Josh Herwitt

Lightning in a Bottle drops another excellent roster as John Summit, Khruangbin, Jamie xx, Four Tet & more join the party in 2025

December 3, 2024 by Josh Herwitt 2 Comments

Lightning in a Bottle //
Buena Vista Aquatic Recreation Area – Bakersfield, CA
May 21st-25th, 2025 //

Is it still 2024?

The ball hasn’t dropped quite on a New Year quite yet, but two weeks have already passed since Paul Tollett and his team surprised many of us by revealing next year’s Coachella lineup earlier than usual.

And while the timing of Goldenvoice’s announcement last month makes us think such a change was primarily intended to drive up ticket sales before the holidays arrive rather than after folks have spent their money on gifts for family and friends, another Southern California music festival is following suit.

Lightning in a Bottle, the “transformational” event organized by the Do LaB for more than two decades, has also made its 2025 plans known ahead of schedule and there’s a newcomer at the top of its latest roster whom Rolling Stone named this year’s “hottest name in dance music.”

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Coming off a couple of career-defining sets in the Sahara Tent at Coachella this past April, 30-year-old DJ, producer and remixer John Summit will make his LIB debut over Memorial Day weekend alongside some returning acts in Khruangbin, Jamie xx and Four Tet that make up the three remaining headliners booked for the 22nd edition of North America’s original boutique festival.

Beyond that, the undercard delivers its own share of highlights with Subtronics, Underworld, Sammy Virji, Monolink, TroyBoi, The Blessed Madonna, Shygirl (presents Club Shy), Channel Tres, Amaarae, Magdalena Bay, Tinlicker, Hamdi, Tape B, PEEKABOO, Francis Mercier, Sultan + Shepard, Eli & Fur, Salute, Bou, Hybrid Minds, Interplanetary Criminal, Flowdan, Joy Orbison and a lot more talent further down the bill — including the return of Claude VonStroke and a special guest appearance from Jade Cicada that will likely scintillate the senses (you can see what we mean here).

For those seeking more festival fun after Coachella’s two weekends, LIB has always been a great way to get back out there shortly after leaving the desert and it’s worth mentioning that plenty of artists have crossed over to play both. Of course, the Do LaB has made an imprint in Indio for quite some time with its own stage on the polo fields, but its signature event that has called Buena Vista Aquatic Recreation Area home since 2019 is more than just a laid-back version of what you might experience out in Indio. That’s in part due to the design and production company, which has specialized in creating interactive environments for fans, always giving as much attention to the ideals of sustainability, social cohesion, personal health and creative expression through art, yoga, workshops and speakers as the music that draws the majority of the headlines each year like Skrillex, Labrinth and others did a year ago.

GA passes to LIB 2025 can be purchased here for $435 (three-day) and $475 (five-day), with VIP tickets going for $789 (three-day) and $879 (five-day), beginning this Friday, December 6th at 12 p.m. PT. Car camping and RV passes, group campsites, bed tents, family camp passes and hotel packages are also available, but make sure to register here first to ensure Tier 3 pricing all day (while supplies last) and a chance to win a VIP upgrade. Good luck!

UPDATE (May 1st): As the calendar flips from April to May, daily lineups have been released for LIB 2025 with The Blessed Madonna on the decks Thursday to kick the party off before Four Tet, Sammy Virji and TroyBoi lead Friday’s bill. Saturday will boast a superb trifecta with Khruangbin, Jamie xx and Underworld on the top line, while John Summit, Subtronics and Monolink get ready to close things out on Sunday. See the poster above for more details, and tickets are still available here for the time being.

UPDATE (May 9th): Set times have arrived for LIB 2025 with less than two weeks to go before the fest begins. The music bumps until 4 a.m. on Thursday-Sunday — and even until 2 a.m. on Wednesday — so make sure to pace yourself and conserve some energy for a long weekend of fun! See more details above, and tickets are still available here!

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Ahadadream, Amaarae, AndreasOne & FMLY BZNS, Audrey Nuna, Azzecca, Bianca Oblivion, BIIANCO, Black House Radio, Bou, Brijean, Brownies & Lemonade All Stars, Cesco, Channel Tres, Chloé Caillet, Claude VonStroke, Club Shy, Coachella, Coachella 2025, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2025, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2025, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2025, Coco & Breezy, Dimond Saints, DJ Karaba, Do LaB, Dust and Beau, Eli & Fur, EPISCOOL, Flowdan, Four Tet, Francis Mercier, Girl Math (VNSSA & NALA), Gru.di, Hamdi, Hybrid Minds, Interplanetary Criminal, Jade Cicada, Jaguar, Jamie xx, Jo Jones, John Summit, Joy Orbison, Just Her, Khruangbin, Kiasmos, KILIMANJARO, Kito, KNGSPRNGS, Labrinth, LEISAN, LIB, LIB 2025, Lightning in a Bottle, Lightning in a Bottle 2025, Magdalena Bay, Mary Droppinz, Mira, MNTRA, Monolink, O’Snap, PEEKABOO, Priya Ragu, Rafael, Reyna Tropical, Salute, Sama' Abdulhadi, Sammy Virji, Shygirl, Shygirl Presents Club Shy, Sicaria, Skrillex, Sofia Kourtesis, Subtronics, Sultan + Shepard, SYREETA, Taiki Nulight, Tape B, The Blessed Madonna, The Do LaB, The Librarian, Tinlicker, Tinzo + Jojo, TroyBoi, Underworld, Yaw Appiah

Christmas comes early for Coachella fans as Goldenvoice reveals 2025 lineup headlined by Lady Gaga, Green Day & Post Malone

November 20, 2024 by Josh Herwitt 6 Comments

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival //
Empire Polo Club – Indio, CA
April 11th-13th & April 18th-20th, 2025 //

Surprise! Just when you thought Coachella didn’t have any more tricks up its sleeve, the famed three-day music festival has caught us off guard once again — in this instance, by unleashing a lineup more than six weeks ahead of what we have normally witnessed.

It has become a New Year’s tradition over last two decades for Goldenvoice to pull back the curtains in early January and put out the renowned poster for its signature event every year, but after seeing Paul Tollett and company announce the roster for its country-themed festival Stagecoach in September and reports beginning to swirl this week once Post Malone let the cat out of the bag on his plans, maybe it shouldn’t come as a total shock that Coachella has given fans an early Christmas gift.

Leading the 24th edition will be Lady Gaga, Green Day and the aforementioned Posty, who dropped his 2025 tour schedule only a day ago with the first two dates booked for Indio this April and falling over the same two weekends Coachella had already locked down in the spring.

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Below each day’s headliner, this year’s fest features an array of old-school, established and upstart acts spanning everything from pop and R&B to punk and electronic plus more of course. There’s no shortage of talent to point out here, and some of those worth highlighting include Missy Elliott, Charli XCX, Megan Thee Stallion, Benson Boone, Misfits, Zedd, The Marías, Keinemusik, Junior H, LISA, Above & Beyond, JENNIE, The Prodigy, Anitta, Kraftwerk, Parcels, Ivan Cornejo, beabadoobee, FKA twigs, Clairo, Polo & Pan, Mustard, ENHYPHEN, XG, GloRilla, Shoreline Mafia, Basement Jaxx, The Go-Go’s, T-Pain, Keshi, MARINA, Hanumankind, Chase & Status, Sam Fender, Still Woozy, Japanese Breakfast, Beth Gibbons, Jessie Murph, Thee Sacred Souls, Darkside, Arca, Eli Brown, Gustavo Dudamel & LA Phil, Shaboozey, Miike Snow, Jimmy Eat World, Ty Dolla $ign, Circle Jerks, Three 6 Mafia, Viagra Boys, Chris Lorenzo, Disco Lines, Amyl and the Sniffers, Blonde Redhead and Boris Brejcha. See who else is performing at the Empire Polo Club above.

Of course we would be remiss to not also mention the fourth headliner listed at the bottom of the poster that Coachella instituted in 2022 when Swedish House Mafia returned to the desert. And although 2023 saw Calvin Harris hold down the spot before No Doubt reunited to fill it for 2024, Coachella has gone in the direction of hip-hop this time around with Travis Scott set to “design the desert.” For those who are wondering what exactly that means, a representative for the Grammy-nominated rapper has explained he will “debut an entirely new era of music” as well as curate a Cactus Jack takeover to create what he says will be “a fully immersive and experiential world within the desert.” No word on when Scott will hit the stage over Weekend 1 and Weekend 2, but we expect that to become clear in a few months once set times are released.

If you are sold on heading to the desert next year, Goldenvoice recommends that fans try purchasing tickets for Weekend 2. However, you can hop on the wait list for Weekend 1 here after both three-day GA and VIP passes go on sale here this Friday, November 22nd at 11 a.m. PT. It only takes $49 to get this party started! While official hotel packages will be available here through Valley Music Travel, we should also note that new camping options such as upgraded Ready-Set and La Campana tents will make their debut. Whichever weekend you choose and whatever your accommodations are, we wish every Coachellan the best of luck securing their tickets!

I hope to have the opportunity to join you all in the future and share that special moment together.

— Anitta (@Anitta) March 20, 2025

UPDATE (March 20th): We have our first artist cancellation this year, with Anitta citing “unexpected personal reasons” for the decision in a statement posted on social media. No word yet on who might replace the Brazilian singer-songwriter, but stayed tuned here for more details in the coming weeks.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: 2hollis, 4batz, A. G. Cook, Above & Beyond, Ahmed Spins, Alok, Amaarae, AMÉMÉ, Amelie Lens, Amyl and the Sniffers, Anitta, Arca, Artemas, Austin Millz, ‎Desiree, Basement Jaxx, beabadoobee, Beltran, Ben Böhmer, Benson Boone, Beth Gibbons, BigXthaPlug, Blonde Redhead, Bob Vylan, Boris Brejcha, CA7RIEL, CA7RIEL & Paco Amorso, Cactus Jack, Charli XCX, Chase & Status, Chris Lorenzo, Chris Stussy, Circle Jerks, Clairo, Coachella, Coachella 2025, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2025, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2025, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2025, Coco & Breezy, d4vd, Damian Lazarus, Darkside, Dennis Cruz, Disco Lines, Dixon, Dixon x Jimi Jules, DJ Gigola, Djo, El Malilla, Eli Brown, ENHYPEN, EREZ, EYEDRESS, Fcukers, FKA twigs, Francis Mercier, GEL, Ginger Root, Glass Beams, Glixen, GloRilla, Green Day, Gustavo Dudamel, Gustavo Dudamel & LA Phil, HAAi, Hanumankind, HiTech, Hope Tala, horsegiirL, Indira Paganotto, Indo Warehouse, Infected Mushroom, Interplanetary Criminal, Ivan Cornejo, Japanese Breakfast, JENNIE, Jessie Murph, Jimi Jules, Jimmy Eat World, Judeline, julie, Junior H, Keinemusik, Keshi, Klangkuenstler, KNEECAP, Kraftwerk, Kumo 99, Lady Gaga, Layton Giordani, LISA, Lola Young, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Mirlos, Maribou State, Marina, Massano, Mau P, Medium Build, Megan Thee Stallion, MEUTE, Miike Snow, Mind Against, Mind Against x Massano, Misfits, Missy Elliott, Mohamed Ramadan, Moon Boots, Muni Long, Mustard, Paco Amoroso, Parcels, PARISI, Pete Tong, Pete Tong x Ahmed Spins, Polo & Pan, Post Malone, Ravyn Lena, Rawayana, Rema, SAINt JHN, Salute, Sam Fender, Sammy Virji, Sara Landry, Seun Kuti, Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, Shaboozey, Shermanology, Shoreline Mafia, Snow Strippers, SOFT PLAY, Sparrow & Barbossa, SPEED, Still Woozy, T-Pain, Talón, The Beaches, The Dare, the Go-Go's, The Marías, The Prodigy, Thee Sacred Souls, Three 6 Mafia, Tink, Tinlicker, Together Pangea, Tops, Tripolism, Ty Dolla $ign, Tyla, Underscores, Viagra Boys, Vintage Culture, vs self, VTSS, Wisp, XG, Yeat, Yo Gabba Gabba!, Yulia Niko, Zedd

First Times: Covering a show at Pappy and Harriet’s as Death from Above 1979 celebrate 20 years of ‘You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine’

October 18, 2024 by Josh Herwitt 3 Comments

By Josh Herwitt //

Death from Above 1979 //
Pappy and Harriet’s – Pioneertown, CA
October 11th, 2024 //

It’s easy to be spoiled by all of the opportunities to experience live music when you grow up in a city like Los Angeles. So much so, in fact, that it can often be difficult to find a good reason to venture outside of LA County for a show or festival.

Even though one of the world’s major entertainment capitals can provide endless options for fans from January to December, there’s something special about escaping the hustle and bustle of my hometown once in a while to catch a concert out in the wild.

Over the years Southern California’s Hi-Desert region has become one of those places for me that has served as a rather quick and easy getaway. Of course, sharing the same first name as the one-of-a-kind Yucca brevifolia — more commonly known as the Joshua tree — that dominates much of the landscape throughout the region might seem like the obvious reason for yours truly, but it’s no secret that interest in the area has skyrocketed globally since the invention of social media. Just look at how much an average Airbnb rental in Yucca Valley costs these days if you don’t believe me.

But ever since that first backpacking trip during my freshman year of high school, I have always held a deep connection to Joshua Tree National Park. The otherworldly feel of its rock formations and unique vegetation set against the backdrop of a stunning desert sunset is unmatched and something you can’t find anywhere else on the planet. The park, however, is only one of the Hi-Desert’s multiple attractions these days. Whether it’s a visit to The Integratron for a sound bath, Noah Purifoy’s outdoor museum or the seven-story Giant Rock that’s the largest freestanding boulder in North America and purportedly on Earth, there’s plenty to see and even more to do than one might think.

Pioneertown

What we would be remiss to not have on that to-do list is a trip to Pioneertown where actor Dick Curtis built things from the ground up in 1946. Constructing a movie set for Westerns like “The Cisco Kid” and early TV shows, it would also become a regular filming location for the late Gene Autry until 1955. Both commercial production and photography are still allowed although only by permit, but many locals and visitors who turn onto Pioneertown Road from California State Route 62 and make the four-mile drive have one destination in mind: Pappy and Harriet’s.

