Author Archives: Vanessa

CORONA: Divide the Day plays Racks on July 5

Divide the Day is playing the Vans Warped Tour on Friday, June 21. (Contributed Image)

Divide the Day is playing Corona on July 5. (Contributed Image)

Racks Billiards & Bourbon in Corona continues to bring in local music and has a packed weekend of shows.

On Friday, July 5, Divide the Day will headline a show at the venue and Downtown Attraction will also perform.

On Saturday, Chucky Chuck from DGAF will be on stage and on Sunday, Everything Said and Your Young will perform.

The Friday and Sunday shows are free of charge. The Chucky Chuck show is $15.

Racks Billiards & Bourbon, 1650 E. Sixth St., Corona, 951-371-9738, 21 and older only.

Visit www.facebook.com/dividetheday for more information on the band.

PE LIVE: Watch On Being Human’s ‘Chasing the Sun’

On Being Human stops by PE Live. (Vanessa Franko/Staff Photo)

On Being Human just played a huge show at the House of Blues in Anaheim over the weekend so I thought it might be nice to revisit the band’s PE Live videos.

We’ve had more than a dozen artists come through the studio since PE Live relaunched and On Being Human is one of the bands we were fortunate enough to have during the first run of the video series.

The Murrieta-based band is full of some incredibly talented fellows who also have a hilarious podcast about pop culture and beer.

Here’s their latest video, for “Unforgiving Sea” off recent EP “eVe.” A full-length album, “In Search of Adam,” is due out later this year.

Click the interactive image below to check out more from On Being Human on PE Live.

RIVERSIDE: The Jezebelles release debut EP

The Jezebelles (Contributed Image)

The Jezebelles are the coolest.

The all-girl rock choir, which is based in Riverside although the members hail from all over the Inland Empire, just released their debut three-song EP, which just went up on iTunes. The release was fan-funded.

Alien Ant Farm drummer Mike Cosgrove produced the EP and recorded it at his studio in Riverside.

The group, which has covered a number of songs in a variety of genres, wrote three original songs for the release, including “Boys!” which they’re shown performing in the video below.

I first got to know the members of The Jezebelles last year, when I interviewed them for a story I was working on. Since then, they played the 2012 Hootenanny, recorded the EP, are about to film a music video and just added some new members, too.

Here’s the video I shot back in the day.

The Jezebelles will have their next performance in Riverside at Mission Tobacco Lounge on Aug. 23 with Za, Smear and Crystal and the Cutthroats.

RIVERSIDE: Free concert at North Park July 5

Naive Children performs at X1039’s Localpalooza at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012. (2012/File Photo)

Friday, July 5 marks the second installment of the WEbenefits Concert Series at North Park in Riverside.

This month’s lineup includes Michael Rey and the Woebegones, The Street Lights, Range of Light and Naïve Children.

Feel free to bring out lawn chairs and blankets.

The monthly series concludes in Aug. 2 with La Chamba Cumbia Chicha, Milpa, Quitapenas and a special guest to be announced.

5-9 p.m. Friday, July 5, North Park, Vine Street and Mission Inn Ave., Riverside, free, all ages.

Visit www.facebook.com/division9gallery for more information.

Check out “Gone” by Michael Rey and the Woebegones.

PALM SPRINGS: KC and the Sunshine Band get musical menu items

KC and the Sunshine Band will be honored with a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Fame and with disco menu items at Ruby’s (Contributed Image)

Put this in the “I can’t make this stuff up” file”:

KC and the Sunshine Band will receive a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars on Saturday, July 6. (That’s not the strange part. Cheeta the Chimp from the Tarzan movies, who actually turned out not to be the real Cheeta, has one, as does his handler Dan Westfall. So does Chevy Chase. And Randy Sparks & The New Christy Minstrels.)

The disco gods will be honored with their star at a public ceremony in Palm Springs at 3 p.m. on Saturday at 144 S. Palm Canyon Drive, where everyone is likely to melt on the sidewalk in the 108-degree heat.

Then, KC and the Sunshine Band will perform at 8 p.m. in the Special Events Center at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio. That’s still not the strange part.

To honor KC and the Sunshine Band, the Ruby’s Diner location at 155 S. Palm Canyon Drive, will offer two limited-time items from Friday, July 5 through Sunday, July 7. (This is where it starts to get strange.)

What are the menu items, you ask? The “Boogie Burger” and the “Shake, Shake, Shake” Shake.

And since the star will be in front of See’s Candies, the candy shop is creating a special wrapper for their Butterscotch Chews.

What will the wrapper say? “Boogie Chews.” As in “my my my my my Boogie Shoes.”

