Category Archives: Audio File

RIVERSIDE: Willie Nelson to perform at the Fox

Willie Nelson will head to the Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside on April 1. (2013/AP Photo)

Willie Nelson will head to the Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside on April 1. (2013/AP Photo)

Even though the date is April 1, it’s no joke that country music legend Willie Nelson is headed to the Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside.

Nelson, a casino circuit regular around these parts, has also played both the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and the Stagecoach Country Music Festival.

One of the most iconic country performers still on the road today, Nelson is known for hits such as “Whiskey River,” “Always on My Mind” and “On the Road Again.”

Tickets are priced at $65-$96, before fees. Pre-sale tickets, for fan club members, VIP experiences and more, begin on Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 10 a.m. Tickets go on sale to the general public at noon on Friday, Jan. 10.

Tickets are available at the Fox Performing Arts Center box office at 3801 Mission Inn Ave. and via Live Nation.

The box office is open Monday -Friday from Noon to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 10 a.m. until showtime on days with a show. The box office phone number is 951-779-9800.

Visit www.foxriversidelive.com for more information on the venue.

MUSIC: U2 visits the Palm Springs International Film Festival

Bono and The Edge of U2 speak at the Palm Springs International Festival Film Festival on Jan. 5, 2014. (Vanessa Franko/Staff Photo)

Bono and The Edge of U2 speak at the Palm Springs International Festival Film Festival on Jan. 5, 2014. (Vanessa Franko/Staff Photo)

I spent the weekend out at the Palm Springs International Film Festival with a mission to track down Bono and The Edge of U2, who were in town to receive the Sonny Bono Visionary Award at the festival’s annual awards gala on Saturday night and also to appear at a program on Sunday.

They joined actors Idris Elba and Naomie Harris early on Sunday for a post-screening Q&A about “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.”

Videographer Chris Ercoli and I were lucky enough to get both The Edge AND Bono on camera on the red carpet Saturday night.

Then, on Sunday, I was able to attend the Q&A session, too. For such popular rock stars, they were incredibly down-to-earth, humble and gracious. Both Bono and The Edge signed autographs for fans after the session was over.

They seemed smitten with the festival, too.

I am very fortunate to be able to do this every day, but sometimes you get assignments that are even more special. This weekend was one to cross off the bucket list.

COACHELLA 2014: Lineup predictions with The Glitch Mob, The Internet

January is the time when the fake posters fly and when people start to get antsy awaiting the lineup for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

The festival, which is set for the Empire Polo Club in Indio April 11-13 and April 18-20, has already begun to pique the interest of its followers with a number of videos posted to its social media sites.

This Coachellaology roundup is dedicated to those videos that have been posted.

So far, three music videos have been posted–The Internet, The Magician and The Glitch Mob. While people may think this is an automatic Coachella bid, I am thinking back to 2011, when the festival did something similar.

That year, the festival posted YouTube videos from Monarchy, Trentemøller, Phantogram, Tame Impala, Lightning Bolt and Fanfarlo on its website in a similar fashion.

Of those videos, most of the artists ended up on the lineup, except for Fanfarlo, who appeared the following year.

Will The Magician be on the 2014 Coachella Festival lineup? (Contributed Image)

Will The Magician be on the 2014 Coachella Festival lineup? (Contributed Image)

Let’s take a look at who has been posted so far:

The first video Coachella posted on its Facebook page on Jan. 3 was The Magician “When the Night is Over” featuring Newtimers

The Magician is the alter-ego of Stephen Fasano, a DJ and Producer who was previously a member of Aeroplane.

He recently released a new EP, “When the Night is Over.”

The Magician has confirmed his Coachella 2014 appearance with a photo and comment on his own Facebook page.

The Magician confirms his Coachella 2014 appearance via Facebook. (The Magician/Facebook)

The Magician confirms his Coachella 2014 appearance via Facebook. (The Magician/Facebook)

Will neo-soul group The Internet be at Coachella 2014? (Contributed Image)

Will neo-funk group The Internet be at Coachella 2014? (Contributed Image)

Then, later on Jan. 3, Coachella posted a video from The Internet, the Odd Future-affiliated neo-soul group with Odd Future vocalist Syd “The Kyd” and producer Matt Martians.

