Category Archives: Music

PE LIVE: Watch Naive Thieves perform ‘Sold Short’

Naive Thieves perform at ProAbition in Riverside. (Matthew Schoenmann/Freelance Photographer)

Check out this week’s PE Live with Naive Thieves. We filmed it at ProAbition in Riverside last month and I’ve been waiting to share it.

I talked with singer Cameron Thorne a bit about the band’s upcoming album, which is due out early next year. The Riverside-based band worked with Casey Crescenzo, the mastermind behind The Dear Hunter, for the new release. Crescenzo also helmed the band’s fantastic 2011 EP “Le Sheik Rhat.”

Fun fact: Thorne did the artwork for The Dear Hunter’s “The Color Spectrum” EP series. He also did the artwork for Faimkills’ “Tasty Waves” EP.

Watch Naive Thieves perform “Sold Short” for PE Live. See all of the PE Live videos with Naive Thieves at the iGuide.

RIVERSIDE: Chris Ryan, Late Night Revival play open mic night

Chris Ryan (Esther Miller/Contributed Image)

Musical chameleon Chris Ryan, who has penned soulful singer/songwriter tunes, drummed for hardcore band Darasuum and is part of new hard-rock outfit called Both Wind and Sea, among other projects, has yet another way to be in the local scene.

On the first Friday of every month, Ryan hosts the acoustic open mic night at the Daily Brew in Riverside.

This Friday, Dec. 6, he will perform and also be joined by some other up-and-coming Inland Empire artists, including Horror in the Moonlight and Late Night Revival.

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The open mic signup is at 6:30 p.m. and that portion gets started at 7 p.m. Then, at 9 p.m. the other artists will perform.

7 p.m. Friday, The Daily Brew, 2955 Van Buren Blvd., Riverside, free, all ages.

Visit www.facebook.com/ChrisRyanMusic1 for more on Ryan.

RIVERSIDE: The Dares play the Festival of Lights

The Dares are performing at the Festival of Lights in Riverside on Dec. 8. (Matt Schoenmann/Freelance Photographer)

Riverside’s Festival of Lights is more than just a gazillion lights and creepy animatronic figures–downtown is transformed into a winter wonderland of ice skating, vendors and live entertainment.

The Dares will perform at the Festival of Lights on Sunday, Dec. 8, near the ice-skating rink.

The spirited pop-punk band has been working on a new album, too.

8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8, Main Street Pedestrian Mall, Riverside, free, all ages.

Visit www.facebook.com/thedares for more on the band.

The band filmed PE Live with us earlier this year. Watch the band perform “Wake Up.”

REDLANDS: Hangar 24 celebrates barrel-aged beer at Pugafest

Hobo Jazz will perform at Hangar 24 Brewery in Redlands for Pugafest on Saturday, Dec. 7. (2013/File Photo)

Hangar 24 Brewery in Redlands is celebrating the release of this year’s batch of Pugachev’s Cobra, the brewery’s Russian imperial stout, with Pugachev’s Barrel-Aged Beer Festival on Saturday, Dec. 7.

The Pugafest event will include a number of special beers for the occasion. The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and $25 gets you a wristband good for eight tasting pours from a selection of 24 different barrel-aged beers and a commemorative tasting glass.

Pugachev’s Cobra is one of the brewery’s most beloved concoctions and in previous years, bottles have sold out on release day. A hand-corked bottle will set you back $20 and quantities are limited to six per person.

There is also a new brew, Pugachev Royale, which is a spin on the original, but with added cacao nibs and vanilla beans and an additional 10 months of aging in brandy barrels. There will only be 400 bottles available and there is a one-bottle purchase limit.

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The barrel-aged beer list for Pugafest includes 2011 Pugachev’s Cobra, 2012 Pugachev’s Cobra, 2012 Pugachev’s Cobra Rye Whiskey Barrel, 2013 Pugachev’s Cobra, 2013 Pugachev’s Cobra Rye Whiskey Barrel, 2013 Pugachev’s Cobra Wheat Whiskey Barrel, 2010 Immelmann, 2012 Immelmann Rye Whiskey Barrel, 2013 Immelmann, 2013 Immelmann Rye Whiskey Barrel, 2013 Immelmann Wheat Whiskey Barrel, 2012 Hammerhead, 2013 Hammerhead, 2013 Hammerhead Brandy Barrel, 2012 Warmer Rye Whiskey Barrel, 2013 Warmer Rye Whiskey Barrel, 2013 Gourdgeous Bourbon Barrel, 2013 Gourdgeous/Hammerhead Bourbon Barrel Blend, 2012 4th Anniversary Rye Whiskey Barrel, 2013 Tailslide, 2013 Slow Roll, 2012 Chandelle, 2011 Humpty Bump and 2013 Vinaceous Brandy Barrel.

