Categoria: Music + Concerts

OC Fair: Pacific Amphitheatre Adds Pre-Fair Shows With Stephen Marley, The Green

by pappa2200 13 Marzo 2023 Comments0

The OC Fair has announced a pair of pre-fair concerts including reggae singer-songwriter Stephen Marley, the son of Bob Marley, who return to Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa on Saturday, July 1.

He’ll be joined by Fortunate Youth, Arise Roots with special guests TBA. Tickets are $25-$65 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 18 at Ticketmaster.com.

Hawaiian reggae group The Green will headline on Saturday, July 8 with support from Mike Love, Hirie, Jesse Royal and Common Sense. Tickets are $25-$65 and also go sale at 10 a.m. March 18 at Ticketmaster.com.

Pre-fair shows do not include OC Fair admission.

So far, the Pacific Amphitheatre Toyota Summer Concert Series is shaping up with a diverse lineup of talent. Tribute bands Bee Gees Gold and Abba LA will officially kickoff the season on Friday, July 14; The Happy Together Tour returns with The Turtles, Little Anthony, Gary Puckett & The Union Gap and more on Sunday, July 16; Dwight Yoakam and Asleep at the Wheel take over on Thursday, July 20; and rising rapper Yung Gravy will headline on Friday, July 21.

Country trio Midland takes the stage Saturday, July 22; Styx performs Thursday, July 27; George Thorogood & The Destroyers will headline with The Robert Cray Band on Friday, July 28; X is teaming up with The English Beat and Save Ferris on Sunday, July 30; AJR and Em Beihold play on Wednesday, Aug. 2.

Other performances include: Beck with Phoenix on Wednesday, Aug. 9; Comedian Jeff Dunham on Thursday, Aug. 10; Rebelution will headline three evenings with Iration and the Expendables Friday, Aug. 11-Sunday, Aug. 13; and Chicago has a post-fair show scheduled on Sunday, Aug. 20. For the full schedule, go to pacamp.com.

Kelli Skye Fadroski | Digital Features Editor Kelli Skye Fadroski lives for music, horror and comedy. Since starting at The Orange County Register in 2006, she’s reported on major music festivals, concert tours and award shows, seasonal horror attractions and conventions, theme parks and more. Now a digital features editor with the Southern California News Group, she edits, assigns and curates entertainment content while still contributing features on a range of artists, authors and comedians. A graduate of Cal State Fullerton, she cheers on the NFL’s Detroit Lions, listens to punk and alt-country music, watches “The Bachelor/Bachelorette” with her girlfriends and can often be found exploring local craft breweries and Tiki bars.

Filed under concerts Music Music + Concerts OC Fair Things To Do

AFI Roars Through 20th Anniversary ‘Sing The Sorrow’ Show At Kia Forum

by valipomponi 12 Marzo 2023 Comments0

Rock band AFI was not messing around Saturday night at Kia Forum in Inglewood as it delivered a biting, passionate performance of its entire “Sing the Sorrow” record.

Though there was palpable excitement as thousands of fans had gathered to celebrate the 20th anniversary of one of their favorite bands’ biggest albums, there was a heavier, moodier vibe — heightened by a thick fog that had rolled in following the daylong rainstorm and the ominous red lighting shrouding the venue  —  that complemented the now decades-old release.

For one night only, the band, which originally formed in Ukiah and the Bay Area 33 years ago, played “Sing the Sorrow” straight through for the first time and, according to its social media sites, “the last time.”

Generations of fans lined up early, some even braving the rain the night before, to get their wristbands so they could buy exclusive 20th-anniversary merchandise and be among of the first inside the venue to get as close to the stage as possible. Members of Generation X mingled with millennials, some of which brought along their Gen Z offspring to enjoy the evening that explored the lyrically dark and musically experimental album.

“Sing the Sorrow” was the sixth studio release by the band and its mainstream breakthrough, supported by the singles “Girl’s Not Grey,” “The Leaving Song Pt. II” and “Silver and Cold,” all of which received massive play on the radio and had popular music videos in rotation on MTV and MTV2. Recorded between 2002 and 2003 at Cello Studios in Los Angeles, it was co-produced by Nirvana’s “Nevermind” producer and Garbage drummer Butch Vig and the late Jerry Finn, who had previously helmed pivotal albums for bands like Green Day, Blink-182, Rancid, Tiger Army and, one of the evening openers and early AFI influences, East Bay punk rock band Jawbreaker.

After sets by Jawbreaker, Chelsea Wolfe and Choir Boy, the crowd was ready when the first notes of “Miseria Cantare: The Beginning” hit. The stage was flooded with red light and a giant, sheer black curtain hung in front of it. The massive looming shadow of drummer Adam Carson banging away on drums was soon met with silhouettes of bassist Hunter Burgan and guitarist Jade Puget as vocalist Davey Havok’s mighty vocals began floating throughout the venue. Once all four members were on stage, the curtain fell away for “The Leaving Song Pt. II” and the room shook as fans sang and chanted along, pumping their fists in the air and belting out every word and soaring note in between.