The honky-tonk, California-style barbecue restaurant (think trip-tip sandwiches, ribs, burgers and more) where a cantina set was originally conceived during the town’s inception was ranked several years ago as one of the 100 greatest American music venues, ahead of other legendary rooms such as Radio City Music Hall and the Troubadour. Initially it was purchased in 1972 by Francis Aleba and became a biker bar serving Mexican fare that was named The Cantina before closing after a decade. In fact, it was not until Aleba’s daughter Harriet secured ownership of the building with her husband Claude “Pappy” Allen about 10 years later that Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace as we know it today was officially born. While it continued to be a favorite watering hole for two-wheel riders with a menu featuring family-size Tex-Mex cuisine, it did not take long for fans of live music to also fall in love with different acts gracing their stage every week. It’s why top-notch artists and bands across the spectrum — Paul McCartney, Queens of the Stone Age, Lorde, Robert Plant, Arctic Monkeys, Vampire Weekend, Eagles of Death Metal, Band of Horses, Grizzly Bear, Rufus Wainwright and Alvvays to name a few — have shown up there to perform no matter how many times Pappy’s, as it’s commonly referred to now, has changed hands and who is currently running operations. That trend hasn’t slowed down either, with Phoenix, Slipknot, Modest Mouse, Patti Smith, Coheed and Cambria, Belle & Sebastian, Built to Spill, Orville Peck, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Pete Yorn, Wynona Judd, Violent Femmes, Sylvan Esso and more all dropping by over the past few years and earning the roadhouse stop a spot on the Los Angeles Times list for the 101 best California experiences in 2022.

After making visits on my own for food and drinks but having never previously taken in a concert, I can understand the appeal and how Pappy’s has turned into a well-oiled machine after more than 40 years. There’s something to be said about feeling like you have teleported back in time, and you get that sense as soon as you drive past the Pioneertown sign, pull into Pappy’s dusty parking lot and take in the smell of smoked meat. But it’s more than just aesthetics that creates the old-timey vibes at Pappy’s. On some days — usually weekends — you can find more than one show booked, and when that happens, it can certainly create for an interesting scene as fan bases collide outside at the bar and merch stand. And if one performance runs behind schedule, you can be assured that any ensuing events won’t be starting on time either. If you ever went to see a friend’s band play a local bar in high school or college, Pappy’s is not removed much from that sort of situation besides its saloon-like setting.

In addition to its diminutive indoor stage with a 350-person maximum, Pappy’s has expanded to include an outdoor stage that can host bigger names and accommodate as many as 850 folks when it’s not too cold at night. Nevertheless, I wanted to make sure that my first show was inside those wooden doors to get the true Pappy’s experience.

Death from Above 1979

So when a band I have followed for more than a dozen years announced that it would be playing a gig inside Pappy’s to make up for the 2024 edition of Desert Daze being canceled, I finally felt moved to hit the open road and travel 140 miles east regardless of the small investment in time and resources that I knew came with my decision.

After all, this was not any performance. The first time I ever saw Death from Above 1979 in the flesh was not that far from Pappy’s. At the time, the dance-punk duo from Toronto was reuniting on the main stage at Coachella more than five years after breaking up despite the positive reception its debut LP You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine received in 2004. Jesse F. Keeler (bass, synthesizer, keyboards, backing vocals) and Sebastien Grainger (drums, vocals) have gone on to release three more full lengths since then, but this year has been dedicated to celebrating the album that gave them the chance to tour with Nine Inch Nails and QOTSA back then.

Based on the way things were unfolding at Pappy’s that evening with the preceding show not starting on time, the special midnight performance DFA 1979 booked had turned into more like a 1 a.m. set when it was all said and done, leaving me and others to wait in line and among a sold-out crowd for close to two hours. Of course, with the state’s 2 a.m. curfew in effect, the last performer of the night is always the one that pays the price — or at least its fans do — and in this case, there proved to be only enough time left on the game clock for Keeler and Grainger to run through You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine from start to finish before wrapping with a two-song encore consisting of lead single “Freeze Me” on 2017’s Outrage! Is Now and “Dead Womb” off the 2002 EP Heads Up that marked the group’s very first studio release. We might have been packed in there like sardines, but I did my best to take it all in while holding onto the rail in front of the stage for dear life — as well as my camera equipment — and trying not to stare into the red eyes of that patriotically bizarre, three-headed horse mural on the back wall.

Was it disappointing that we only got about an hour of raw, impassioned punk rock? Sure, we can’t say we would have minded hearing material from 2014’s The Physical World and the Canadian outfit’s most recent effort Is 4 Lovers that dropped more than three years ago at this point. But there’s no doubt going to a show at Pappy’s is not like any other concert experience you have had before. You don’t have to put on a pair of cowboy boots and/or Stetson hat to feel like you belong either, though it wouldn’t be frowned upon if that’s your thing. Anyone and everyone are welcome, and the same ethos has seemingly applied in showcasing all styles of music there. At one moment you might be listening to indie folk, and the next, you’re headbanging to some heavy metal — that’s what really makes Pappy’s so fun and cool. Because while it might not be a hidden gem in the desert anymore after previously hosting Coachella sideshows from Future Islands to Glass Animals, you won’t find anything quite like it to this day.

Setlist:
Turn It Out
Romantic Rights
Going Steady
Go Home, Get Down
Blood on Our Hands
Black History Month
Little Girl
Cold War
You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine
Pull Out
Sexy Results

Encore:
Freeze Me
Dead Womb

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, First Times, Live Music Reviews, Show Experience Tagged With: Arctic Monkeys, Band of Horses, Belle & Sebastian, Built To Spill, Coachella, Coachella 2011, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2011, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2011, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2011, Coheed and Cambria, Death from Above 1979, Eagles of Death Metal, Future Islands, Gene Autry, Glass Animals, Grizzly Bear, Lorde, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Modest Mouse, Nine Inch Nails, Orville Peck, Pappy & Harriet's, Pappy & Harriet's Pioneertown Palace, Pappy and Harriet's, Pappy and Harriet's Pioneertown Palace, Patti Smith, Paul McCartney, Pete Yorn, Phoenix, Queens of the Stone Age, Radio City Music Hall, Robert Plant, Slipknot, Sylvan Esso, The Integratron, Troubadour, Vampire Weekend, Violent Femmes, Wynona Judd

Beats Antique keep the Do LaB spirit alive at Teragram Ballroom

September 19, 2024 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

By Josh Herwitt //

Beats Antique with Haywyre //
Teragram Ballroom – Los Angeles
September 12th, 2024 //

There might not be an act that represents the Do LaB better than Beats Antique from the moment when the experimental world fusion and electronic music group out of Oakland formed in 2007.

At the time, belly dancer Zoe Jakes had just approached her manager Miles Copeland — producer and brother of drummer Stewart Copeland from The Police — about hitting the studio to make an album and received the answer she was ultimately hoping for. Within months of that meeting a partnership between Jakes, multi-instrumentalist David Satori and drummer Tommy “Sidecar” Cappel quickly came to fruition as their debut LP Tribal Derivations was born on Copeland’s record label CIA. From there, the trio would go on to issue 10 more releases over the ensuing nine years.

But the LA event design and production company based in Venice Beach that has showcased its art at Coachella every spring for the past two decades and has put on the “transformational” boutique festival Lightning in a Bottle in that same span has also helped foster a unique community of like-minded artists and creatives — one of which has undoubtedly been Beats dating back to their first live performance at LIB in 2009.

Much has changed for the Bay Area three-piece since those early days growing up with the Do LaB, albeit maybe none more than its announcement a couple of years ago that Satori would be taking an indefinite break from touring. And even though he remains involved in the creative process for Beats Antique, you could tell from their statement that the news must not have been easy to take for either Jakes or Cappel as they navigated the shift “with love and compassion.”

Nevertheless, the two of them have pressed on to embrace their artistic vision and loyal following with the multi-talented Miles Jay filling Satori’s shoes for the unforeseeable future. That was apparent last Thursday for their latest visit to the City of Angels, which saw Grammy-nominated electronic producer and classically trained pianist Haywyre (born Martin Sebastian Vogt) kick-start the evening and get the dance floor at the Teragram Ballroom moving thanks to several new singles he has dropped this year.

The last time we caught Beats Antique they were co-headlining The Novo (fka Club Nokia) in downtown LA nearly a decade ago for what proved to be an eclectic bill as funk collective Lettuce played first and brought out Nigel Hall to sing Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Gratitude” plus a few more tunes during their groovy set (read our show review here).

Considering the disparity in size between the two aforementioned music venues, this outing was bound to feel more intimate — and indeed it did. Not that the Teragram’s 625-person capacity came that close to being reached on this night, but a spirited crowd was there to welcome Jakes, Cappel and Jay when they finally arrived onstage prior to 10 p.m.

There’s something mysterious about a Beats Antique concert that’s hard to fully comprehend until you have the chance to experience one for yourself. Whether it’s the Middle Eastern sounds and afro-beat influences that regularly permeate their tracks or the various costumes Jakes dons in the matter of 90 minutes, there’s never a dull moment once the music begins. It’s those twists and turns, both sonically and performatively, that have always made Beats Antique an exciting force in the live space and what ultimately had us coming back for another taste in 2024.

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Photos Tagged With: Beats Antique, Club Nokia, Coachella, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Do LaB, Earth Wind & Fire, Haywyre, Miles Copeland, Nigel Hall, Stewart Copeland, Teragram Ballroom, The Do LaB, The Novo, The Novo DTLA, The Police

Phantogram show us at the Santa Barbara Bowl while on tour with Kings of Leon that they are primed to release their fifth album

August 30, 2024 by Josh Herwitt 2 Comments

By Josh Herwitt //

Phantogram //
Santa Barbara Bowl – Santa Barbara, CA
August 26th, 2024 //

It’s always strange when you receive a media credential to cover the opening act of a performance but not the headliner. This was one of those rare instances where our business at a music venue we have covered many headliners at before was to simply focus on the evening’s support.

And even though they are certainly worthy of their own headlining tour after last week’s announcement of a fifth LP, street-beat/psych-pop duo Phantogram are currently making the rounds with Kings of Leon on a 26-date jaunt all across North America that made a stop Monday at the Santa Barbara Bowl.

Sarah Barthel (vocals, keyboards, piano, programming, synthesizers, guitars, production) and Josh Carter (vocals, guitars, programming, synthesizers, drums, percussion, production) are set to drop Memory of a Day on October 18th via Neon Gold Records, but until then, show up early if you are hoping to catch them live.

Their 6:45 p.m. start in Santa Barbara before the sun had even set over the Pacific Ocean, for that matter, still drew a solid turnout despite the 4,562-person amphitheater marking the smallest venue booked for KoL’s current tour.

Barthel’s vocals proved to be just as breathy as we remember them after she stepped onstage in Zebra-patterned shorts, black leather boots and a white top. To her left or stage right, you could see that Carter was dialed into whichever guitar lick he was riffing on during their 45-minute concert.

Of course whenever I have the opportunity to see Phantogram in the flesh, it usually reminds of the time I interviewed Carter more than a decade ago for a feature story right as the New York band was starting to break out and attract larger audiences.

Now a well-oiled machine, Phantogram have also established a loyal following even if their new material such as singles “All a Mystery” and “Happy Again” stray even farther from what KoL offers. Though they might not have been tapped as a co-headliner considering KoL’s stature and overall reach these days, there’s no doubt that putting both acts together has produced one of the best double bills this summer with capacity crowds filling arenas in city after city.

Any excuse to visit the Santa Barbara Bowl is often a good one, but with Phantogram playing we didn’t need much more of a reason to spend the night at one of our favorites places in Southern California to witness live music.

Setlist:
Don’t Move
Fall in Love
All a Mystery
Pedestal
Run Run Blood
Mister Impossible
Happy Again
Answer
Black Out Days
When I’m Small

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Photos Tagged With: Kings of Leon, Phantogram, Santa Barbara Bowl

Galactic bring the funk back to LA with Jelly Joseph & special guests making for a groovy night at The Bellwether

August 19, 2024 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

By Josh Herwitt //

Galactic featuring Jelly Joseph with Joy Guerilla //
The Bellwether – Los Angeles
August 15th, 2024 //

If I told you that it has been 30 years since Galactic formed after childhood friends Jeff Raines and Robert Mercurio moved to New Orleans for college, you might not believe it … or want to believe it.

But the truth is, the fivesome has been going strong ever since it all came together in 1994 with Raines (guitar) and Mercurio (bass) leaving their hometown of Chevy Chase, Md., to attend Tulane University before eventually teaming up with Richard Vogel (Hammond organ), Stanton Moore (drums) and Ben Ellman (saxophone, harmonica).

The group’s affinity for local legends like The Meters, Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Professor Longhair as well as the influence that they have played in Galactic’s music remains self-evident to this day, and despite rotating through a handful of singers over the years — whether it has been Cyril Neville, Living Colour’s Corey Glover, Maggie Koerner or Erica Falls — since the late Theryl “House Man” DeClouet’s departure in 2004, it has continued to tour relentlessly and put out new material consistently.

Their most recent studio effort, a six-track EP entitled Tchompitoulas that arrived at the beginning of 2023, features multiple vocalists, including Florida rapper Eric Biddines, Grammy-nominated Cuban singer-songwriter Cimafunk and NOLA’s own Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph.

Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph

Of course, Galactic have been incorporating a variety of voices ever since they ventured into hip-hop via their 2007 album From the Corner to the Block, which saw collaborations with Lyrics Born, Mr. Lif, Gift of Gab, Chali 2na, Boots Riley, Juvenile, Trombone Shorty and Lateef the Truthspeaker to name more than just a few.

The last few years, though, have given Joseph a chance to shine with the quintet since they released the single “Float Up” in 2020, and we quickly learned how powerful her delivery was within minutes of taking the stage last Thursday as Galactic brought the funk back to LA for the band’s first show at The Bellwether, which only opened a little more than a year ago now (read our venue review here) but has already established itself as one of the better music venues in a city with no shortage of them. Though we must say, it was cool to catch Galactic somewhere else besides at the El Rey Theatre — where we have covered them before (read our show review here) — or Fonda Theatre after both spaces owned and operated by Goldenvoice had become the band’s unofficial home for its annual visit to the City of Angels year after year.

