Pennywise sells out Ace of Spades, Sacramento

On January 19th, SoCal punk legends Pennywise returned to Sacramento to play Ace of Spades for a sold out show. The bill featured seasoned favorites The Adolescents and Guttermouth beside Sac local Slaughterhouse, who opened the night. As fans lined the block, you could feel the anticipation from young and old fans alike. This was […]

The Melvins sell out Casbah San Diego

There’s something about driving a couple of hours to a show that is just better than going to a local show… more build up, more anticipation and you feel like you’ve accomplished something more, as well. My excitement was running high during the two and a half hour drive on the way down from Pomona to […]

Goldenvoice announces Cruel World Fest to hit Los Angeles

Goldenvoice, the leading west coast festival name, loves to continually spice things up. It seems every year, Goldenvoice organizes and carries out novel weekends of music with varying themes. Tropicalia Festival in Long Beach highlights Latino acts; One Love Cali Reggae Festival in the same location revolves around the finest in reggae rock; Camp Flog […]

Motion City Soundtrack at House of Blues, Anaheim

The House of Blues Anaheim was packed Thursday, January 23rd thanks to Motion CIty Soundtrack’s Don’t Call It A Comeback Tour. Complete with two shreddin’ openers, the night was every pop-punk fantasy come to life. First up was Arms Akimbo, starting it off right with high energy, personality and an incredible sound to match. As […]

HELLYEAH rocks House of Blues, San Diego

It was a packed house at San Diego’s House of Blues, smack dab in the middle of downtown’s Gaslamp District on the night of December 17th. Deepfall opened up for Nonpoint and HELLYEAH, and I expected a little bit heavier sound. Deepfall has a Three Doors Down sound, founded in 2015 by keyboardist Tim King. […]

The Almost at Pittsburgh’s Rex Theater

The Almost returned to the stage full force on January 11th, 2020 at The Rex Theater in Pittsburgh, giving an unforgettable performance. As the tour made its way through the eastern part of the country, many members of the group became sick with the flu, causing a cancellation in Washington D.C. Their first day back […]

Sublime With Rome hits TopGolf Las Vegas

Fans of all generations gathered together in fellowship to celebrate and venerate the music of Sublime, carried out by Sublime With Rome on January 8th at TopGolf in Las Vegas. Some wore tie-dye and flowers in their hair, many opted for a 90s grunge style, while others donned the iconic ‘Sublime sun’ on their apparel […]

Beartooth & Motionless in White at SOMA San Diego

Beartooth and Motionless in White kicked off the New Year on January 8th at SOMA San Diego as part of their Diseased and Disguised co-headlining tour, named after their most recent album releases. As I rolled up to SOMA, the line waiting for doors to open was wrapped around the building! All ages — from […]

Top Shelf Music News: Episode 1

Welcome to the inaugural episode of Top Shelf Music News, with your host Matt Cook & Kristy Rose guiding you on this daring quest. It being right after the holidays, a lot is going on in the music industry, from festival announcements to new music to hot gossip of the bands you love. This episode […]

Wonderfront 2019: Day Three

Still reeling from the previous two days, I was a child at Christmas impatiently waiting to open my presents or, in this case, the festival gates. I knew the festival grounds like the back of my hand by now; I had my sets lined up and now I just needed a beer. Local breweries were […]

Cleaver, Nu Ritual & Worldwide Panic at LA’s Rainbow Room

It was a crisp, crystal clear autumn night as the historic Rainbow Room sign stood tall over the Sunset Strip in Hollywood on November 11th, 2019. ‘Metal Mayhem’ night, hosted by LA Talk Radio’s Jennifer Devoe (of Jenny’s Real Talk on the Block), was on the rise and things were about to get loud AF! […]

Wonderfront 2019: Day Two

Day Two — let’s go! First off, kudos to Wonderfront for their festival companion app! I’ve never seen a more polished festival app that was intuitive, fast, reactive and a must-have for the festival-goer. I started my day with the app and a cup of Joe. Selecting all the acts I wanted to see then […]

Bad Cop Bad Cop at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach

It was a proper night of angst and love as punk rock fans packed the famous Alex’s Bar in Long Beach to see a stellar lineup of Upper Downer, Bella Novella, Bar Stool Preachers and Bad Cop Bad Cop. California locals Upper Downer started the night off with a raucous set that got the crowd […]

Between You & Me at Chain Reaction Anaheim

Tearing up a Friday night at Chain Reaction, up-and-coming band Between You & Me are ready to conquer their second North American tour with their first full-length album out to the world. The guys — consisting of vocalist Jake Wilson, guitarists Jai Gibson and Chris Bowerman, bassist James Karagiozis and drummer Jamey Bowerman — all came […]

The Last Gang at Anaheim’s Chain Reaction

When looking for something to do on a Wednesday night, there was nothing else to consider when I saw that The Last Gang was playing October 2nd at the infamous Chain Reaction in Anaheim, California. As the crowd settled into the bar, Orange County’s own favorite punk band Chaser took to the stage. I was […]