Diplo – Showbams

The Bam Team’s 5 Favorite Shows, Albums & Songs of 2025

December 30, 2025 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Well, here we are again with another year in the books. Music, for one, certainly had its ups and downs throughout 2025. There was Kendrick Lamar’s iconic Super Bowl halftime show, the long-awaited return of Britpop legends Oasis and of course the death of Ozzy Osbourne two weeks after performing for the final time that sent shockwaves across the world. Along with those moments, we witnessed quite a few of our own. Whether it was taking in the closest thing to a Rage Against the Machine show you can see these days, The Prodigy tearing down the house for their first North American headline date since 2017, an evening with Primus that was chock full of surprises, My Morning Jacket’s epic return to Red Rocks, one of the summer’s best co-headline tours with The Flaming Lips and Modest Mouse both sharing the stage and Lord Huron’s ascent to newly minted arena act, there was plenty to celebrate and remember over the last 12 months.

But with another year down and 2026 right around the corner, it’s time for us to reveal our annual “Best of” lists as we have done since this blog started more than a decade ago (see our 2024 picks here). As we always say, we will be the first to confess we didn’t attend every show or spin every album that was issued in 2025, but reflecting on the year that was remains just as fun and challenging as when we first started doing this yearly exercise.

So, without further ado, Showbams presents The Bam Team’s five favorite shows, albums and songs from 2025.

Listen to The Bam Team’s favorite songs of 2025:

Josh Herwitt // Los Angeles

Top 5 Shows of 2025
1. Nine Inch Nails at Kia Forum – Los Angeles, CA – September 18th-19th
When these Hall of Famers announced their “Peel It Back Tour” almost a year ago, we had a pretty good feeling that new music would be on the way. What we didn’t know is that it would for the new “Tron” movie that arrived in the fall. And while permanent members Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross showcased only the soundtrack’s lone single on this run, it was the production featuring a two-stage setup and reimagining of older songs — particularly on the “B Stage” with Boys Noize as Nine Inch Noize — in addition to the unexpected return of former touring drummer Josh Freese that had me thinking about these final two shows of the tour for weeks. That’s what live music can do when an unforgettable performance sticks with you, which was even more remarkable considering Reznor entered his seventh decade just earlier this year.

2. My Morning Jacket at Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO – August 15th-16th
3. Queens of the Stone Age at Arlington Theatre – Santa Barbara, CA – November 8th
4. Jack White at Hollywood Palladium – Los Angeles, CA – May 12th-13th
5. Primus at Greek Theatre – Los Angeles, CA – August 6th

Honorable Mention: The Prodigy at The Warfield – San Francisco, CA – April 13th

Top 5 Albums of 2025
1. Geese – Getting Killed
Let me just say first and foremost that this was not my favorite year for albums. That said, there were several that stuck out and the fourth full length from these NYC indie rockers stood squarely at the top. From the sonic chaos that greets us during “Trinidad” and the groovy, Sly Stoned-flavored “100 Horses” (which is apropos given his death in June) to lead single “Taxes” that’s one of its best and the frenetic finale “Long Island City Here I Come”, the variety of sounds being explored on Getting Killed is almost unparalleled. Geese shouldn’t be considered new kids on the block at this point, but there’s a legitimate reason why they were one of the year’s hottest bands and I am still kicking myself for missing their sold-out show at The Fonda Theatre in late October (resale tickets were going for as much as $800 and that was while the Dodgers were in the World Series no less). Well, fingers crossed for my first one in 2026.

2. Clipse – Let God Sort Em Out
3. The Mars Volta – Lucro Sucio; Los Ojos del Vacio
4. Lord Huron – The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1
5. Ty Segall – Possession

Honorable Mention: Lady Gaga – Mayhem

Top 5 Songs of 2025
1. Nine Inch Nails – “As Alive as You Need Me to Be”
I have no problem admitting that I am a sucker for any new NIN music. As one of my favorite bands all time, the industrial rockers had not released a proper album in more than a decade and we’re not sure if the “Tron: Ares” soundtrack technically counts in our book either. But we love it when Reznor leans into the electronic side of the project, and “As Alive as You Need Me to Be” with additional production from Boys Noize scratches that itch for us. While numbers don’t always tell the full story, the fact that it was our top played song on Spotify does mean something when you look back on all of the music we got to consume in 2025. Better yet, Trent and Atticus still making music of this caliber speaks volumes to their craft and talent as true professionals.

2. Clipse – “Chains & Whips” feat. Kendrick Lamar
3. My Morning Jacket – “Beginning from the Ending”
4. DARKSIDE – “One Last Nothing”
5. Lord Huron – “Bag of Bones”

Favorite Soundtrack of 2025: Nine Inch Nails – Tron: Ares

Andrew Pohl // San Francisco

Top 5 Shows of 2025
1. Home Front at Thee Parkside – San Francisco, CA – November 21st
Having caught Home Front last year in SF at Bottom of the Hill I know going into this concert that Home Front was going to absolutely crush it, but man oh man did they completely outdo themselves. Opening act False Flowers warmed up the crowd in spectacular fashion, and The Government did an excellent job as main support. The overly packed room was VERY ready to receive what Home Front was about to give them, and the band destroyed the place inside and out. Sonically crisp and very tight, the band has built a reputation of being a superb live act and it fully lived up to that at this show, playing much of the material from their new album Watch It Die along with material from their previous efforts and a Cock Sparrer cover to end the set.

2. Pile at Rickshaw Stop – San Francisco, CA – September 10th
3. Pixies with Blonde Redhead, Spoon at Greek Theatre Berkeley – Berkeley, CA – August 28th
4. Deep Sea Diver with Byland at The Independent – San Francisco, CA – April 8th
5. Dance Hall Crashers at Great American Music Hall – San Francisco, CA – June 7th

Top 5 Albums of 2025
1. Deftones – private music
For a band that has produced as much quality output as Deftones has over the years, it’s nice to see them outdo themselves like they did on this album. I wouldn’t qualify it as a “return to form” since it has much of the sonic familiarity throughout the rest of their catalog, but the songs themselves are just really strong and stick to your bones more than most of their other recent material. They sound like a unit that came into recording this with confidence and intention. The material also feels like it would translate well live, and based on how footage of their concerts this year looked, I stand correct. This is the album that I kept coming back to over and over again in 2025, which didn’t surprise me given my love for these guys.

2. Momma – Welcome to My Blue Sky
3. Home Front – Watch It Die
4. Deep Sea Diver – Billboard Heart
5. Viagra Boys – Viagr Aboys

Top 5 Songs of 2025
1. Viagra Boys – “Man Made of Meat”
This is such a perfect way to open Viagra Boys’ new album. Right off the bat you get that level of sass and weirdness that we have come accustomed to from the Swedish post-punk band. From the perfectly timed belch in the opening verse to the breakdown where frontman Sebastian Murphy brings up the idea of subscribing “to your mom’s Only Fans,” the song is a buffet of ridiculousness. The chorus is catchy as all get out, and the song as a whole is that perfect mix of accessible and clever. What a fun way for them to get things started.

2. Deftones – “Locked Club”
3. Preoccupations – “Ill at Ease”
4. Home Front – “Light Sleeper”
5. Momma – “New Friend”

Rochelle Shipman // Los Angeles

Top 5 Shows of 2025
1. Kendrick Lamar and SZA at SoFi Stadium – Inglewood, CA – May 24th
It’s hard to imagine anything other than a killer Kendrick show after the run he’s had this past year, but the Grand National Tour went above and beyond and around again. It was one set with songs from both artists’ catalogs being seamlessly interwoven before they came back onstage to perform a few of their hits together. Kendrick was riding his deserved high, while SZA was angelic (literally suspended above the crowd wearing wings) and somehow made it feel like we were watching two Beyoncés. The power and craft on that stage was something so special to witness.

2. Little Simz at Fox Theatre Oakland – Oakland, CA – November 17th
3. Clipse at The Novo – Los Angeles, CA – August 23rd
4. Bright Eyes at The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA – February 7th
5. Doechii at Gallagher Square (Petco Park) – San Diego, CA – November 5th

Honorable Mention: NxWorries at Hollywood Palladium – Los Angeles, CA – October 19th

Top 5 Albums of 2025
1. Clipse – Let God Sort Em Out
After a false start with Def Jam that resulted in a seven-figure buyout, Clipse finally found a home at Roc Nation for their newest album in 15 years over the summer — and now it’s hard to imagine it happening any other way. The brothers Thornton reunited to educate the kids on what a proper album rollout used to entail, the whole time sharing their experiences and emotions surrounding their parents’ deaths to a degree most men would never dream of doing. The beats and bars hit so hard all the way through they even make some of Pharrell’s cringeworthy moments sound catchy. There’s no question Mom and Dad are proud of them after laying down this masterpiece.

2. Little Simz – Lotus
3. Backxwash – Only Dust Remains
4. Landlady – Make Up / Lost Time
5. Panda Bear – Sinister Grift

Top 5 Songs of 2025
1. Little Simz – “Thief”
Opening her sixth studio album with an intro track that’s as intense as it is eloquent, the London rapper continues to prove she’s not the one to fuck with. Marking the first of a few songs on Lotus that artfully skewers her former musical counterpart Inflo of Sault, “Thief” leaves Simz’s broken heart totally bare against a compelling musical backdrop. It’s never fun to watch close friends have a falling out, but we would be damned if Little Simz didn’t make it sound so good.