Havok, who has long been a dynamic force on stage, leaped into the pit and stood on the barricade to sing straight into the faces of those in the front. He seemed extra fired up Saturday night as he launched into the high notes and deep belly growls. He did all of this while running the length of the stage and jumping from various on-stage risers, at times dramatically falling to his knees, microphone pressed to his lips, to seemingly purge the emotion that came with the lyrics as he sang them. After a particularly fiery performance of a song, he’d forcibly throw down the mic, causing it to thud audibly onto the stage. It was especially noticeable after the chaotic “Dancing Through Sunday,” when the frontman plunked it down, caught his breath and intensely stared down the crowd, soaking in the applause.

There were several mic-drop moments throughout the evening including “Girl’s Not Grey,” during which Havok pointed the mic at the crowd to roar out the “what follows” line, to which they happily obliged. He pointed the mic out several times in the set, almost like a test to see how well the crowd knew or remembered the material. This audience passed with flying colors. However, “Girl’s Not Grey” was interrupted as Havok halted the performance upon seeing a female fan in distress. He made sure she was all right before Carson counted the band back in.

Havok thanked the crowd for its support several times during the show and also took a moment to acknowledge the openers, specifically Jawbreaker, to whom the band dedicated “Paper Airplanes (Makeshift Wings).” For the acoustic “The Leaving Song,” Havok, with Puget on guitar, relocated to a small stage set up near the soundboard. The crowd lit up the building with its cell phone flashlights and swayed along as Puget picked at the guitar and Havok showcased his beautiful vocal range through the haunting single.

The pair rejoined the band on stage for “…But Home is Nowhere,” followed by “The Spoken Word,” a hidden track on the album, and “This Time Imperfect,” another hidden track on the album and a piece that starts slow and sweet but builds into a booming, almost operatic ballad with a massive finish.

That was it. No additional tracks. No medley of hits to polish off the evening. Just “Sing the Sorrow” from front to back as promised, and a humble bow.

AFI’s “Sing the Sorrow” 20th Anniversary Show With: Jawbreaker, Chelsea Wolfe and Choir Boy

When: Saturday, March 11

Where: Kia Forum, Inglewood

Filed under concerts Music + Concerts Things To Do Top Stories Breeze Top Stories IVDB Top Stories LADN Top Stories LBPT Top Stories OCR Top Stories PE Top Stories PSN Top Stories RDF Top Stories SGVT Top Stories Sun Top Stories WDN

Cole Swindell And Flo Rida Party It Up At Boots In The Park In Norco

by Ufficio Stampa 12 Marzo 2023 Comments0

As gates to the festival opened at 1 p.m., country music fans were ready for the show, cold beer and cocktails and a whole lot of barbecue at Boots in the Park, held at SilverLakes Sports Complex in Norco on Saturday.

The single-day country music festival beat the rain, too. Although the weather was mildly chilly, with a partly cloudy and sunny sky overhead, it was suitable for fans to set up shop with lounge chairs and blankets as they waited to catch their favorite acts. Throughout the day, fans were also participating in a cornhole tournament, checking out a car show, taking free rides on the Ferris wheel and even line dancing.

No matter where you roamed on the sprawling festival grounds, the energy was playful and lighthearted.

“We’ve been coming to Boots in the Park for the past couple of years, and you just can’t beat the vibes here,” Stacey Moore, a festival goer who traveled from San Diego said as she and her partner were in line for Jell-O shots at the beer tent. “It’s why we always come back. Everyone is so friendly and relaxed, it’s awesome.”

Concert goers line up to take photos at the one-day Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

LoCash (Chris Lucas and Preston Brust) perform at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

Line dancing classes were held at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

There was a Corn hole competition at the one-day Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. The winner got to be in the pit during Cole Swindell’s performance later that night. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

Blanco Brown performs at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

Blanco Brown performs at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

Chase Matthew performs at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

Presley Tennant performs at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

Presley Tennant performs at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

LoCash (Chris Lucas and Preston Brust) perform at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

Blanco Brown performs at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

Flo Rida performs at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday evening. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

LoCash (Chris Lucas and Preston Brust) perform at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

A large crowd watches Chase Matthew perform at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

Flo Rida performs at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday evening. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

A large crowd watches Blanco Brown perform at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

Crowds were big at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

Chase Matthew performs at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

Vendors sell their wares at the one-day Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

There was a Corn hole competition at the one-day Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. The winner got to be in the pit during Cole Swindell’s performance later that night. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

A woman tries on a cowgirl hat at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

Flo Rida performs at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday evening. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

People took advantage of the many food trucks at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

A Ferris wheel was part of the fun at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

A small car show was on display at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

A woman tries on a cowgirl hat at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

Ellie Larez-Brault and Kay Brandt enjoy the concert at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

Flo Rida performs at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday evening. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

Flo Rida performs at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday evening. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

Flo Rida performs at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday evening. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

Flo Rida performs at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday evening. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

Flo Rida performs at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday evening. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

Flo Rida performs at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday evening. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

LoCash (Chris Lucas and Preston Brust) perform at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

Blanco Brown performs at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

Chase Matthew performs at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

Blanco Brown performs at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

Presley Tennant performs at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

Chase Matthew performs at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

Presley Tennant performs at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

Presley Tennant performs at the Boots In The Park music festival in Norco on Saturday afternoon. (Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)

As for the lineup, it’s the most diverse one yet, with country-meets-trap artist Blanco Brown and hip-hop veteran Flo Rida on the bill. Flo Rida had one of the most energetic sets of the fest as he skimmed through his catalog of hits, coming out with “Good Feeling,” “Right Round,” “Whistle” and “My House,” which got the crowd grooving and singing along, many swaying with a drink in hand.

