Wild Child and the Belly Up Tavern are a match made in heaven. Over the past few years, San Diego has become sort of my home away from home. It’s like LA, but turned down several notches. Going into the Belly Up Tavern, I felt an extremely San Diegan vibe. Everyone is relaxed, there’s plenty…
Beck @ Kia Forum [8/07/23] Photos by Timothy Norris It’s hard to compete with Taylor Swift, but the Swiftie dads know “Where It’s At.” And so do my sister and I, as we enter LA’s famous Forum. The musical behemoth that is Taylor Swift is playing just next door at Sofi Stadium. Luckily we got…
Cover photo credit: Jamal Eid Amid LA’s summer heat, Hard Summer 2023 delivered on its promise and did indeed go hard. Hard Summer takes place in Los Angeles’ Exposition Park, LA Memorial Coliseum, and BMO Stadium. Credit: Keiki-Lani Knudsen [Day 1] After a long and arduous process retrieving my partner’s wristband from Will Call, we…
Photos by Bankhead of Str8out the Trunk Radio Los Angeles-based dance and R&B artist, Dayna Madison, hasn’t had your traditional journey into the music industry. Madison is a former member of the Memphis Grizzlies’ dance squad, having been trained in dance for the past two decades. However, finding a love for the stage and music,…
Danny Elfman @ North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre [8/03/23] Photos by Alex Matthews It’s a crisp, Summer night in Chula Vista and I’m ready for Spider-Man. I’m also ready for Batman, Doctor Strange, The Simpsons, Oingo Boingo…I’m ready for it all. Or at least I think I am. I honestly don’t know what to expect…
As I was stuck in traffic, I could tell that it was definitely not a normal Saturday in Santa Ana. At 4:00, the sidewalks were swarming with people covered head to toe in jester makeup, alt fashion, silver chains, and ripped band tees. Attracting a crowd of about 12,000, the Observatory OC’s “1 Strange Night…
It’s been a month since I’ve been here. On my first night, I wrapped myself in soft white cloth and remembered something I had never experienced. Embraced in the second-hand smoke of the people who came before me, I became alert to the fact that I was somewhere I deeply didn’t understand. Who still smokes…
Do you remember your indie phase in high school? Were you ever obsessed with artists like Wallows, Dayglow, or Boy Pablo? With these artists blasting in your car along with your A/C in the summer, driving towards your friend’s house or part-time job. Or as you experienced your first love and shared playlists with friends…
It’s 7:45 in West Hollywood, and a line of excited concertgoers can be found assembling along Santa Monica Boulevard. Previously hosting the likes of Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and Elton John, the Troubadour stands as a vibrant reminder of the rich history of Los Angeles rock culture. That being said, it’s only appropriate…
ZelooperZ @ The Roxy [06/14/23] Photos by Jonguk Yoo (IG: manduruyo) During an exhausting finals week with nothing but late night essay-writing and long work shifts, the only thought keeping me afloat was the anticipation to let loose and experience a unique performance from one of Detroit’s finest artists in the most literal sense, ZelooperZ.…
~~~~~ Top of the World — Pacific Palisades ~~~~~ Neel: Top of the World is a fitting name for a place like this, especially on the night we went. The blanket of fog with peaks sticking out from underneath made it look like there were little rifts among a sea of clouds. Above all the…
Hard Summer is set to take-over downtown Los Angeles in a major way on August 5th and 6th. Hard Summer is being held across 5 stages in LA Memorial Coliseum, BMO Stadium, and Exposition Park. This is the first year Hard Summer is utilizing this venue combination and since it’s taking place in the literal…
~~~ Goth Babe @ The Greek [7/15/2023] Photos by Jeslyn Wang ~~~ Goth Babe can’t help but take over the sun when he’s on stage. At tonight’s celestial show, The Greek Theatre is met with a galaxy of inflatable unicorn floaties, six thousand glitter-adorned fans, and an endless supernova of neon stage colors orbiting around.…
Orange County, California: home to 40 miles of beaches, world-class surfing, and glimmering sunshine. What could be a better location for a Summer Salt concert? 2012 saw Matthew Terry (vocalist/guitarist) and Eugene Chung’s (drummer) introduction into the Austin, TX music scene, developing a sound reminiscent of bossa nova, 60s rocksteady, and surf psychedelia. Two years…
Photos by Sophia Russo Surfing the wave of Indie Sleaze, (and now Indie Sleaze resurrection) Metric is a powerhouse of synthy, alternative pop rock neighboring the sounds of CHVRCHES, Tegan and Sarah, and Silversun Pickups. Opening for Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, and Garbage, most attendees are still looking for parking as front woman Emily…
Music offers listeners a pathway towards self-discovery. For queer individuals, music can expose them to the reality of their own identity in a way they may struggle to encounter it in their everyday life. To celebrate pride month, we asked our Digital Press writers to reflect on the music that inspired their gay awakening. From…
Photos by Neel Bonthala It quickly became apparent that the Regent Theater in downtown Los Angeles was the perfect stage for Nathan William’s beach indie-rock outfit, Wavves, to take on. The venue was an intimate space connected to a bar and quaint pizza parlor, a welcome accompaniment to live music. The carefully curated energy of…
Have you ever been in such an inexplicably unique situation that simply no one would ever understand?!? Have you ever told your friends about that one time in that one place where you were talking to that one person, and they’re like “Yeah… can’t relate…” Frustrating, isn’t it? Luckily, we’ve all been there, and done…
I’ve always felt very ready for whatever is about to happen in my life. Even if I can’t control the snowball of time, I’m fine just rolling with it. But something is different now. This school year went by so fast. I am daunted by the fact it could be gone so quickly, because I…
Photos by Angela Kan There are a million different places a person can go to on a Friday night in Los Angeles. However, it seemed that everyone arriving to the YouTube Theater that Friday was a part of a community that wouldn’t be anywhere else other than Melanie Martinez’s Portals tour. Upon arrival, my friend and…
Making music is one thing, wholly impressive in and of itself. However, it is entirely another to make art, transforming the beauty of sound into a universe of stories. Curtis Waters is undoubtedly accomplishing the latter — completely redefining what it means to be an artist in today’s complex world. And seamlessly succeeding at that.…
A venue typically used for college football games and iconic flea markets, the Rose Bowl in Pasadena was transformed into a mecca for the avid fans of boygenius, Clairo, Dijon and Bartees Strange on June 3rd. The second day of the re:SET festival took place at the Brookside, where an abundance of Doc Martens and cowboy boots shuffling around in excitement set the mood for an iconic lineup of alternative-indie pop.