2. Clipse – “The Birds Don’t Sing”
3. AJ Tracey feat. Jorja Smith – “Crush”
4. Casey Dienel (fka White Hinterland) – “Your Girl’s Upstairs”
5. Doechii – “Nosebleeds”

Michael Silver // Orange County

Top 5 Shows of 2025
1. Jack White at The Grove of Anaheim – Anaheim, CA – January 25th
The millennial guitar GOAT went on a generational run in 2025. A master of gorilla marketing and last-minute ticket announcements, White commenced his “No Name” tour with an intimate OC performance. The Internet gods were kind to me as I scored front-row access to see the Detroit native blitzed through a 21-song set spanning White Stripes cult favorites (“The Hardest Button to Button”) to The Raconteurs’ gems (“Broken Boy Soldier”) all while mixing in new joints (“Old Scratch Blues” followed by “That’s How I’m Feeling”). Between playing music halls and theaters as well as NFL stadiums with Eminem in front of a national TV audience on Thanksgiving, the virtuoso and ambassador for all things vinyl was officially inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The White Stripes this year and has carved out his own lane in rock history.

2. Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist at The Observatory – Santa Ana, CA – October 27th
3. The Eagles at Sphere – Las Vegas, NV – October 10th
4. Wu-Tang Clan at Crypto.com Arena – Los Angeles, CA – June 22nd
5. The Used at House of Blues Anaheim – Anaheim, CA – October 11th

Top 5 Albums of 2025
1. Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist – Alfredo 2
Following up on 2020’s Grammy-nominated collaboration, the Indiana rapper and California producer created a soulful, translucent vibe of hip-hop bravado. The opening guitar licks on “1995” showcase a new era of creativity by The Alchemist, while Gibbs provides a hypnotic and downright maniacal flow. “Mar-a-Lago” and “Lemon Pepper Steppers” define these sophisticated raps, with the emcee in total control painting a visual storyboard.

2. Deftones – private music
3. Turnstile – Never Enough
4. Clipse – Let God Sort Em Out
5. Joey Bada$$ – Lonely at the Top

Top 5 Songs of 2025
1. Turnstile – “Birds”
Has there ever been a more fitting rock anthem to take over the airwaves? Soaring in at 2:27 long, the Baltimore collective blasted into our collective conscience. With high-profile fans like Billie Eilish, Elton John and Hayley Williams singing their praise, it wasn’t long before mainstream radio added them into their rotations. To wrap up a wild press campaign, lead singer Brendan Yates performed the first-ever stage dive at NPR’s Tiny Desk series with “Birds” as his soundtrack.

2. Deftones – “Milk of the Madonna”
3. Diplo – “Flashlight” feat. Project Pat & Juicy J
4. GELO – “Tweaker”
5. Sublime – “Ensenada”

Favorite Soundtrack of 2025: Nine Inch Nails – Tron: Ares

Filed Under: Best of, Best of 2025, Editor's Picks, Featured Tagged With: AJ Tracey, Arlington Theatre, Backxwash, Blonde Redhead, Boys Noize, Bright Eyes, Byland, Casey Dienel, Clipse, Cock Sparrer, Crypto.com Arena, Dance Hall Crashers, Darkside, Deep Sea Diver, Deftones, Diplo, Doechii, Eminem, False Flowers, Fox Theater Oakland, Freddie Gibbs, Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist, Gallagher Square, Gallagher Square at Petco Park, GEESE, GELO, Great American Music Hall, Greek Theatre, Greek Theatre Berkeley, Grove of Anaheim, Hollywood Palladium, Home Front, House of Blues Anaheim, Inflo, Jack White, Joey Bada$$, Jorja Smith, Juicy J, Kendrick Lamar, Kia Forum, Lady Gaga, Landlady, Little Simz, Lord Huron, Modest Mouse, Momma, My Morning Jacket, Nine Inch Nails, Nine Inch Noize, NxWorries, Oasis, Ozzy Osbourne, Panda Bear, Petco Park, Pile, Pixies, Preoccupations, Primus, Project Pat, Queens of the Stone Age, Rage Against the Machine, Red Rocks, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, Rickshaw Stop, Sault, Sly Stone, SoFi Stadium, Sphere, Spoon, Sublime, SZA, The Alchemist, The Arlington, The Arlington Theatre, The Eagles, The Flaming Lips, The Fonda Theatre, The Government, The Independent, The Mars Volta, The Novo, The Novo DTLA, The Observatory, The Prodigy, The Used, The Warfield, The White Stripes, The Wiltern, The Wiltern Theatre, Thee Parkside, Tom Morello, Turnstile, Ty Segall, Viagra Boys, Wu Tang Clan

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

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!

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: 33 Below, Ahadadadream, ALLEYCVT, ARMNHMR, Auto Club Speedway, AYYBO, Beltran, Beltran B2B Classmatic, BEME, Bianca Oblivion, BMO Stadium, Bontan, Boys Noize, BUNT., camden cox, Carola, Channel Tres, Chase & Status, Chloé Caillet, Chris Lake, Chris Stussy, Classmatic, Cloonee, Coachella, Coachella 2024 sideshows, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2024, Coachella sideshows, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2024, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2024, Cole Knight, Curra, Deadmau5, Dillon Francis, Dimension, Diplo, Disclosure, DJ FLY, DJ Heartstring, DJ Susan, DJ Tennis, Elderbrook, Eli Brown, Exposition Park, Fairplex, Fisher, Fisher + Chris Lake, FISHER + Chris Lake (Under Construction), GUDFELLA, Hamdi, HARD Summer, HARD Summer 2024, HARD Summer Music Festival, HARD Summer Music Festival 2024, Hayes Bradley, HEDEX, Hollywood Park, HoneyLuv, HoneyLuv B2B Bontan, INFEKT, Interplanetary Criminal, INVT, Jamie xx, Jammer, Juelz, Jyoty, Kanine, Kenny Beats, Kerri Chandler, KETBOI69, KETTAMA, KETTAMA + Partiboi69, LA Memorial Coliseum, Lake Hills, Level Up, Levity, LUPA, Major Lazer, Malaa, Marco Carola, Mary Droppinz, Matroda, Más Tiempo, Mochakk, Nazaar, Nelly Furtado, NOS Events Center, NOTION, Oppidan, Overmono, Panteros666, Partiboi69, Pocket, Ranger Trucco, REAPER, REZZ, REZZMAU5, SAKA, SAKA B2B FLY, San Pacho, Seth Troxler, Seth Troxler B2B DJ Tennis, Sidepiece, Skepta, SoFi Stadium, Sofi Tukker, SOSA, Sub Focus, Subtronics, Tchami, Tchami x MALAA, Teko, TroyBoi, Under Construction, Wax Motif, Whittier Narrows Recreation Area, Zeds Dead

HARD Summer Music Festival changes locations, moves back to two days in 2023 with Kaskade B2B John Summit, Skrillex B2B Four Tet

March 7, 2023 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

HARD Summer Music Festival //
LA Memorial Coliseum, Exposition Park & BMO Stadium – Los Angeles
August 5th-6th, 2023 //

If you thought Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival delivered a big splash by releasing its 2023 lineup to celebrate the 15-year mark this August, HARD Summer is making its own noise just hours later.

After extending to three days in 2022, the annual Southern California music festival is moving back to two with a brand-new location and a stacked roster that once again favors electronic and hip-hop fans.

While a variety of SoCal venues — Whittier Narrows Recreation Area, the Fairplex in Pomona and Auto Club Speedway in Fontana — have played host to HARD Summer over the years, the fest’s latest home for the past two had been the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino. But HARD founder and CEO Gary Richards has always had his sights set on returning to LA since leaving the city’s limits following its 2013 edition at the previous iteration of LA State Historic Park.

🔋🔥 PULL UP & POP OFF – UR #HSMF23 LINEUP IS HERE 🔥🔋 + MORE TBA 👀

HARD Summer 2-Day + Single Day Passes go On Sale this Friday, 3/10 @ 10AM PT! 🔗 https://t.co/s83XEy4OqM pic.twitter.com/FKtxngKRVF

— HARD Events (@HARDFEST) March 7, 2023

Now, the event will migrate 63 miles west to the LA Memorial Coliseum, Exposition Park and BMO Stadium with Kaskade B2B John Summit and Skrillex B2B Four Tet tapped as headliners, plus two special guests in 21 Savage and Kid Cudi.

This year’s undercard, meanwhile, isn’t too shabby either, littered with more B2B sets and other huge names that include Diplo B2B Blond:ish, Black Coffee, Kayzo B2B Sullivan King, Oliver Tree, Gorgon City, Yellow Claw B2B Flosstradamus, Dillon Francis, Deorro, The Martinez Brothers, Jungle (DJ set), Bicep (Live), 4B B2B JSTJR, TBA B2B Sonny Fodera, Diesel, Ludacris, Peekaboo, Fat Joe and more. Check out the poster above for the rest of acts who have been booked.

GA and VIP passes are on sale this Friday, March 10th at 10 a.m. PT here for fans ages 18 and over, with payment plans also available for single-day or weekend tickets after a $9.95 deposit.

UPDATE (May 1st): With more than four months to go until showtime, HARD Summer has uncovered a handful of 2023 lineup additions that sees MK B2B Sonny Fodera, Yung Bae, PAWSA, Rochelle Jordan and nøll joining the party this August in downtown LA. Scope out the poster above for the latest updates to the roster and sign up for the SMS hotline here to receive first access to tickets, lineups and more via text message.

UPDATE (August 2nd): Set times are here, and while there’s a whole lot to choose from, there’s also some tough decisions to make after 9 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Give the schedules above a good look before leaving for Exposition Park this weekend, and most importantly, have a great time!