The Hangar 24 Tasting Room will be open to the public as per usual from 11 a.m. until midnight as well.

There will be live music from the Claremont Voodoo Society from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Hobo Jazz from 2 to 4 p.m. and My Own Holiday from 5 to 7 p.m.

Both Hobo Jazz and My Own Holiday have stopped by and performed for PE Live. Watch their videos below.

Watch Hobo Jazz perform “One Glance.”

Watch My own Holiday perform “Coins.”

Hangar 24 is located at 1710 Sessums Drive in Redlands. Visit www.hangar24brewery.com for more information.

UPLAND: Local venue The Wire to close at the end of December

The Wire in Upland will be closing at the end of December. (The Wire)

This past weekend, The Vault in Temecula closed its doors and now the Inland region is losing another all-ages club–The Wire in Upland will close at the end of December.

Donavon and Rachel Foy opened the venue seven years ago and it has been a haven for local independent bands as well as touring artists, with indie rock notable names such as Rocky Votolato, John Vanderslice as well as the solo projects of Vinnie Caruana, formerly of The Movielife, and Geoff Rickly, formerly of Thursday, just to name a handful.

The venue also operated a recording studio where bands such as Say True, The Ready Aim Fire!, Me and the City, The Motel Life, The Dares, New Manners and more have recorded original music.

The Foys posted a message on the venue’s Facebook Page on Monday afternoon:

It is with heavy hearts that we would like to announce that after seven years in business, and a few prior spent fighting the good fight to convince the city that we wouldn’t ruin Downtown Upland, cause spontaneous raving, or set our building on fire, we have chosen to close The Wire at the end of this month. We opened this venue with the hope of providing a place for local bands to perform and sound their best, be treated like family, and to reach out to new fans. We did it to the best of our ability and gave you all that we had – our time, money and anything else we could sell or borrow to make sure you knew you had people who cared for you, your music, and the bands you admired. But now, it’s time to move on. We hope that you’ll join us at one of the last few shows we have scheduled in December and if you would like to play one more time, please let us know. Thank you to everyone who has played a show or supported a band here. We are especially grateful for our friends and family who supported us to open the venue and to our employees who have worked here and cared for the venue as much as we have. We will miss The Wire but we will continue to support the Inland Empire scene by performing at and going to shows alongside you. We will see you soon! – Donavan and Rachel Foy

The venue does have a few more shows left on the calendar.

Saturday, Dec. 7: Hit Me, Harold
Tuesday, Dec. 10: Tommy & The High Pilots, The Letdown
Friday, Dec. 13: Night Riots, The Gallery, Say True, Me and The City and Late Night Revival.

Doors open at 7 p.m. for all of the shows and tickets are $10 in advance. The Wire is located at 247 N. 2nd Ave. in Upland. Visit www.thewire247.com for more information

We’ll have more on this story as it develops.

COACHELLA 2014: Grouplove looks likely for a return trip to Indio

Grouplove performs at the 2012 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. (2012/File Photo)

Grouplove, which was all over the radio with the hit “Tongue Tied” a couple of years back, announced its spring 2014 tour and there is a big hole right around the time of a certain music festival in the desert.

Grouplove’s tour kicks off March 20 in Cincinnati and runs through April 30 with a show in Kansas City, Mo. However, after an April 7 date in Houston, there aren’t any more dates until Phoenix on April 23.

The 2014 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival will take place April 11-13 and April 18-20 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio.

Grouplove recently released a second album (new material is always a plus to land a Coachella spot) and the band’s set was well-received back in 2012, and they probably did the most set decoration of any band in a tent, complete with fake plants.

Click through the gallery to see photos from Grouplove’s Coachella 2012 set.

Did you catch Grouplove at Coachella 2012? Would you want to see them again at Coachella 2014?

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. 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 predictions with The 1975, Chvrches

Mondays after a holiday weekend are a drag, so let’s perk things up with some 2014 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival predictions.

The twin editions of Coachella 2014 are set for April 11-13 and April 18-20 at the Empire Polo Club. These are things to remember as we get into our festival prognostication today.

Will The 1975 be at Coachella 2014? (Contributed Image)

Up first, how about The 1975?

This Manchester band has the buzz that could lead to a big Coachella splash and the group is headed to the U.S. for a spring tour. Right now, the dates start on April 17 and 18 with a pair of shows at The Fillmore in San Francisco and then there is a gap until a date in Portland, Ore. on April 23, which leaves them with plenty of time to soak up the sun in Indio.