While the night belonged to Joseph considering the charisma she exuded onstage for more than a hour and a half, Galactic made sure to also sprinkle in covers from heroes such as Dr. John, Allen Toussaint and Aretha Franklin in addition to guest appearances from Alex Wasily of Dumpstaphunk on trombone, Will Blades on organ and Shira Elias on vocals that kept the programming feeling fresh throughout and was certainly a nice surprise after San Diego native Karl Denson showed up the evening prior for their gig at the Belly Up in Solana Beach.

I have always loved the spirit and culture of New Orleans, and even though it had been several years since the last time I saw Galactic in the flesh, it always feels like I’m hanging out on Frenchmen Street again when I do. After all, the joy their music has brought to the lives of so many can’t be understated and is something we are still grateful for three decades later.

Setlist:
You Don’t Know
Making It Better
Domino
Cineramascope
Right On
Heart of Steel
Qualified (Dr. John cover)
Lickety Split (The Dirty Dozen Brass Band cover) (with Alex Wasily)
Clap Your Hands
Compared to What (Gene McDaniels cover)
Twitchie Feet (with Will Blades)
Lady Liberty
People
Yes We Can Can (Allen Toussaint cover) (with Shira Elias)
Dolla Diva

Encore:
Baker’s Dozen (with Alex Wasily)
Rock Steady (Aretha Franklin cover) (with Shira Elias)

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Photos Tagged With: Alex Wasily, Allen Toussaint, Anjelika "Jelly" Joseph, Aretha Franklin, Belly Up, Belly Up Tavern, Boots Riley, Chali 2na, Cimafunk, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Dr. John, Dumpstaphunk, El Rey Theatre, Eric Biddines, Fonda Theatre, Galactic, Gene McDaniels, Gift of Gab, Goldenvoice, Jelly Joseph, Joy Guerilla, Juvenile, Lateef the Truthspeaker, Lyrics Born, Mr. Lif, Professor Longhair, Shira Elias, The Bellwether, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, The Fonda Theatre, The Meters, Trombone Shorty, Will Blades

After taking a year off, Desert Daze makes a BIG return in 2024 with Jack White, Cigarettes After Sex, Alex G, The Mars Volta & more

July 23, 2024 by Josh Herwitt 2 Comments

Desert Daze //
Moreno Beach – Lake Perris, CA‎
October 10th-13th, 2024 //

In an ever-changing world that feels like it’s always moving at 120 mph, spending time away to reflect and recharge can serve as some much-needed respite.

That’s the course Desert Daze chose when the boutique music festival revealed it would be taking 2023 off after a 10th anniversary that saw King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Tame Impala and Beach House, the latter of which replaced Iggy Pop only a week prior due to unprecedented visa delays with his band, hold down headlining duties as the calendar turned from September to October.

But organizers also didn’t keep fans wondering when an official return to the 1,800-acre Lake Perris State Recreation Area, which has been home to the three-day event presented by Moon Block and Knitting Factory Entertainment since 2018, would happen. There was never a doubt, based on what Desert Daze told us, that it would be back in 2024 — and it’s back this fall in a very BIG way.

Missed you, let’s do this 🚀

Sign up at https://t.co/YGgYUStgR3 for early access to the best prices on passes, camping, travel packages, merch, and VIP. Presale starts tomorrow, Wednesday, July 24 at 10am. Public on sale starts Friday, July 26 at 10am pic.twitter.com/ONiRg8MFKw

— Desert Daze (@desertdaze) July 23, 2024

The lineup for the fest’s 11th edition might not skew as heavily in the direction of psych-rock as previous iterations, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t boast some considerable star power with Jack White leading the way. Detroit’s modern-day Renaissance man and rock hero dropped a surprise new album last week on vinyl that quickly found its way onto the interwebs, and his first appearance at Daze while occupying the top spot no less marks an important moment — and potential pivot point to bring more mainstream acts to Moreno Beach — in its history.

Also highlighting this year’s stacked bill are Cigarettes After Sex, Alex G, The Mars Volta, Thundercat, Fleet Foxes, 100 gecs, Sleep, Liz Phair, De La Soul, Marc Rebillet, Molchat Doma, The Kills, Floating Points, Power Trip, Beach Fossils, DIIV, Unwound, Shintaro Sakamoto, Danny Brown, Mount Kimbie, and Say She She, but Desert Daze has also leaned into the notion of having some bands perform their seminal albums in full for a live audience. That will once again be the case with Death from Above 1979 and Temples celebrating major milestones for each of their debut albums — 2004’s critically acclaimed You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine‘s and 2014’s Sun Structures, respectively — when they rock the stage in a few months.

Desert Daze tickets will be available to purchase here during the fest’s presale with three-day GA at a starting price of $299 and VIP going for $699 before the general public on-sale begins this Friday, July 26th at 10 a.m. PT. With an artist roster this strong, we won’t be surprised if passes sell out quickly so don’t snooze on what’s sure to be another memorable weekend in the desert!

UPDATE (August 20th): Well, look it at what we have here … daily lineups! That’s right — you can start planning ahead with less than three months to go. This year’s Desert Daze sees Alex G and Thundercat billed as co-headliners Friday before Jack White rocks out on Saturday and Cigarettes After Sex closes things out Sunday. Single-day tickets have also become available now, so grab them for $99-119 (GA), $199-249 (VIP) and $549-699 (VIP Plus) here while you can!

UPDATE (August 30th): Oh no!!! It comes with a heavy heart for us to also share that Desert Daze 2024 has unfortunately been canceled due to rising production costs and “the current volatile festival market.” All ticket holders will be refunded and contacted via their point of purchase. It’s a sad day for the festival’s organizers and the entire Daze community, but we hope that one day we will see another iteration of the event. Until then, keep your eyes peeled for future updates from co-founder Phil Pirrone.

“Desert Daze is more than a festival or business venture to us,” he said in a statement. “The community that we’ve cultivated together means so much to us and is the reason we will work to find a way to keep this beautiful thing going for many years to come.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: 100 gecs, 26fix, Adrian Younge, Al Lover's World Party, Alan Sparhawk, Alex G, All Them Witches, Ana Calderon, Archer Oh, Art Feynman, É Arenas, Beach Fossils, Black Sabbath Cover Band Rehearsal, Bolis Pupul, Boogarins, BSCBR, Carina Round, Chanel Beads, Charlotte Adigéry, Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul, Cigarettes After Sex, Converge, DAIISTAR, Dana & Alden, Danny Brown, Dave Harrington, De La Soul, Death from Above 1979, Derya Yıldırım, Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek, Desert Daze, Desert Daze 2024, DIIV, Drab Majesty, Ebo Taylor, Ebo Taylor + Pat Thomas, Etran De L'Aïr, Fleet Foxes, Floating Points, Frankie and the Witch Fingers, Freak Slug, Freakout Seattle, Friko, Glare, Glixen, Gold-Diggers, GROOP, Grup Şimşek, Hinds, Hipnosis, HYLOXOLOS, Iggy Pop, Jack White, Jazz Is Dead, Jeff Parker, Jesus Piece, JJUUJJUU, Khun Narin, Knitting Factory Entertainment, Lake Perris, Lake Perris State Park, Liz Phair, Makaya McCraven, Maral, Marc Rebillet, Margaritas Podridas, Mariachi Queens Reyna de Los Angeles, Marlon Funaki, Meridan Brothers, Molchat Doma, Mong Tong, Moon Block, Moreno Beach, Mount Kimbie, Nick Hakim, Otoboke Beaver, Pat Thomas, Power Trip, Psyched Fest SF, Reverberation, Reyna de Los Angeles, Rival Consoles, San Diego Freak Out, SASAMI, Say She She, Sessa, Sextile, Shabaka, Shintaro Sakamoto, Skinshape, Sleep, Snooper, Souls of Mischief, Temples, The Chisel, The Kills, The Mars Volta, Third Man Records, Thundercat, Tommy Guerrero, Travis Holcombe, Tropical Fuck Storm, Tyler Boudreaux, Unwound, Wide Awake, Wine Lips, Wisp, Wolf Eyes, Yu Su

DIIV give us hope at The Wiltern that there’s a future for indie rock

July 5, 2024 by Josh Herwitt 2 Comments

By Josh Herwitt //

DIIV with Lightning Bolt, untitled (halo) //
The Wiltern – Los Angeles
June 29th, 2024 //

For nearly 15 years it’s no secret the music industry has moved farther away from the guitar-driven rock that prevailed through much of the 90’s and early 2000’s. Some have even gone as far to now say “rock is dead,” and while we can point out some of our own experiences from recent memory — including one here — to counter that claim, there have only been a handful of new bands since 2010 that accurately fit the description and have hooked me enough to catch them live.

Australian sextet King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard are one of those acts, and their three-hour marathon at the iconic Hollywood Bowl last summer (read our show review here) was one of our favorite shows in 2023 (see our picks here).

English bass-and-drums duo Royal Blood are another, and their bone-rattling concert at The Wiltern in November (read our show review here) was also a highlight for us last year.

Of course we can’t forget about Houston psych-funk-rock trio Khruangbin, which have continued their ascent with sold-out gigs at some of America’s biggest music venues and events. In fact, we still think about their 2022 appearance on Day 2 of Primavera Sound LA (read our festival review here).

And then there’s “American indie-groove band” Goose, who gave us a chance to finally watch them in the flesh several months ago when they made their Santa Barbara Bowl debut and a compelling case why they have been one of the hottest (jam) bands lately (read our show review here).

Obviously there are supergroups and/or side projects like The Smile, boygenius and The New Basement Tapes as well, while others might argue that bands such as Greta Van Fleet, Hockey Dad, Turnstile, Wet Leg and Viagra Boys have carried the torch forward for the genre (note: IDLES were not mentioned here because they formed back in 2009 along with Alabama Shakes, Atoms for Peace, Broken Bells, Dawes, The Dead Weather, How to Destroy Angels, Rival Sons, Them Crooked Vultures and Wild Nothing).

But standing among some of the best to arrive on the scene in roughly the last decade and a half are DIIV, which began as a solo endeavor for Zachary Cole Smith (lead vocals, guitar) after previous stints as a guitarist in the psych-rock outfit Soft Black and drummer/guitarist for indie rockers Beach Fossils while he was living in Brooklyn.

Smith has relocated to LA since DIIV’s formation, but the group’s sound has remained fairly consistent — dreamy, hazy vocals float on top of gritty, fuzzed-out guitars as they collide with punchy rhythms that immediately evoke comparisons to Modest Mouse, Silversun Pickups, Slowdive and even Explosions in the Sky when we listen. That’s not to say DIIV’s shoegaze-laden soundscapes don’t have their own feel and vibe, though. They very much have their own identity, as Smith’s catchy riffs often pull you in at the start and build up to moments of pure sonic bliss like on “Taker” or “Acheron” that stands as the longest track in the DIIV catalog at more than seven minutes.

Four albums in following the May release of Frog in Boiling Water on Fantasy Records, and the quartet that was a five-piece in the early 2010’s and currently includes Smith’s childhood friend Andrew Bailey (guitar), Colin Caulfield (bass, keyboards, guitar, vocals) and Ben Newman (drums) are no doubt a well-established unit at this point. The 10-track LP anchored by lead single “Brown Paper Bag” has already garnered critical acclaim from quite a few media outlets and fits in nicely with the rest of DIIV’s material, showcasing Smith’s continued growth and evolution as a singer-songwriter. And although we can’t say his overall range behind the microphone has transformed dramatically dating back to 2012’s full-length debut Oshin, Smith does come across more forceful in his delivery on DIIV’s latest studio effort.

Wrapping up the first leg of a 33-date North American tour last Saturday at The Wiltern with Rhode Island noise-rock duo Lightning Bolt and LA’s untitled (halo) providing support, Smith and company delivered plenty of highs from “Doused” to “Blankenship” and yet left us yearning to hear others like “Dopamine” off 2016’s Is the Is Are and “Skin Game” from 2019’s Deceiver. The fact that neither of those are being played was somewhat surprising — even if they aren’t among their Top 5 songs on Spotify — and yet encouraging considering how well we thought their 90-minute performance in LA flowed from one song to the next. DIIV haven’t been mixing up their setlists each night they take the stage, instead sticking to a very similar script so far for their 2024 dates across Europe and the U.S. While that’s something we eventually hope to see from them after another album cycle, the next six months will mark an important stretch for DIIV with their tour schedule extending all the way through December and taking them back to the UK where a couple of sold-out gigs with Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C. — another one of the rare major post-2010 rock acts to emerge — in London await.

The impending doom and gloom that Smith’s lyrics have been known to address since DIIV’s inception in 2011 don’t exactly anoint them as champions of hope and optimism at a time of great uncertainty and political tension here at home. Frog confronts the “overwhelmingly banal collapse of society under end-stage capitalism,” and with another U.S. presidential election looming that stars a former president and convicted felon, there’s a real cause for concern with the stakes higher than ever. The video interludes — one to advertise DIIV merch, another to introduce their sophomore single on Frog entitled “”Soul-net” and finally a satirical promo for ExxonMobil at the beginning of the encore — sprinkled in throughout the show reminded us of that dark reality, but as Bailey told Zane Lowe during a recent interview for Apple Music: “The message isn’t ‘the world is screwed and there’s nothing we can do.’ It’s more pointing out the fact that the world is screwed and heading toward demise … how do we accept that reality and still turn it into something positive?”

Smith, for one, has faced his own demons and past struggles with substance abuse that we don’t need to get into but has courageously come out on the other side all while continuing to push the boundaries sonically with every DIIV release. Frog, after all, was the first time the band worked democratically with writing credits going to all four members, challenging them individually and testing the strength of their collective bond in ultimately representing “a mesmeric testament to enduring.” For us fans, it’s just one sign of another great band in the making.

Setlist:
In Amber
Like Before You Were Born
Brown Paper Bag
Under the Sun
(Druun Pt. II)
Doused
Reflected
Somber the Drums
Take Your Time
Taker
Raining on Your Pillow
Soul-net
Frog in Boiling Water
Between Tides
Blankenship
Acheron

Encore:
Everyone Out
Horsehead

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Alabama Shakes, Beach Fossils, Broken Bells, Dawes, DIIV, Fontaines D.C., Greta Van Fleet, Hockey Dad, Hollywood Bowl, How to Destroy Angels, IDLES, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Lightning Bolt, Rival Sons, Royal Blood, Santa Barbara Bowl, Soft Black, The Dead Weather, The New Basement Tapes, The Smile, The Wiltern, Them Crooked Vultures, Turnstile, untitled (halo), Viagra Boys, Wet Leg, Wild Nothing

Party on! Outside Lands lassoes Sturgill Simpson, FLETCHER, STRFKR, Roosevelt, Amen Dunes, Romy (DJ set) & more for 2024 night shows

June 25, 2024 by Josh Herwitt 2 Comments

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 9th-11th, 2024 //

With the summer solstice marking the official start to the season a few days ago, it’s worth mentioning that Outside Lands is only six weeks away.