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: 21 Savage, 4B b2b JSTJR, Alix Perez, AMÉMÉ, Auto Club Speedway, Azzecca, Ben Sterling, Bicep, Bicep Live, Black Coffee, Blanke, Blond:ish, Blossom, BMO Stadium, Boys Noize, Chasewest, Chee, CHEE x Jon Casey, Chuwe, CHYL, Club Tularosa, Denis Sulta, Deorro, DEVAULT, Diesel, Dillon Francis, Diplo, Diplo b2b BLOND:ISH, Dirt Monkey, Disco Lines, DJ Dials, Emo Nite, Exposition Park, Fairplex, Fat Joe, Fleur Shore, Flosstradamus, Four Tet, Frosttop, fun2bjane, Giolì & Assia, Gorgon City, Hamdi, HARD Summer, HARD Summer 2023, HARD Summer Music Festival, HARD Summer Music Festival 2023, Hayden James, ISOxo, IT HZ, John Summit, Jon Casey, Jungle, Kai Wachi, Kaivon, Kaskade, Kaskade B2B John Summit, Kayzo, Kayzo B2B Sullivan King, Kid Cudi, Kitty Ca$h, Knock2, LA Memorial Coliseum, LA State Historic Park, Lauren Lane, Lauren Lane B2B Ms. Mada, Laxcity, Loco Dice, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Ludacris, Luude, Mija, MK, MK (Marc Kinchen), MK B2B Sonny Fodera, Ms. Mada, NALA, nøll, Netsky, NIK P, Ninajirachi, Noizu, NOS Events Center, Odd Mob, Oliver Tree, PAWSA, PEEKABOO, Rochelle Jordan, Rohaan, Rossi., SAYMYNITTI, Senza, Sippy, Skrillex, Skrillex B2B Four Tet, Sonny Fodera, Space Laces, Sullivan King, Tape B, The Martinez Brothers, Toman, Toman B2B Rossi., Two Feet, Whittier Narrows Recreation Area, Wilkinson, Wuki, Yellow Claw, Yellow Claw B2B Flosstradamus, Yunè Pinku, Yung Bae

Lightning in a Bottle taps REZZ, SOFI TUKKER & ZHU as headliners for ‘transformational’ festival’s 20th anniversary in 2023

January 17, 2023 by Josh Herwitt 2 Comments

Lightning in a Bottle //
Buena Vista Aquatic Recreation Area – Bakersfield, CA
May 24th-29th, 2023 //

Lightning in a Bottle, believe it or not, is turning 20 this year.

After 2022 marked its first installment in three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic with Glass Animals, Kaytranada and GRiZ headlining, the “transformational” festival is back at it this Memorial Day weekend and ready to enter a third decade.

Sitting atop the poster for The Do LaB’s signature event will be three electronic heavyweights in REZZ, SOFI TUKKER and ZHU following its Phase 1 lineup announcement, but the undercard has more than enough dance-forward music to keep you moving and grooving into the early-morning hours, too.

20 years of lightning has led us to our most eclectic array of artists yet ⚡️ Get tickets: https://t.co/M9B6C9SvV1 pic.twitter.com/C0cPR3I9CB

— Lightning in a Bottle (@LIBfestival) January 17, 2023

Below the top line, some of the artists standing out at the Lightning Stage in 2023 include Phantogram, Tobe Nwigwe, 070 Shake, Caribou, DRAMA, Sampa the Great, MINDCHATTER, Uncle Waffles, Beats Antique and Ozomatli with Chali 2na & Cut Chemist. The Thunder Stage, meanwhile, has its own crop of acts worth highlighting here in Liquid Stranger, LSDREAM, TOKiMONSTA (DJ set), The Glitch Mob, LTJ Bukem with Armanni, MEUTE, Deathpact, The Polish Ambassador and The Floozies, yet so does the Woogie Stage with sets by Tale of Us, Diplo, Purple Disco Machine, Ben Böhmer, Stephan Bodzin (Live), Blond:ish, LP Giobbi, Giorgia Angiuli and more. Peep the poster above for the rest of the roster.

LIB has long been considered to be one of the country’s premier boutique festivals and a great way to cure any Coachella blues just one month later. Though there aren’t a lot of names — besides DRAMA — crossing over from the famed two-weekend, three-day extravaganza in the desert this April, both of them have previously shared the same electronic-leaning talent from RÜFÜS DU SOL, SG Lewis and Bob Moses to Four Tet, Bonobo and Tycho. Still, for as much as the music has been the main draw for fans over the last 10 years, promoting the ideals of sustainability, social cohesion, personal health and creative expression through art, yoga, workshops and speakers continues to play an essential part of the experience and The Do LaB’s overall mission since the very beginning.

GA and VIP tickets to LIB 2023 can be purchased here for $439 and $775, respectively, plus fees as well as car camping and parking passes. Group campsites in addition to admission for RVs and kids ages 1-17 will also be available, so feel free to bring the whole family to Buena Vista Lake for a long weekend of fun!

UPDATE (February 28th): The lineup for the Grand Artique stage has now been announced featuring performances by Band of Gringos, Bootleg Sunshine and more. You can find the rest of the scheduled acts in the poster above.

UPDATE (March 2nd): Two days after telling us which artists will play the Grand Artique stage, the festival has shared the roster for The Junkyard with Ali Khalili, Armando Kroma and Beau Sebastian leading the way. See who else will be there in the poster above.

UPDATE (March 7th): Feeling a little spiritual in 2023? LIB has revealed more of its Phase 2 lineup as LIGHTCODE by LSDREAM and Sunday Service with The Polish Ambassador lead the Compass Music stage with their ambient, chill vibes. Take a look at the poster above to familiarize yourself with the other artists on the bill.

UPDATE (March 9th): Hey, bass heads! The fest has dropped more music (like it’s hot) by delivering its roster for The Stacks that boasts The Gaslamp Killer and so much more, including special guests. Peek at the poster above for the full list of performers.

UPDATE (March 14th): With 10 weeks to go before LIB’s 20th anniversary, daily lineups have officially arrived. Scan the posters above for all of the acts taking the stage from Wednesday to Sunday.

UPDATE (May 16th): LIB has released its set times as the 2023 edition quickly approaches, and while there are certainly some conflicts to work through, at least they’re giving you more than a week’s notice, right? Also, the music goes until 4 a.m. on Friday-Sunday so don’t forget to pace yourself if you’ll be at Buena Vista Aquatic Recreation Area next weekend. See more details above.

UPDATE (May 19th): Heading to LIB next weekend? Make sure to check out the festival map above before you get there!

UPDATE (May 22nd): More maps for all of your camping needs! If you’re going to LIB this weekend, take a closer look above at the four camping areas: High Noon Camp, Sunrise Camp, Sunset Group Camp or Sunset Camp. Also, those of you staying in an RV will be placed in the Sunrise Camp.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Tale Of Us will be unable to perform at the LIB event. A lineup replacement has been arranged, and Lee Burridge will perform instead. pic.twitter.com/vU8lcnSR8Q

— Lightning in a Bottle (@LIBfestival) May 24, 2023

UPDATE (May 24th): Due to unforeseen circumstances, Berlin-based duo Tale of Us will not perform at LIB this weekend and will be replaced by British DJ Lee Burridge, who has been an LIB staple for years, on the Woogie Stage.

Dive back into our past coverage of LIB here.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: 070 Shake, Ahee, Ali Khalili, AMÉMÉ, Andreas One, Armando Kroma, Armanni, ‎Desiree, Baby Weight, Balkan Bump, Band of Gringos, Beats Antique, Beau Sebastian, Ben Böhmer, Blond:ish, Bob Moses, Bonobo, Bootleg Sunshine, CANABLISS, Caribou, Cassian, Chali 2na, Coachella, Coachella 2023, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2023, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2023, Cut Chemist, Daily Bread, David Starfire, Deathpact, Deer Jade, Deer Jade B2B Elif, Dimond Saints, Diplo, DRAMA, Eda, El Papachango, Elif, Four Tet, Giorgia Angiuli, Glass Animals, Goldcap, GRIZ, Hamdi, Jon Casey, Kaytranada, Layla Benitez, Lee Burridge, LIB, LIB 2023, Lightning in a Bottle, Lightning in a Bottle 2023, Liquid Stranger, Logic1000, LP Giobbi, LSDREAM, LTJ Bukem, LTJ Bukem with Armanni, Major League DJz, Mary Droppinz, Mersiv, MEUTE, MINDCHATTER, Moontricks, Moore Kismet, My Baby, NALA, Nico Stojan, Nii Tei, Ozomatli, Ozomatli with Chali 2na & Cut Chemist, Phantogram, Prospa, Purple Disco Machine, Random Rab, RÜFÜS DU SOL, REZZ, Rinzen, Rochelle Jordan, Sabo, Sabo & Goldcap, Sad Night Dynamite, Sam Shure, Sampa the Great, SG Lewis, Shawni, Sinca, Sofi Tukker, Stephan Bodzin, Tale of Us, The Do LaB, The Floozies, The Gaslamp Killer, The Glitch Mob, The Polish Ambassador, Tobe Nwigwe, Tokimonsta, TSHA, Tycho, Uncle Waffles, Uniiqu3, Wreckno, Zach Walker, Zen Selekta, zhu, ZINGARA

Surprise! Coachella offers a big twist while revealing 2022 set times as Arcade Fire joins the party unexpectedly

April 14, 2022 by Josh Herwitt 4 Comments

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival //
Empire Polo Club – Indio, CA
April 15th-17th & April 22nd-24th, 2022 //

Well, Coachellans … if you thought last week’s news that saw Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd replace Ye (fka Kanye West) as Sunday’s headlining acts was the only change before you head out to the desert, think again.

The three-day, two-weekend music and arts festival has surprised us all in revealing set times for its 21st edition just a little more than 24 hours before it begins — the latest they have ever been released — and casually including Arcade Fire, which was not listed on the official lineup poster, at the Mojave Tent on Friday. If you’re hoping to catch what should be an epic performance from Win Butler, Régine Chassagne and company during “magic hour” and likely hear some new tunes off their upcoming sixth studio album WE that arrives in May, we would recommend getting there early before 6:45 p.m.

Decided to spend my birthday somewhere warm and dry 🌴 @coachella pic.twitter.com/D1cnHWnW0I

— Arcade Fire (@arcadefire) April 14, 2022

And while there are always hard decisions to make at Coachella, it only gets tougher with the Grammy-winning band added into the mix.