The pair actually met over MySpace back in 2008 and became friends once Martians moved to Los Angeles from Atlanta.

Odd Future has already been at Coachella as a group, plus individual members Earl Sweatshirt and Frank Ocean have performed solo sets. The Internet hasn’t posted anything on its own social media or website confirming the appearance, but I think this one is a safe bet.

Also, listen to the song “Dontcha,” the video Coachella posted. It’s awesome.

The Glitch Mob could be headed to Coachella 2014. (Contributed Image)

The Glitch Mob could be headed to Coachella 2014. (Contributed Image)

Then, on the morning of Jan. 4, Coachella posted a video from The Glitch Mob.

The electro group was last at the festival in 2010 and has a new album, “Love Death Immortality,” set to be released on Feb. 11. The Glitch Mob has tour dates set for locales that are mostly on the east coast, with the exception of some Texas dates (including South By Southwest). The last announced tour date is March 30 at the Ultra Music Festival in Miami.

That leaves them ready for Coachella in April.

Here’s the group’s new song, “Can’t Kill Us.”

What do you think? Are these artists a lock or just a red herring? Let me know in the comments below.

If you want to receive our award-winning Coachella coverage and the lineup when it’s out, sign up for our newsletter.

And if you just found your way to the Audio File for the first time, welcome!

I’ve covered the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and the Stagecoach Country Music Festival since 2007.

Below is a timeline of all of the Coachella 2014 predictions I’ve posted so far.

For more Coachella news, photos, interviews and information, visit the iGuide Coachella page. If you want to follow me on social media, I’m at @vanessafranko on Twitter, the Audio File on Facebook and on Google+.

Jan. 4, 2014: When will the Coachella lineup be released?
Jan. 3, 2014: Will the British Invasion invade Indio?
Dec. 7, 2013: Bastille
Dec. 2, 2013: Grouplove
Dec. 2, 2013: The 1975, Chvrches
Nov. 27, 2013: Ellie Goulding, Broken Bells
Nov. 20, 2013: Will Outkast reunion dominate lineup?
Nov. 19, 2013: FLAG, Haim
Nov. 14, 2013: Can we all just agree that Arcade Fire will headline?
Nov. 14, 2013: Lorde, Flogging Molly
Nov. 5, 2013: Mogwai, The Dismemberment Plan
Oct. 25, 2013: Arcade Fire, The Naked and Famous
Oct. 7, 2013: The Pixies
Oct. 2, 2013: Paul McCartney, Luscious Jackson
Aug. 2, 2013: Neutral Milk Hotel 
June 16, 2013: The Replacements

COACHELLA 2014: When will the lineup be announced?

The crowd cheers for the Red Hot Chili Peppers during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, Calif., on Sunday, April 14, 2013. (2013/File Photo)

The crowd cheers for the Red Hot Chili Peppers during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, Calif., on Sunday, April 14, 2013. (2013/File Photo)

We’re only in single-digit days in January and I’m already getting a barrage of “When will the Coachella lineup be announced?” emails and social media messages.

The short answer: The 2014 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival lineup will be announced when Goldenvoice says it’s ready.  (Remember last year when the ink had barely dried on the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ when the lineup announcement came out?) The work continues until that poster comes out.

That being said, because I am a geek who loves charts and data and maps, I did update the Coachella release date charts that I made last year with the 2013 information (and Helix Poeticus, everyone’s favorite Coachella Snail).

By the numbers, Monday and Tuesday are still the most likely days for Coachella to release its lineup, but in 2013, Goldenvoice announced the Coachella performers on a Thursday for the first time.
Note: If you notice that there’s no data for the year 2000, the festival took that year off after its initial run in 1999.

I didn’t get as fancy with this next chart, but here are the lineup release dates by year, from 2001 through 2013. I excluded 1999 because the festival occurred in October and the lineup was announced in August. As I mentioned before, Coachella skipped 2000.