One of the biggest music festivals in the U.S. is gearing up for its 16th installment this August, and last week the three-day event made news when it caught us off guard by announcing that Tyler, the Creator had canceled his headlining set on Saturday and 25-year-old singer Sabrina Carpenter will replace him.

Now the lineup for OSL’s night shows has dropped, with separate concerts boasting some of the fest’s best talent spread across the City from Wednesday, August 7th through Sunday, August 11th — even after the lights at Golden Gate Park go out for the final time. This year’s late-night schedule has also expanded from 12 to 16 performances and into nine SF venues (up from eight in 2023).

we're ready for 2024 night shows! get excited for after hours shows around the city from outside lands artists.

tix are on sale to the public friday, 6/28 at 10am pt. 2024 festival ticket holders should peep their inbox soon for presale access! https://t.co/JOURWjB8AN pic.twitter.com/5QwvDjFgiV

— Outside Lands (@sfoutsidelands) June 25, 2024

Some of the highlights beginning as early as Wednesday, August 7th and Thursday, August 8th before the fest kicks off include Sturgill Simpson, FLETCHER, STRFKR, Roosevelt, Amen Dunes, Romy (DJ set), Corinne Bailey Rae, Snakehips and Uncle Waffles.

Ready to purchase tickets for OSL’s 2024 night shows?

If you want to see Amen Dunes, wait no more! Otherwise, there will be a presale this Thursday, June 27th before tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, June 28th at 10 a.m. PT with priority access for those who have purchased festival passes. Make sure to check your inbox for an email and set those alarms — especially if you are hoping to catch what will be a very intimate gig at The Independent for Sunday’s headliner Sturgill Simpson, who we would imagine will fittingly follow Post Malone’s country set (stay tuned here for the full schedule in the coming weeks).

Here is the schedule for the upcoming night shows with links to purchase tickets:

August 7th (WED): Confidence Man at The Independent, 8 p.m., $37.05, 21+ // BUY TICKETS

August 8th (THU): Amen Dunes with Hyperdawn at The Independent, 8 p.m., $29.50, 21+ // BUY TICKETS

August 9th (FRI): FLETCHER at The Independent, 10 p.m., $69.50, 21+ // BUY TICKETS

August 9th (FRI): SIDEPIECE with n808 B2B Mike Kerrigan, JLittle, DN, DJ Kilo, DJ Penny, LBXX, CHUNGY, RODEL (Shaquille O’Neal) at Public Works, 10 p.m., $30, 21+ // BUY TICKETS

August 9th (FRI): Romy (DJ set) at 1015 Folsom, 10 p.m., $10, 21+ // BUY TICKETS

August 9th (FRI): Mindchatter (DJ set) at Monarch, 10 p.m., $35, 21+ // BUY TICKETS

August 9th (FRI): Shiba San x CID present: ALL U NEED at The Great Northern, 10 p.m., $10, 21+ // BUY TICKETS

August 9th (FRI): Marsh with Phonic Youth at Audio SF, 10 p.m., $20, 21+ // BUY TICKETS

August 9th (FRI): BALTHVS with DJ Aaron Axelson at Rickshaw Stop, 10 p.m., $29.50, 18+ // BUY TICKETS

August 10th (SAT): Sturgill Simpson with Katie Pruitt at The Independent, 10 p.m., $89.58, 21+ // BUY TICKETS

August 10th (SAT): Snakehips with Truthlive, DJmaDRE, Discotoshi B2B Marlowe B2B Frey at Public Works, 10 p.m., $25, 21+ // BUY TICKETS

August 10th (SAT): Roosevelt at Bimbo’s 365 Club, 10 p.m., $44.25, 21+ // BUY TICKETS

August 10th (SAT): Sofia Kourtesis at Space 550, 10 p.m., $20, 21+ // BUY TICKETS

August 11th (SUN): STRFKR with Ruth Radelet at The Independent, 10 p.m., $49.93, 21+ // BUY TICKETS

August 11th (SUN): Uncle Waffles with Afrobeats Oakland at 1015 Folsom, 9 p.m., $20, 21+ // BUY TICKETS

August 11th (SUN): Corinne Bailey Rae at Bimbo’s 365 Club, 10 p.m., $59.70, 21+ // BUY TICKETS

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: 1015 Folsom, Aaron Axelsen, Afrobeats Oakland, Amen Dunes, Audio, Audio Nightclub, Audio SF, BALTHVS, CHUNGY, CID, Confidence Man, Corinne Bailey Rae, Discotoshi, Discotoshi B2B Marlowe B2B Frey, DJ Aaron Axelson, DJ Kilo, DJ Penny, DJmaDRE, DN, Fletcher, Frey, Great Northern, JLittle, Katie Pruitt, LBXX, Marlowe, Marsh, Mike Kerrigan, MINDCHATTER, Monarch, Monarch SF, n808, Outside Lands, OUTSIDE LANDS 2024, Outside Lands Music Festival, OUTSIDE LANDS MUSIC FESTIVAL 2024, Outside Lands night shows, Outside Lands night shows 2024, Phonic Youth, Public Works, Public Works SF, Rickshaw Stop, RODEL, Romy, Roosevelt, Ruth Radelet, Sabrina Carpenter, Shaquille O'Neal, Shiba San, Shiba San B2B CID, Sidepiece, snakehips, Sofia Kourtesis, Space 550, STRFKR, Sturgill Simpson, The Great Northern, The Great Northern SF, The Independent, The Rickshaw Stop, Truthlive, Tyler the Creator, Uncle Waffles

First Times: Experiencing a piece of SF history as My Morning Jacket take over The Fillmore for four sold-out nights with no repeats

June 7, 2024 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

By Josh Herwitt //

My Morning Jacket //
The Fillmore – San Francisco
May 27th-28th & 30th-31st, 2024 //

Growing up in Los Angeles, I have always loved going to the Bay Area. Sure, there is definitely no love lost between SoCal and NorCal when it comes to certain professional sports teams and their fan bases, but that hasn’t changed my feelings or how I think of it now — even if I bleed Dodger blue.

With my aunt, uncle and late grandparents living in the City, I have many fond memories of our family trips up north and still consider SF to be one of my favorite towns in the world that I have ever been to (and to be honest, there are a lot I haven’t stepped foot in). But from beautiful parks and breathtaking views to world-class art and innovative cuisine among a plethora of tourist attractions, there’s never a shortage of things to do in “The City by the Bay” no matter where your interests lie or how much time and money (obvious tip: it helps to have a lot) you have on your hands.

Since I began covering concerts more than a decade ago in this space though, my adventures in “music journalism” — if we can call it that — had not yet taken me to the same city where this blog was founded for “work.” I had visited back in 2011 to attend Outside Lands and Treasure Island Music Festival before returning five years later to cover what ended up being a disastrous and largely forgettable 2016 edition of TIMF (read our festival review here). Nevertheless, the right opportunity to photograph any individual shows had not presented itself despite all the years I have lived in the Golden State. That is, until one of my favorite acts in live music announced by early March that it had booked four in the span of five days at the historic Fillmore and promised not to repeat songs.

The first time I saw My Morning Jacket in the flesh, Jim James (lead vocals, guitar), Tom Blankenship (bass), Patrick Hallahan (drums, percussion), Bo Koster (keyboards, percussion, backing vocals) and Carl Broemel (guitar, pedal steel guitar, saxophone, backing vocals) completely blew me away after a three-night run at The Wiltern in LA with a unique opener — featuring Portugal. The Man, Iron & Wine and Shabazz Palaces — and setlist (inspired by fan requests submitted online) each night serving as the impetus for the Louisville-bred band’s “Spontaneous Curation Series.” The five-piece by that point was in between albums, having already released 2011’s Circuital almost 18 months earlier and toured the country in support of it, and the circumstances in the 415 felt similar with 2021’s self-titled marking the group’s last proper studio effort (unless you are counting MMJ’s holiday-themed LP entitled Happy Holiday! that they released in late November comprised mostly of Christmas carols plus two originals).

The weeks in May leading up to The Fillmore were certainly bittersweet. After all, this wasn’t supposed to be the first time I was seeing Jacket since their rescheduled — thanks to Tropical Storm Hilary — co-headlining date with Fleet Foxes at the Hollywood Bowl in August (read our show review here) after two sold-out gigs at Red Rocks (read our show review here). That was intended to be the first week of May instead of the last one, when they were scheduled to lead the third and final day of BeachLife Festival with ZZ Top, Fleet Foxes and Trey Anastasio & Classic TAB also rounding out an excellent lineup. But after covering the event’s first two days in Redondo Beach (read our festival review here), the final four hours were unexpectedly canceled — and many would say prematurely — due to a high-wind advisory.

In the matter of an hour, the only LA date that MMJ had slated for this year had been completely wiped from the record. The decision had already been made, and with the staff and security being sent home and an earlier curfew for Sunday in place, there was no way all the remaining artists could still perform. Attendees left that day visibly frustrated and angry with the fest’s organizers for calling it off so quickly, considering the wind had died down by 7 p.m. with time left on the clock. Subsequently, we have been wondering in the aftermath why BeachLife doesn’t target a weekend in June or another summer month rather than early May when it’s not exactly “beach weather” — unless you think daytime temperatures that peak in the mid-60’s and high winds of 45-50 mph is for some reason.

Is there any chance MMJ will eventually announce a makeup date for their SoCal-based fans? No one knows right now, but alas, there we were driving along Interstate 5 through California’s Central Valley a few weeks later, excited and gratified to be making the roughly 800-mile trek roundtrip to catch them at least on one occasion in 2024 and use that, on a personal level, as a way to celebrate the beginning of a new decade. Assuredly it helps when the weather in the Bay Area cooperates over the course of your stay, and with warm, sunny days filling the forecast, the stars were finally starting to slowly align after the disappointment we had recently experienced at BeachLife. Because when I walked up those burgundy-colored carpeted stairs at The Fillmore for the first time and was greeted by hundreds of old photos and posters plus a large bucket of apples (we can’t confirm if they were organic even if they passed our taste test), I could immediately feel the history of the place. And in the leadup to these shows, I had curiously spent some time learning more about Bill Graham and became fascinated with his backstory as I dived deeper into it. The legendary promoter whose mother placed him in an orphanage that helped Graham escape Nazi Germany has been credited with hosting some of rock ‘n’ roll’s most legendary musicians — Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, the Doors and Otis Redding — as the counterculture movement in the 60’s exploded all across Western civilization. Whether it’s the iconic Jerry Garcia photo that greets you at the top of the staircase on your way to the Poster Room or the bevy of ornate chandeliers that hang above the hardwood dance floor, there’s nothing quite like an evening at The Fillmore. It has been said that Graham wanted to make patrons believe as if they were hanging out in his own personal living room, and the warm, friendly staff we encountered matched the auditorium’s cozy vibe that he created thanks to entrepreneur and businessman Charles Sullivan, who owned the property’s master lease in 1965 and let him use his dance hall permit to put on concerts.

Holding only 1,315 guests, the former Majestic Hall built in 1912 is easily the smallest music venue that I have ever seen MMJ play. While they have never quite reached the level of an arena or stadium act like other popular rock bands, any room under a couple of thousand folks would be considered an “intimate” setting for them at this point in their 25-year-plus history. Between the live music industry shutting down during the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing demands of touring upon its resumption however, you also won’t find Jacket throwing down three- and four-night runs with much regularity nowadays outside of their own destination festival One Big Holiday in Mexico and a select few U.S. cities such as Denver and Chicago where some of the highest fan concentration in the MMJ community exists. That’s not to say there aren’t plenty who traveled great distances to arrive at the corner of Geary Blvd. and Fillmore St. on the edge of Japantown. One couple I met, in fact, came all the way from northeast Pennsylvania to catch all four performances, and that’s the kind of dedication you will see from longtime enthusiasts and loyal listeners.

But considering the setlists that were assembled, no one could have asked for much more when the final note of “Wordless Chorus” was struck. After an opening night that boasted a myriad of highlights, including “Master Plan” with a “China Cat Sunflower” tag as an ode to the Dead, a stretched-out “Only Memories Remain” that reached the 14-minute mark, the first “Librarian” since March 2018 and a Bob Dylan cover of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” during the encore, there were more Fillmore fireworks on Night 2 when James and company broke into Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” and later offered up “I Get Around” from The Beach Boys, which we were hoping to hear at BeachLife since MMJ performed the 1964 single last year during the GRAMMY’s televised tribute for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band. Yet, I knew Jacket would save some of their biggest bangers for the last two shows in SF and we can only imagine the 48-hour break between Nights 2 and 3 provided some necessary respite before they dove into another round of jams to unleash only the fourth “If It Smashes Down” ever, extend “Steam Engine” for a whopping 18 minutes, bring back “By My Car” for the first time in almost five years and close with a huge “Phone Went West” that included Journey’s “Lights” interpolated midway through.

That collection of songs would satisfy most Jacket fans on any given night, but I was sure they would save their best for last — and by “best,” I mean “Dondante” without a doubt. The Z finale has been my favorite MMJ tune for quite a while, and the nearly 22-minute version they uncorked at The Fillmore was by far the best (no pun intended) one I have witnessed out of four. You could tell by the end of it that the capacity crowd, having already been gifted “Cobra” at the onset as well as a cover of George Harrison’s “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)” earlier, was officially on cloud nine. Something special had seemingly happened in that moment and nothing could bring us down to Earth from that point forward — only making James’ ensuing “State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.)” all the more powerful to experience live (you would have thought “the power is going out” from the way they played it with such fervor) along with the apropos live debut of Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay”, which was written following the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival in a Sausalito houseboat the “King of Soul” rented. The three-time Grammy nominees, on the other hand, have always made a point to mix in covers that correspond to a particular time or place, and this was one that couldn’t have been more perfect for the moment. It was just another example of what has us coming back around time and time again … and ultimately why we will have our fingers crossed for that makeup date in LA.