Don’t be shy, though … what’s your biggest conflict this year and who are you most excited for?

WEEKEND 1 SET TIMES

Full moon tonight 🌕 pic.twitter.com/wkyicUWeCt

— Coachella (@coachella) April 16, 2022

UPDATE (April 16th): We’re only one day into Weekend 1, and there are already some shake-ups to the schedule starting with Madlib being unable to join Freddie Gibbs at the Gobi Stage due to personal reasons. Gibbs, nevertheless, will still perform solo at his scheduled start time of 9:35 p.m. Meanwhile over at the Sahara Tent a couple hours earlier, Tchami will now begin at 7:03 p.m. instead of 7:15 p.m. You can peep the latest set times for Saturday in the tweet above.

WEEKEND 2 SET TIMES

Arcade Fire are most notably missing from the Weekend 2 set times, but that’s not the only change that stands out if you’re comparing them to Weekend 1. Besides some changes to the early-afternoon slots as well as slowthai moving up and The Marías moving back to compete with Grupo Firme for some odd reason, another notable adjustment is Run the Jewels moving to Friday at 8:10 p.m. in the Mojave Tent after taking the Coachella Stage on Sunday at 4:35 p.m. during Weekend 1.

And as we saw last weekend with Shaina Twain, Justin Bieber, Damon Albarn, Snoop Dogg, Post Malone, Diplo, Khalid, Tyga, Saweetie, Metro Boomin and more all making cameos, Coachella has become a breeding ground for live collaborations and special guests so we’ll see if Weekend 2 has more surprises in store for fans after a star-studded return to the polo fields.

MAP

Less than four hours before the gates officially open at the Empire Polo Club, Coachella has finally shared this year’s map and it looks a lot like what we saw in 2019. But one change to the map that sticks out is the relocation of the Yuma Tent, which has moved farther away from the main entrance (though only slightly) and closer to the 12 Peaks VIP section adjacent to the Coachella Stage. Also, there’s only one way to access the Sonora, Gobi and Mojave Tents now as compared to prior years when guests could walk directly from the Sahara Tent to any of them, and while that might create for less foot traffic in the area near The Do LaB Stage, it will be a longer walk than before.

Coachella has long been considered to be one of the world’s best-run music festivals (and rightfully so), yet with Goldenvoice running behind schedule this week on the release of set times and other pertinent information, we’ll see how smoothly things go after a three-year hiatus for the concert promoter.

So whether you’ll be in Indio or watching the YouTube livestream on your couch, let’s hope there aren’t any other artists or bands canceling at the last minute.

Happy Coachella!

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: (Sandy) Alex G, 100 gecs, 21 Savage, 88rising's Double Happiness, 88rising's HEAD IN THE CLOUDS FOREVER, Adam Port, Alaina Castillo, Alec Benjamin, Ali Gatie, Altın Gün, AMÉMÉ, Amber Mark, Amyl and the Sniffers, Anitta, ANNA, Anna Calvi, Arcade Fire, Ari Lennox, Ariana Grande, Arlo Parks, Arooj Aftab, ARTBAT, Astroworld, Astroworld 2021, Astroworld Festival, Astroworld Festival 2021, Aya Nakamura, Baby Keem, Bad Bunny, BADBADNOTGOOD, Banda MS, beabadoobee, Beach Bunny, Beach Goons, Bedouin, Belly, Big Sean, Big Wild, BIGBANG, Billie Eilish, Bishop Briggs, Black Coffee, BLACK MIDI, Black Pumas, BLACKPINK, Brockhampton, Calvin Harris, Cariño, Caribou, Carly Rae Jepsen, Caroline Polachek, Cashmere Cat, Channel Tres, Charli XCX, Chelsea Cutler, Chicano Batman, Childish Gambino, Chris Liebing, City Girls, Coachella, Coachella 2020, Coachella 2021, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2020, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2021, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2022, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2022, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2022, Code Orange, Cole Knight, Conan Gray, Cordae, Coronavirus, Coronavirus Pandemic, Covid 19, COVID-19 Pandemic, Crumb, Cuco, Current Joys, DaBaby, Damian Lazarus, Damon Albarn, Daniel Caesar, Danny Elfman, Daphni, Dave, Dear Humans, Denzel Curry, Detlef, Diplo, Disastroworld, Disclosure, Dixon, DJ Holographic, DJ Koze, DJ Lord, Doja Cat, Dom Dolla, Duck Sauce, Duke Dumont, Ленинград (Leningrad), Ed Maverick, ela minus, Ellen Allien, Emo Nite, Emotional Oranges, Epik High, Erick Morillo, EYEDRESS, Ezra Collective, Fatboy Slim, Finneas, FKA twigs, Floating Points, Flume, Fontaines D.C., Frank Ocean, Fred again.., Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, Friendly Fires, GG Magree, girl in red, Giselle Woo & The Night Owls, Giveon, Griselda, GRIZ, Grupo Firme, Guy Laliberté, Harry Styles, Hatsune Miku, Hayden James, Holly Humberstone, Hot Chip, IDLES, Inner Wave, Isaiah Rashad, J.I.D., Jai Wolf, Jamie xx, Japanese Breakfast, Jayda G, Jean Dawson, Jessie Reyez, John Summit, Joji, Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Karol G, Khalid, Kim Petras, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Koffee, Kruder & Dorfmeister, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Kyle Watson, Kynda Black, L'Impératrice, Lana Del Rey, Lane 8, Lauren Daigle, Lawrence, Layla Benitez, Lewis Capaldi, Lil Baby, Lil Nas X, Lil Uzi Vert, Logic1000, Lost Kings, Louis the Child, Luttrell, Madeon, Maggie Rogers, Malaa, Mannequin Pussy, Mariah the Scientist, Marina, Masego, Matoma, Maxo Kream, Måneskin, Megan Thee Stallion, Melé, Metro Boomin, MEUTE, Miane, Michael Bibi, MIKA, Molchat Doma, Monolink, Mura Masa, Natanael Cano, Nathy Peluso, Nicki Nicole, NIKI, Nilüfer Yanya, Noname, Olivia O’Brien, Omar Apollo, Orville Peck, Pabllo Vittar, Paco Osuna, Peggy Gou, Phoebe Bridgers, Pink Sweat$, Post Malone, Princess Nokia, Pup, Purple Disco Machine, Rage Against the Machine, Raveena, Rich Brian, Richie Hawtin, Rina Sawayama, Role Model, Run The Jewels, Sama' Abdulhadi, Sampa the Great, Satori, Saweetie, Shaina Twain, Skegss, SLANDER, slowthai, Snoh Aalegra, Snoop Dogg, SOHMI, Solomun, Spiritualized, Steve Lacy, Still Woozy, Stromae, Sunday Service, Surf Curse, Swedish House Mafia, Tame Impala, Tchami, The Avalanches, The Blessed Madonna + Honey Dijon, The Chats, The HU, The Marías, The Martinez Brothers, The Regrettes, Tokimonsta, Travis Scott, Turnstile, Tyga, Viagra Boys, Vince Staples, VNSSA, Wallows, Whipped Cream, Win Butler, Yard Act, Ye, Yola

The Chemical Brothers give fans at Shrine Expo Hall the electronic show they desperately need in 2019

May 20, 2019 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

By Josh Herwitt //

The Chemical Brothers //
Shrine Expo Hall – Los Angeles
May 15th, 2019 //

When former childhood classmates Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons burst onto the scene in the mid-to-late 90’s as The Chemical Brothers, electronic music for most was still a relatively new phenomenon — even in their home country of England.

Sure, some of the UK duo’s counterparts such as The Prodigy and Fatboy Slim were attracting more mainstream appeal around the same time, but that commercial success at the height of the big beat movement doesn’t hold a candle to what many of the biggest EDM stars today are amassing in the social media age. Just look at what Calvin Harris, Diplo, Skrillex, Zedd or The Chainsmokers are bringing home if you don’t believe me (hint: it’s well over eight figures). Of course, those Las Vegas hotel residencies sure do help their cash flow.

The Chemical Brothers, nevertheless, have managed to maintain a loyal following for three decades now and that was evident by the sold-out crowd that welcomed them to the Shrine Expo Hall last Wednesday for the first of two dates in LA. It’s not often that an artist or band books two different venues in the same city while on tour, but that’s exactly what Rowlands and Simons did with their other LA show taking place up the road at the Greek Theatre only one day later. That said, the Shrine Expo Hall’s open floor plan proved to be perfectly suited for the pair’s dance-ready tracks.

Leading off with “Go” from their 2015 LP Born in the Echoes, The Chemical Brothers delivered a 24-song set that covered all nine studio albums, including their newest effort No Geography that dropped in April. They seamlessly transitioned from one banger to the next, keeping our spirits high and leaving us not a minute to rest our feet. The onstage production, meanwhile, was next level. With an arsenal full of lights and lasers as well as a massive projection screen mounted behind them, Rowlands and Simons created a scintillating audio-visual experience to remember and one of the best we’ve witnessed in a while.

At a time when electronic music has become relatively predictable and almost formulaic, The Chemical Brothers are still experimenting with new sounds and breathing some fresh air into their live sets. Case in point on this night was a cover of New Order’s 1982 single “Temptation” and a rendition of Come with Us cut “Star Guitar” that wrapped up with a snippet of “Gravity Drops” from No Geography. But the Brothers saved what we all had been anticipating for last, uncorking “Block Rockin’ Beats” off 1997’s Dig Your Own Hole before their encore break.

When they returned, Rowlands and Simons gave us a few more before waving goodbye — not that we needed anymore to feel satisfied. Because if this was what an electronic show in 2019 is supposed to feel like, then we can safely say … mission accomplished, boys.

