Saltwater Hippie presents: Seranation at Jannus Live

It’s September 18th and the first time our local band Seranation gets to headline Jannus Live! Can you imagine going to an iconic venue since you were a kid, watching your favorite bands play, then, one day, starting your own band and headlining that same venue? Well, that’s how Seranation felt on Saturday at the […]

Being at SoCal Hoedown 2021

For five previous years, SoCal Hoedown has had fantastic lineup, with some of the best punk musicians gathering together to perform for one epic day! Hamapple, a punk band from southern California, kicked off the long-awaited 2021 SoCal Hoedown return. To get the fans psyched up, they started the event at noon with some upbeat, […]

Modest Mouse packs San Diego’s Open Air Theater

The night of September 22nd was still a warm one, when San Diego fans started lining up to get inside San Diego State’s Cal Coast Open Air Theater — an outdoor venue carved into the middle of the sprawling university campus. Modest Mouse was here! Whether you were a fan of their 2004 smash hit […]

SOL Mountain Fest 2021: Day One

Santa Cruz Mountain Sol Festival kicked off Day One of the two-day festival on Saturday, September 18th under the beautiful redwoods at Felton’s Roaring Camp, located in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Gates opened at 11am with the first band, Wolf Jett, on the stage at noon. The festival initially sold out weeks before due to limited […]

Rebelution & friends fill Florida’s Vinoy Park

“There’s nothing like roots reggae music” and you could feel that as you got closer to Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg, FL on September 17th. With dub style music in the air, reggae family came from all around to join together for Keznamdi, Kabaka Pyramid and, of course, the amazing Rebelution. The Good Vibes Summer […]

Cali Roots Presents: J Boog & The Green in Monterey

On the evening of August 28th, Top Shelf Music I descended upon Monterey County Fairgrounds to photograph a magical night of reggae music. The lineup included GRAMMY-nominated J Boog, The Green, Josh Heinrichs and special guest Saritah. It is nights like this that remind us of simpler times spent dancing in ‘The Bowl’ with friends […]

New Found Glory brings Pop Punk’s Not Dead Tour to Anaheim

Located alongside Disneyland at Anaheim’s Garden Walk, long-awaited circle pits and crowd-surfers were in full force proving pop punk is, indeed, still alive and well. For two blessed nights, New Found Glory sold out the House of Blues Anaheim with their highly-anticipated Pop Punk’s Not Dead Tour. The show was originally co-headlined with Simple Plan […]

Slightly Stoopid headlines San Diego’s Petco Park

On September 11th, Slightly Stoopid took over Petco Park in San Diego. They were supported by Boostive, The Elovaters and Thievery Corporation, with live painting by artist Jimmy Ovadia. Stoopid shows are always a party, but they are extra fun when at their home in San Diego, and this show was no exception. Walking around the venue, it […]

311, Iration & Iya Terra leave Missouri fans begging for more

While the air molecules occupying the evening sky over Maryland Heights, MO dispersed aside the shorter wavelengths of light, giving way to the ambers, and the honeys, the marigolds, and the crimsons, a truly epic night of reggae music was shared among brothers and sisters of every race and religion. Bringing everyone together for the […]

KBong & special guests at Jannus Live, St. Petersburg

“There’s a melody in the wind // I can hear it on the shore // Brings me closer to something that I’ve never felt before // Becoming a brighter day, now that we’re outside // Let’s follow the sound into the night,” as KBong’s “Good To Hear Music” goes. Walking the streets in downtown St. […]

A chat with Calliope Musicals outside their show in Nashville

Austin, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee are — in my opinion — the two best music cities in America. On any given night, you can find an amazing show in one of many great concert venues… not to mention that if you throw a rock in any direction, you are liable to hit a musician in […]

Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo rock The Grove at Anaheim

Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo rocked The Grove of Anaheim on September 7th, taking attendees on a magical ride through their 42-year playbook of extraordinary musical mastery. I can still recall the first time my Pop played Pat Benatar for me… I was six years old and remember being blown away by the beautiful, powerful […]

Counting Crows rocks Paso Robles, CA

The 90s took over Vina Robles Amphitheater with alt rock legends Counting Crows, playing hits such as “Mr. Jones”, “A Long December” and “Daylight Fading”… just to name a few! To start off the night was an acoustic indie artist by the name of Matt Sucich, coming all the way from Queens, New York. He […]

Lindsey Stirling lights up San Diego

Having never been to a Lindsey Stirling show, I walked into the San Diego Civic Theater on August 31st with, what I can only call in retrospect, ignorance. I’ve heard of her majesty from friends and I’ve heard about her YouTube legacy… never tuned in though. Now that I know everything Lindsey Stirling encapsulates, I […]

Hella Mega Tour leaves San Diego in awe

Selling out stadiums across America, the Hella Mega Tour finally rolled into San Diego on the gorgeous Sunday afternoon of August 29th. The vibe was this happy, positive, calming energy. Yes!! We are finally back, doing what we love with the people that get it! Of course, there were a few new rules for the safety […]