Category Archives: Music

PE LIVE: Watch Swiss Alps in the ‘Lion’s Den’

New PE Live videos are released with artists every Thursday at PE.com. (Staff Illustration)

More indie rock needs a trumpet. Cue Redlands’ Swiss Alps.

The band, started by Nick Espalin, whose first musical instrument was the trumpet, recently played Hangar 24 Brewery’s patio in Redlands. We were on hand to talk to the band and film some of their songs.

Check out “Lion’s Den” below. Let it play to watch other performances from Swiss Alps.

We release new PE Live videos every Thursday and we have more than 70 in our master playlist, too, including everyone from Summer Twins to Curtiss King.

CLAREMONT: Eva and the Vagabond Tales play the Hip Kitty

Eva and the Vagabond Tales. (Hannah Maisel Photography/Contributed Image )

Riverside’s Eva and the Vagabond Tales are headed to the Hip Kitty to share their Eastern European-inspired folk music.

The free show will feature both new and old songs from the band.

They have been working on mixing their new CD and recently returned from traveling around the U.S.

7-9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8, Hip Kitty, 502 W. First St., Claremont, free, 21 and older only.

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

Check out the song “Ladder to the Stars”

PIONEERTOWN: Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven celebrate ninth Campout

Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker will return to Pappy & Harriet’s for their 9th annual campout. (Jason Thrasher/Contributed Image)

One of the annual events that has become the stuff of legend at Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace every September is the Cracker/Camper Van Beethoven Campout.

The weekend of shows, which will celebrate its ninth year Sept. 12 through 14, started out as a birthday celebration for birthdays of former Redlands residents Johnny Hickman, guitarist for Cracker, and David Lowery, frontman for Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven.

Every year there are side projects and surprises from the members of the band, as well as some of their longtime friends they grew up and played with in the Inland Empire, including one of my favorites, The Dangers, and the project of another Redlands native, Davey Faragher.

Here’s the tentative lineup:
Thursday, Sept. 12
Hickman-Dalton Gang
Roger Clyne and the Peace Makers
Cracker Duo

Friday, Sept. 13
Camper Van Beethoven
Gram Rabbit
The Dangers
Victor Krummenacher Band

Saturday, Sept. 14
Cracker
Jack[expletive] (Davey Faragher’s country ensemble that I can’t post the name of because I value having a job.)
Leland Sundries
Jonathan Segel

A three-day pass is $68 and is available via the Pitch-A-Tent online store as well as on site at Pappy & Harriet’s. The show is all ages and kids 12 and younger get in for free.

CVB is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Member Victor Krummenacher is a Riverside native, too. The band released its first album in nearly a decade, “La Costa Perdida,” in January.

Fun fact: Lowery is a lecturer at the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business.
Another fun fact: Both bands are part of a forthcoming documentary, “Get Off This – The story behind Cracker & Camper Van Beethoven”

Check out a trailer for the documentary, with some sightings of Redlands AND Pioneertown!

PALM SPRINGS: Alf Alpha, more added to Splash House

DJ Alf Alpha performs at Tachevah at the Spa Resort Casino in Palm Springs on Wednesday, April 17, 2013. (Vanessa Franko/Staff Writer)

Splash House, the three-pool party happening Aug. 10 and 11 in Palm Springs, has announced more performers, including the Coachella Valley’s own Alf Alpha (a Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival veteran to boot).

In addition to Alf Alpha, Charlie Tadman, Dirty Dave, Danny Love, Hoff, DJ Metric, Lee K, Mossberg and Mystery Skulls have been added to the bill.

A wristband will get you into the three pools, plus select after parties. Right now, the tickets are $99 for a two-day general admission pass and $55 for an individual day’s general admission pass. You have to be 21 or older to attend the event.

You can purchase them at the Splash House website at www.splashhouse.com.

REDLANDS: Adema, As You Were play Splash Kingdom

As You Were will perform at Splash Kingdom in Redlands on Saturday, Aug. 3. (2012/File Photo)

After the last batch of shows at Splash Kingdom in Redlands, it seemed like everyone who went to see Voodoo Glow Skulls just had to jump in the foam pit and post pictures of them doing it on Facebook.

You have another chance to flip into the foam and rock out on Saturday, Aug. 3 when Adema comes to the water park.

Adema, which had hits with “Giving In” and “The Way You Like It” back in 2001, will be joined by noteworthy local rockers, including As You Were, Divide The Day, Fire Sets Fire, The Mendenhall Experiment, Reveille For Radicals, The StillWinter, Inertia, Inside Riot, and The Victory Brand.

1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, Splash Kingdom,1101 California St., Redlands, $10 in advance, all ages.

Visit the Facebook event page for more information.

Here’s Adema’s best known hit, “Giving In.”

RIVERSIDE: See Quitapenas at North Park Aug. 2

Quitapenas will perform in Riverside on Friday, Aug. 2. (Cindy Bui/Contributed Image)

The We Benefit concert series, organized in part by Riverside’s Division 9 Gallery, is coming to an end after three months of shows at North Park in Riverside.

The concert on Friday, Aug. 2 will feature the tropical and Latin sounds of Quitapenas, La Chamba and Milpa.

Lawn chairs and blankets are allowed at the all ages show, which also includes art booths.

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.

Quitapenas is one of the bands from the Inland Empire getting a lot of attention beyond our area. Here’s an interview with the band about “Más Tropical.” Listen to “Más Tropical Vol 1” below.