Setlist:
Go
Free Yourself
Chemical Beats (with vocal sample from “Sometimes I Feel So Deserted”)
MAH
EML Ritual
Swoon
Temptation (New Order cover)
Star Guitar (with “Gravity Drops” outro)
Got to Keep On
Hey Boy Hey Girl
Eve of Destruction
Saturate
Elektrobank
No Geography
Escape Velocity
Hoops / Get Up on It Like This
Under the Influence / Dig Your Own Hole
Wide Open
Galvanize
Leave Home / C-H-E-M-I-C-A-L / Song to the Siren
Block Rockin’ Beats

Encore:
Got Glint?
Catch Me I’m Falling (with “Hold Tight London” intro)
The Private Psychedelic Reel

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Calvin Harris, Diplo, Fatboy Slim, New Order, Shrine Expo Hall, Skrillex, The Chainsmokers, The Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy, Zedd

Coachella reveals 2019 set times

April 10, 2019 by Josh Herwitt 2 Comments

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival //
Empire Polo Club – Indio, CA
April 12th-14th & April 19th-21st, 2019 //

It’s officially Coachella week, and we all know what that means: scheduling conflicts galore.

The three-day, two-weekend music and arts festival has revealed the set times for its 20th edition just after 11 a.m. PT (11:04 a.m. to be exact), about 16 hours later than it did in 2018.

Coachellans often have some tough decisions to make as to which artists they should see, and 2019 is no different in that respect. But if you’re headed to the desert this month, take a look at the set times below so you can survive all three days at the Empire Polo Club.

Tell us, though … what’s your biggest conflict this year and which performance are you most excited for?

WEEKEND 1 SET TIMES

WEEKEND 2 SET TIMES

There are a few minor schedule tweaks for Weekend 2, as Big Game takes Friday’s opening slot on the Outdoor Theatre at 3 p.m. for Jimbo Jenkins, who has been moved to the Sahara Tent on Saturday at 12:25 p.m. More Saturday changes include More Fire Mondays replacing Gabe Real on the Coachella Stage at 1:50 p.m., CPTN KIRK taking Fundido’s spot in the Gobi Tent at 12:45 p.m. and Lealani kicking things off in the Mojave Tent rather than Yeti Out at 12 p.m. bright and early (and hot, most likely).

On Sunday, Ugly Primo will now be the first act — instead of Alf Alpha — to take the Coachella Stage at 2:15 p.m. while Subsuelo gets things started in the Mojave Tent at 1:40 p.m., replacing Ericalandia, and Cre-8 has been moved in place of R3LL in the Sahara Tent at 1:50 p.m.

UPDATE (April 18th): Christine and the Queens has canceled her Weekend 2 performance at the Outdoor Theatre, sadly due to her mother’s death. Héloïse Letissier announced the news on Twitter in her native tongue of French (see below).

Je n’arrive qu’à écrire des phrases très simples. J’ai perdu ma mère dans la nuit de mardi. Je suis rentrée pour traverser cette épreuve avec mes proches – je ne pourrai pas chanter ce samedi. Je vous embrasse.

— Chris (@QueensChristine) April 18, 2019

MAP

A little more than four hours after releasing its Weekend 1 set times, Coachella unveiled this year’s map and it looks fairly similar to what we saw in 2018.

One of most notable differences is the relocation of the Gobi and Sonora Tents, which have traded places with the Indio Central Market and the Antarctica dome, the latter being one of the cooler (no pun intended) experiences that the festival has introduced in the past three years. The Heineken House, meanwhile, has also moved (next to Antarctica) and sits more tucked away from Coachella’s eight other stages than it ever used to be.

The Mojave Tent will continue to remain in its same location, with a few new additions to the area, including the Calvin Klein, Pantene and Peet’s Cold Brew tents. Believe it or not, there’s even a designated place where you can pick up your Postmates order. Ah, corporate sponsors … because what would America’s most Instagrammed music festival be without them now?

Happy Coachella!

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: 070 Shake, 88Glam, A R I Z O N A, Adriatique, Agoria, Alice Merton, Amelie Lens, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, Anna Lunoe, Aphex Twin, Ariana Grande, Âme, Bad Bunny, Bakar, Bassnectar, Bazzi, Beach Fossils, Billie Eilish, BLACKPINK, Blond:ish, Blood Orange, Bob Moses, boy pablo, Burna Boy, Calypso Rose, CamelPhat, Charlotte de Witte, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Childish Gambino, CHON, Chris Lake, Christine and the Queens, Chvrches, Cirez D, Clairo, CloZee, Coachella, Coachella 2019, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2019, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2019, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2019, Cola Boyy, Dave P., Deep Dish, Dennis Lloyd, Dermot Kennedy, Dillon Francis, Diplo, DJ Snake, Dusky, DVSN, Easy Life, Ella Mai, Emily King, Fisher, FKJ, Four Tet, Gesaffelstein, Gorgon City, Gryffin, Gucci Gang, Guy Gerber, H.E.R., Heidi Lawden, Hop Along, Hot Since 82, Hurray for the Riff Raff, HYUKOH, Iceage, Idris Elba, J Balvin, Jaden Smith, Jain, Jambinai, Jan Blomqvist, Janelle Monáe, JAUZ, Javiera Mena, Jon Hopkins, JPEGMAFIA, Juice WRLD, Kacey Musgraves, Kanye West, Kaytranada, Kayzo, Kölsch, Kero Kero Bonito, Khalid, Khruangbin, Kid Cudi, King Princess, Las Robertas, Lauren Lane, Lee Burridge, Let's Eat Grandma, Little Simz, Lizzo, Los Tucanes De Tijuana, Mac Demarco, Maggie Rogers, Mansionair, Men I Trust, Mon Laferte, Mr Eazi, Murda Beatz, NGHTMRE, Nic Fanciulli, Nicole Moudaber, Nina Kraviz, Nocturnal Sunshine, Nora En Pure, Ocho Ojos, Ookay, Parcels, Patrice Bäumel, Perfume, Playboi Carti, Polo & Pan, Pusha T, RAT BOY, Razorbumps, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Rico Nasty, Rosalía, Ross From Friends, Sabrina Claudio, SALES, serpentwithfeet, SG Lewis, shallou, Shame, Sheck Wes, SiR, Smino, SOB x RBE, Soccer Mommy, Social House, Sofi Tukker, Solange, Sophie, Soulection, Steady Holiday, Stephan Bodzin, Still Woozy, Superorganism, Tale of Us, Tame Impala, Tara Brooks, The 1975, The Frights, The Garden, The Interrupters, The Messthetics, The Red Pears, Tierra Whack, Tomasa del Real, Turnover, Turnstile, Ty Segall & White Fence, U.S. Girls, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Virgil Abloh, Walker & Royce, Wallows, Weezer, Wiz Khalifa, Yellow Days, YG, Yotto, Yves Tumor, Zedd

Coachella drops 2019 lineup with Childish Gambino, Tame Impala & Ariana Grande headlining 20th year

January 2, 2019 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival //
Empire Polo Club – Indio, CA
April 12th-14th & April 19th-21st, 2019 //

Sorry, Kanye West fans.

Hours after TMZ reported that the rapper would not perform at Coachella due to negotiations over his stage setup falling through, the renowned three-day, two-weekend music festival has announced the lineup for its 20th edition.

Headlining Goldenvoice’s signature event in Indio this time around will be Childish Gambino, Tame Impala and Ariana Grande. While the first two acts had been previously rumored to top the 2019 bill with both expected to unveil new albums in the coming months, the inclusion of Grande comes as somewhat of a surprise (our guess is that she was likely tabbed to be West’s replacement). All three will headline Coachella for the first time, marking the second straight year that the festival has gone in that direction, although Tame Impala have performed on the polo fields several times in the past and as recently as 2015 (on the main stage before AC/DC). And for the record, Grande, at 25 years old, will be the youngest artist ever to headline.

The rest of Coachella’s 2019 roster, meanwhile, includes plenty of other household names, such as Janelle Monáe, Solange, Khalid, The 1975, Kid Cudi, Weezer, Bad Bunny, RÜFÜS DU SOL, J Balvin, Dillon Francis, BLACKPINK, Billie Eilish, CHVRCHES, Anderson .Paak & the Free Nationals, YG, Kacey Musgraves, Juice WRLD, Christine and the Queens, Playboi Carti, Ella Mai, Wiz Khalifa and H.E.R. As you can see, the focus continues to be on hip-hop, pop and R&B while straying away mostly from rock. But unlike in 2018, there seems to be more electronic music once again with Zedd, DJ Snake, Gesaffelstein, Diplo, Aphex Twin, Dillon Francis, Kaytranada, Bassnectar, Four Tet, Cirez D (aka Eric Prydz), Chris Lake, Bob Moses, Gryffin, Jon Hopkins, NGHTMRE, Gorgon City, Nina Kraviz and even 90’s progressive-house duo Deep Dish receiving fairly high placement on the fest’s famed poster.

Coachella’s first weekend is scheduled for April 12th-14th, with its second weekend slated for April 19th-21st. All tickets will go on sale for both weekends this Friday, January 4th at 11 a.m. PT here.

Ready to party in the California desert this April? Relive our five favorite moments, whether it was Jamiroquai or Eminem, from last year’s installment.

Treasure Island Music Festival 2018: A strong return for one of the Bay Area’s best live music events

October 19, 2018 by Brett Ruffenach 1 Comment

Photos by Brendan Mansfield, Josh Withers, Paige K. Parsons & Josh Sanseri // Written by Brett Ruffenach //

Treasure Island Music Festival //
Middle Harbor Shoreline Park – Oakland
October 13th-14th, 2018 //

Treasure Island Music Festival is back. After 10 years on its namesake island, Another Planet Entertainment’s and Noise Pop’s two-day music and arts festival has returned in full form to its new home, the Middle Harbor Shoreline Park in Oakland.