MAY 27TH

Setlist:
At Dawn
O Is the One That Is Real
Master Plan (with “China Cat Sunflower” by Grateful Dead tag)
Mahgeetah
Rollin Back
Run It
Evelyn Is Not Real
Carried Away (Carl Broemel song) (“Just My Imagination” by The Temptations tag)
Only Memories Remain
A New Life (Jim James song)
You Wanna Freak Out
Outta My System
Honest Man
Librarian (last played 3/5/2018; “Let’s Live for Today” by The Grass Roots tag)
What a Wonderful Man (preceded by a Jim solo version on omnichord)
In Its Infancy (The Waterfall)
Holdin On to Black Metal
Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. 1
Here in Spirit (Jim James song)
Love Love Love

Encore:
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan cover)
Feel You
Gideon
Dancefloors (with “China Cat Sunflower” and “China Cat Sunflower” > “I Know You Rider” by Grateful Dead transition teases)

MAY 28TH

Setlist:
In Color
It’s About Twilight Now
Strangulation! (instrumental intro due to technical difficulties)
War Begun
Slow Slow Tune
The Way That He Sings
X-Mas Curtain
Never in the Real World
How Could I Know (Oxen)
I Will Sing You Songs
Harvest Moon (Neil Young cover)
Come Closer
I Think I’m Going to Hell
Victory Dance
Aluminum Park
I Get Around (The Beach Boys cover)
Anytime

Encore:
Old Sept. Blues (with “Sleep Walk” by Santo & Johnny during intro)
It Beats 4 U
Spring (Among the Living) (with “Dear Prudence” by The Beatles tag)
One Big Holiday

MAY 30TH

Setlist:
Regularly Scheduled Programming
Compound Fracture
Off the Record
Tropics (Erase Traces)
Death Is the Easy Way
If It Smashes Down (only performed live three times & last played on 3/2/2018)
The Dark
Lowdown
Climbing the Ladder
Least Expected
Penny for Your Thoughts
Steam Engine
By My Car (last played 08/09/2019)
I’m Amazed
Picture of You
Believe (Nobody Knows)
Lay Low
Wasted

Encore:
Sooner
Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time) (Elton John cover)
Smokin’ From Shootin’
Phone Went West (“Lights” by Journey interpolation > Phone Went West)

MAY 31ST

Setlist:
Cobra
If All Else Fails
Golden
Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) (George Harrison cover)
Circuital
Easy Morning Rebel
Nashville to Kentucky
Like a River
Thank You Too!
Lucky to Be Alive
Evil Urges
Dondante
State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.) (Jim James song)
Remnants
Run Thru

Encore:
Highly Suspicious
Touch Me I’m Going to Scream Pt. 2
(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay (Otis Redding cover) (Live debut)
Wordless Chorus

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, First Times, Live Music Reviews, Show Experience Tagged With: BeachLife Festival, BeachLife Festival 2024, Bob Dylan, BottleRock, BottleRock 2024, BottleRock Napa, BottleRock Napa 2024, Carl Broemel, Elton John, Fleet Foxes, George Harrison, grateful dead, Iron & Wine, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, Jim James, Jimi Hendrix, Journey, Monterey Pop Festival 2017, My Morning Jacket, Neil Young, Otis Redding, Outside Lands, Outside Lands Music Festival, Portugal. The Man, Poster Room, Poster Room at The Fillmore, Santo & Johnny, Shabazz Palaces, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Doors, The Fillmore, The Grass Roots, The Who, TIMF, Treasure Island Music Festival, Trey Anastasio, Trey Anastasio & Classic TAB, ZZ Top

BeachLife Festival 2024: A bittersweet ending to an otherwise fun weekend of live music in Redondo Beach

May 15, 2024 by Josh Herwitt 6 Comments

Photos by Josh Herwitt, Melissa Herwitt & courtesy of BeachLife Festival // Written by Josh Herwitt //

BeachLife Festival //
Seaside Lagoon – Redondo Beach, CA
May 3rd-5th, 2024 //

If you live in the greater Los Angeles area and are reading this, you probably already know that the city’s live music scene has centered around the bevy of arenas, amphitheaters, clubs, theaters, stadiums and other entertainment spaces spread all across it — from Miracle Mile to Highland Park and everywhere in between those neighborhoods.

With major concert promoters like Goldenvoice and Live Nation owning and operating the majority of LA’s music venues for a while now, making it in this “town” of more than 12 million is no easy task for younger players without the same level of connections and resources.

But when BeachLife Festival announced its inaugural edition in 2019 and picked Redondo Beach as its home, the South Bay’s entertainment portfolio was immediately raised. The coastal region consisting of 16 cities along Santa Monica Bay’s southern stretch has held a deep connection to hardcore punk ever since such legendary bands as Black Flag, Descendents and Circle Jerks emerged in the late 70’s and were followed by Redd Kross and Pennywise in the subsequent 80’s.

Redondo Beach, more specifically, has not been known as a major destination for live music despite its proximity to the rest of LA, and though the Saint Rocke remains just steps away in Hermosa Beach, the diminutive room that holds less than 300 guests has mostly served as a home for up-and-coming artists. But by booking All-Star talent in the form of Bob Weir, Brian Wilson and Willie Nelson to lead BeachLife’s first run at Seaside Lagoon, co-founders Allen Sanford and Rob Lissner had quickly demonstrated to the South Bay community at large that they really meant business.

Fast forward five years later following a global pandemic, and BeachLife is still going strong. The three-day music festival offers a laidback, family-friendly atmosphere perfect for the ages 35-65 demographic. These aren’t the vibes you will find almost 150 miles east out at Coachella only a few weeks earlier, but there’s still a lot of great music — albeit tailored for an older, less boisterous crowd — to catch whether you enjoy rock, reggae, country, funk, soul, folk, hip-hop or old-school electronic.

As newcomers to BeachLife, we have been impressed with every roster but were particularly enticed by this year’s lineup after Sting, Incubus and one of our favorite live acts, My Morning Jacket, were tapped as headliners. And for the festival’s first two days, things went fairly well from a programming standpoint. Donovan Frankenreiter & G. Love, City and Colour, Seal and Dirty Heads warmed us up over the course of Day 1 before Sting’s hits-laden set that any fan of The Police would have enjoyed took us all back in time. From there, Pepper, Santigold, Local Natives and Devo turned the dial up a few notches on Day 2 that led to an electric, career-spanning performance by Incubus — complete with covers of The Beatles “Come Together”, Portishead’s “Glory Box” and David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” along with a snippet of The Doors’ “Riders on the Storm” during “Are You In?” — and reminded us why we became huge fans of the Calabasas group dating back to its major-label debut S.C.I.E.N.C.E. in 1997.

Then we got to Day 3, which was the one we were unquestionably looking forward to the most. And after St. Paul and The Broken Bones’ set on the Hightide Stage and Margo Price’s on the Lowtide Stage had lifted our spirits under the shining sun, we were giddy over what was supposed to be a rockin’ finish that had ZZ Top, Fleet Foxes, Trey Anastasio & Classic TAB and MMJ lined up … until they weren’t.

Because as we waited prior to 5:30 p.m. for Fleet Foxes to hit the stage, the wind began to pick up and swirl in a way that felt a bit uncomfortable and prompted me to throw on a sweatshirt. Within minutes of doing so, BeachLife’s security team had jumped on the PA system and asked everyone to evacuate for one hour due to a high-wind emergency. While getting everyone to vacate the premises proved to be a challenging endeavor for organizers, the news that would follow on social media prior to 7 p.m. was an absolute gut punch to those of us who sought an answer outside the gates. What made the revelation that the remainder of event had been canceled even more painful to accept was the fact that the winds had completely died down, leading to a host of sarcastic comments as people left the site. We certainly understood the concern for safety, but in retrospect, there wasn’t enough transparency and explanation surrounding the decision — considering there was also Sunday’s earlier curfew time to factor in — until days later. Couple that with the poor media accommodations we witnessed but won’t get into here, and we will confess there’s still plenty of room for improvement going into Year 6.

It has taken some time for the initial shock to wear off, and in the aftermath, BeachLife has tried to “turn lemons into lemonade” by recently offering refunds. Of course no one wanted to see a fun weekend end in that fashion, but the gesture should reassure attendees that they can count on Sanford and Lissner to do the right thing when Mother Nature unexpectedly interrupts the party. We would recommend moving the dates to June when the weather is warmer and more predictable as well, even if that’s outside of our jurisdiction and not the feedback they want to hear (we only mentioned it because we want the best for BeachLife and the opportunity to fully experience the festival from start to finish).

That might not have been in the cards on this go-around, yet come 2025, we already know we will be anxiously anticipating the next one no matter what changes are implemented.

BeachLife Festival 2024 - Bedouin Soundclash

BeachLife Festival 2024 - Abraham Alexander

BeachLife Festival 2024 - Donovan Frankenreiter

BeachLife Festival 2024 - City and Colour

BeachLife Festival 2024 - The Expendables

BeachLife Festival 2024 - Paul Oakenfold

BeachLife Festival 2024 - St. Paul & The Broken Bones

BeachLife Festival 2024 - Courtney Barnett

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festival Reviews, Festivals Tagged With: 7 Seconds, Abraham Alexander, ALL, Asiatica, Atlas Genius, BeachLife Festival, BeachLife Festival 2024, Bedouin Soundclash, Black Flag, bob weir, Brian Wilson, Chase Petra, Chevy Metal, Circle Jerks, City and Colour, Coachella, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Courtney Barnett, Cydeways, David Bowie, Descendents, Devo, Dirty Heads, donavon frankenreiter, Epic Records, Fleet Foxes, G. Love, G. Love & Donavon Frankenreiter, G. Love & Special Sauce, Gaby Moreno, Grace McKagan, Immortal Records, Incubus, It's OK!, Jen Pop, Jon Snodgrass, Jordana, Kevin Seconds, Local Natives, Margo Price, My Morning Jacket, Pennywise, Pepper, Phish, Portishead, Redd Kross, Saint Rocke, Santigold, Sashamon, Saxon Weiss, Scott Reynolds, Seal, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Steel Pulse, Sting, Sugar Ray, Sun Room, Surfer Blood, The Beatles, The Bombpops, The Doors, The Expendables, The Last, The Police, The Rookies, The Samples, The Vandals, Tito Puente Jr., Trey Anastasio, Trey Anastasio & Classic TAB, Trey Anastasio Band, Wall of Sound, Warren Fitzgerald, Willie Nelson, ZZ Top

RÜFÜS DU SOL, Justice, Disclosure, FISHER, Gesaffelstein, Jamie xx, Four Tet & M.I.A. bolster 2024 lineup for third Portola Music Festival

May 13, 2024 by Josh Herwitt 2 Comments

Portola Music Festival //
Pier 80 – San Francisco
September 28th-29th, 2024 //

Hey, Portola people! Are you ready for Round 3 or what?

Your favorite two-day Bay Area music festival is heading back to SF’s Pier 80 this September after last year’s sophomore installment that saw Eric Prydz and Skrillex sit atop Portola’s poster, and though the headliners this time aren’t as clearly marked as they were then, renowned California concert promoter Goldenvoice has once again put together a stacked, electronic-focused roster led by RÜFÜS DU SOL, Justice, Disclosure, FISHER, Gesaffelstein, Jamie xx, Four Tet and M.I.A.

Those are just the acts highlighted and listed in boldface type, however.

Yea, it’s real. Sorry we were m.i.a. 😅 Register for access to passes at https://t.co/rMvrVZ34vo

On sale begins Friday, May 17 at 12pm PT. pic.twitter.com/hxPYubuheD

— Portola Festival (@PortolaFestival) May 13, 2024

Also joining the party will be Soulwax, Floating Points, BICEP Present Chroma (AV DJ Set), Jessie Ware, Mochakk, Honey Dijon, NEIL FRANCES, Ben Böhmer (Live), LP Giobbi, Franc Moody, Mount Kimbie, Horsegirl, DJ Pee .Wee (aka Anderson .Paak), JPEGMAFIA and Barry Can’t Swim (Live), as well as a couple of local products with Tycho and Deltron 3030 both taking the stage on Saturday.

The prospect of seeing RÜFÜS DU SOL perform new music live for the first time is an additional draw for Portola, as the Australian alt-dance trio look to follow up 2021’s Surrender and their 2022 Grammy-winning single “Alive” with a fifth studio album. But as you can see after its first two iterations and from the aforementioned artists this year, the fest has continued to keep things fresh and eclectic by mixing hip-hop, R&B, soul, funk and even some rock into its artist curation (case in point: Chicago post-punk band Horsegirl). See who else will be there above before another festival season wraps up.

Portola 2024 tickets can be purchased starting this Friday, May 17th at 12 p.m. PT with payment plans available if you put down at least 25% right now, so make sure to register here to receive your presale code. Two-day GA passes begin at $359.95 (or $239.95 for single-day tickets) while two-day VIP have increased to $599.95 (or $359.95 for one day) here for those ages 21 and up. Grab ’em while they are hot because you don’t want to miss the chance to dance the day away down by the bay!

UPDATE (August 30th): The third edition of Portola is almost here, and now you can really start to get ready for a weekend full of dancing. That’s because this year’s set times are out for both days! See the schedule above, and make sure to download the festival’s mobile app here before heading down to the docks at Pier 80. Tickets are already sold out, but you can still join the wait list here!