The real action came when Flo Rida launched into “Low,” a club anthem that found the rapper jumping down into the crowd to give fans a sip of his Patron straight from the bottle.

“It’s not a Flo Rida party until we’re taking shots here, we’re trying to be on the same level tonight,” he shouted. And the crowd seemed to agree as some fans took a shot — or two —and could be seen on the big screens laughing and smiling.

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With his 2011 hit, “Where Them Girls At,” a collaboration with David Guetta and Nicki Minaj, he stopped midway through and asked “Where are the women at tonight? We need some of you up here.” And one by one, ladies walked up to the side stage area, with about 20 joining him on stage to dance. Flo Rida was fun and charming, even handing out roses to fans and making attempts to get into the crowd to take photos with them, give out hugs and he even gave out his sneakers, which he signed on the spot and handed to someone in the crowd. He closed his turn with his latest single, “High Heels,” which features country singer Walker Hayes.

It was a solid warmup for headliner Cole Swindell, who brought the same kind of vibrant energy to the fest. The 39-year-old country star wasted no time as he powered through the hit “Drinkaby,” where he let the crowd sing the chorus as he thrust the microphone into the air.

“I’ve been hearing y’all scream from backstage all day. The energy here is incredible, let’s keep it up and party some more tonight,” he said. The party did continue as he transitioned into “Chillin’ It.” Much of his set featured tracks from his latest album, “Stereotype,” including “Single Saturday Night” and “Never Say Never.” He also threw in a cover of “Iris” by Goo Goo Dolls, which got the crowd swaying with lighters and cell phone flashlights in the air.

Swindell wrapped up his set, and this installment of Boots in the Park, with his hit “She Had Me at Heads Carolina,” and fans packed up their chairs and headed to the exits. The day provided such an eclectic mix of entertainment and one thing was certain: no matter who you were, what you wore or how you looked, everyone came out for a good time at Boots in the Park. Anytime fans of country music get together it’s a party and this was one that everyone was invited to.

Other impressive moments from the day included Blanco Brown, who brought incredible energy not only with his soul-country sound, but the numerous inspirational stories he shared with fans. His upbringing on the southside of Atlanta, as he noted that day, was a rough one, losing friends and family members to gun violence.

“Despite everything I faced, I chose to have grace. If you have faith, persistence and strength, you can overcome anything,” he said as he went into “Ghett Ol Memories.” He also sang tracks “CountryTime,” “Trap Still Bumpin,” and “I’ll Never.” He also threw in some early ’00s hits in the mix as Brown was singing along to “A Thousand Miles” by Vanessa Carlton and “Hey Ya!” and “Ms. Jackson” by OutKast.

Country duo LoCash also had a fun set, too, as they sang “Three Favorite Colors,” “I Know Somebody” and “Beach Boys.” They also covered the Backstreet Boys’ iconic song “I Want It That Way” and Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me).” Norco-born and raised artist Presley Tennant graced the stage as she sang “Bite The Bullet” and “Something In Orange.” The young country artist, who rose to fame following a stint on NBC’s reality singing competition show “The Voice,” also came back to the stage to sing the national anthem before Swindell’s set.

Boots in the Park Norco When: Saturday, March 11

Where: SilverLakes Sports Complex, Norco

Filed under concerts Music Music + Concerts Music Festivals Things To Do

The Cure Will Headline Three Nights At The Hollywood Bowl

by Vittorio Rienzo 9 Marzo 2023 Comments0

English rock band The Cure announced its first North American tour in seven years on Thursday, March 9.

Following European dates in 2022, the Shows of a Lost World Tour will kick off in New Orleans on May 10 and comes to NICU Amphitheatre in San Diego on May 20 and the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on May 23-25.

Tickets will be sold using the Ticketmaster Verified Fan program starting Wednesday, March 15. Fans can register now to get a code and that closes at 10 a.m. Monday, March 13 at Ticketmaster.com. A code will be needed to purchase tickets. The Cure have set the prices for the show apart from a few Hollywood Bowl charity seats. There will be no platinum or dynamically priced tickets sold on this tour.

The Cure last did a three-night stint at Hollywood Bowl in 2016, where it performed three encores during its first of three gigs. In total, they played 32 songs in two hours and 45 minutes that evening. Back in 2019, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and brought its single-day Pasadena Daydream Festival with the Pixies, Deftones, Mogwai, Throwing Muses and more to Brookside at the Rose Bowl in August of that year. The band was set to release a new album, “Songs of a Lost World,” in 2022, however that effort has been delayed.