Apparently the store will also highlight KC’s other favorite item, Sugar Free Peanut Brittle. Apparently there’s no good way to play on the words with that one. I guess “(Sugar Free’s) the Way I Like It” and “Get Brittle Tonight” didn’t have the right ring to it.

RIVERSIDE: Aaron Lee and the Love Vigilantes release new EP

Aaron Lee and the Love Vigilantes released “The Lightyear EP” on Tuesday, July 2. (Adrian Rodriguez/Contributed Image)

It’s been a few months since Aaron Lee and the Love Vigilantes said goodbye to Riverside to head to Nashville, Tenn., but things are already taking off for the rootsy band.

Today, Tuesday, July 2, is the digital release of the band’s new EP, “The Lightyear EP.” Even though the band is in Nashville now, there’s still a piece of Riverside featured prominently. The album cover features Lee in a Riverside institution–The Sire.

Aaron Lee and the Love Vigilantes just released “The Lightyear EP.” The cover was shot at Riverside bar The Sire.(Contributed Image)

Before the band left, I talked with Lee about how he went from rock (after he moved to California he was playing with Alien Ant Farm guitarist Terry Corso in Ghost in the Flesh) to more of a country sound. That interview, from back in February, is up over at the iGuide.

Congratulations to the band on the new EP. Even though you’re in Nashville, we’re proud to claim you as Inland Empire. Visit www.aaronleeandthelove.com for more information on the band.

Check out a live performance of “A New Life,” which leads off the EP.

MORENO VALLEY: Skee-Lo’s ‘Fresh Ideas’ album headed to stores

Skee-Lo’s “Fresh Ideas” album will be released in stores on July 9. (Contributed Image)

One of the things that has come out of 2013 so far is what I like to think of as the Skee-Lo Renaissance.

Skee-Lo, who hails from Moreno Valley, has seen his 1995 rap hit “I Wish” get new life with a number of Toyota commercials featuring Kaley Cuoco “The Big Bang Theory” as a genie, which debuted during the Super Bowl and have been on TV regularly since. (My wish was for my beloved Baltimore Ravens to win the Super Bowl. Skee-Lo, if you had anything to do with that, thank you.)

Even though he was nominated for a Grammy, Skee-Lo disappeared out of the music scene for years. In late 2012, he released his new album, “Fresh Ideas,” digitally. The album will now be released in brick-and-mortar stores on Tuesday, July 9.

You can hear songs from the album at www.wegotfreshideas.com. Skee-Lo is active on Twitter, too.

Here’s the video for “Vibe is Right.”

TEMECULA: Bratts hosts a ska show on July 6

The B Sharps will perform at Bratts in Temecula on July 6. (2010/File Photo)

Summer is heating up with horns at Bratts in Temecula on Saturday, July 6th when ska takes over.

The event, which is part of the Local Music Saturdays series, will feature Defunked, The B Sharps, Devocean and Indica Roots.

The show is free, but you have to be 21 or older to attend.

7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 6, Bratts, 27648 Ynez Road, Temecula, free, 21 and older only.

Visit www.thevaultconcerts.com for more information.

Here’s a track from Defunked:

PE LIVE: Shine Delphi and Nathan Rivera perform ‘Lost My Voice’

Nathan Rivera and Shine Delphi perform for PE Live. (Vanessa Franko/Staff Photo)

Let’s get into this holiday week with some live music.

Nathan Rivera and Shine Delphi are the featured artists on PE Live this week. Check out their performance of “Lost My Voice ” on PE Live.

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Visit www.facebook.com/nathanrivera and www.reverbnation.com/nathanrivera for more on Rivera and www.facebook.com/shinelifelove and www.reverbnation.com/shinelife for more on Delphi.

We have had more than a dozen artists contribute more than 50 videos of interviews and exclusive performances since re-launching PE Live. Watch all of the PE Live performances.

SAN BERNARDINO: Scenes from the 2013 Mayhem Festival

Rob Zombie performs at the 2013 Mayhem Festival at San Manuel Amphitheater in Devore on June 29, 2013. (Terry Pierson/Staff Photographer)

The 2013 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival kicked off at San Manuel Amphitheater in Devore on Saturday, June 29.

From the pyrotechnics of Rob Zombie to Amon Amarth’s Viking ship stage set, the show was nothing short of epic. Read more about the Mayhem Festival at the Audio File.

Click here or on the photo below to see Terry Pierson’s photo gallery from the 2013 Mayhem Fest kickoff with images of Rob Zombie, Five Finger Death Punch, Mastodon and Amon Amarth.

Five Finger Death Punch performs during The Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival at San Manuel Amphitheater Saturday in Devore, CA. June 29, 2013. (Terry Pierson/Staff Photographer)