Also of note–Coachella’s website and social media networks have been seeing a little more activity in recent days. There have been videos posted and updates shared. This typically happens before the lineup comes out–sometimes days, sometimes longer.

Want to make a prediction of when the lineup will be out? Put it in the comments below.

If you want to receive our award-winning Coachella coverage and the lineup when it’s out, sign up for our newsletter.

And if you just found your way to the Audio File for the first time, welcome!

I’ve covered the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and the Stagecoach Country Music Festival since 2007.

Below is a timeline of all of the Coachella 2014 predictions I’ve posted so far.

For more Coachella news, photos, interviews and information, visit the iGuide Coachella page. If you want to follow me on social media, I’m at @vanessafranko on Twitter, the Audio File on Facebook and on Google+.

Jan. 3, 2014: Will the British Invasion invade Indio?
Dec. 7, 2013: Bastille
Dec. 2, 2013: Grouplove
Dec. 2, 2013: The 1975, Chvrches
Nov. 27, 2013: Ellie Goulding, Broken Bells
Nov. 20, 2013: Will Outkast reunion dominate lineup?
Nov. 19, 2013: FLAG, Haim
Nov. 14, 2013: Can we all just agree that Arcade Fire will headline?
Nov. 14, 2013: Lorde, Flogging Molly
Nov. 5, 2013: Mogwai, The Dismemberment Plan
Oct. 25, 2013: Arcade Fire, The Naked and Famous
Oct. 7, 2013: The Pixies
Oct. 2, 2013: Paul McCartney, Luscious Jackson
Aug. 2, 2013: Neutral Milk Hotel 
June 16, 2013: The Replacements

COACHELLA 2014: Lineup questions with the British Invasion and a new video

Happy 2014!

We’re back with a new year and more 2014 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival predictions and wish lists, not to mention a gift from the festival itself.

To kick off the new year, Coachella just posted a video of the 2013 fest on its social media networks and website. (FYI, the activity usually hints at a lineup announcement coming sooner rather than later.  Last year the fest posted an incredible video of the art installations at the fest just a few  days before the lineup was announced on Jan. 24.)

Watch and behold the magic and our old friend Helix Poeticus (a.k.a. “The Coachella Snail”).

I’ve been thinking about how it’s coming up on the 50th anniversary of the British Invasion (The Beatles first played “The Ed Sullivan Show” in Feb. 1964) and there are some bands of that era that readers think could be a fit for a certain desert festival.

Reader Dan Thomas sent me this link from Billboard about The Kinks’ possible reunion to mark the band’s 50th anniversary.

When you think about the bad blood over the years between Ray and Dave Davies, that reunion is an even bigger coup than getting The Smiths to play nice. I would put the odds at very slim at best, but Coachella does bring out the magic when it comes to reunions.

For a moment, just let yourself imagine The Kinks playing “Waterloo Sunset” at sunset at the Empire Polo Club.

What do you think? Will The Davies brothers get back together?

And in another question about a band from across the pond, reader Trevor Hirst has some thoughts about a group heavily predicted to play in 2013.

“One thing I haven’t seen anyone mention is The Rolling Stones. After the debacle with the accidental tour date posting to the RS app and oodles of speculation that followed, I would have thought that more people would still see a smolder of fire where that smoke came from. I have a feeling they just might be on this year’s poster – the Australasian leg of their tour ends in New Zealand on April 5, then they’re in the UK in the summer. http://www.rollingstones.com/tickets/
Plus, based on Thomas Mars’ comment on stage at weekend one last year (“We’ve been waiting 18 months for this”) clearly acts are booked well in advance.”

Ronnie Wood, left, and Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones perform in concert on Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012. (AP Photo)

Ronnie Wood, left, and Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones perform in concert on Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012. (AP Photo)

Trevor brings up some excellent points. In fact, last year I was convinced that The Rolling Stones had been locked in to play from a year prior to that. I was also convinced that a picture of a polo ball on the polo field signified that the Stones were a lock.

The open tour dates make me think this is a slightly more likely possibility than The Kinks (Coachella 2014 is on tap for April 11-13 and April 18-20 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio), but after the frenzy of last year, I think the rumor would have bubbled up before now.Also, the Stones made a lot of money with their own tour and I don’t know what the incentive would be for them to come to the fest.