Kelli Skye Fadroski | Digital Features Editor Kelli Skye Fadroski lives for music, horror and comedy. Since starting at The Orange County Register in 2006, she’s reported on major music festivals, concert tours and award shows, seasonal horror attractions and conventions, theme parks and more. Now a digital features editor with the Southern California News Group, she edits, assigns and curates entertainment content while still contributing features on a range of artists, authors and comedians. A graduate of Cal State Fullerton, she cheers on the NFL’s Detroit Lions, listens to punk and alt-country music, watches “The Bachelor/Bachelorette” with her girlfriends and can often be found exploring local craft breweries and Tiki bars.

Filed under concerts Music Music + Concerts Things To Do

OC Fair 2023: X, English Beat And Save Ferris Will Play Pacific Amphitheatre

by pappa2200 8 Marzo 2023 Comments0

Los Angeles punk rock band X is headed back to the OC Fair in 2023 and will be headlining Pacific Amphitheatre along with support from The English Beat and Save Ferris on Sunday, July 30.

Tickets are $55-$65 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 11 at Ticketmaster.com. Ticket includes same-day admission to the OC Fair.

X released “Alphabetland,” its first new studio release in 27 years, on April 22, 2020. The quartet is gearing up for a few show dates in California, including April 7 at The Glass House in Pomona; April 8 at Pappy and Harriet’s in Pioneertown and April 11-12 at Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles, to debut brand new songs in front of the live audiences for the first time ever.

The English Beat,  originally from Birmingham, England, which is known for songs like “Mirror in the Bathroom,” “Save It for Later,” and “Too Nice to Talk To,” will serve as direct support for the Costa Mesa show. Orange County ska band Save Ferris, led by vocalist Monique Powell, is on deck to open the show and play fan-favorite songs including its popular cover of Dexys Midnight Runners’ “Come On Eileen,” as well as songs from its most recent EP, “Checkered Past.”

Kelli Skye Fadroski | Digital Features Editor Kelli Skye Fadroski lives for music, horror and comedy. Since starting at The Orange County Register in 2006, she’s reported on major music festivals, concert tours and award shows, seasonal horror attractions and conventions, theme parks and more. Now a digital features editor with the Southern California News Group, she edits, assigns and curates entertainment content while still contributing features on a range of artists, authors and comedians. A graduate of Cal State Fullerton, she cheers on the NFL’s Detroit Lions, listens to punk and alt-country music, watches “The Bachelor/Bachelorette” with her girlfriends and can often be found exploring local craft breweries and Tiki bars.

Filed under concerts Music Music + Concerts OC Fair Things To Do Top Stories OCR

Rowdy Crowd Temporarily Pauses Rolling Loud Fest, But The Party Continues In Inglewood

by valipomponi 4 Marzo 2023 Comments0

“The crowd needs to calm down, and anyone who jumped over the barricade needs to walk out, or we will shut this thing down,” Tariq Cherif, co-creator of the global hip-hop music festival Rolling Loud yelled into the microphone to the audience after headliner Playboi Carti walked off stage during the first evening of the three-day event on Friday, March 3 at Hollywood Park in Inglewood.

Minutes earlier, Carti was seen screaming and jumping as fans were encouraged to get rowdy, just like the 26-year-old Atlanta rapper was doing on stage.

It only took about three full songs from the rapper — he got through songs like “Rockstar Made” and “R.I.P.” — before the massive crowd before him was completely whipped into a frenzy and aggressively moshing. Though the energy was electrifying and at moments overwhelming, the lights and music were cut off when young fans began jumping over barricades and smashing fans in the front row.

Playboi Carti performs on the first day of the Rolling Loud Fest at Hollywood Park in Inglewood on Friday, March 3, 2023. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Fans of Kodak Black sing-a-long during his performance on day of the Rolling Loud Fest at Hollywood Park in Inglewood on Friday, March 3, 2023. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Playboi Carti performs on the first day of the Rolling Loud Fest at Hollywood Park in Inglewood on Friday, March 3, 2023. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Kodak Black performs on the first day of the Rolling Loud Fest at Hollywood Park in Inglewood on Friday, March 3, 2023. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

