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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Royal Blood rocks San Diego’s Observatory North Park

Royal Blood sold out San Diego’s Observatory North Park on their North America Tour, with support from Cleopatrick on May 8th. Sometimes less is better and that was definitely the vibe of the night, for both bands were made up of two man bands. The night kicked off with Cleopatrick, made up of childhood friends […]

Boston Manor at The Bottleneck in Lawrence, Kansas

Boston Manor brought their headlining tour to the historic rock-and-roll venue The Bottleneck in Lawrence, Kansas on May 4th, with support from Trash Boat, Higher Power and Anxious. Three of the four bands on the bill were formed in England. A long way from home, the bands were eager to put on an entertaining show. […]

Austin City Limits lineup announced for Fall 2022

Yeehaw, it’s OFFICIAL! The 2022 Austin City Limits Festival (ACL) lineup is here and it’s impressive. Like past years, the headliners are an eclectic mix and wide-ranging, from new-to-the scene artists to billboard chart-toppers to veteran bands that have been rocking festival circuits for years. Given the prowess and clout of ACL and its history, […]

Trevor Hall leaves St. Louis full of love & light

When Trevor Hall made his long-awaited return to St. Louis on April 21st, he was determined to bring with him his trademark aura of good vibes, along with his unbelievable positive energy. There was so much love and inclusivity in the air at The Pageant that night; it was so welcoming to feel when there […]

Eclectic Soundtrax Podcast, Ep. 70: Zarate Zaaló

On this episode of Eclectic Soundtrax, hosts Skunk Manhattan and Victor Ramos chat with Karate Zaaló (aka, Squiggly Finesse) — keyboardist, vocalist and mastermind of the Bourgeois Mystics. This fantastically eclectic group of intergalactic eccentrics currently reside at their 38-acre Austin-based commune (definitely, not a cult) and make outer-worldly music to inspire (or conquer?) us mere […]