Will Coachella pull off the surprise of The Rolling Stones a year later or is time no longer on their side for this get? Let me know in the comments below. You can flip through the interactive timeline or click the links below to read my other predictions for the next edition of the fest.

I’ve covered the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and the Stagecoach Country Music Festival since 2007. All of the Coachella prediction posts here are tagged with Coachellaology. For more Coachella news, photos, interviews and information, visit the iGuide Coachella page.

If you want to follow me on social media, I’m at @vanessafranko on Twitter, the Audio File on Facebook and on Google+.

Dec. 7, 2013: Bastille
Dec. 2, 2013: Grouplove
Dec. 2, 2013: The 1975, Chvrches
Nov. 27, 2013: Ellie Goulding, Broken Bells
Nov. 20, 2013: Will Outkast reunion dominate lineup?
Nov. 19, 2013: FLAG, Haim
Nov. 14, 2013: Can we all just agree that Arcade Fire will headline?
Nov. 14, 2013: Lorde, Flogging Molly
Nov. 5, 2013: Mogwai, The Dismemberment Plan
Oct. 25, 2013: Arcade Fire, The Naked and Famous
Oct. 7, 2013: The Pixies
Oct. 2, 2013: Paul McCartney, Luscious Jackson
Aug. 2, 2013: Neutral Milk Hotel 
June 16, 2013: The Replacements

SAN BERNARDINO: A Day to Remember starts Self Help Festival

A Day to Rememebr will host the inaugural Self Help Festival at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino on March 22. (Contributed Image)

A Day to Rememebr will host the inaugural Self Help Festival at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino on March 22. (Contributed Image)

Florida band A Day To Remember is starting a new festival and it’s headed to San Bernardino. The Self Help Festival will be held March 22 at the National Orange Show Events Center in San Bernardino, CA.

The festival will include performances from A Day To Remember, Bring Me The Horizon, Of Mice & Men, The Story So Far, Memphis May Fire, Attila, The Word Alive, Stick To Your Guns, Issues, letlive, Terror, A Skylit Drive, Hands Like Houses, Hundredth, Beartooth and Rotting Out.

It’s an all-day show that starts at 1 p.m. Tickets are $39 and are available via Ticketfly.

Here’s the band’s latest video for “Right Back At It Again.”

PE LIVE: Get to know the Chris Thayer Band

Chris Thayer Band (contributed Image)

Chris Thayer Band (contributed Image)

It’s a new year and we have a new PE Live.

This week we have a familiar face, too. Chris Thayer, who stopped by with jump blues band Big Papa and the TCB in 2013, did a session for us with the Chris Thayer Band, which just produces fantastic rock music.

The two projects are very different–find out how in the interview with the band below.

Want to see all of the performances? Check out all of them over at the iGuide.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA: As You Were to perform Saturday

As You Were performs at X103.9's Localpalooza competition at M15 in Corona on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013. (Rob Inderrieden/Freelance Photographer)

As You Were performs at X103.9’s Localpalooza competition at M15 in Corona on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013. (Rob Inderrieden/Freelance Photographer)

Kick off the new year with a fist full of rock at Goodfellas.

As You Were, The Greytest Project, Victorian Sky, T4P and Lights in the Sky are headed to the Rancho Cucamonga spot for a show on Saturday, Jan. 4.

As You Were has some of the most loyal fans around and for good reason. The live show packs a punch.

9 p.m. Saturday, Goodfellas, 8034 Haven Ave., Rancho Cucamonga, $5, 21 and older only.

Visit www.asyouwereband.com for more information.

LOCAL FAVORITES: Check out more great music made in 2013

(Chris Ramos/Staff Illustration)

(Chris Ramos/Staff Illustration)

I’ve been telling anyone who will listen to me than 2013 has been the best year for Inland Empire music yet. With more than 100 releases, it was tough to pick my favorite albums and it missed a lot of spectacular things that came out. Enter the Audio File Awards, which I envision as kind of like those yearbook superlatives for local music.