From left, Inglewood Mayor, James T. Butts Jr. and Rolling Loud Fest co-founder, Tariq Cherif speak during day of the music festival at Hollywood Park in Inglewood on Friday, March 3, 2023. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Fans of Hip-Hop attend day one of the three-day music festival, Rolling Loud Fest at Hollywood Park in Inglewood on Friday, March 3, 2023. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Saweetie performs on day one of the three day music festival, Rolling Loud Fest at Hollywood Park in Inglewood on Friday, March 3, 2023. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Bktherula performs on the first day of the Rolling Loud Fest at Hollywood Park in Inglewood on Friday, March 3, 2023. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Bktherula performs on day one of the three day music festival, Rolling Loud Fest at Hollywood Park in Inglewood on Friday, March 3, 2023. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Day one of the three-day music festival, Rolling Loud Fest at Hollywood Park in Inglewood on Friday, March 3, 2023. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Bones performs on the first day of the Rolling Loud Fest at Hollywood Park in Inglewood on Friday, March 3, 2023. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Freddy Torres gives a haircut in the VIP section of the Rolling Loud Fest at Hollywood Park in Inglewood on Friday, March 3, 2023. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Saweetie performs on day one of the three day music festival, Rolling Loud Fest at Hollywood Park in Inglewood on Friday, March 3, 2023. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Tyga performs on day one of the three day music festival, Rolling Loud Fest at Hollywood Park in Inglewood on Friday, March 3, 2023. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Eddy Baker performs on the first day of the Rolling Loud Fest at Hollywood Park in Inglewood on Friday, March 3, 2023. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Fans of Kodak Black take pictures during his performance on day of the Rolling Loud Fest at Hollywood Park in Inglewood on Friday, March 3, 2023. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Carti wasn’t particularly apologetic for the shutdown that lasted about 30 minutes and cut into his set time. When cleared to come back on stage, he yelled to the crowd: “They cut my music, let’s start this!”

Rolling Loud, the first major, multi-day festival event to be held on the newly developed grounds adjacent to SoFi Stadium, kicked off the day on a high note with eager fans and mosh pits at every set, whether you found yourself at Levi’s stage for Tyga or at the Gopuff Stage for DaBaby.

Despite some the more chaotic moments, the running theme of community was on full display throughout the festival grounds. Before Tyga launched his set on the main stage, Cherif introduced the mayor of Inglewood, James T. Butts Jr.

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“We have the greatest stadium in the world,” Butts said with a smile. “Welcome to Inglewood, everybody. We’re so excited to have Rolling Loud right here in our community.”

“How many of y’all drove out to San Bernardino,” Cherif asked the audience of going to Rolling Loud’s former home at NOS Event Center. “Now we have it right here in our home of Los Angeles, thank God!”

The fans cheered in response, seemingly agreeing with the sentiment since the California edition of the fest hasn’t played out in the L.A. area since 2019 when it hit Banc of California Stadium (now BMO Stadium). This year, instead of trying to beat the Inland Empire traffic, fans could more easily catch a bus, take a train, or call a driving service. For some really local fans, attending the fest meant a short 15-minute walk.

“There was no way we were going to make it out to San Bernardino, which is crazy because Rolling Loud as a whole always fit Los Angeles better,” Rosa Sanchez, who walked their way to Hollywood Park from their apartment, shared. “So as residents of Inglewood, it’s just great to see it here and have it be part of the city again. We can’t imagine it ever returning to how it was, so we hope it stays here next year, too.”

Food stands and activations, which were all Los Angeles-based, allowed fans to experience what the city has to offer. For example, in the VIP gardens, there were stands for surrounding businesses like Bunny’s Bae Bar for makeovers, a tattoo shop, a barber shop to get a fresh cut, a sports bar presented by clothing brand Kappa and numerous merch booths.

If fans needed a little break from the music, there was a small carnival dubbed Hypland located at the entrance to Hollywood Park that had games and rides for everyone to enjoy.

Aside from Carti’s memorable and fiery set, there were other standout performances throughout the day. Compton native Tyga brought out Los Angeles rapper YG for several songs including “Go Loko,” “BPT” and “Big Bank.” His own hits, “Rack City” and “Make It Nasty” went over well, too.

Soulja Boy also had fans dancing along to his songs “Kiss Me Thru The Phone,” “Pretty Boy Swag” and the definite fan-favorite “Crank That (Soulja Boy),” during which they did their best to mimic the well-known choreography.

With the chaotic energy that seemed to flow throughout the day — there were long lines at food stands and entrances to the grounds, artists relying on backing tracks that had issues and late set times — the audience really didn’t seem bothered by these inconveniences. All these fans cared about was the music, the party atmosphere and the celebration of hip-hop that Rolling Loud definitely delivered.

Rolling Loud When: Friday, March 3

Where: Hollywood Park, Inglewood

Also: Saturday, March 4-Sunday, March 5

Filed under concerts Music Music + Concerts Music Festivals Things To Do

DJ Steve Aoki Will Bring New Music, Surprises To The Shrine Expo Hall In L.A.

by Vito Califano 1 Marzo 2023 Comments0

For Steve Aoki, almost nothing is off limits.

The producer, DJ and founder of Dim Mak Records is known for his on stage shenanigans — like throwing large sheet cakes into his audiences and dousing the front rows with magnum bottles of pricey champagne. But he’s also set several random Guinness World Records for things like being the most traveled musician in one year, playing 161 shows in 41 countries in 2012. He also holds the record for the most people simultaneously holding and lighting glow sticks at the show at one time.

Back in 2013, he set a record for having the longest and loudest crowd cheer after having Kid Cudi come out to perform “Pursuit of Happiness” at a show at the Shrine Expo Hall in Los Angeles.

And he plans on bringing that same type of big energy back to the Shrine when he takes over on Friday, March 10.