A popular spot for open-air events, MHSP has become well-known for its sprawling natural grass, cool breeze and stunning sunsets revealing a silhouetted view of the Bay Bridge and San Francisco skyline. Having hosted both hip-hop festival Blurry Vision and house music day party All Day I Dream in the past, the park has become a reliable space for large-scale events in the East Bay.

TIMF 2018 was no different. For the fest’s first iteration at this new venue, organization and logistics ran as smoothly as one may hope. Based on my own experience and the anecdotes shared by other festivalgoers throughout the weekend, arriving and leaving the festival was simple and stress-free; exiting both nights after the headliner finished and waiting to board the shuttle to the West Oakland BART station took no longer than 30 minutes, even at peak times. After transporting thousands of patrons on and off Treasure Island in years past, it’s not a surprise that the organizers were successful in keeping everything on course over the whole weekend.

The layout of the festival followed a similar logic to previous iterations: two stages at opposite ends of a large field, with artists playing back-to-back on each stage. This is where TIMF truly shines — to be able to see every artist on any music festival’s lineup is always a treat. Kicking off Saturday’s hip-hop and electronic-oriented artist roster was up-and-coming experimental rapper JPEGMAFIA. Using nothing but a laptop (managed by himself) and a mic, JPEGMAFIA spent much of his set in the crowd, rapping his manic flows atop noisy, blaring hip-hop beats.

Moses Sumney

Later, Moses Sumney took the stage as a four-piece band, a new iteration of what has usually been a solo project. His sultry vocals, combined with some expanded instrumentation, made for a complete reinvention of the LA native’s live show. “Make Out in Your Car”, for example, featured an extremely groovy outro that gave the band backing the soulful singer-songwriter space to jam out for a second.

Sadly, as Sumney began his closing track “Plastic”, electronic duo Polo & Pan started their set on the opposite stage, quickly overtaking the airwaves across Middle Harbor. Polo & Pan have garnered considerable hype this year, and for good reason. The French duo seamlessly guided us through a 45-minute, non-stop dance party, layering bacchanalian melodies over thumping house beats that invoked a sense of being at a old-time carnival. It’s quite a unique sound that can really get a crowd moving.

As the afternoon progressed, artist after artist brought their best underneath the beating sun. Laff Trax is a new side project featuring Bay Area resident Chaz Bundick (aka Toro y Moi) and enigmatic electronic producer Nosaj Thing. In what really ended up being a B2B DJ set rather than a new musical project, the two DJs were impeccable in their selections.

Back at the main stage, Santigold celebrated the 10th anniversary of her self-titled debut LP by performing it in full. Another new DJ duo, Silk City, which was formed by All-Star record producers Mark Ronson and Diplo, shortly followed, keeping a small crowd moving leading up to the night’s two final acts: Pusha T and A$AP Rocky.

Pusha T

Pusha T took The City stage right at set time, kicking off with an a capella intro to the opening track “If You Know You Know” from his most recent album Daytona. From there, it was “King Push” in full form — performing a setlist of nearly 20 songs, back to back to back, while never missing a beat. Throughout the set, Pusha and his DJ continuously proclaimed “DAYTONA … ALBUM OF THE YEAR!” And after he performed the whole disc from start to finish, including a word-perfect rendition of “Infared”, I might be inclined to agree.

Saturday headliner A$AP Rocky was an unfortunate disappointment. Due to what we think was technical difficulties, he didn’t take the stage until 37 minutes after his scheduled start time, killing more than half an hour. While he brought all the bells and whistles one would expect — pyrotechnics, strobe lights and a full backing band — when headlining a festival, you could tell he felt rushed and flustered trying to get through what they could before the strict noise curfew of 10 p.m. As a result, Rocky ended up being one of the more forgettable acts of the weekend.

Sunday at TIMF proved to be sublime. Offering just as much sunshine and warmth as Day 1, a perfectly sequenced day focused heavily on rock transpired. Pond, the first of four Australian acts to perform on the main stage, got things started for a noticeably large audience, many of who were likely Tame Impala fans arriving early to show their support for Jay Watson, who is in both bands. Next was Soccer Mommy, another one of this year’s indie darlings, as she and her sidekicks held their own playing tracks off her debut LP Clean, including excellent takes on “Your Dog” and “Cool”.

Alex Cameron, the second Australian act to take the main stage on Sunday, is a puzzling one. Picture “Macho Man” Randy Savage meeting Michael Jackson if you can. It’s part comedy bit, part completely serious 80’s dream-pop band. Cameron describes the project as a “dossier of evidence about the condition of being a straight white male.” Take from that what you will.

U.S. Girls

The marathon of music subsequently continued. Shame, a post-punk outfit that couldn’t have originated from anywhere except the UK, brought a breath of fresh air (and dust) to TIMF with their fast and loose instrumentation and leery vocal stylings. Sharon Van Etton unveiled what I see as version 2.0 of her music by adding some really gritty guitar and synthesizer sounds to her stunning vocals. We look forward to hearing her new album Remind Me Tomorrow, which comes out next year.

But U.S. Girls were the highlight of the weekend for us. A nine-piece experimental pop act, they put on a stunning 45-minute set that culminated in an entrancing rendition of “Time”, the closing track on their critically acclaimed studio effort In a Poem Unlimited, that lasted more than 10 minutes. The energy, instrumentation and vocal capabilities were absolutely stunning. Easily one of this year’s most exciting new acts, and we can’t wait to catch them again soon.

Tame Impala delivered what one might expect from one of the world’s top-touring rock bands right now. Running through a 17-song set full of hits, from “Alter Ego” to “The Less I Know the Better” on 2015’s Currents, the final Aussie act of the day left us with a special treat by playing “Jeremy’s Storm” from their debut album Innerspeaker for the first time in nearly five years.

After taking 2017 off and relocating to Oakland, TIMF has returned in full form and we are certainly thrilled about that. With great weather, excellent organization and a near-perfect sequencing of artists this year, it still happens to be one of the best live music events in the Bay Area. Who’s ready for 2019?

Treasure Island Music Festival 2018 - JPEGMAFIA

Treasure Island Music Festival 2018 - George Fitzgerald

Treasure Island Music Festival 2018 - Polo & Pan

Treasure Island Music Festival 2018 - Laff Trax

Treasure Island Music Festival 2018 - Santigold

Treasure Island Music Festival 2018 - Aminé

Treasure Island Music Festival 2018 - Silk City

Treasure Island Music Festival 2018 - A$AP Rocky

Treasure Island Music Festival 2018 - POND

Treasure Island Music Festival 2018 - Soccer Mommy

Treasure Island Music Festival 2018 - Shame

Treasure Island Music Festival 2018 - Sharon Van Etten

Treasure Island Music Festival 2018 - Courtney Barnett

Treasure Island Music Festival 2018 - Cigarettes After Sex

Treasure Island Music Festival 2018 - Lord Huron

Treasure Island Music Festival 2018 - Jungle

Treasure Island Music Festival 2018 - Tame Impala

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festival Reviews, Festivals Tagged With: A$AP Rocky, Alex Cameron, All Day I Dream, Amine, Blurry Vision, Cigarettes After Sex, Courtney Barnett, Diplo, George Fitzgerald, Gilligan Moss, Hiatus Kaiyote, JPEGMAFIA, Jungle, Laff Trax, Lord Huron, Mark Ronson, Middle Harbor Shoreline Park, Moses Sumney, Nosaj Thing, Oaklandish, Polo & Pan, Pusha T, Santigold, serpentwithfeet, Shame, Sharon Van Etten, Silk City, Soccer Mommy, Tame Impala, TIMF, TIMF 2018, Toro Y Moi, Treasure Island Music Festival, Treasure Island Music Festival 2018, U.S. Girls

Can Treasure Island Music Festival regain its footing after a year off & a new location?

October 11, 2018 by Brett Ruffenach Leave a Comment

Written by Brett Ruffenach //

Treasure Island Music Festival //
Middle Harbor Shoreline Park – Oakland
October 13th-14th, 2018 //

With what seems like an endless amount of opportunities to see dozens of artists perform over a weekend in the Bay Area — Outside Lands, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Blurry Vision … the list goes on — Treasure Island Music Festival has spent the past decade establishing a foothold in Northern California’s festival scene through well-curated lineups and unique headliners such as Massive Attack, Atoms for Peace and Outkast, along with exciting emerging artists in pop, hip-hop, electronic and rock ‘n’ roll.

Best of all, TIMF is one of the few music festivals where you can see every single artist on the lineup. A two-stage event that staggers artists back-to-back for 12 hours straight, it’s ideal for those looking to discover some of the hottest live music acts on tour right now.

TIMF has gone through a couple changes over the years. Originally held on the northwestern end of its namesake island for the first nine years, organizers were forced to relocate the fest due to construction on new housing (what else would it be, of course?) in the area. And after what was an unfortunate 2016 installment due to bad weather and artist cancellations on the opposite end of Treasure Island, the festival took a break last year.

But TIMF has found a new home in Oakland’s Middle Harbor Shoreline Park. A new popular spot for open-air events, MHSP has become quite well-known for its sprawling natural grass, cool breeze right off the water and sunsets revealing a stunning, silhouetted view of the Bay Bridge and San Francisco skyline. MHSP has proven to be a reliable space for festivals, with events like hip-hop festival Blurry Vision and house music day party All Day I Dream.

TIMF’s 2018 lineup features, top to bottom, some of the most interesting artists in pop, rock, hip-hop, electronic and all the experimental forms that cross them. In an era where hip-hop remains at the height of its popularity, TIMF 2018 includes artists behind some of the most provocative rap music released this year. JPEGMAFIA, a rapper hailing from Baltimore, is a standout among heavy hitters like Pusha T and A$AP Rocky. Blending experimental noise with booming beats behind maniacal flows, this is not one to be missed. He’s on at 12:40 p.m., so get there early, folks. You won’t regret it.

