Best mainstream live performance of 2022!

2022 ushered in what many considered the first full year of music without restriction since the pandemic began. This year, the photojournalists and writers of Top Shelf Music have had the privilege of covering some pretty amazing shows! In true end of year fashion we have compiled a list of some of our favorite live […]

Wonderfront Fest 2022: Day 3

It was day three at Wonderfront Festival and the grounds were busier early in the day, full of festival goers shopping around at any of the incredible vendor booths that were filled with one-of-a-kind art, clothing, jewelry and all the other festival accessories of your dreams. Over on the grounds on Embarcardo North, a stationary […]

Wonderfront Fest 2022: Day 2

As Wonderfronters gathered for day 2 of bliss in sunny San Diego, the festival vibe was in full affect. Cue the cute festival outfits, sun hats, selfie stations, and even a ball pit. That’s right, a ball pit! Wonderfront is a festival that you come to for the incredibly stacked lineup, but you could also […]

Wonderfront Fest 2022: Day 1

November 18, 2022, on the shores of the city of San Diego, thousands gathered for the epic return of Wonderfront Festival.  Even though it is only this festival’s second ever installment (after a two-year hiatus) Wonderfront made its mark on America’s finest city leaving us with anticipation for this day. If you came to town […]

San Diego embraces Turnover’s musical metamorphosis

On the heels of the release of their fifth full length album, alternative-indie kings, Turnover, is making its way across North America in celebration of their recent album release. Myself In The Way, released November 5th, is another genre shifting work of art created by the Virginia based group that allows them to stay true […]

Fans beg Matt Maeson for encore in San Diego

Matt Maeson brought his Never Had to Leave Tour to the Observatory North Park in San Diego, California for an insane sold-out performance. The eager crowd packed the venue early in anticipation of hearing new songs from his most recent album of the same name for the very first time live, as well as old […]

An evening of metal with Jinjer, P.O.D. & more in St. Louis

On November 9th, The Pageant in St. Louis was the site of a metal-filled evening, teeming with exceedingly loud music and even louder messages when Ukrainian metalcore band Jinjer played alongside fellow countrymen and label mates, Space of Variations. In addition to the lineup was Des Moines-based Vended, who furiously killed their time onstage, and […]

DENM was born to walk the path of music

This young man has a whole plethora of talent that is combusting in the reggae rock music scene as we speak. Signed to Ineffable Records in 2020, collaborating with Jared Watson of Dirty Heads, showcasing on the Sugarshack pop up stage and Reggae Rise Up, collaborating with SOJA, and the list goes on and on!  He is on […]

Experiencing San Diego’s first Mission Bayfest 2022

A sunny, warm day at Mariner’s Park was the setting of the first-ever Mission Bayfest in San Diego. An offshoot of the wildly successful original Bayfest, held at Waterfront in Downtown San Diego since 2019, this all-ages, one-day festival was an eclectic mix of mostly reggae, with the world-renowned sonic chameleons Thievery Corporation thrown in […]

A Day To Remember plays downtown San Diego

A Day To Remember brought an incredible show with a stacked lineup during their Just Some More Shows Tour stop at Gallagher Square in Petco Park in San Diego, California. The band has been going across the US headlining festivals and arenas, but San Diego was lucky to have The Used, Movements and Magnolia Park […]

Alexisonfire & Fall of Troy storm SOMA San Diego

In their eager return after music’s big pause, Alexisonfire brought Fall of Troy to shred at SOMA San Diego. With a simple two-band set, us 30 somethings (which make up the majority of the fan base) were super thrilled to basically have our cake and eat it, too.  When Fall of Troy took the stage, […]

The rain & The War on Drugs in San Diego

Let me preface that The War on Drugs happens to be one of my top-three, all-time, bucket-list bands I’ve yet to see… well, at least that was the case up until October 11th, 2022 at San Diego’s Open Air Theater. Let me also elaborate that The War on Drugs — particularly, A Deeper Understanding — […]

Charlotte Sands throws a tantrum in San Diego

You may have heard of Charlotte Sands… she’s opened for emo legends My Chemical Romance, The Maine and YUNGBLUD, and has also collaborated on songs with The Maine, UnderOath and Sleeping with Sirens. If you haven’t, I highly suggest you catch up. Charlotte brought her first headlining tour — Love and Other Lies — to […]

Elder Island hypnotizes at San Diego’s CRSSD Festival 2022

As Elder Island prepares for the drop of their new Additions Attachments EP later this month, the Bristol UK-based electronic-pop trio spent the summer making their mark on many festivals and venues around the world — from the Pineapple Ball in the Dominican Republic, the MS DOCKVILLE in Germany and even here in sunny San […]

Slightly Stoopid concludes Summer Traditions Tour with hometown celebration

Labor Day Weekend has always traditionally symbolized the end of summer. To celebrate, Slightly Stoopid and friends brought the Summer Traditions Tour to a close in their hometown of San Diego. Amid an unprecedented southern California heat wave, fans braved the scorching sun to sing and dance with friends and family to the tunes of […]