DJ Steve Aoki will headline the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles on March 10. (Photo by Mike Coppola, Getty Images for ASICS America)

DJ Steve Aoki will headline the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles on March 10. (Photo by Emma McIntyre, Getty Images for SHEIN Together Fest 2021)

“I’ve had probably the most epic moments of artists coming out at the Shrine,” Aoki shares with a laugh during a recent phone interview. “There’s so many memories I’ve made through the years at that venue, and Los Angeles is where my career started. It was home for so long, so it’s always a big one for me. The last time I played there, Vin Diesel came out on stage to cake me. So you really never know what’s going to happen, and it’s always last minute and impromptu, but that makes it even better.”

After finishing a whopping 250 shows in 2022, with plans to do that same number or more this year, Aoki’s out on the road supporting his latest album, “HiROQUEST: GENESIS,” which dropped in September. It’s also the fastest-selling tour he’s done in his 16-year touring career, he reports. The record dives deep into Aoki’s angsty rock past, tapping into guitar and punk-driven melodies and it features acts like Taking Back Sunday, Sueco and Grandson.

Pulled together during the height of the COVID-19 shutdowns, it was a chance for the now 45-year-old DJ to get in touch with his roots, pick up a guitar and jam, forming what turned out to be a 25-track record. It’s not all punk either, as Aoki easily sways between pop, country and Latin reggaeton, mixed with his classic EDM style.

“I’m always going to be informed by my environment,” he said. “And usually, I’m just touring a lot and while touring, I just see what’s culturally relevant or what’s happening in my circle. But because I had to reset during the pandemic, it was just me picking up a guitar more often than I ever did and experimenting.”

“The affinity to find rock singers aligned when I started to go on that path and the highway started filling up with artists,” he continued. “I’m an A&R man at heart and an explorer by nature, so anything that will make me stop in my tracks is what I like to create with. So I was looking not only for the veterans, but the new generation that was doing something different. Working on the album just brought me back to being in a band again.”

Before Aoki became one of the highest-grossing EDM artists in the world, he was part of the hardcore and punk scenes in Orange County, which ultimately lead to the birth of his Los Angeles-based Dim Mak Records in 1996. The label first took flight by releasing records from alternative acts like Bloc Party, The Kills and MSTRKRFT. Dim Mak Tuesdays were also part of the early scene, where up-and-coming acts like Lady Gaga and friends Kid Cudi and Kanye West, would take the stage during these intimate events with a house party vibe.

More than ever, Aoki ensures that the next round of upcoming artists are cared for with Latin imprint of the record label, Dim Mak En Fuego. Since 2020, Aoki has enlisted Latin acts like AQUIHAYAQUIHAY, Andrekza Andreina, 2DEEP and La Favi to come on board.

Instead of the standard Dim Mak routine where new records are pumped out almost every week, Aoki’s more concerned about the overall progression of the artists themselves, he said.

“When you start to work with a certain sound or movement, you realize how much is out there, and that’s what exactly happened when I began to work in the Latin space,” Aoki said. “When I discovered some of these artists, I realized it’s not about having them as features on my songs, but rather that they needed their own platform. That was really the seed of how I grew Dim Make En Fuego. I knew I wanted to make this differently to scale their music to a global audience. I knew if we did it through Dim Mak, we wouldn’t have the same impact if we just started another label. There is such a healthy community that supports it, and I love watching them blossom and do their thing.”

As an explorer, Aoki plans to travel to the moon, too. He was selected among eight others to join a commercial space flight around the moon on Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starship spacecraft, set to take off later this year. Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa comprised the mission with all expenses paid for. Although Aoki can’t spill too much on the forthcoming mission, he’s focused on gratitude and living life to the fullest, in space or on Earth.

“It’s still a dream to me that it’s actually happening, but like most things in life, you don’t know if it’s going to happen until you’re actually in the starship,” he said with a chuckle. “I never take anything for granted. I always remind myself that this could end and anything can happen, so you have to give it all you’ve got. I get emotional when I think about it, but when I get into the actual modality of gratitude and being alive, anything is possible.”

Steve Aoki When: 9 p.m. Friday, March 10

Where: Shrine Expo Hall, 665 W. Jefferson Blvd., Los Angeles

Tickets: $39.50-$49.50 at axs.com.

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OC Fair 2023: Which One’s Pink? Hits The Hangar, Demolition Derbies Return, Too

by Vito Califano 27 Febbraio 2023 Comments0

Southern California-based Pink Floyd tribute band Which One’s Pink? will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the legendary English rock band’s album “Dark Side of the Moon,” which came out on March 1, 1973.

Which One’s Pink will headline two shows inside The Hangar at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa on July 22 and 30. Tickets are $22.50-$27.50 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 4 and Ticketmaster.com. There’s also a presale at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 1 at Ticketmaster.com.

Over in the Action Sports Arena, all the demolition derbies are back. Motorhome Madness will take place July 26 and 28; Orange Crush Demolition Derby is happening July 27 and 30; and the Damsels of Destruction Demolition Derby is scheduled for July 29. Tickets to all of these events are $20-$30 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 4 at Ticketmaster.com.