UPDATE (September 23rd): Portola Week is officially here, and the festival has a small update to share for this Saturday’s schedule with the addition of Natasha Bedingfield on the Crane Stage. However, the British singer-songwriter is only getting 15 minutes from 7:10-7:25 p.m. so if you blink, you might not get to see her entire performance.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: A. G. Cook, Ahadadream, Anderson .Paak, Astra Club, Barry Can't Swim, Ben Böhmer, Bicep, BICEP Present CHROMA, Boys Noize b2b VTSS Boys Noize, Braxe + Falcon, Busy P, Busy P b2b Braxe + Falcon, Carlita, Carlita b2b DJ Tennis, Chase & Status, Deltron 3030, Disclosure, DJ Heartstring, DJ Pee .Wee, DJ Seinfeld, DJ Tennis, Empress Of, Eric Prydz, Eric Prydz Presents HOLO, Fcukers, Fisher, Floating Points, Four Tet, Franc Moody, Gesaffelstein, Glass Beams, Goldenvoice, Honey Dijon, horsegiirL, Interplanetary Criminal, Jamie xx, Jasper Tygner, Jersey, Jessie Ware, Joy Orbison, JPEGMAFIA, Justice, Kenya Grace, Lava La Rue, LP Giobbi, Luke Alessi, M.I.A., Maddy Maia, Mall Grab, Mochakk, Mount Kimbie, NALA, NEIL FRANCES, NIA ARCHIVES, Nils Hoffmann, Nooriyah, Panjabi Hit Squad, Peaches, Portola, Portola 2024, Portola Music Festival, Portola Music Festival 2024, Pretty Girl, Raf Saperra, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Rebecca Black, Sammy Virji, Sara Landry, Shygirl, Shygirl Presents Club Shy, Skrillex, Snow Strippers, Soulwax, Starrza, Tinlicker, Tycho, VTSS, Zulan

First Times: Leaping head first into slowdive’s dreamy shoegaze at a sold-out Fox Theater Pomona

April 29, 2024 by Josh Herwitt 6 Comments

By Josh Herwitt //

slowdive with Drab Majesty //
Fox Theater Pomona – Pomona, CA
April 26th, 2024 //

When you live in a city as big as Los Angeles, it’s not everyday that you find yourself hopping on the 60 Freeway and embarking out to the county’s eastern edge for an evening of live music in Pomona.

But nearly 10 years after making the 45-mile trek on a weeknight to catch The Kills at The Glass House (read our show review here), I still found a good reason to do it again and endeavor trying to beat rush-hour traffic on a Friday in LA (pro tip: it takes a lot of patience).

P-Town, as the locals call it, is Goldenvoice CEO Paul Tollett’s backyard after all. It’s where he grew up and co-founded The Glass House with his brother Perry before teaming up with Goldenovice co-owner Rick Van Santen to conceive the $100 million idea that Coachella would eventually become almost two decades later.

But it was in 2007 when Tollett partnered with Ed and Jerry Tessier to purchase the historic Fox Theater Pomona, a fully restored Art Deco movie palace that remains one of the Pomona Arts Colony’s flagship attractions more than 90 years after opening. Constructed in the classic “Hollywood Style” and used by movie studios around Tinseltown to host sneak previews of their upcoming films, the building received $10 million’s worth of renovations when the Tessier family took control and restored it into a state-of-art music venue for audiences as large as 2,000.

With a capacity of that size, the Pomona Fox Theater can attract some top-notch acts every year and Tollett has seized the moment each April since 2012 by booking some big Coachella sideshows there, from Bon Iver and Modest Mouse to Blur and Jungle most recently. Yet, after all these years covering live music, it was English rockers slowdive who finally convinced me to head east again for my first trip to the Fox — and I’m glad that I didn’t miss it after being out of town during their two LA headline shows at The Bellwether in October.

slowdive, believe it or not, have been around for more than three decades at this point. The five-piece out of Reading was formed back in 1989 by primary songwriter Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell but has remained intact despite a hiatus that lasted almost 20 years.

And with the group’s label parting ways after its first three studio albums were released by the mid-90’s, it wasn’t until 2017 a few years after reuniting when slowdive dropped their self-titled LP that captivated a whole new swath of fans, who quickly jumped on the bandwagon upon hearing dreamy cuts “Slomo”, “Star Roving”, “Sugar for the Pill” and our personal favorite, “No Longer Making Time” toward the end of the eight-track effort.

I will be perfectly honest and admit that I have not always been the biggest fan of shoegaze. The alt/indie-rock sub-genre that had exploded out of Ireland and the UK in the late 80’s when I was a youngster had escaped me amidst the hair-metal scene and subsequent tidal wave of grunge rock during the early 90’s that my older brother turned me onto. I had completely missed the boat on My Bloody Valentine until much later on and never found myself diving into RIDE or Lush, which left me largely unaware of the movement that has paved the way for more recent acts, including DIIV, Hotline TNT, bdrmm and even Silversun Pickups (Pitchfork actually published a piece on shoegaze’s revival prior to the end of last year, citing slowdive’s “phoenix-like rise from the ashes in recent years” here).

Back inside the Fox where a capacity crowd eagerly awaited their arrival onstage, Goswell (vocals, guitar, keyboards, tambourine), Halstead (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Nick Chaplin (bass), Christian Savill (guitar) and Simon Scott (drums) made their presence known just after 9 p.m. with the opening track to their fifth full length Everything Is Alive that arrived in September via Dead Oceans. But it was older material such as the ensuing “She Calls” from the band’s 1992 compilation Blue Day that caught us by surprise as the constant wash of guitar distortion and echoing vocals put us in a trance-like state for the remainder of slowdive’s 90-minute performance.

If there was anything from the show we could nitpick, it was probably that we didn’t get to hear “Slomo” after it was played a day earlier at The Majestic Ventura Theater, and while we had considered heading north for that date instead, our first time seeing slowdive was far from underwhelming. “Souvlaki Space Station” followed by “kisses” served as one highlight, while an encore beginning with what has become their most popular hit “Sugar for the Pill” and a cover of Syd Barrett’s “Golden Hair” that understandably felt psychedelic in its nature provided a euphoric ending for the long drive home. slowdive might not be the loud rock ‘n’ roll concert you are looking for, but there’s no question — effects pedals and all — that they have carved out quite the following since their reformation. Because with the way things have been trending for them of late, we sure hope they don’t slow (no pun intended) down anytime soon.

Setlist:
shanty
She Calls (started, and abruptly stopped by Rachel, then played in its entirety)
Star Roving
Catch the Breeze
Avalyn
skin in the game
Crazy for You
chained to a cloud
Souvlaki Space Station
kisses
Alison
When the Sun Hits
40 Days

Encore:
Sugar for the Pill
Golden Hair (Syd Barrett cover)

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, First Times, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: bdrmm, Blur, Blushh, Bon Iver, Coachella, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella sideshows, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, DIIV, Drab Majesty, Fox Theater Pomona, Goldenvoice, Hotline TNT, Jungle, Modest Mouse, My Bloody Valentine, Pink Floyd, Ride, Silversun Pickups, Slowdive, Syd Barrett, The Bellwether, The Glass House, The Majestic Ventura Theater

Maynard James Keenan rings in 60th birthday on ‘Sessanta’ tour as Primus, Puscifer, A Perfect Circle & even Tool rock Hollywood Bowl

April 25, 2024 by Josh Herwitt 4 Comments

By Josh Herwitt //

Sessanta: Primus, Puscifer, A Perfect Circle //
Hollywood Bowl – Los Angeles
April 20th, 2024 //

4/20 has become an infamous day of celebration for the cannabis community over the years, but for those of us who paid a visit to the Hollywood Bowl last Saturday, the 2024 edition of April 20th will be forever remembered as a celebration of Maynard James Keenan.

Following two “Cinquanta” shows a decade ago at LA’s Greek Theatre to ring in his 50th birthday, the singer and primary lyricist for Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer has expanded upon that concept this spring for his 60th trip around the sun with a full-fledged tour from coast to coast he’s calling Sessanta.

Serving as a “resurrection” and “expansion” of Cinquanta over 21 dates in the U.S., the performances were intended to follow a similar format featuring A Perfect Circle, Puscifer and another (90’s rock) act Keenan has been close friends with sharing the stage throughout the evening. Failure had earned that honor back in 2014, but this time it was Primus’ turn. We have always been fans of Les Claypool, and after seeing his Fearless Flying Frog Brigade reunite last year for their first concerts in two decades — including a sold-out stop at The Wiltern (see photos from the show here) — we were excited to see the legendary bassist paired with one of our favorite vocalists.

The setlist for the “Sessanta” tour has been anchored mostly by three- or four-song stretches from each band before reaching a total of 30 tunes over the course of three hours, but with MJK’s ties to LA where his music career took off in the early 90’s and became what it is today, we had a feeling that something special was in store on this particular night. It started with the birthday boy guesting on Primus’ “Tommy the Cat” and continued with A Perfect Circle guitarist James Iha — also of Smashing Pumpkins fame — joining his bandmates for “The Hollow” off the alt-rock supergroup’s debut LP Mer de Noms. Then there was original members Paz Lenchantin and Troy Van Leeuwen appearing onstage later to revisit APC’s first single “Judith” that’s nearing the quarter-century mark

But even with Primus drummer Tim Alexander sitting in on APC’s “Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums” and APC guitarist Billy Howerdel doing the same for Primus’ “Southbound Pachyderm” well past the gig’s midway point, the biggest surprise had to come after all three projects performed their contribution to the Sessanta E.P.P.P., the new three-song split EP with a track by each band that Keenan spearheaded and worked on to release just prior to the tour. Because when guitarist Adam Jones, drummer Danny Carey and bassist Justin Chancellor walked out after MJK had finished singing Primus’ “Pablo’s Hippos” with Claypool, the capacity crowd erupted like it would at a Tool show.

For only one song, that’s exactly what we got. Somewhat reminiscent of the first Cinquanta event when Carey, Chancellor and Zac Rae of Death Cab for Cutie backed Keenan on “Sober” toward the end of the gig, this time they went with something even more fitting geographically and aggressive as Jones began playing the opening riff to “Ænema” on his signature Gibson Les Paul. MJK’s feelings about the City of Angels, after all, have never been a secret to his fans ever since Tool unleashed their sophomore studio album Ænima in 1996, but he stills spends a lot of time working here despite all of the materialism and plasticity that eventually compelled him to make his home in Jerome, Ariz. With many of his colleagues and friends in LA though, he doesn’t have much of a choice but to come back. And as he told us before saying goodbye via Puscifer’s “Grand Canyon” under the Bowl’s iconic bandshell, he has been fortunate to know some of the “best musicians in the business.” What he forgot to mention was … he’s right there with them and always has been.

Setlist:
Act 1: A Perfect Circle
The Package (A Perfect Circle song)
Disillusioned (A Perfect Circle song)
The Contrarian (A Perfect Circle song) (with Carina Round)

Primus
Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers (Primus song)
Too Many Puppies (Primus song) (partial)
Follow the Fool (Primus song)

Puscifer
Galileo (Puscifer song)
Horizons (Puscifer song)
Indigo Children (Puscifer song) (Versatile mix)

Act 2: Primus
Jerry Was a Race Car Driver (Primus song)
My Name Is Mud (Primus song)
Tommy the Cat (Primus song) (with Maynard James Keenan)

Puscifer
Flippant (Puscifer song)
Momma Sed (Puscifer song) (Versatile mix)
Bullet Train to Iowa (Puscifer song)
The Underwhelming (Puscifer song)

A Perfect Circle
The Hollow (A Perfect Circle song) (with James Iha on guitar and Tim Alexander on drums instead of Josh Freese)
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish (A Perfect Circle cover) (with Les Claypool on upright bass with bow)
Weak and Powerless (A Perfect Circle song)
The Outsider (A Perfect Circle song)

Act 2: Puscifer
The Humbling River (Puscifer song) (Versatile mix)
The Remedy (Puscifer song)

A Perfect Circle
Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums (A Perfect Circle song) (with Tim Alexander)
Judith (A Perfect Circle song) (with Paz Lenchantin on bass and Troy Van Leeuwen on guitar)

Primus
Southbound Pachyderm (Primus song) (with Billy Howerdel, Josh Freese and Gunnar Olsen)

Sessanta E.P.P.P.
Kindred (A Perfect Circle song)
No Angel (Puscifer song)
Pablo’s Hippos (Primus song) (with Maynard James Keenan)

Tool
Ænema (Tool cover) (with Tool) (Les Claypool sang with Maynard)

Primus, A Perfect Circle, Puscifer
Grand Canyon (Puscifer song)

Sessanta - Primus, Puscifer & A Perfect Circle

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: A Perfect Circle, Cinquanta, Death Cab For Cutie, Failure, Foo Fighters, Greek Theatre, Hollywood Bowl, Les Claypool, Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, Maynard James Keenan, Primus, Puscifer, SESSANTA, SESSANTA 2024, Smashing Pumpkins, Tool

Pearl Jam, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Garbage, Turnpike Troubadours & Alanis Morissette will lead Ohana Festival’s eighth edition in 2024

April 23, 2024 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

Ohana Festival //
Doheny State Beach – Dana Point, CA
September 27th-29th, 2024 //

Well, Ohana fam … let’s just say you are in for a real treat this year!

On the same day that Outside Lands unleashed its 2024 lineup, the three-day festival taking place more than six weeks later and founded by Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder has made its big announcement after The Killers, HAIM, Vedder, The Chicks, Foo Fighters and Pretenders rocked Dana Point last year.

Just days since Vedder went on KROQ and revealed over the airwaves that Pearl Jam would headline two of Ohana’s three nights in September with Neil Young & Crazy Horse slated for the other evening down at Doheny State Beach, the news has now been confirmed.

Ohana Fest 2024 🌴✨

Presale begins Thursday, 4/25 at 10am PT! Sign up for a presale passcode at https://t.co/MYcRVC0Jyh for your best chance to get tickets, while supplies last.

A Public On-Sale will follow only if tickets remain. pic.twitter.com/x2LJbLdgX7

— The Ohana Fest (@TheOhanaFest) April 23, 2024

There’s no question it’s a good time to be a Pearl Jam fan in Southern California with the Hall of Fame band already booked to play two shows at The Forum in Inglewood next month, but after dropping Dark Matter last Friday to mark their 12th studio album, it only feels right that Vedder and company would be back at Ohana this year after headlining in 2021 and hosting an encore edition with two performances the following weekend.

While the return of Pearl Jam should bring in plenty of ticket sales for Ohana, its eighth edition will also feature Garbage, Turnpike Troubadours and Alanis Morissette on the top line, plus other notable names below such as Maren Morris, Black Pumas, IDLES, Crowded House, Jenny Lewis, The Breeders, Ryan Beatty, Glen Hansard, Dogstar, Cat Power and Kim Gordon. See the poster above to find out who else will be performing seaside from Friday to Sunday.

Tickets can be purchased starting this Thursday, April 25th at 10 a.m. PT during the festival’s presale, but you must sign up here to receive a presale code if you want to reserve your spot! Both three-day and single-day GA passes will go for $530 and $196, respectively, with three-day and single-day VIP admission available for $1,589 and $624. And don’t forget about the three-day Ultimate VIP option, a two-person package that includes you and a friend for a measly $10,255. Ready to hit the beach?!?!