Plus, the band has dates through early June, but none of them are in Southern California, Arizona or Las Vegas. The tour routing makes it look like The 1975 is a lock for the Empire Polo Club. Maybe we’ll get lucky and get a Glass House show out of the band, too.

Get a feel for The 1975 with the song “Girls.”

Chvrches is building a big buzz around its electropop music. (Eliot Hazel/Contributed Image)

Another band that I think is likely to have a Coachella 2014 run is Glasgow’s Chvrches (pronounced “Churches”).

Much like The 1975, the electropop band has an ever-growing buzz. Chrvches’ current tour dates end in Germany at the end of March, but I think the band’s hit “The Mother We Share” has enough power to propel the band to that late afternoon main stage spot that The Lumineers held at Coachella 2013.

Do you think The 1975 and/or Chvrches will be at Coachella 2014? 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.

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

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

PE LIVE: The Dangers get sweet with “Flowers and Trees”

The Dangers perform at Hangar 24 Brewery in Redlands. (Matthew Schoenmann/Freelance Photographer)

We’ll have the next edition of PE Live out on Thursday (we filmed it at ProAbition with Naive Thieves a couple of weeks ago), but here’s another great video from the session we did with The Dangers.

The song, “Flowers and Trees,” features bassist Tim Loughlin on vocals. Songwriter Chris LeRoy penned the tune after meeting a couple at one of the band’s shows that had decided to get married after the husband was in the hospital (he’s fine now). The sweet love story inspired the song.

Watch The Dangers perform “Flowers and Trees.”

Watch an interview and three other performances with The Dangers over at the iGuide.

The Dangers will be playing a charity show on Saturday, Dec. 14 at Studio in Redlands. The BellRays, Mark Nemetz & the Novas, Bob and Lisa, The Conditionz, The Sedans and Dust on the Radio are coming together for an all-star show.

Visit The Dangers’ page on Facebook for more information.

TEMECULA: The Vault throws a goodbye party

The Maxies perform at “The Death of The Vault” show at the all-ages concert venue in Temecula on Nov. 29, 2013. (Vanessa Franko/Staff Photographer)

The projection on the wall said it all. The words “The Death of The Vault” loomed behind the bands performing at the Temecula venue on Friday, Nov. 29.

Far from a dour affair, the venue’s penultimate show was a swinging wake celebrating the scene and those who made it with Silly String, balloons and homegrown Inland music.

Hundreds of music fans filled the venue to catch acts including The Maxies, Defunked, The Infamous They, Illnoise, Fly By Night, Bloodtype G, Xpulsion and Indica Roots.

“I’ve never been to a show with this much energy,” said Sierra Bishop, of Hemet, who was visiting the venue for the first time.

After the finale of the popular Band Wars band battle series on Saturday, Nov. 30 the all ages venue will shut its doors.

Owner James Messina is moving the Temecula Sounds music school and store, which housed The Vault, to Old Town Temecula while promoter Ivan McClain is seeking investors for a new venue in the Temecula Valley.

Defunked performs at The Vault in Temecula on Nov. 29, 2013. (Vanessa Franko/Staff Photo)

McClain addressed the crowd and said that the new venue had reached more than 20 percent of its funding and that it could open within three months after raising the money.

“Everyone keep your fingers crossed,” he said.

The night was filled with remembrances from the bands, with The Maxies having some heartfelt moments of thanks in between shooting Silly String and batting balloons into the crowd.

“The Vault is one of the places that made us who we are today,” singer Matt Leonard said from the stage.

The venue originally opened in 2007 as a haven for local music. A few months later it was shuttered after running afoul of city permits. In mid-2009, when The Vault reopened with new owner Messina, it became a well-known entertainment spot in the area and a proving ground for local music.

“I’ve met wonderful people, amazing bands. This place holds a lot of memories,” said Ajay Jamebozorgi, of Temecula.

On Friday night, fans with piercings and tattoos skipped around the mosh pit arm in arm singing “every little thing’s gonna be alright,” the chorus of Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds,” during Defunked’s set.

In between sets fans hugged and chatted and shared memories of the venue.

“Just because this venue is going out doesn’t mean our scene dies,” Mitchell Hoskins of Fly By Night told the crowd.

There is one more chance to see a show at The Vault. The final installment of Band Wars takes place Saturday, Nov. 30.

The bands competing include For All That’s Forgotten, Firing All Cylinders, The Third Invasion, Voltage Control, Sticks & Stones, Radio-active, Kicking Amps, Friday’s Best and Imagery.

