky single “In The End”

Nashville-based singer-songwriter Beth Crowley melds mystical folklore with soothing sounds in her hauntingly beautiful new single “In The End”. Based off Netflix’s The Witcher series, this song tells a familiar tale of star-crossed lovers, whose love will “burn until there’s nothing left”, yet will ultimately lead to their downfall. Sometimes “twin flames” can destroy as […]

Same Same But Different Fest 2021 brought the beach party

The third annual Same Same But Different Festival (SSBD) returned this September 9th through 12th in full force, representing all that is freedom and love in the hidden gem of Lake Perris, California. A beautiful, hot weekend perfectly complimented with a cool dip in Lake Perris was a combination made in heaven. Gleaming the best […]

Two nights of Volbeat at San Diego’s Observatory North Park

Volbeat played not one, but two nights in San Diego on October 2nd and 3rd! After Volbeat sold out their first show, they decided to add another night (since San Diego clearly loves Volbeat!!). They had support from Twin Temple and Municipal Waste. Due to some house restrictions and confusion, I was not allowed to […]

SZNS drops catchy new anthem “We’re Not Gonna Be Friends”

Reminiscent of throwback favorites, SZNS blew up out of nowhere in 2021 with their track “Tequila with Lime”. A catchy, no-holds-barred synthy girlpop tune with delicious latin undertones, it blends unapologetic empowerment with a fun take on today’s dating scene. “Y-E-S, shoot your shot, but if I say N-O, boy bye, get lost!” How can […]

WORLD TRACK PREMIERE: MoZaiq “I Love”

Desert reggae duo MoZaiq returns with a sincere and heartfelt ode to not only their loyal fanbase, but the reggae genre in general! Consisting of one half Marc Diaz and one half Noel Morin Jr., MoZaiq, as a whole, ceaselessly encourages uplifting messages embedded between a rootsy fusion sound. That said, this single takes the […]