Tickets can also be purchased in person as the OC Fair Box Office is now open from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturdays. Tickets purchased to events happening during the run of the annual OC Fair, July 14-Aug. 13, include same-day fair admission.

Kelli Skye Fadroski | Digital Features Editor Kelli Skye Fadroski lives for music, horror and comedy. Since starting at The Orange County Register in 2006, she’s reported on major music festivals, concert tours and award shows, seasonal horror attractions and conventions, theme parks and more. Now a digital features editor with the Southern California News Group, she edits, assigns and curates entertainment content while still contributing features on a range of artists, authors and comedians. A graduate of Cal State Fullerton, she cheers on the NFL’s Detroit Lions, listens to punk and alt-country music, watches “The Bachelor/Bachelorette” with her girlfriends and can often be found exploring local craft breweries and Tiki bars.

Filed under concerts Music Music + Concerts OC Fair Things To Do Top Stories OCR

Rolling Loud Will Celebrate Hip-Hop Music And Community At Hollywood Park

by Vittorio Rienzo 27 Febbraio 2023 Comments0

Rolling Loud, the global touring hip-hop music festival, is making its mighty return to the West Coast, this time settling into a new home at Hollywood Park in Inglewood March 3-5.

Future, Playboi Carti and Travis Scott will headline the three-day festival with a special guest set from Lil Wayne on its closing night. The event will also feature performances from both mainstream and up-and-coming acts like Lil Baby, Lil Uzi Vert, Moneybagg Yo, 2 Chainz, Shenseea, OhGeesy, Rubi Rose and Tyga throughout the long weekend. In addition, leading ladies of the genre including Ice Spice, Saweetie, Bktherula and Kamaiyah will also take over the stages.

Coming back from the pandemic-forced shutdowns, Rolling Loud has brought events to New York, Miami, Portugal and Toronto, but hasn’t taken place in the Los Angeles area since it took over Banc of California Stadium (now BMO Stadium) in 2019. The fest also marks Scott’s first headlining performance in the U.S. since the deadly crowd surge at his 2021 Astroworld Festival in Houston, Texas. He was also set to play at the 2022 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in Indio, but quickly dropped off the bill following the incident.

Rapper Saweetie will perform during day one of the Rolling Loud California music festival at Hollywood Park in Inglewood on Friday, March 3. The three-day festival will take place March 3-5. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis, Getty Images for iHeartRadio)

Rapper Future will headline day three of the Rolling Loud California music festival at Hollywood Park in Inglewood on Sunday, March 5. The three-day festival will take place March 3-5. (Photo by Kevin Winter, Getty Images)

Rapper Future will headline day three of the Rolling Loud California music festival at Hollywood Park in Inglewood on Sunday, March 5. The three-day fest takes place March 3-5. (Photo by Paras Griffin, Getty Images)

Rapper Tyga will perform during day one of the Rolling Loud California music festival at Hollywood Park in Inglewood on Friday, March 3. The three-day fest takes place March 3-5. (Photo by Amy Sussman, Getty Images for Coachella)

Rapper Travis Scott will headline day two of the Rolling Loud California music festival at Hollywood Park in Inglewood on Saturday, March 4. The festival will take place March 3-5. (Photo by Rich Fury, Getty Images)

Rapper 2 Chainz will perform during the second day of the Rolling Loud California music festival at Hollywood Park in Inglewood on Saturday, March 4. The three-day fest takes place March 3-5. (Photo by Christopher Polk, Getty Images for Coachella)

Rapper Playboi Carti will headline the first day of the Rolling Loud California music festival at Hollywood Park in Inglewood on Friday, March 3. The three-day festival will take place March 3-5. (Photo by Rich Fury, Getty Images)

With Rolling Loud relocating to Hollywood Park, which sits adjacent to SoFi Stadium, it will be the first major music festival held on those redeveloped grounds, making it a milestone moment for the city and neighboring communities that spawned numerous hip-hop icons through the decades including Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Kendrick Lamar and Nipsey Hussle.

“When you look at the connection that Hollywood Park and SoFi Stadium have with the community and the rich hip-hop history in Inglewood already, we saw it as the perfect marriage,” Adolfo Romero, vice president of programming at Hollywood Park said during a recent phone interview. “It’s going to build that bridge of community and hip-hop, and we can’t wait to see that grow with Rolling Loud.”

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Since 2023 is the official 50th anniversary of the ever-evolving genre, bringing a hip-hop focused festival like Rolling Loud to one of the birthplaces of this music made sense to the event producers. Being the first major multi-day music event to take over Hollywood Park, finding ways to work with the community was a critical factor in making it all come to life, Romero shared.

As a result, Hollywood Park and Rolling Loud worked with Inglewood’s city council, local organizations and Inglewood eateries and businesses to include the city in the three-day fest. Romero and Rolling Loud producers said they also gifted over 3,000 tickets to members of the Inglewood community to ensure that neighbors could come out and have the opportunity to experience the festival, too.

