Category Archives: Things To Do

Lisa Lisa is part of the Super Freestyle Explosion coming to Ontario this summer. (2010/File Photo)

Classic dance artists are coming to the Inland region for a night of hits not heard since your radio dial was in 1987.

The Super Freestyle Explosion, set for Friday, June 27, will be at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario.

The performers include Stevie B, Lisa Lisa, Debbie Deb, Expose, Stacey Q, Connie, Nu Shooz, Trinere and Pretty Poison.

Lisa Lisa topped the charts in 1987 with a pair of singles, “Lost in Emotion” and “Head to Toe,” with her backing band Cult Jam.

Other notable hits from the performers include Expose’s “Seasons Change” and Stacey Q’s “Two of Hearts.”

Tickets, priced at $37.50-$75, plus fees, go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, April 4 at www.axs.com, by phone at 888-929-7849 and at the arena’s box office. Parking for this show is an additional $10.

Letters to Ash will hold its CD release show in Riverside on Saturday, March 5. (Contributed Image)

San Bernardino pop-punk band Letters to Ash is celebrating the release of its debut album, “ No One Said It Would Be Easy,” on Saturday, April 5, at the Mission Tobacco Lounge in Riverside.

You can hear two of the new tracks ahead of the release at http://letterstoash.bandcamp.com/, including “Truth or Dare,” which features Adrian Estrella of Assuming We Survive.

The whole show has an arsenal of like-sounding bands worth catching, including Hoist the Colors, New Way On, Treetop Flyer, Gentlemen Amongst Wolves and The Trash Bag Villains.

8 p.m. Saturday, April 5, Mission Tobacco Lounge, 3630 University Ave., Riverside, $10, 21 and older only.

Visit www.letterstoash.com for more information.

The Sedans have upcoming performances in Riverside and Redlands (Trina Gonzalez/Contributed Image)

Riverside band The Sedans have a couple of notable shows on the calendar.

On Monday, March 31, the band, which rose to local prominence in the 1980s and reunited a couple of years ago, will play one of the spotlight sets at the Fox Preview Bar’s open mic night.

The band will also play Hangar 24 Brewery’s tasting room in Redlands on Wednesday, April 2.

You might even hear some new music — the band has been working on some new singles with producer Maria Baglien at Studio in Redlands.

7 p.m. Monday, Fox Preview Bar at the Fox Performing Arts Center, 3801 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside, free, 18 and older only.

6-9 p.m. Wednesday, Hangar 24 Brewery, 1710 Sessums Drive, Redlands, free, all ages.

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

Kyle Neal, of The Far Country, will perform at Racket’s ninth birthday party in Redlands this weekend. (Contributed Image)

Online zine Racket is celebrating its ninth birthday with some live music in Redlands this weekend.

The Far Country, The Calicos and Moro Amour will perform at The Vault Martini Bar on Saturday to celebrate.

The show is free.

Chris Isaak will perform as part of Thornton Winery’s Champagne Jazz Concert Series. (File Photo)

Thornton Winery in Temecula has been putting on its Champagne Jazz Series for 26 years. The winery has netted some of the biggest names in contemporary jazz, including series regulars Chris Botti and Dave Koz, as well as some artists from other genres.

Among some of the notable names for this year’s series are Chris Isaak and Trombone Shorty, the latter of whom will perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio in April. The series begins on May 17 with Jazz Attack featuring Peter White, Rick Braun and Euge Groove and runs through Oct. 11.

There are a couple of shows where the headliners include past performers who won’t be announced until late May.

Here’s the lineup:

• Saturday, May 17, Jazz Attack ($85 general admission, $160 with dinner)
• Saturday, May 24, Chris Isaak ($95 general admission, $170 with dinner)
• Saturday, June 14, George Benson and comedian Alonzo Bodden ($95 general admission, $170 with dinner)
• Saturday, June 21, Lee Ritenour and Spyro Gyra ($70 general admission, $145 with dinner)
• Thursday, July 3, Boz Scaggs ($95 general admission, $170 with dinner)
• Saturday, July 5, Kenny G  ($95 general admission, $170 with dinner)
• Sunday, July 13, Chris Botti ($95 general admission, $170 with dinner)
• Saturday, July 19, Pat Metheny Unity Group and Bruce Hornsby with Sonny Emory ($95 general admission, $170 with dinner)
• Sunday, July 20, Jesse Cook ($65 general admssion, $140 with dinner)
• Saturday, July 26, Love & Soul featuring Norman Brown and Jonathan Butler ($70 general admission, $145 with dinner)
• Saturday, Aug. 2, Bobby Caldwell and Keiko Matsui  ($70 general admission, $145 with dinner)
• Saturday, Aug. 23, Trombone Shorty  ($70 general admission, $145 with dinner)
• Sunday, Aug. 24, Al Jarreau and Vincent Ingala  ($70 general admission, $145 with dinner)
• Saturday, Sept. 13, TBA and Nick Colionne ($85 general admission, $160 with dinner)
• Sunday, Sept. 21, Larry Graham and Euge Groove  ($70 general admission, $145 with dinner)
• Saturday, Sept. 27 and Sunday, Sept. 28, Summer Horns with Dave Koz, Mindi Abair, Gerald Albright and Richard Elliot ($95 general admission, $170 with dinner on Saturday; $85 general admission, $160 with dinner on Sunday)
• Sunday, Oct. 5, TBA ($70 general admission, $145 with dinner)
• Saturday, Oct. 11, TBA ($85 general admission, $160 with dinner)

Visit the Thornton Winery website for tickets and more information. Thornton Winery is located at 32575 Rancho California Road in Temecula.