Pasadena Daydream 2019 official Top Shelf after movie

Top Shelf Music journalists Kristy Rose and Jenni Lynne take on the first ever Pasadena Daydream Festival at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, presented by The Cure and Goldenvoice. Despite the extreme heat of Labor Day Weekend, New Wave and punk rockers flocked by the hundreds… Despite the extreme heat of Labor Day Weekend, […]

The 5th Annual KAABOO Del Mar MIX-perience

There is always a rush of nervous energy lining the gates of KAABOO Del Mar, waiting to get in Day One alongside other early birds at the festival entrance. The fest superseding all other mainstream California festivals might span three days, but there is simply no time to waste. Every moment is spent with intention. […]

Breaking Benjamin & Three Days Grace in Irvine, CA

American hard rock giants Breaking Benjamin brought an outstanding lineup onstage for their 2019 North American summer tour in support of their latest album Ember. And, at the tail end of the tour, the bands stopped in Irvine, California at the FivePoint Amphitheatre on September 16th. Diamante and Dorothy were first to open the show. Those […]

Blink-182 & Lil Wayne satisfy Seattle

Wow, what an amazing night for the people of Seattle, Washington! One of the greatest pop-punk bands and rappers of all time coming full throttle! The White River Amphitheater was full of energy and the fans were ecstatic to listen to rock and hip hop. The stage at the White River Amphitheater was full of huge […]

Candlebox at Ramona Mainstage

For Candlebox fans, the candle still burns bright. There may have been a lot of warm bodies packed into the Mainstage in Ramona, California, but Candlebox fans remained chill. They even let you squeeze in for a minute to get your hand in there for a high five from Kevin Martin. Grab a cold 32-ounce beer […]

Billy Bio at Brick By Brick San Diego

Billy Graziadei, founder of Biohazard and Powerflo, set out on his own in 2018 as Billy Bio. Billy came out the night of August 2nd at San Diego’s Brick By Brick venue with a headset mic. Wait, what? A little Bierber-ish for punk rock? Nah, It’s brilliant! Billy Bio was free to move about the venue […]

Emery & Hawthorne Heights at The Roxy LA

Emo kids of the early 2000s rejoiced on Friday, August 16th as Hawthorne Heights and Emery sold out The Roxy in Los Angeles to celebrate their career defining albums. Oh, Sleeper opened the show with new songs fresh from their latest album Bloodied / Unbowed, as well as old favorites from their discography spanning over […]

What does ‘KAABOO’ stand for?

With August coming to a close, residents of San Diego are readying themselves for yet another temperate-weathered autumn: planning Labor Day get-togethers, hopping on boats and living the high life in true endless summer fashion. Football might be exciting for some, while others are happy to head back to school as pumpkin spice-flavored items wait […]

Death Cab for Cutie at the Hollywood Bowl

Sunday might be a sleepy day to some, but for Los Angeles alternative music lovers, staying home the night of August 11th, 2019 was simply out of the question. Two major alt bands collided for one evening of wining and dining at the Hollywood Bowl, a venue that actually encourages you to bring your own […]

Blink-182 & Lil Wayne in San Diego

Blink-182, Lil Wayne and Neck Deep hit San Diego’s North Island Credit Union Amphitheater on August 7th, 2019. Neck Deep, a Welsh punk rock band, kicked off the night with “Motion Sickness”, “She’s A God” and ended with “Where Do We Go When We Go”, warming up the crowd for Lil Wayne. DJ T. Lewis […]

Third Eye Blind & Jimmy Eat World in San Diego

Third Eye Blind and Jimmy Eat World, with special guests Ra Ra Riot closed out one of the last few dates of their Summer of Gods 2019 Tour at North Island Credit Union Amphitheater in San Diego on August 1, 2019. Ra Ra Riot, an American Indie band from New York, kicked off the show […]

Boca 45 shares his greatest hits playlist

What to say about the established Bristolian deejay Boca 45? After escalating to a world-renowned name for his unbeatable dance soundtracks, featuring everything from hip hop to grunge rock to trippy psychedelia, Boca 45 (née, Scott Hendy) is celebrating his 45th year with the launch of a life-encompassing album, fittingly entitled Forty Five, on his […]

Symbolic at San Diego House of Blues

Symbolic rocked the House of Blues San Diego on Saturday July 6th, 2019 with supporting bands Casual Yak, Wicked Tongues and Daughters of Men. A little background on Symbolic: Symbolic combines their melodic energy with the excitement of old-school metal mixed with the power and skill of modern metal. Since the inception of the band, […]

Exploring The Skints’ new album, ‘Swimming Lessons’

The Skints are back with their fourth album, Swimming Lessons. The album brings a daintier, uplifting, island-like sound; a definite divergent feel from their their last album, FM. That said, the new full-length LP is still equally reminiscent of the early 90’s reggae/punk/alternative scene, with an overall meshing of styles that hit home on many levels. The […]