“We wanted to give everyone a little taste of what Inglewood has to offer,” Romero says. “We’re bringing a local feel to what we call a global sports and entertainment destination, and I really think fans, especially those from Los Angeles, will appreciate that.”

Romero said that Hollywood Park hopes to continue to host Rolling Loud for years to come, ensuring that Inglewood remains a destination for hip-hop music and live concerts.

“Overall, we’ve always been intentional about how we book events within Hollywood Park and this is just one of them,” Romero shares. “Bringing hip-hop to the forefront is important, and hopefully, the community feels like this is a piece of them.”

Rolling Loud California When: March 3-5

Where: Hollywood Park, 1011 Stadium Drive, Inglewood

Tickets: $329 three-day general admission; $479 three-day general admission plus; $849 three-day admission VIP; $999 three-day admission VIP + Munchie Pack. All passes are available at rollingloud.com/cali.

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Insomniac’s Skyline Festival Carries On In The Rain At Exposition Park

by valipomponi 26 Febbraio 2023 Comments0

Skyline, Insomniac Events’ two-day techno and house music festival, got off to a late start at Exposition Park in Los Angeles on Saturday, Feb. 25 as the opening was delayed due to rain.

Concerned fans took to Skyline Festival’s official Instagram in the days leading up to the event, begging producers to keep them updated on the status of the fest since an epic rainstorm was immanent. Insomniac responded, letting ticketholders know that the party would go on “rain or shine.” A post went up the day before the festival, sharing that umbrellas would be allowed inside, free ponchos would be given out while supplies lasted and to help curb all of the standing water and mud accumulating across festival grounds, plastic flooring would be installed at the stages.

However, just as gates were supposed to open at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Insomniac posted that “due to weather conditions in the festival area” doors would be slightly delayed.

Day one of Insomniac’s Skyline music festival at Exposition Park in Los Angeles on Saturday, February 25, 2023. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Fans of electronic music dance in the rain during day one of Insomniac’s Skyline music festival at Exposition Park in Los Angeles on Saturday, February 25, 2023. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Fans of electronic music cope with the rain during day one of Insomniac’s Skyline music festival at Exposition Park in Los Angeles on Saturday, February 25, 2023. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

From left, Vivian Castro and Jose Amarillas cope with the weather during day one of Insomniac’s Skyline music festival at Exposition Park in Los Angeles on Saturday, February 25, 2023. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Day one of Insomniac’s Skyline music festival at Exposition Park in Los Angeles on Saturday, February 25, 2023. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Vish Lachwani copes with the weather during day one of Insomniac’s Skyline music festival at Exposition Park in Los Angeles on Saturday, February 25, 2023. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

Fans of electronic music dance in the rain during day one of Insomniac’s Skyline music festival at Exposition Park in Los Angeles on Saturday, February 25, 2023. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

While some fans complained in the comments and asked Insomniac to just cancel the event and issue refunds, others were happy to continue to tailgate in the rain in the surrounding parking lots as the production crew sorted things out. A little later, another update came through that indicated that the show would open by 4 p.m. and run until midnight instead of 11 p.m. to accommodate all of the acts. By 5 p.m. fans were heading through the gates as the rain dumped down.

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Skyline Festival made its debut at Skylight Row in downtown Los Angeles last year, but was relocated to Exposition Park for its second year since it would have more space for guests and activations. Skyline is curated by Insomniac’s techno brand Factory 93 and house music counterpart Day Trip, which have joined forces to present top artists in both genres. Saturday’s lineup included sets by Dom Dolla, Peggy Gou, Meduza, Masha Mar, Michael Bibi and Anotr with back-to-back performances by Skream and Dennis Ferrer and more.

The festival continues on Sunday with Diplo, Charlotte De Witte, Joshwa, Stella Bossi and many more.

Holly Alvarado | Festivals & Events Reporter Holly Alvarado has lived as a music and festival fanatic since day one. She is the Festival & Events reporter for the Southern California News Group after freelancing for various music publications such as Remezcla, Pitchfork, Consequence of Sound, and a handful of local Los Angeles-based magazines. Holly transferred from Mt.San Antonio College to Cal State Long Beach, where she majored in Journalism and a minor in Womens Studies, with music theory also under her belt. When she isn’t attending an event, you can find her playing the bass, watering plants, spinning some tunes for her local radio show Las Chicas, hammocking with friends at the park, or watching the best show on earth, The Office, as she would say.

Kelli Skye Fadroski | Digital Features Editor Kelli Skye Fadroski lives for music, horror and comedy. Since starting at The Orange County Register in 2006, she’s reported on major music festivals, concert tours and award shows, seasonal horror attractions and conventions, theme parks and more. Now a digital features editor with the Southern California News Group, she edits, assigns and curates entertainment content while still contributing features on a range of artists, authors and comedians. A graduate of Cal State Fullerton, she cheers on the NFL’s Detroit Lions, listens to punk and alt-country music, watches “The Bachelor/Bachelorette” with her girlfriends and can often be found exploring local craft breweries and Tiki bars.

Filed under concerts Music Music + Concerts Music Festivals Things To Do