6 p.m. Saturday, The Vault, 41607 Enterprise Circle North, Temecula, $10, all ages.

BLACK FRIDAY: 5 holiday goodies for Inland Empire music lovers

If you have a music lover in your life and you’re eyeing some holiday finds, check out these items from the Inland Empire music scene, with love.

Alien Ant Farm is into ugly Christmas sweaters this holiday season. (Contributed Image)

Alien Ant Farm is into ugly Christmas sweaters this holiday season. (Alien Ant Farm/Contributed Image)

1. Alien Ant Farm’s Ugly Sweater
With Riverside’s own Alien Ant Farm still at work on forthcoming album “Always and Forever,” the band wanted to give its fans a little something of a holiday surprise. Enter the ugly holiday sweater.

Alien Ant Farm guitarist Terry Corso said that last year he saw bands such as Slayer and Every Time I Die offer up sweaters for sale and that it seemed to make sense for Alien Ant Farm.

Running $40-$45, the black sweatshirt is a limited run with the Ant Farm logo emblazoned on it in a holiday scene. Who needs a reindeer sweater when you can have an ant with antlers?

Growing up in Southern California, Corso said he didn’t have a favorite ugly sweater of his own, but he said he was able to score a sweet SpongeBob SquarePants Christmas shirt before an ugly sweater party a few years back.

If a sweater isn’t your thing, the band is also offering up Christmas ornaments for $10. The metal die-cut ant head

You can purchase the items online at www.alienantfarm.limitedrun.com.

Assuming We Survive performs at X103.9’s Localpalooza competition at M15 in Corona on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013. The band went on to win the competition and will open the Merry Meltdown show Dec. 14 at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario with Korn and Stone Temple Pilots. (Rob Inderrieden/Freelance Photographer)

2. Merry Meltdown tickets
San Bernardino’s X103.9 FM is holding its annual Merry Meltdown concert at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario on Dec. 14 with Korn, Stone Temple Pilots (with Chester Bennington), Sick Puppies, Big B and Assuming We Survive.

If you purchase a ticket on Friday, Nov. 29 at the Citizens Business Bank Arena box office, you get a pair of tickets to one of three special acoustic shows at M15 in Corona that you can’t even purchase tickets for.

Your choices are the Airborne Toxic Event on Thursday, Dec. 5, Switchfoot on Friday, Dec. 6 or A Day ot Remember on Sunday, Dec. 15.

The box office is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the buy one, get two deal is only good while supplies last.

Tickets are $29.50-$59.50. Visit www.x1039.com for more information.

Suicide Silence has a “Zombie Clause” sweatshirt for sale. (Contributed Image)

3. Suicide Suilence’s Zombie Clause
Metal band Suicide Silence, which started here in the Inland Empire, has a new singer, is working on a new album and now has a new sweatshirt in time for the holidays.

The band dubs the character on the sweatshirt “Zombie Claus” and the green-skinned character with a white beard is what happens when you send the Grinch to Rob Zombie’s Great American Nightmare Halloween maze. I can’t quite tell if he is holding the innards of his faithful satanic reindeer or if the reindeer is like the chupacabra, sucking out the holiday cheer.

Either way, there were only 100 of the sweatshirts made and it might be the perfect gift for your cousin who makes most of his status updates quotes from late Suicide Silence singer Mitch Lucker.

If it’s sold out, you can pick up the “Krampus Christmas” T-shirt for $14.99-$19.99 instead.

Prints on Wood has a few iconic Coachella images for sale this holiday season. (Prints on Wood/Contributed Image)

4. Prints on Wood’s Coachella Festival art
If you have a friend in your life who makes the pilgrimage out to the Empire Polo Club in Indio every year, check out the offerings from Prints on Wood.

The Riverside-based company does a lot of the amazing art in the Coachella boutique every spring, but there are a couple of items available in time for the holidays, too.

The most iconic includes the Ferris Wheel and the rainbow of neon trees surrounding the polo field. The prices range from $24 for 4-inch by 6-inch piece up to $245 for a 2-foot by 3-foot poster size item.

Better yet, make a print of that picture of you and your friends raging in the Sahara Tent.

The BellRays have a Christmas album! (The BellRays/Contributed Image)

5. “Merry Xmas” from The BellRays
I am still working on my favorite music from 2013 (boy did we have an amazing amount of high-quality music this year), but in the meantime, pick up a holiday gem from an iconic Inland band.

The BellRays put out a Christmas album a few years back. The CD will set you back $15 and you’re supporting local music. It’s something to listen to if you prefer rocking out while decking your halls.

Here’s a taste of “Rocket Ship Santa.”