Tag Archives: The BellRays

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)

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)

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)

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)

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.”

RIVERSIDE: The BellRays, Bucksworth join forces at Mario’s

The BellRays are playing a rare hometown show at Mario's Place in Riverside on Sunday, Nov. 10. (Contributed Image)

The BellRays are playing a rare hometown show at Mario’s Place in Riverside on Sunday, Nov. 10. (Contributed Image)

When the BellRays aren’t globe-trotting and selling out shows in Europe, you might find the group at home in Riverside, but a hometown show is a rare treat.

And the setting for the band’s dynamic punk meets the blues meets soul on Sunday, Nov. 10 is even more special.

The band will be playing Mario’s Place in Riverside and it’s an early show, so no complaining about work the next day. Wear comfortable shoes. There will be dancing.

Plus, the great Bucksworth will be joining the fun.

Seating is limited, so you want to get there on the early side.

Mario’s is also hosting Bob and Lisa, as in Bob Vennum and Lisa Kekaula of the BellRays with their acoustic project,on Friday, Nov. 8 and the Union Drifters on Saturday, Nov. 9.

Bob and Lisa, 10 p.m. Friday, Mario’s Place, 3646 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside, 951-684-7755, free, 21 and older.

The Union Drifters, 10 p.m. Saturday, free.

The Bellrays and Bucksworth, 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10,  $10.

For more information on The Bellrays visit www.thebellrays.com.

COACHELLA 2013: 5 Bands the Audio File wants to return to Indio

Fans enjoy Coachella at dusk. (2007/File Photo)

Fans enjoy Coachella at dusk. (2007/File Photo)

I’ve spent a lot of time over the last few weeks writing about other artists I think will be on the Coachella 2013 lineup and collecting suggestions from readers.

Please bear with this post–this is all about some artists I want to see on the lineup for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival April 12-14 and April 19-21. I have no reason to believe any of them will ever be on the lineup again, but all have played in the past. (If you want real, founded predictions and suggestions for Coachella 2013, check out the Coachellaology tag or scroll to the bottom of the entry for all of the updates.)
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AUDIO FILES: Listen to The Dangers, Bob and Lisa

The Dangers will play Redlands on Saturday, Nov. 17. (Maria Baglien/Contributed Image)

If you’re looking for something to do Saturday, I can’t recommend checking out The Dangers at Hangar 24 in Redlands enough.

Chris LeRoy is one of the most underrated songwriters out there and the band’s new album, “Embrace the Light Outside,” only proves my point more.
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AUDIO FILES: Listen to The BellRays, The Ramones

The BellRays

The BellRays

Welcome to the second installment of the Audio Files. Last night I put up some tracks from The Stereo and Hall and Oates. This new feature I’m trying out is to just get music I love out there.

You know how you come across those songs that when you hear them for the first time, they feel like they’ve been in your memory forever? That’s how I felt when I first heard The BellRays play “Power to Burn” at Back to the Grind a few years ago. This one has another infectious guitar riff by the venerable Bob Vennum and an incredible vocal by the amazing Lisa Kekaula.

There’s a reason they have been the backbone of Riverside’s music scene for decades. If you haven’t heard The BellRays, go pick up their catalog.

Now I’m amped up and nothing is more fun when you’re amped up than listening to The Ramones’ “Blitzkrieg Bop.”