Experiencing the down-to-earth Just Like Heaven 2022

It’s as if our prayers were answered this year at Just Like Heaven in Pasadena, California this year! With an insane lineup for any 20/30-something with an alternative taste, it was like a fun reunion you can bring the whole family to! From perfect weather to divine food and music to complement it all, you […]

This Ain’t No Picnic coming to Pasadena in August 2022

In the fine words of Sheryl Crow, “this ain’t no disco” and “it ain’t no country club, either”. That’s right, because alternative rock is harder and here to stay. In this same vein, the fine festival producers over at Goldenvoice introduced This Ain’t No Picnic to high acclaim, set to grace the Pasadena Rose Bowl […]

Almost one month before Lollapalooza 2022

It’s that time of year again in Chicago! No, we’re not talking about the green-dyed Chicago River for St. Patty’s Day… we’re talking GREEN Day and 170+ other musical artists taking the nine stages at Grant Park for the annual (and utterly massive) international music festival known as Lollapalooza! Four days of impressive lineups and […]

JXDN brings Tell Me About Tomorrow Tour to Los Angeles

JXDN’s Tell Me About Tomorrow Tour hit Los Angeles recently and, WOWZA, what an incredible performance! Singer-songwriter and TikToker, Jaden Hossler (familiarly, JXDN), is exceptionally talented. JXDN is Travis Barker’s protégé, so we have so much more to look forward to!  I’m sure we can all agree, JXDN’s life changed in the Blink of a (182) eye! LOL The […]

Animal Collective lights up Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre

It was cool, cloudy and hazy Friday evening in late May at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. The stage, however, was lit with a range of bright colors and a backdrop of rozy panels for the headliner, Animal Collective. As I waited in the pit for the music to start, there were talks amongst […]

Modest Mouse floats on through St. Louis

Before even arriving at the venue, the night began with excitement. There were torrential downpours on the drive to see Modest Mouse at the Saint Louis Music Park in Maryland Heights — so much rain, you couldn’t see the lines on the road. As traffic slowed to a crawl, I started to wonder if the […]

A night of prog rock with Anthony Green in Pomona, CA

This should be a thing: it should be some type of Las Vegas residency or traveling circus that never stops. Every artist witnessed at The Glasshouse in Pomona, California on May 21st — which included Tim Kasher, Anthony Green (of Circa Survive) and Laura Jane Grace — mentioned how they wished this tour wouldn’t stop. […]

Cruel World 2022

Oh, what a wonderful Cruel World it was! Presented by Goldenvoice, this nostalgic New Wave fest graced Pasadena’s Rose Bowl on Saturday, May 14th (with the same lineup repeating the next day). Arriving midday, Christian Death was already rocking the side stage, while Sextile was crushing the main Outsiders Stage. Despite the heat, people were […]

Eclectic Soundtrax Podcast, Ep. 71: Static Limit

On this episode of Eclectic Soundtrax, hosts Victor Ramos and Skunk Manhattan chat with Rom and Diana of the instrumental progressive metal band, Static Limit. The south Texas-based group was formed in 2003 by Rom Garza (guitars/synth), along with Jay Juarez (bass) and Mario Rivera (drums). After cutting their teeth playing regional shows around “The […]

Girl Named Tom lights up Los Angeles, with Claire Wright

With a perfect four-chair turn in their audition, in front of millions of people all over the world and winning NBC’s The Voice — Season 21, Girl Named Tom stole the hearts of America with their harmonious harmonies and put on a show-stopping performance at the world famous Troubadour in West Hollywood, CA.  Opening the […]

Sigur Rós brings meditative music to a serene night in Seattle

Wow, what an eventful night it was in beautiful Seattle! Sigur Rós played an extraordinary show, but first, let’s talk about the vibe at Paramount Theatre. Fans were in line and excited to see the Icelandic rock band. All different ages, the fans were smiling as they walked into the theater. There was plenty of […]

A phenomenal night with Phoebe Bridgers at Red Rocks

Morrison, Colorado — home of the bucket-list inducing venue, Red Rocks, just outside Denver. This natural amphitheater set the stage for Phoebe Bridgers on a gloomy Tuesday night. I was lucky enough to get to the venue super early, around 4pm, so I could try to scope out the heralded Red Rocks layout. To my […]

The stress-free, fun-filled weekend at BeachLife 2022

This year’s BeachLife Festival perfectly reflected the famous picturesque lifestyle of southern California. Spanning the weekend of May 13th through the 15th in Redondo Beach, festival-goers experienced the warmth of the California sun, the cool breeze of the Pacific Ocean and the swaying shade of palm trees, all while listening to a variety of 50 […]

How it felt to finally witness Gang of Youths in San Francisco

On Monday May 16th, San Francisco’s Fillmore welcomed Australian rock band Gang of Youths for their Angel In Real Time Tour, featuring tour support from Quinn Christopherson. Originally formed in Sydney by frontman Dave Le’aupepe in 2011, Gang of Youths relocated to London in 2017. They just  recently released their fourth studio album, angel in […]

Pearl Jam plays Oakland Arena: Night One

Thursday May 12th was night one of two at Oakland Arena for Pearl Jam’s Gigaton Tour, featuring support from Pluralone. Dressed in my best flannel, I made my way to the NBA Warriors’ old home at the Oakland Arena for a night of nostalgic 90s grunge. This was my first official arena show that I’ve had […]