We are sad to announce that Neil Young with Crazy Horse will no longer be performing at Ohana Festival 2024. Please stay tuned for a lineup update coming as soon as possible; in the meantime, we are wishing the band a speedy recovery 🧡 pic.twitter.com/wc6HI2OcYx

— The Ohana Fest (@TheOhanaFest) June 27, 2024

UPDATE (June 26th): Oh no! Just a few days after Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival revealed that Grammy-winning rapper Tyler, the Creator had canceled his headlining set in San Francisco this August and will be replaced by 25-year-old singer Sabrina Carpenter, another music festival in the Golden State has unfortunately had to make a similar announcement. This time it’s Neil Young & Crazy Horse who will not be able to perform at Ohana in 2024 after a couple of the band’s members fell ill following their show outside of Detroit at Pine Knob Music Theatre last month. We don’t know who will be filling in as the new headliner on Saturday yet, but we will be sure to share it here whenever that news does drop. And in the meantime, you can still buy single-day tickets for Friday and Saturday or join the wait list for a three-day GA, VIP or Ultimate VIP pass here!

UPDATE (July 25th): Almost a month after we reported in this space that Neil Young & Crazy Horse had bowed out of this year’s festival due to illness, Ohana has followed up with its official replacement. Taking over the top spot on Saturday’s bill will be Sting, whom we caught at Beachlife Festival back in May (read our festival review here) and had a great time seeing him run through many of The Police’s classics as well as his own solo hits like “Englishman in New York”, “Fields of Gold” and “Desert Rose” to name a few. This time he will be performing with his new power rock trio, so if you are itching to go see the legendary bassist and singer, make sure to pick up your tickets here!

UPDATE (August 1st): It has only been a week, but another important change to the lineup has already been announced with Garbage canceling their remaining tour dates due to lead singer Shirley Manson’s impending surgery and rehab from an injury she sustained. Manson has recently said that sadly “time is running out” on her career, but the 90’s alt-rock group does expect to be back onstage next year. In the meantime, DEVO will fill in on Friday before Pearl Jam’s headlining set and after also catching the new wave legends at BeachLife, we are sure they will be quite a hit like they were in Redondo Beach. Don’t forget to snag your tickets here!

UPDATE (September 10th): This year’s set times have landed, and now you can start planning ahead before heading down to the beach to catch two hours of Pearl Jam on Friday, a 90-minute performance from Sting on Saturday and another two hours from PJ on Sunday. Three-day passes as well as single-day tickets for Friday and Sunday are all sold out by now, but you can join the waitlist here. Ke aloha!

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Bad Nerves, Black Pumas, Cat Power, Cat Power sings Dylan '66, Crowded House, Dogstar, Flipturn, Gabriels, Glen Hansard, Goldie Boutilier, Ibibio Sound Machine, IDLES, Jaime Wyatt, Jenny Lewis, Joe Wong, John Cruz, La Lom, La Santa Cecilia, Linka Moja, Maren Morris, Neil Young, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Nite Creatures, Ohana Fest, Ohana Fest 2023, Ohana Fest 2024, Ohana Festival, Ohana Festival 2023, OHANA FESTIVAL 2024, Outside Lands, OUTSIDE LANDS 2024, Outside Lands Music Festival, OUTSIDE LANDS MUSIC FESTIVAL 2024, Pearl Jam, Pillow Queens, Pine Knob Music Theatre, Ryan Beatty, Teen Jesus & The Jean Teasers, Teen Jesus and The Jean Teasers, The Breeders, The Forum, The Moss, The Ohana Fest 2023, The Ohana Fest 2024, The Ohana Festival, THE OHANA FESTIVAL 2024, Tyler the Creator, Very Nice Person

Outside Lands turns to Tyler, the Creator, The Killers, Sturgill Simpson, Post Malone & more in 2024 for festival’s 16th year

April 23, 2024 by Josh Herwitt 3 Comments

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival //
Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
August 9th-11th, 2024 //

It has been more than six weeks since a major music festival in California announced its 2024 lineup, but as we look toward the summer and fall, it’s usually around this time on the calendar when Outside Lands targets its annual reveal.

And after celebrating a 15th anniversary last year that saw Kendrick Lamar, Foo Fighters and ODESZA atop the lineup, the three-day event is back in SF with a completely new cast of headliners for Year 16.

Tyler, the Creator, The Killers and Sturgill Simpson will lead the way while a fourth headliner — similar to what Coachella has done for the past three years — has been introduced for the first time and the honor will go to Post Malone, who headlined OSL in 2022 and will now perform a special country set much like he will do at Stagecoach this upcoming weekend at the Empire Polo Club. The Killers are the only other ones of that foursome to have previously been a headliner at Golden Gate Park almost a decade ago.

introducing the outside lands 2024 lineup! don't miss @tylerthecreator, @thekillers, sturgill simpson, @postmalone performing a special country set, & more as we return to golden gate park, august 9-11

for all things house and techno, SOMA returns with a brand new, open air… pic.twitter.com/kyBQYGM48w

— Outside Lands (@sfoutsidelands) April 23, 2024

If you aren’t fanning out to those aforementioned acts though, don’t fret because OSL’s undercard still has a lot of other music to offer. Standing out on this year’s bill are The Postal Service, Grace Jones, KAYTRANADA, JUNGLE, Chris Lake, Gryffin, Snoh Aalegra, Young The Giant, ScHoolboy Q, Teddy Swims, Reneé Rapp, Victoria Monét, Knock2, Slowdive, Killer Mike, Fletcher, TV Girl, Tyla, Chappell Roan, Channel Tres, Charley Crockett, Men I Trust and Ben Howard to name more than just a few on the poster above. Check out the rest of the artists coming to the Bay Area this August up there.

Of course, we can’t forget to also mention the return of the SOMA Tent, which will continue to be the fest’s home for all things dance music and has booked Angrybaby, The Blessed Madonna, Idris Elba and Seth Troxler, among others, to join the party from Friday to Sunday.

Three-day GA, GA+, VIP and Golden Gate Club passes go on sale here for $465, $715, $1,075 and $5,095, respectively, this Wednesday, April 24th at 10 a.m. PT, and in the meantime, you can see our previous coverage here before you complete your purchase!

UPDATE (May 29th): Daily lineups have arrived, and we now know which artists will be playing each day. The Killers have been tabbed to headline Friday with Tyler, the Creator on Saturday and Sturgill Simpson closing things out Sunday. Make sure to review the daily schedules above before single-day tickets go on sale here for $199 (GA), $319 (GA+), $469 (VIP) and $2,249 (Golden Gate Club) at 10 a.m. PT this Thursday, May 30th. Still thinking about going to OSL for the whole weekend? Three-day passes for all tiers are available here, but who knows for how long!

UPDATE (June 20th): Tyler, the Creator has canceled his headlining set Saturday at OSL for personal reasons, and replacing him will be 25-year-old singer Sabrina Carpenter after her performance on the main stage at Coachella earlier this year. See the updated 2024 roster above, and pick up your tickets while you still can here!

UPDATE (July 23rd): Set times have arrived. See the schedules above to find out what your biggest scheduling conflict will be this August.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: AG Club, Allen Stone, Amen Dunes, Amyl and the Sniffers, Angrybaby, Anish Kumar, AYYBO, BADBADNOTGOOD, BALTHVS, Ben Howard, Billy Woods, BUNS, Chance Peña, Channel Tres, Chappell Roan, Charley Crockett, Chris Lake, Chuck Gunn, CID, Cimafunk, CMAT, Coachella, Coachella 2024, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2024, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2024, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2024, Confidence Man, Corinne Bailey Rae, Daði Freyr, Daily Bread, Dan Spencer, Darius, DEVAULT, Dusky, Elyanna, Fletcher, French Cassettes, Grace Jones, Gryffin, HoneyLuv, HoneyLuv B2B Jaden Thompson, Idris Elba, Jackie Hollander, Jaden Thompson, Jared Jackson, Joe Kay, Joe Kay B2B Jared Jackson, Jungle, k.flay, Kaleena Zanders, Kasablanca, Katie Pruitt, Kaytranada, Kevin Abstract, Killer Mike, Knock2, Lady Wray, Lael Neale, Leisure, Marsh, Medium Build, Men I Trust, MiLES., Mimi Webb, MINDCHATTER, Odie Leigh, Ogi, Outside Lands, OUTSIDE LANDS 2024, Outside Lands Music Festival, OUTSIDE LANDS MUSIC FESTIVAL 2024, Paul Cauthen, Post Malone, Real Estate, Reneé Rapp, Rocco, Romy, Roosevelt, Ryan Beatty, Sabrina Carpenter, Schoolboy Q, Seth Troxler, Shaboozey, Shiba San, Shiba San B2B CID, Sidepiece, Slowdive, snakehips, Snoh Aalegra, Sofia Kourtesis, Sons of the East, Stagecoach, Stagecoach 2024, STRFKR, Sturgill Simpson, Teddy Swims, The Blessed Madonna, the Japanese House, The Killers, the Last Dinner Party, The Lemon Twigs, The Postal Service, Trueno, TSHA, TV Girl, Tyla, Tyler the Creator, Uncle Waffles, Underscores, Valencia Grace, Vandelux, Victoria Monét, Wisp, Young The Giant, Yulia Niko

Coachella releases 2024 set times & continues recent tradition of surprise guests as Vampire Weekend, Kid Cudi revealed as latest

April 9, 2024 by Josh Herwitt 2 Comments

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival //
Empire Polo Club – Indio, CA
April 12th-14th & April 19th-21st, 2024 //

With sunshine once again showering the Golden State this week, it’s hard to believe that we are only days away from Coachella’s 23rd installment.

Yep, it’s already that time of the year again, and with ticket sales for the famed California music festival not quite the same as in previous years (Weekend 2 hasn’t sold out yet), we find ourselves pondering if Goldenvoice curated a lineup that leaves something to be desired.

One thing we can’t say is it’s low on star power, though. Of course there’s Lana Del Rey, Tyler, The Creator and Doja Cat making their headlining debuts as well as No Doubt reuniting for the first time since 2015, but after surprising us with guest appearances by Arcade Fire in 2022 and blink-182 in 2023, Paul Tollett and his team have pulled another rabbit out of their collective hat while unlike last year, remaining right on schedule.

Vampire Weekend 1 pic.twitter.com/UMOEMKTQLf

— Coachella (@coachella) April 9, 2024

Now the latest trick up Tollett’s sleeve is another surprise guest appearing on this year’s set times, and if you just happen to be a fan of Vampire Weekend, then you are in luck. The indie-rock group made up of Ezra Koenig (lead vocals, guitar, piano), Chris Baio (bass, backing vocals, occasional piano) and Chris Tomson (drums, percussion, occasional guitar, backing vocals) put out their fifth studio album Only God Was Above Us last week and played their first show since 2022 last night under a total eclipse at a sold-out Moody Amphitheatre in Austin, Texas. With their next one not coming until the end of this month at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, why not make a stop in the desert first before heading down to the bayou? For those of you here in California, they will be back not long after in June for headline dates at Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre in San Diego, the iconic Hollywood Bowl and Greek Theatre Berkeley (two nights) as part of a 2024 tour extending through December with more than 50 gigs already booked in North America, Europe and the UK.

While their tour schedule could allow for it, we will have to wait and see if Vampire Weekend will be joining the festivities for Weekend 2 (stay tuned here to find out next week). But if you want to catch them during Weekend 1, make sure to arrive at the Outdoor Theatre before 5 p.m. on Saturday when Koenig and company have been scheduled to perform. And for those of you who won’t be making the trek out to Indio, let’s hope their 45-minute set as well as No Doubt’s that evening at 9:25 p.m. on the Coachella Stage will be available to watch on the fest’s livestream. As we know from years past, that’s not always the case unfortunately. After all, who could forget what happened with Frank Ocean only a year ago.

Heading out to the Empire Polo Club? If so, don’t forget your sunscreen and water bottle … we also want to hear it straight from you: what’s your biggest conflict, and who are you most excited for?

WEEKEND 1 SET TIMES

WEEKEND 2 SET TIMES

The schedule for Weekend 2 has been released, and Goldenvoice has one more surprise in store for Coachella’s 2024 edition. It won’t be Vampire Weekend rocking the Outdoor Theatre again, but more hip-hop is heading to the Sahara Stage instead as two-time Grammy winner Kid Cudi joins the party Sunday at 5:10 p.m. We are also wondering what happened to AP Dhillon, the Indo-Canadian singer and rapper who had the same slot during Weekend 1 but is nowhere to be found when you check out the set times for Weekend 2 above. There are also some differences early in the day on Saturday and Sunday, but nothing earth-shattering,

MAP

This year’s map is out, and there aren’t a whole lot of changes in the past 12 months. The direct path from the Sahara Tent to the Sonora, Gobi and Mojave Tents is still there as you stroll by the Do LaB’s stage and food area, but with the Yuma Tent well-established now as Coachella’s quasi nightclub (pro tip: there’s some terrific air conditioning inside when you get hot out there), the debut of Quasar has to be one of the most intriguing additions to the polo fields.

The festival’s new electronic music-focused stage, as previously reported, will boast extended three-hour sets from several high-profile artists, including a trio of All-Star DJs as Jamie xx, Floating Points and Caribou leader Dan Snaith’s side project Daphni garner the spotlight during Weekend 1. RÜFÜS DU SOL, meanwhile, will have the honor of performing their own DJ set at Weekend 2 on Friday plus collaborations by Eric Prydz and Anyma as well as Diplo and Mau P over the final two days.

If you are still thinking about going, you can hop on the waitlist for Weekend 1 here or purchase tickets for Weekend 2 (GA and VIP) here along with whatever parking and shuttle passes are left.

Happy Coachella!