It’s hard to place a lot of these exciting artists in a specific genre. How can you capture the sweeping sounds of Moses Sumney? Take the soaring vocal traditions in gospel, then mix jazz, looped electronics and simple guitar chord progressions, and stir. Having hit pretty much every major music festival this year while also appearing at The Oscars with Sufjan Stevens, this buzzworthy artist lives up to the hype.

In a similar vein, serpentwithfeet will make an appearance to play the experimental sounds from his critically acclaimed album, entitled soil, that arrived in June. Alongside other genre-bending artists like Hiatus Kaiyote, a soul-meets-rock band bound to catch the interest of any first-time listener, there’s really no shortage of artists refusing to be placed in one category.

Joining the wide spectrum of hip-hop, R&B and jazz showcased on Saturday is a cavalcade of cutting-edge electronic projects, including easily one of the most exciting acts to emerge over the last year in French duo Polo & Pan.

Even more excitingly, TIMF will host two brand-new projects making their Bay Area debut: Laff Trax and Silk City. Hard to imagine what exactly to expect, but when you see that indie-pop artist and Berkeley native Toro y Moi is going B2B with the downtempo, enigmatic beats of Nosaj Thing, it’s hard not to have your hopes high. Similarly, Silk City will feature two of the biggest pop music producers in the world joining forces, Mark Ronson and Diplo. You’ll just have to be there to see what it’s like.

Guitars may seem like a thing of the past at other major music festivals (we’re looking at you, Coachella), but at TIMF, rock ‘n’ roll is thriving. With the current kings of psychedelic rock in Tame Impala leading the pack, the bands preceding them are sure to pack their own punch.

Among the most exciting are U.S. Girls, a pop project lead by the unique vocal stylings of Meghan Remy. Their most recent LP In a Poem Unlimited is destined to top many year-end lists, and we can only expect their live production to meet a similar standard. Sharon Van Etten, with her new-meets-old-school style, and Courtney Barnett, who possesses the most charming accent in the game and just played LA’s Greek Theatre (read our review here) this month, also will be there to showcase their latest material.

Be sure to hit the merch stand early, as TIMF will have a brand-new line of gear to celebrate their new home in Oakland. This year’s merch is presented in partnership with Oaklandish, which is a popular fashion line and retail store based in Oakland. They’ll be printing all of this year’s merch locally in their warehouse, and they’ve also been tapped to design a new collaborative item specific to 2018. The company will also have a pop-up booth at TIMF for those looking to explore additional apparel and accessories. Plus, there will be a variety of Oakland and East Bay food trucks to keep things local and of course, your bellies full.

Who are you most excited to see? What are your pro tips for this weekend?

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: A$AP Rocky, Alex Cameron, All Day I Dream, Amine, Blurry Vision, Cigarettes After Sex, Coachella, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Courtney Barnett, Diplo, George Fitzgerald, Gilligan Moss, Hiatus Kaiyote, JPEGMAFIA, Jungle, Laff Trax, Lord Huron, Mark Ronson, Middle Harbor Shoreline Park, Moses Sumney, Nosaj Thing, Oaklandish, Polo & Pan, Pusha T, Santigold, serpentwithfeet, Shame, Sharon Van Etten, Silk City, Soccer Mommy, Tame Impala, TIMF, TIMF 2018, Toro Y Moi, Treasure Island Music Festival, Treasure Island Music Festival 2018, U.S. Girls

B2B sets highlight HARD Summer’s 2018 lineup

April 24, 2018 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

HARD Summer Music Festival //
Auto Club Speedway – Fontana, CA
August 4th-5th, 2018 //

After two years at Auto Club Speedway, HARD Summer is finally settling into its Fontana digs.

The two-day, electronic-focused music festival struggled for several years to find a permanent home in Southern California, leaving Whittier Narrows Recreation Area in South El Monte for the Fairplex in Pomona at one point not that long ago (three years to be exact), though HARD founder and CEO Gary Richards appears to have found that the one NASCAR race track in the greater Los Angeles area works pretty well for his annual affair, which last August celebrated its 10th anniversary.

But after booking mostly EDM artists in its early years, HARD Summer has made a conscious effort since 2015 to feature some of hip-hop’s biggest names, and that same formula seems to have once again been used in assembling its 2018 roster. Leading the way will be Marshmello, Travis Scott, Yellow Mustard (Yellow Claw + DJ Mustard), Virtual Self (Porter Robinson’s new moniker), Louis the Child, MØ, Flosstradamus and Virgil Abloh, but it’s particularly the back-to-back sets — Zeds Dead B2B JAUZ, Diplo B2B Dillon Francis, Borgore B2B Getter and A-Trak B2B Baauer — that stand out from the fest’s past editions.

HARD SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL 2018 – AUGUST 4TH & 5TH
TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY 4/27 @ 9 AM DON'T SLEEP 👊 pic.twitter.com/ByzxTBUsES

— HARD Events (@HARDFEST) April 24, 2018

Meanwhile, others who will be performing at HARD Summer this year include TroyBoi, San Holo, Rick Ross, Trippie Redd, blackbear, Snakehips, Slushii, Kill the Snails (Kill the Noise + SNAILS), $UICIDEBOY$, Ekali, Petit Biscuit, Lil Skies, Hippie Sabotage, Valentino Khan, Big Wild, wifisfuneral and many more. Check out the poster above for the rest of the lineup.

Unlike the past two years, camping will not be offered in 2018, but HARD Summer organizers are promising a brand-new layout that will see all of the stages now positioned on the infield grass and expanded entry lanes for easier access into the grounds. Tickets to the 18-and-over event can be purchased here starting at $129 this Friday, April 29th at 9 a.m. PT.

If you’re looking to go HARD this summer, this is a party you won’t want to miss.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: $UICIDEBOY$, 2¢, Big Wild, blackbear, Borgore, Dillon Francis, Diplo, DJ Mustard, Ekali, Felix Da Housecat, Fisher, Flosstradamus, Getter, HARD Summer, HARD Summer 2018, HARD Summer Music Festival, HARD Summer Music Festival 2018, Hippie Sabotage, JAUZ, JOYRYDE, Kerri Chandler, Kill the Noise, Kill The Snails, Lil Skies, Lil Xan, Louis the Child, Marshmello, Mija, MO, Petit Biscuit, Porter Robinson, Rick Ross, San Holo, Slushii, Snails, snakehips, Tokimonsta, Travis Scott, Trippie Redd, TroyBoi, Valentino Khan, Virgil Abloh, Virtual Self, wifisfuneral, Yellow Claw, Yellow Mustard, Zeds Dead

Mad Decent Block Party takes over a sold-out Greek Theatre Berkeley

September 26, 2015 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

By Mike Rosati //

Mad Decent Block Party //
Greek Theatre – Berkeley, CA
September 11th, 2015 //

Los Angeles-via-Philadelphia record label Mad Decent has been throwing its increasingly popular block-party series for the last seven years, starting as a free event in 2008 before charging admission for the first time in 2014.

The label, which was spearheaded originally by producer, DJ, songwriter and why of course infamous shit talker Diplo, stepped up its block-party game in 2015, impressively selling out the Greek Theatre at U.C. Berkeley earlier this month with an electronic-heavy bill of artists.

Headlined by Diplo’s reggae/dancehall/moombahton side project Major Lazer, the Northern California version of this year’s Mad Decent Block Party also featured sets from CL, RL Grime, What So Not, Thomas Jack, Giraffage and Slaptop.

Mad Decent Block Party - Greek Theatre Berkeley

Filed Under: Featured, Photos Tagged With: 2015 Mad Decent Block Party, CL, Diplo, Giraffage, Greek Theatre Berkeley, Mad Decent Block Party, Major Lazer, RL Grime, Slaptop, Thomas Jack, What So Not

10 takeaways from Shaun White’s first Air + Style on U.S. soil

February 26, 2015 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Photos by Josh Herwitt, Melissa Herwitt & Matthew Nordman // Written by Josh Herwitt & Pete Mauch //

Shaun White Presents Air + Style //
Rose Bowl – Pasadena, CA
February 21st-22nd, 2015 //

Olympic gold medalist, X Games superstar and part-time actor/musician Shaun White brought the first-ever Air + Style contest to the States last weekend, taking over the Rose Bowl grounds for two days of extreme sports, music and art. Yes, in case you haven’t noticed, “The Flying Tomato” has become quite the renaissance man these days.

Air + Style officials, in fact, estimated that approximately 40,000 folks attended the event, but we’re a little skeptical of that number after a sparse turnout Sunday thanks to some unforgiving weather. While many attendees, including quite a few media members, only showed up for Saturday’s festivities, we made our way back to Pasadena to catch more live music and brave Sunday’s torrential downpour.

So, with plenty of highs and lows over the course of the weekend, here are 10 things we took away from two action-packed days at Air + Style.

10. These ph-ancy pants

OK, we know she’s dating Shaun White, but Phantogram lead singer Sarah Barthel undoubtedly took home the “Best Outfit” award, donning a pair of leopard sequin pants during the band’s hour-long set on Saturday. Unfortunately we couldn’t hear Barthel’s vocals all that well, but that wasn’t exactly her fault. That was for the sound guy to figure out — or not. More on that below.

9. Surf’s up

One of the few highlights on Sunday was a 45-minute set by alt-rock group Surfer Blood. Hailing from Florida, these four dudes brought a much-needed, high-energy set during the heaviest rainfall of the day. The band kept mentioning the rain and how much they appreciated everyone sticking around to see them. It seemed that the crowd didn’t mind — they just wanted to rock. Their big hit “Swim” was the perfect fit for the rain-soaked crowd, who could have swam around in the pit if they wanted.

8. Not so Sharpe

Edward Sharpe, aka Alex Ebert, made a big splash in 2009 with songs like “Janglin” and “Home” from Up From Below, but it’s been all downhill since then. Ebert broke up with then-girlfriend/vocalist Jade Castrinos, kicked her out of the band and is now resorting to using audiences to sing Castrinos’ parts. But when only a few hundred people show up to see your set, that doesn’t really work too well.

