The Barbarians of California goes nuclear in Nashville

A couple of months ago, I was scrolling through Instagram stories when one of my friends (who also happens to be a music journalist) posted about a new band I’d never heard of before. The band was called The Barbarians of California and the song was “Bomb to a Knife Fight”. My first thought was […]

Journey takes San Diego to the Final Frontier & beyond

Arena rock legends Journey brought their Final Frontier Tour to San Diego’s legendary Sports Arena (now known as Pechanga Arena) on September 14th, 2026, celebrating five decades of memorable music on their extended farewell tour. Founding member and lead guitarist Neal Schon led the current incarnation of the band on a two-and-a-half-hour trip down memory […]

Super Girl Surf Festival 2026: Day Three

The 20th anniversary Super Girl Surf Festival wrapped up on August 23rd, 2026 at the Oceanside Pier in Oceanside, California. The SMKFLWR Stage in the Junior Seau Pier Amphitheatre was rocking all afternoon, with a wide variety of genres represented, capped off by rapper B.o.B and electronic duo Hippie Sabotage. The World Surf League competitions […]

A night of 90s hip hop with Nas, The Roots, & De La Soul in San Diego

A blood moon shined over San Diego’s Gallagher Square at Petco Park as three of rap’s legends presented A Great Night in Hip Hop. Long Island’s De La Soul, New York City’s Nas, and Philadelphia’s The Roots joined forces to celebrate the best of the 1990s East Coast scene. A large video screen behind the […]

San Diego turns out for 311, Dirty Heads, Atmosphere, & Rome

San Diego doesn’t need much convincing to stretch summer a little further, especially when the plan involves live music under an open sky. In August 2026, 311 and Dirty Heads brought their So Glad You Made It Tour to North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre in Chula Vista, with Rome and Atmosphere rounding out the bill. […]

Super Girl Surf Festival 2026: Day Two

Day Two of the Super Girl Surf Festival was another action-packed day at the Oceanside Pier with attendees enjoying music, art, and competitive sports. The World Surf League surfing and longboarding knockout rounds continued, pushing towards the Sunday finals. Women also competed in beach volleyball, beach flag football, and inline/quads skating. There were also several […]

Ne-Yo & Akon end co-headlining tour to ecstatic LA fans

Nostalgia and party vibes hit Inglewood hard, as Ne-Yo and Akon performed their final stop of their Nights Like This Tour. I’ve been to hundreds of shows in my life, but I’ve never been to a show like this one! As a kid, I would always hear Ne-Yo and Akon on the radio during my […]

Hinterland Festival 2026: Day Four

The final day of the Hinterland Music Festival 2026 packed its own punch to conclude the long weekend of music. The first half of the day featured a mixture of different pop music performances, kicking things off with the wacky and wild pop duo, Haute & Freddy, followed by the moody and gut-wrenching indie pop […]

Hinterland Festival 2026: Day Three

After two rainy music-filled days at Hinterland 2026, Saturday gave us the sunshine we had all been waiting for. Another solid lineup of artists were waiting for us beneath the big blue Iowa skies as the festival field filled with colorful blankets and small folding chairs. Day Three of the Hinterland went in a little […]

Courtney Barnett sells out three nights at San Francisco’s Fillmore

It was a beautiful day on Wednesday, August 26th, when Courtney Barnett kicked off one of three nights at a true San Francisco historic gem — The Fillmore. The Sydney-born, Hobart-raised, and Melbourne-based Aussie singer-songwriter was in town promoting her forthcoming album, Creature of Habit, with proof of the album’s acclaim being THREE SOLD-OUT NIGHTS […]

Super Girl Surf Festival 2026: Day One

On the morning of Friday August 21st, 2026, the landmark Oceanside Pier stood tall against the rising sun and incoming waves. Adorned in sponsor signage, the pier — which has stood its ground since 1888, despite being destroyed and rebuilt five times — was prepared to celebrate a festival built around resilience and female empowerment. […]

Tucker Wetmore serenades sold out winery crowd in Saratoga, CA

Friday, August 21st, chart-topping breakout country star Tucker Wetmore was all smiles as he brought his Brunette World Tour to beautiful Mountain Winery in Saratoga, California. Nestled high up in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Mountain Winery offers picturesque views without a single bad seat in the house.  If you got to the show early, Adele’s […]

Sturgill Simpson plays exclusive 200-person popup in Nashville

This past Wednesday, I experienced a miracle. I was looking down at my phone, browsing Instagram while waiting for a meeting to start, and I saw something I could hardly believe — Johnny Blue Skies (aka, Sturgill Simpson) was playing at the Cobra Nashville?! I clicked on their website to see if this was a […]

Hinterland Festival 2026: Day Two

It’s time for Day Two of Hinterland! I think Friday might have been one of my favorite lineup days; it was an incredibly strong selection of female artists from the beginning to the very end of the day. When I think back to this day, the first thought that comes to mind is, “This one […]