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: 88RISING FUTURES, Adam Ten, Adam Ten x Mita Gami, Adriatique, ANOTR, Anti-Up, Anyma, AP Dhillon, Arcade Fire, ARTBAT, ATARASHII GAKKO!, ATEEZ, Âme, Âme x Marcel Dettmann, bar italia, Barry Can't Swim, Bb trickz, Bebe Rexha, Ben Sterling, Benga, Bicep, Bizarrap, Black Country New Road, Bleachers, Blink-182, Blond:ish, Blur, Blxst, Boy Harsher, Brittany Howard, Brutalismus 3000, Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre, Calvin Harris, Caribou, Carin León, Carlita, Chappell Roan, Charlotte de Witte, Chlöe, Cimafunk, Cloonee, Clown Core, Coachella, Coachella 2024, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2024, Coi Leray, Deftones, Depresión Sonora, Destroy Lonely, Diplo, DJ Seinfeld, DJ Snake, Do LaB, Dom Dolla, Eartheater, Eddie Zuko, Eli & Fur, Eric Prydz, Erika de Casier, Everything Always, Faye Webster, feeble little horse, Flight Facilities, FLO, Floating Points, Folamour, Frank Ocean, Gesaffelstein, Girl Ultra, Gorgon City, Greek Theatre Berkeley, Grimes, Gwen Stefani, Hatsune Miku, Hollywood Bowl, Ice Spice, Innellea, ISOxo, ISOxo & Knock2, J Balvin, Jamie xx, Jhené Aiko, JJUUJJUU, Jockstrap, John Summit, Jon Batiste, JOPLYN, Jungle, Justice, Kölsch Kokoroko, Ken Carson, Kenya Grace, Kevin Abstract, Kevin de Vries, Kevin de Vries x Kölsch, Kevin Kaarl, Keyspan, Khruangbin, Kid Cudi, Kimonos, Knock2, L'Impératrice, Lana Del Rey, late night drive home, LE SSERAFIM, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Yachty, Lovejoy, LUDMILLA, Mahmut Orhan, Mall Grab, Mandy Indiana, Marcel Dettmann, Mau P, Maz, Mdou Moctar, Militarie Gun, Miss Monique, Mita Gami, Narrow Head, NAV, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 2024, No Doubt, Olivia Dean • LATIN MAFIA • Two Shell • Hermanos Gutiérrez, Oneohtrix Point Never, Orbital, Palace, Patrick Mason, Peggy Gou, Peso Pluma, Purple Disco Machine, RAYE, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Reboke, Reinier Zonneveld, Reneé Rapp, Sabrina Carpenter, Saint Levant, Santa Fe Klan, Sid Sriram, Skepta, Skin On Skin, Skream, Skream & Benga, Son Rompe Pera, SPINALL, Steve Angello, Sublime, Suki Waterhouse, Swedish House Mafia, Taking Back Sunday, Taylor Swift, Tems, the Adicts, The Aquabats, the Beths - NEIL FRANCES, The Blessed Madonna, The Drums, the Japanese House, the Last Dinner Party, The Red Pears, the Rose, thuy, Tinashe, Tita Lau, Tyla, Tyla Tyla, Tyler the Creator, Upchuck, VG Marley, Victoria Monét, WILL CLARKE, Yoasobi, Young Fathers, Young Miko

The Kills give us the chills at The Wiltern on their ‘God Games Tour’

March 18, 2024 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

By Josh Herwitt //

The Kills with Heartworms //
The Wiltern – Los Angeles
March 14th, 2024 //

It has been a wet winter in Southern California this year, and some of us are still drying off from all the rain that bombarded the greater LA area over the past three months.

But with the clouds finally parting and clear skies paving the way for the impending spring (and warmer temperatures naturally), spending 90 minutes up close and personal with The Kills was not such a bad way to celebrate the end of one season and the start of another.

The last time I packed up my camera gear was almost two months ago when Texas post-rock quintet Explosions in the Sky came to town and performed two nights at The Wiltern where we witnessed the second date (read our show review here), and my next opportunity in the photo pit just happened to be back at the same historic theater that has stood for more than 90 years now in the heart of Koreatown.

Alison “VV” Mosshart (vocals, guitars, dictaphone, production) and Jamie “Hotel” Hince (vocals, guitars, dictaphone, organ, harmonica, electric viola, drum machine, production) have been at it for more than two decades themselves, releasing their sixth studio album God Games to critical acclaim last October and embarking on a North American tour that spanned 31 concerts across six weeks beginning in early February at Santa Ana’s The Observatory.

Shortly after London post-punk outfit Heartworms led by singer-songwriter Jojo Orme had wrapped up their opening set, fans had either found space on the tiered floor or taken their assigned seats up in the balcony as the clock struck 9 p.m. And as we waited for Mosshart and Hince to make their entrances, I couldn’t help but remember when I drove 45 miles east on a weeknight one summer to watch The Kills strut their stuff in Pomona (read our show review here). Fortunately my commute for this engagement was much shorter, though I have no regrets about making the trek out to The Glass House more than eight years ago.

The British-American rock duo had yet to release 2016’s Ash & Ice at that point, but we did hear three of the LP’s tracks — including lead single “Doing It to Death” that has since become one of The Kills’ most popular songs alongside “Future Starts Slow” off 2011’s Blood Pressures and “Black Balloon” on 2008’s Midnight Boom. Mosshart and Hince, meanwhile, have managed to cook up another hit on God Games with the gritty opener “New York”, and hearing it live for the first time at The Wiltern was certainly one of the evening’s highlights for us — not to mention other new material such as “Love and Tenderness” and “LA Hex” that sounds more like balladry than the higher-tempo, full-throated bangers loyal listeners have come to expect from them. Heck, maybe that’s one reason why Hince has even traded in his boots for a pair of white penny loafers (and they look good on him, too).

God Games, in that regard, undoubtedly shows The Kills continuing to take some chances and expand their sonic horizons without guitars. And for an act consisting of only two full-time members, it sure does deliver enough sound that you might think a full band was onstage in a similar way that Royal Blood do after seeing the UK two-piece occupy the same space in November and command a sold-out audience with a full-blown mosh pit breaking out (read our show review here). Sure, it would be epic if a drummer and bassist could be part of The Kills’ live show in the future, but with touring costs rising and a number of advancements in technology affording musicians a lot more flexibility, it would most likely take playing much larger venues for them to make a move like that — and we are more than A-OK if they don’t ever headline arenas or stadiums.

There wouldn’t be any pushing or shoving among audience members on this occasion considering The Kills’ music doesn’t really lend itself to that sort of aggressive behavior, but with a trio of backup singers joining them for “Blank”, “Better Days” and “My Girls My Girls” from God Games during what proved to be a four-song encore in LA, you got the sense that the return of Mosshart and Hince to their adopted hometown represented a special moment for them. This wasn’t the final stop of the “God Games Tour” unfortunately, yet that didn’t matter at the end of the day. Because when music like The Kills’ constantly replays in your head long after the show ends (and as I write these words), you know quite simply that it’s damn good.

Setlist:
Kissy Kissy
U.R.A. Fever
Love and Tenderness
103
Going to Heaven
Baby Says
New York
Wasterpiece
Kingdom Come
Hard Habit to Break
God Games
DNA
Black Balloon
LA Hex
Doing It to Death
Future Starts Slow

Encore:
Blank
Better Days
My Girls My Girls
Sour Cherry

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Photos Tagged With: Heartworms, Royal Blood, The Glass House, The Kills, The Observatory, The Wiltern

HARD Summer Music Festival welcomes Disclosure, FISHER + Chris Lake, REZZMAU5, Major Lazer & more to brand-new home in 2024

March 5, 2024 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

HARD Summer Music Festival //
Hollywood Park – Inglewood, CA
August 3rd-4th, 2024 // taS

Spring is almost upon us, and we all know that means festival season is right around the corner.

With some of California’s biggest music festivals revealing their 2024 plans and Goldenvoice sharing its latest round of Coachella sideshows a couple of weeks ago, it’s now HARD Summer’s turn to jump into the action.

A year ago the annual SoCal festival returned to Los Angeles’ city limits and went back to two days after extending to three in 2022, but now HARD founder and CEO Gary Richards’ signature event is heading even further west from its 2023 site that featured the LA Memorial Coliseum, Exposition Park and BMO Stadium — which was quite a difference from some of HARD Summer’s older eastern haunts such as the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Fairplex in Pomona and Whittier Narrows Recreation Area in South El Monte.

🔥HSMF 2K24 – BANGERS ALL SUMMER LONG🔥 2-Day & Single Day tickets go On Sale this Friday, 3/8 @ 10AM PT for a $9.95 deposit! 🔗 https://t.co/s83XEy4OqM pic.twitter.com/mpApugqlc8

— HARD Events (@HARDFEST) March 5, 2024

HARD Summer’s next stop? Well, that would be Inglewood. The two-day fest’s new home will be at what organizers are calling “Hollywood Park adjacent to SoFi Stadium,” though if we can be real, the grounds are primarily made up of the parking lots surrounding the state-of-the-art, indoor-outdoor stadium as you can see here. Hey, at least the weather should be cooler!

This year’s lineup will also look a little different than last year’s in a couple of ways. After highlighting B2B sets at the top of the poster for its first appearance in LA since 2013 and incorporating more hip-hop into the equation during past iterations, HARD Summer has gone back to its electronic roots even more with Disclosure, FISHER + Chris Lake (Under Construction), REZZMAU5 made up of REZZ and deadmau5, and Major Lazer leading the pack. Of course, other top-notch acts that we would be remiss to recognize in this space include Jamie xx, Subtronics, Zeds Dead, Tchami x Malaa, Mochakk, SOFI TUKKER (DJ set), Kenny Beats, Channel Tres, Eli Brown, Wax Motif, Dillon Francis and Boys Noiz. If you want to see the rest of the bill — like special guests Nelly Furtado and Chase & Status or the TBA artists blurred out for Saturday — who are scheduled to perform in August however, make sure to peep the poster above for the full details and check back here for updates.

GA and VIP passes are on sale this Friday, March 8th at 10 a.m. PT here for fans ages 18 and over, and you can set up a payment plan for single-day or weekend tickets after only a $9.95 deposit. So … who’s ready to go HARD in the “City of Champions” this summer?

them bois HOT!💥 @Clooneeuk & @Skepta's Más Tiempo are headed to HSMF 2K24 🔊 Secure tix while you can at https://t.co/9tiK1FKia3 pic.twitter.com/7lUg4bb48l

— HARD Events (@HARDFEST) March 27, 2024

UPDATE (March 27th): Ready to find who else is joining the party this summer? Both TBA acts have been revealed for Saturday, and they just happen to hail from the across the pond with UK tech-house act Cloonee taking his spot on the top line and British grime artist Skepta performing a Más Tiempo set in honor of his house-focused label that he launched in 2023 with Jammer. Scroll up to see the updated poster above as well as the latest on HARD’s social media while tickets are still available with a deposit of $29.95 here.

UPDATE (July 31st): As HARD gets ready to make its Hollywood Park debut this weekend, you can finally feast your eyes on this year’s set times. If you are headed down to SoFi on Saturday, Sunday or both days, check the schedules plus the map above to see what will be your biggest conflict and let us just say there are several like Disclosure vs. REZZMAU5 vs. Zeds Dead vs. Boys Noize vs. Mochakk standing out to us. Want to go but don’t have tickets? You can still buy them here before it’s too late!

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Goldenvoice shares latest round of Coachella sideshows this April after Weekend 1 tickets for festival’s 2024 edition finally sell out

February 21, 2024 by Josh Herwitt 3 Comments

Is it spring yet? With all of the stormy weather California has experienced over the past few weeks, some sunnier and warmer days would certainly be welcomed right about now.

Of course, it’s around this time on the calendar when Goldenvoice starts turning our attention toward April for its biggest event of the year, but with Coachella’s announcement of its 2024 lineup coming a week behind schedule and tickets selling at a much slower pace than in prior years with Weekend 1 taking more than a day and almost a month longer than usual to sell out last week, it has seemingly been more of a challenge for the California concert and music festival promoter to convince folks to make the trek out to the desert.

Much of it has to do with the current, less-than-ideal economic conditions many people are facing at the moment, and with Lana Del Rey, Tyler, the Creator and Doja Cat set to make their headlining debuts in 2024, it’s far from the best the three-day, two-weekend music festival has had to offer in its 23 years on the scene.

But for those of you in the Golden State who might be living on a tighter budget than usual and can’t afford Coachella or just simply aren’t interested in spending thousands of dollars on a weekend out at the Empire Polo Club, the latest installment of sideshows in both Southern and Northern California can serve as a more economical option that still presents enough opportunities for everyone to catch some great live music soon.

Goldenvoice Presents April 2024 🦋 get up close and personal with the artists on this year’s Coachella lineup at venues near(ish) you.

learn more & enter to win a pair of Coachella passes and tickets to EVERY show in your market at https://t.co/qI1Jxhm8Y4 pic.twitter.com/DJ8VFYbsIW

— goldenvoice (@goldenvoice) February 21, 2024

After taking a look at the posters above and below, you might notice right away that there a significant number of more shows scheduled in SoCal versus NorCal, but the action will begin in the bay a week before Coachella’s first weekend gets underway when Belgian DJ/record producer Charlotte de Witte headlines the Cow Palace on Friday, April 5th. Other notable performances taking place in SF include Oneohtrix Point Never at The Regency Ballroom, Young Fathers at Great American Music Hall, Steve Angello at The Midway and Yoasobi at The Warfield.

Meanwhile, things pick up down south the following week as English rockers Blur stop by the Fox Theater in Pomona on Wednesday, April 10th for their first show on American soil since 2015 and another UK product in Jungle get set to play the 1,750-person venue the ensuing day. One change particularly noteworthy this year is the number of sideshows happening in San Diego, including the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park hosting Thai-funk trio Khruangbin with Latin instrumental duo Hermanos Gutiérrez and Alabama Shakes leader Brittany Howard performing at the world-famous Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay. Back up north in the City of Angels, there’s once again a TBA act on the poster after boygenius earned the honor last year and that’s something we will be sure to keep our eyes on with the expectation that more details will emerge next month about who will visit the El Rey Theatre.

Nonetheless, it’s also worth mentioning after comparing previous iterations that Goldenvoice has dialed back on the number of sideshows over the years, peaking at 62 in 2017 before 52 in 2018, 34 in 2019, 44 in 2022 and 32 in 2023. With only 24 in SoCal this time around, having 11 in NorCal does help pad the number back to 35 and we imagine it will continue to hover around this amount in the future based on the way things have been trending.

Ready to catch some live music? Tickets for the sideshows in Southern California go on sale here this Friday, February 23rd at Noon PT over the next two weeks, while admission to the Northern California dates is already available. Fans can also win a pair of Weekend 2 passes to Coachella as well as two Golden tickets that gives access to every “Goldenvoice Presents April” show in SoCal or NorCal (there are separate contests at the aforementioned link). So, with that we say … good luck, friends!