Pop star in the making
Tori Kelly released the “Foreword” EP this year. Her YouTube channel has racked up more than 60 million views and she has performed “Dear No One” on “Ellen.”

Most likely to play Coachella
Listen to Summer Twins’ dreampop EP “Forget Me” and wait for the Empire Polo Club images to appear when you hear the title track.

Best song named after a board game
King Dice’s “Yahtzee” is a standout on “Red Mahogany Drive,” an album that is a full house of solid tracks.

The song that will make you dance
Quitapenas’ bright and sunny single “Mas Tropical” will give you the urge to put pineapple slices and those little umbrellas in everything you drink.

Greatest David Bowie name drop
I predict Teenage Exorcists will explode out of Riverside next year based on the high quality of the band’s debut EP, in particular the song “You Make Me Hippie,” which name drops The Thin White Duke AND has handclaps.

Best unconventional percussion
Eva and the Vagabond Tales entire debut, “Letters From the Moon,” is dynamite, but one of the fun facts about the Eastern European meets Old West disc is that Eva Mikhailovna actually tap danced for percussion on one of the songs. The band should also get a shout out for its handmade packaging of the album in a brown envelope tied up with string.

Best “Seinfeld” reference
Cam Archer’s “Chronicles of Cam Archer” is the latest evolution for the rapper and while the album is solid throughout, he gets bonus points for naming a song “Costanza II.”

Best song named after an ‘80s sitcom star
Electric Valentine named a song on new album “Circuitry” after Uncle Jesse from “Full House.” “The Stamos” rocks.

Most unlikely punk instrument
Pop-punkers Go for Gold put out a solid EP with “Mixed Feelings,” but the addition of some sweet synth lines a la The Hippos make it an even more fun listen.

Best cover song
Who doesn’t love Tears for Fears? On Being Human takes on “Shout” on the out of this world EP “Eve” which also has a batch of strong original material in its own right.

Rinse and repeat award
100 Proof’s “Wolf Among the Sheep” was so popular when it came out in early 2013 that the rock/hip-hop band actually remastered and reissued it this fall.

Your post-apocalyptic soundtrack
With top-notch production, the smart underground hip-hop of Okiramyth’s “SonSinFinite” would be a good thing to have on at your end of the world party.

Most promising power pop
Casey Jones and the Railsplitters out of Moreno Valley released a delightful self-titled EP in August that almost has a Posies/The Three O’Clock feel to it.

The comeback kids
Alien Ant Farm finally released a little bit of new music this year, in the form of single “Let ‘Em Know.” The video featured Downtown Riverside so much that the city should consider doing an Alien Ant Farm video walking tour. The band is finishing work on its forthcoming album.

Best gypsy inspiration
In one corner, we have Paul Olives, who dubs his music “Acoustic Outlaw Gypsy Punk.” In the other, there’s Nathan Rivera, who dubs his music “Accordion gypsy blues americana.” Both will draw you in.

Most experimental
Ultragash’s “Charlotte” EP makes me wonder if that’s what would happen if Nine Inch Nails and Animal Collective hung out.

Best international-yet-local act
Rock and soul group Lisa and the Lips features Riverside’s own Lisa Kekaula and Bob Vennum, plus a group of musicians based in Spain. They’ve already been wowing European audiences.

Most remixes
Redlands’ My Atomic Soul makes electronic dance music that’s accessible to music lovers beyond those hanging out at giant EDM festivals. He has five versions of “Never Say Never,” with Romeo Void singer Debora Iyall on his self-titled album.

LOCAL FAVORITES 2013: Yung Miss

A little while ago in the Guide we published my list of favorite local music of 2013. If you missed the big spread in the paper, and today marks the final entry in the local artists.

Yung Miss is one of those multi-threat performers. She can write, she can produce, she can rap, she can sing, etc.
waveforms

Yung Miss
“Waveforms”

Watch out for Yung Miss. This Perris-based artist takes the best of R&B vocals, hip-hop and solid beats to put together a stunning debut. Yung Miss will put Perris on the map.

Listen to “Waveforms” in the player below.