<a href="http://quitapenas.bandcamp.com/album/m-s-tropical-vol-1">Más Tropical Vol 1 by QUITAPENAS</a>

PE LIVE: Sneak peek with The Jezebelles

The Jezebelles hang out in the studio for a PE Live shoot. (Vanessa Franko/Staff Photo)

Tonight we had a PE Live shoot that was a little bittersweet. I’m thrilled that the lovely ladies in The Jezebelles, the all-girl rock choir, came in and performed two of their original songs for us.

It was actually the final shoot for the studio at our current office. However, with the positive attitude and amazing music of The Jezebelles, there’s better group for the studio finale (not to worry, PE Live is only just beginning).

We started PE Live in that studio back in 2008 with artists like War Stories, Davis Fetter, Anthony Dollar, On Being Human, Electric Valentine, Divide the Day, Soul of the River, Inverse, The Sleeping Sea King, I Hate Kate and so many more. (Some of the artists have since returned to do a second round of performances.)

To all of you who shared your music, rearranged schedules, braved my questions and repeated takes when I screwed up my intro and stumbled over my own name on camera–thank you. To everyone who spent some time watching these performances–thank you for supporting local music and what I do. For both groups–it means a lot.

The great news is that PE Live is stronger than ever. We’ve had more than 15 artists film with us since relaunching the series in March and even more recently we started filming PE Live out in public, where music fans can really be a part of the taping. (Speaking of that, we’ll be at Hangar 24 in Redlands on Wednesday, July 31 for ColeSlaw. Come visit!)

But I will miss our studio sessions and everyone asking if our curved wall was ever used for skateboarding. (It wasn’t.)

The real videos will be coming out in a couple of weeks, but I wanted to share just a snippet of The Jezebelles singing “Chuck You” that I shot with my phone. They will be playing Mission Tobacco Lounge on Aug. 23 and the House of Blues in Anaheim on Aug. 25, so keep those dates on your calendars. You can also pick up their debut EP now. Visit www.girlrockchoir.com for more information.

Reasons I love The Jezebelles–they used pink elephants and skulls as percussion instruments. They’re just that rad.

Keep an eye at http://x.pe.com/PE_Live for the videos with The Jezebelles and check out all of the exclusive interviews and performances we’ve hosted so far. You can also watch a few in the video player below.

CORONA: Thirty Seconds to Mars’ Jared Leto to play M15

Jared Leto of Thirty Seconds To Mars will perform at M15 in Corona on Aug. 3. (2010/File Photo)

Jared Leto of Thirty Seconds to Mars is headed to the Inland Empire. The singer will do an acoustic show at M15 in Corona on Saturday, Aug. 3 from 5 to 7 p.m.

Here’s the catch–you have to win tickets to get in. The folks over at X103.9 FM in San Bernardino are the ones bringing him out. You can listen to the station or text “Mars” to 40913 to win. Visit www.x1039.com for all of the information.

If you don’t win, you can still catch some great local music at the after party, including El Robo, Castle Pines and Jetpacks and Laser Guns. Tickets are $10.39 and open to guests 18 and older.

Jared Leto, 5 p.m. Saturday, M15, 9022 Pulsar Court, Corona, 951-200-4465, win tickets to enter.
After party, 7 p.m. Saturday, M15, $10.39, 18 and older only.
Visit www.m15 concerts.com for more information and tickets.

Castle Pines was actually the first band that came in to shoot the new PE Live with us. Watch “Saw You on the Radio,” an interview and other performances below.

RIVERSIDE: The Revivers, Judas Beefcake play Mission Tobacco Lounge

The Revivers will play inside Mission Tobacco Lounge on Saturday, Aug. 3. (The Revivers’ Facebook page)

While the music is going on outside for Riverside’s Downtown Summer Street Jam on Saturday, Aug. 3, there will be more bands performing inside the establishments sponsoring the event.

One of the spots hosting music is the Mission Tobacco Lounge on University Avenue.

The music starts at 5 p.m. (a few hours after the Downtown Street Jam starts) with Sayonara Tokyo. Then, Grand Scovell takes the stage at 7 p.m., Judas Beefcake at 9 p.m., The Revivers at 10 p.m. and The Lunar Strays at 11 p.m.

5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, Mission Tobacco Lounge, 3630 University Ave., Riverside, free before 10 p.m. and $3 after, 21 and older only.

Visit the Facebook event page for more information.

The Summer Street Jam is free and open to all ages.

TEMECULA: Andrew W.K. to play The Vault Oct. 18

Andrew W.K. will perform at The Vault in Temecula on Oct. 18. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, Aug. 7. (Andrew W.K. official Facebook page)

Andrew W.K. is more than just a performer–he’s an inspiration. A man who has informed listeners that “It’s Time to Party” and encouraged people to “Party Hard” and “Party til You Puke all on his debut album, “I Get Wet,” Andrew W.K. is all about the party and motivational speaking.

He will bring the party to all ages venue The Vault in Temecula on Friday, Oct. 18. Tickets for the show are $15 each and will be available on Wednesday, Aug. 7 at 8 a.m. via Ticketweb.

Circling back to the motivational speaking, Andrew W.K.’s Twitter feed also offers some amazing “Party Tips,” kind of like a metal-inspired Tony Robbins.

PARTY TIP: Don't worry! You're doing great!

— ANDREW WK (@AndrewWK) July 24, 2013

PARTY TIP: Listen to Black Sabbath.

— ANDREW WK (@AndrewWK) July 25, 2013

Andrew W.K. also hosted “Destroy Build Destroy” on the Cartoon Network, which was a game show where the contestants truly acted in the name of the show. Sadly, it stopped running in 2011.

The Temecula show will be party of his “Party Messiah Tour” which is a solo tour featuring Andrew W.K. with only a microphone and a keyboard. Trust me, it’s going to be awesome.

And because who doesn’t want to party to start the day? Here’s “Party Hard.”