Chilling On The Illinois Fest coming to Cave Junction, Oregon

The essence of summertime is encapsulated in various ways. Family barbecues. Beach excursions. Exploring the great outdoors. What would the season be without bringing people together, out of their previously hibernated states into the world around them? Leave your gadgets at home; it’s summertime and the livin’s easy. Two archetypes of summertime combine into one […]

San Diego Pride 2019

San Diego’s 45th Annual Pride Celebration was upon the city and according to San Diego Pride, the two-day festival draws in over 45,000 people each year with four stages featuring more than 100 musical acts. Singer, producer, instrumentalist King Princess headlined the festival Saturday, performing songs from her unreleased album and hits like “1950” and […]

Hawaii’s Mayjah Rayjah Music Festival to celebrate 10 years

Anyone who is fortunate enough to live on the Hawaiian islands, or be heading there this summer, could be in for a treat if they are able to hit The Mayjah Rayjah Music Festival [TMR] on any one of four different islands! The TMR first event is a two-day festival held in Honolulu on July […]

Cali Roots 2019: Day Three

Mixed weather didn’t deter Cali Roots X attendees from enjoying the third and final day in Monterey to the fullest. With two days down, Day Three at the fairgrounds brought with it one of the most stacked lineups to date when it comes to reggae rock. The morning started off with The Elovaters’ high-energy set […]

The Cure curates Pasadena Daydream Festival

It’s been 40 years since Robert Smith and The Cure entertained fans at Hyde Park in London. In honor of that show, The Cure has created another summer’s end festival of epic proportions. Robert Smith says of his new Pasadena Daydream Festival, “Hyde Park was a fabulous experience, the whole day was really magical and […]

Bayfest San Diego 2019

June 1st in San Diego brings with it the expectation of summer. With most reggae rock fans coming off a cool Cali Roots weekend in Monterey, the San Diego temperate weather was welcomed with open arms (and lots of sunscreen). Up first on the stage was locals Band of Gringos, with artist Jimmy Ovadia live-painting […]

Thirty Seconds to Mars gears up for Camp Mars Malibu 5

It’s already the fifth year in a row for Thirty Seconds to Mars to host their unique music festival called Camp Mars in Malibu, California. This time, they are offering fans to spend the weekend of September 7th-9th celebrating 10 years since their big album, This Is War, was released. The weekend will include two […]

G. Love’s Cape Cod Roots & Blues Fest returns for Year 2

A beacon of the alternative music industry, G. Love commemorates his 26th year with his Special Sauce band with the return of his Cape Cod Roots & Blues Festival. Originally celebrating a quarter century in the performance world, G. Love brings together another round of the best in blues music to Nauset Beach of Orleans, […]

Kyle Smith & Brendan Clemente chat at Cali Roots X

Top Shelf Music journalist Kristy Rose sits down with two great independent artists at California Roots 10, Kyle Smith and Brendan Clemente! Performing together for the first time, the two chat about their individual efforts in the scene, what’s to come next and how Cali Roots brought the two of them together in the first […]

Aftershock Fest 2019 expands to three days

After selling out the last four years in Sacramento and welcoming a crowd of over 60,000 people, Aftershock Festival has expanded to three days and will include some of the biggest names in metal, punk rock and alternative music. This year’s headliners will feature Slipknot, Stained, Korn, Blink 182, Rob Zombie, Tool, Dropkick Murphys, Lamb […]

The Bash Fest 2019: Sacramento

The Bash Fest, a touring family-friendly punk rock music and beer festival presented by Rancid, had brought together some of the most notable bands in the punk rock scene to the stage for fans to enjoy. The musical lineup included favorites such as Sharp Shock, L7, Suicidal Tendencies, Pennywise and, to headline each night, Rancid […]

Roots of a Rebellion sits down at Cali Roots 10

Top Shelf Music journalist Kristy Rose sits down with Roots of a Rebellion at California Roots 10, all the way from Tennessee! The band opened up Day Two of the festival and with a new album out shortly, Roots of a Rebellion members were stoked to share details on the LP and what’s coming up […]

Cali Roots 2019: Day One

It’s always a cathartic experience, gracing the Monterey Fairgrounds gates for yet another Memorial Day Weekend at California Roots Music & Arts Festival. Unlike any other year, expectations were peaking for the 10th Annual to get underway (the milestone dubbed ‘Cali Roots X’ for good measure). Also unlike any other is the feeling of togetherness, not […]

Being at Bayfest San Diego

There’s nothing like a family reunion. Now imagine one without any family drama, surrounded by endless familiar faces on a beautiful day sprawled across the breathtaking lawns of San Diego’s Embarcadero Marina Park North, with the monumental Coronado Speedway looming in the distance, boats passing by on the water and the palatial highrises of the […]

A chat with The Late Ones at California Roots 2019

Top Shelf Music journalist Kristy Rose sits down with The Late Ones, a hip hop meets island reggae trio out of Hawaii, at California Roots 10 ahead of their late night afterparty performance in Monterey, California. With a new single available as of that day, The Late Ones were excited to share music, upcoming summer plans […]