7. Getting colorful

One of the festival’s big positives were the live paintings on Saturday by three talented artists from the greater Los Angeles area. Craola, Jeff Soto and James Haunt each brought a unique graffiti style to their individual walls and were very gracious in answering questions from lots of drunken festivalgoers.

6. Cult following

We didn’t know much about Cults before their 4:45 p.m. set on Sunday, but the New York indie-pop outfit had the small, yet lively crowd at the Flood Magazine Stage cheering them on in the rain. Even with the band’s instruments getting soaked, forcing them to lay down towels over them when they weren’t being used, you could tell vocalist Madeline Follin and guitarist/keyboardist Brian Oblivion were having a good ol’ time — and it rubbed off on everyone else.

5. BIG air

Another obvious high point of the weekend was the gigantic, 16-story big air jump in the middle of the Rose Bowl fairgrounds. About 30 truly gifted athletes launched themselves into the dark grey sky on Saturday and the beginning part of Sunday, and it was quite fun to watch in between the musical acts. Sunday afternoon’s rainstorm put a damper on the ski final, which had to be canceled, but the few attendees who made it back for Day 2 didn’t seem to mind.

4. Flaming hot

The last time we saw The Flaming Lips come through LA, they were sharing the bill with Tame Impala and Wayne Coyne was dressing up as “Carrie.” The Lips didn’t bring their “A” game that night at The Greek Theatre, but they sounded a whole lot cleaner and tighter on Sunday despite only getting to play for a total of 30 minutes (their set time was scheduled to be one hour and 15 minutes) due to weather-related equipment issues.

3. First-time festival problems

The lines at all the concession stands and bathrooms were absolutely horrendous. If you were lucky enough to notice the makeshift beer stands next to each stage, then that saved you easily an hour for each beer purchase. We heard that people were waiting in line for a $10 PBR for over a hour! Those who came back on Sunday were rewarded with no lines anywhere, but that came with the price of getting completely drenched.

2. These guys rocked

While Diplo had the majority of attendees fist-pumping their way through his hour-long set on the Main Stage, Portland-by-way-of-Alaska psych-rockers Portugal. The Man followed EDM’s most misogynistic DJ with one of the best sets of the weekend. The LCD projections, some of them featuring frontman John Gourley’s drawings, on the diminutive Flood Magazine Stage jived perfectly with a performance that was highlighted by covers of Oasis’ “Don’t Look Back in Anger” and Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall.”

1. Kendrick Lame-ar

Compton native Kendrick Lamar’s headlining set on Saturday could have been amazing, but the volume was just too low. After constantly hounding the sound guy in between each barely-audible song, Lamar finally got the volume turned up, but it was only for one song — and he chose to redo “m.A.A.d city” again?!?! We can thank Pasadena’s noise ordinance laws for that one or the festival organizers for choosing to host the event outside the Rose Bowl.

Air + Style 2015 - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Air + Style, Air + Style 2015, Air + Style LA, Air + Style LA 2015, Cults, Diplo, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Kendrick Lamar, Phantogram, Portugal. The Man, Rose Bowl, Shaun White, Surfer Blood, The Black Lips, The Flaming Lips

Dillon Francis continues his rise toward EDM stardom at the Fox

December 26, 2014 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

Photos by Mike Rosati //

Dillon Francis with TJR, Hoodboi //
The Fox Theater – Oakland, CA
December 18th, 2014 //

If the past two years have been any indication, Los Angeles born-and-bred DJ/producer Dillon Francis seems to be well on his way toward EDM stardom. Having already graduated from club-style venues to the bigger theaters and festival stages of the live music world, Francis continues to find a stronghold among college kids and young EDM fans due, in part, to the support of moombahton advocate Diplo (the two are said to be good friends on and off the decks).

But it wasn’t until a couple months ago that the 27-year-old finally released his debut full-length album Money Sucks, Friends Rule following a string of EPs — eight to be exact — over the first four years of his career. Packing the Fox Theater Oakland on a weeknight as part of his 18-date, North American headlining tour, Francis used heavy beats, an impressive light show and a colorful stage setup to get the scantily-clad crowd dancing after TJR and Hoodboi warmed things up.

Filed Under: Featured, Photos Tagged With: Dillon Francis, Diplo, Fox Theater Oakland, Hoodboi, TJR

WKEND MIXTAPE V5

March 7, 2014 by 3ricshaden Leave a Comment

We have three new mixes for you this week, including the latest from Goldroom, one from Chris Keating of Yeasayer, and a throwback mix by Hollertronix (Diplo + Lowbudget).

Goldroom — Inverno Mix 2014

Los Angeles-based Goldroom recently released his latest seasonal mix as winter winds down and spring begins to slowly show itself. Starting off with a remix of his latest single “Embrace”, the mix winds through tracks from Wayward, Miami Horror, Cassian, All the Colours, and Hero. If you enjoy this installment, the others are equally as good.

Catch Goldroom headlining the Indpendent May 30th. Tickets are still available.

Yeasayer Chris — Doo Wop REMIXED Disco MIXTAPE

Chris Keating, one of the founding members of Yeasayer, has put out three mixes from 2013 via Soundcloud. This one happens to be my favorite, though they are all worth checking out. This mix contains a combination of remixed doo wop classics and disco-tinged tunes ending with a remix of Cydi Lauper’s “Time After Time”. The other mixes can be streamed on Soundcloud here.

Hollertronix (Diplo + Lowbudget) — Never Scared

Our last mix is an (all vinyl!) throwback from 2003 by Diplo and Lowbudget, working together as Hollertronix to showcase what they played at their Hollertronix parties in Philadelphia. Even at 11 years old, this mix still holds up today with an eclectic blend of hip hop, pop, 80’s dance, eclectro, Baltimore Club, and more. Enjoy!

Filed Under: Mixtapes Tagged With: Diplo, Goldroom, Hollertronix, Lowbudget, WKEND MIXTAPE, Yeasayer

15 things to expect at Treasure Island Music Festival

October 16, 2013 by The Bam Team 2 Comments

Expect to see or experience these 15 things at Treasure Island Music Festival 2013:

1) Thom Yorke dancing like this:

2) 27% of females in attendance will borrow their boyfriend/girlfriend’s jacket because they came ready for warmer weather, forgetting the festival takes place in the middle of San Francisco Bay.

14% of the boyfriend/girlfriends’ that gave up their layer will buy a TIMF hoodie.

3) A group of drunk British blokes and Palma Violets’ manager/hype-man/party-starter Harry Violent lead the pogo-pit charge at 1:30, proceeding to get much of the crowd to join them. Impressive for an early Sunday show.

4) Move over dubstep. Meet the most amazing bass-face in contemporary music:

5) Old and Young lose their shit to Disclosure’s breakout tracks like “Fire Starts to Burn” and “Latch” — Treasure Island will hence be dubbed “Dance Island”.

6) Danny Brown’s “Kush Coma” illustrates how wonderfully stoned the Bay Area is, soundtracking the scene with 27 weed references. And, that’s only the marijuana references!

7) You walk in early on Sunday, swear to yourself you’re hearing Beck, but it’s actually Cayucas.

8) Overheard at Holy Ghost! sunset show:

“‘Bridge and Tunnel’, that’s the name of the two stages!!!”
“Dude, this is this is the new LCD.”
“And my Dad said Disco was dead, pshhhh.”

9) As the ‘mad shuttle dash’ begins during the Atoms for Peace encore, the festival faithful will enjoy every last note, understanding that shuttle lines offer time to recap the day! Or you could plan your own exit route.

10) The one guy with the furry hat that never leaves Silent Disco.

11) Diplo attempts to talk the crowd into breaking Big Freedia’s twerking world record during the Major Lazer set, but only 6 girls in the front row “express themselves” as Diplo takes a cell phone pic, then tweets it.

12) That adorable couple that stakes out a small spot between the Tunnel and Bridge stages and sees all 13 acts in one spot Sunday.

13) A beautiful James Blake sunset show moment confirms why you live in San Francisco or Oakland.

14) You swear you won’t wait in line for the ferris wheel, but end up giving in by the end of the night on Saturday or Sunday.

15) Overheard from first time TIMF attendee:

“Wait, both stages are right here with no overlapping sets? Awesome. Pretty good view too…”

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Atoms for Peace, Beck, Cayucas, Danny Brown, Diplo, Disclosure, Haim, Holy Ghost, James Blake, Major Lazer, Palma Violets, Thom Yorke, Treasure Island Music Festival, Treasure Island Music Festival 2013

WKEND MIXTAPE: Diplo – Got Stoned and Mixed Really Old Records for Half an Hour

January 4, 2013 by 3ricshaden 1 Comment

Check out photos of Diplo at Wintersalt December 29, shot by Marc Fong.

The name says it all, right? For the first mix of 2013 we have Diplo bringing us an atypical mix of classic tracks. The mix includes songs from Donovan, Jefferson Airplane, The Common People, Rotary Connection, US 69, Jimi Hendrix, Dorothy Ashby, The United States of America and New Live Trio.

Remember kids, don’t do drugs.

For more mixes and music from Diplo check out his Soundcloud page.

Filed Under: Mixtapes Tagged With: Diplo

Wintersalt Fest brings beats and top electronic talent to SF

January 2, 2013 by Marc Fong Leave a Comment

Diplo headlined Wintersalt 2012
By Marc Fong //

Eye Heart SF curated Wintersalt on December 28th & 29th, a two day DJ-driven festival that took place at Fort Mason in San Francisco.

The event showcased some of the best electronic acts, such as Diplo, DJ Shadow and Mixmaster Mike, along with fast-rising stars Zedd, St. Lucia, Dillon Francis and Paper Diamond.