Music Festivals

Siouxsie Reigns Witchy Supreme at Cruel World, Iggy Pop Delivers Otherworldly Punk Prowess

Siouxsie closed Cruel World 2023 with a magnetic extended set, showcasing her delightful, witty, and badass persona and proving that she still reigns supreme. Words:  Sandra Burciaga Olinger Photography:  Bryan Olinger Between lightning that shut the festival down during Iggy Pop’s set and a secondary festival date to make up for an unexpected cancelation, Cruel World 2023 […]

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Sandra B. Olinger |
photo of A lightning strike in the sky at cruel world music festival in Pasadena ca may 20, 2023
It’s a Cruel World for Fans of Iggy Pop and Siouxsie When Lightning Strikes Near a Music Festival at the Rose Bowl

It’s a cruel world indeed. Tens of thousands of attendees were evacuated from the Cruel World music festival on Saturday, May 20, in Pasadena, California, at the historic Rose Bowl. Mother Nature decided to remind us she is a force to be reckoned with. Words:  Sandra Burciaga Olinger The legendary Godfather of punk, Iggy Pop, was […]

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Beachlife music festival 2023
Music Festival Review: 10 Things We Loved About Beachlife 2023

Beachlife music festival in Redondo Beach was the place to be in Southern California on the weekend of May 6th. With the sun shining and that epic SoCal breeze, it was the perfect weekend to see live music from acts like Gwen Stefani, The Black Keys, Pixies, Band of Horses, LP, Tegan and Sara, and […]

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Sandra B. Olinger |
Crowd at Lovers and Friends by Asha Mone
PHOTOS: Lovers & Friends reminds us why the 2000s still reign supreme

Missy Elliott said the 2000’s was the era of originality and I have to agree with her. This past weekend at the Lovers & Friends music festival in Las Vegas, we were all reminded of a time when artistry and performance skills were king; 106 & Park was where we found our hits and celebrity […]

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Asha Mone Jackson |
Nine Inch Nails at Primavera Sound LA - photo by Sandra B. Olinger
Photos & Review: Primavera Sound LA shines with three days of sonic bliss and community

After nearly two decades, Barcelona’s Primavera Sound brought its edition of the festival to Los Angeles marked at Primavera Sound LA with more than 50 artists from around the world and, boy was it exciting. Words & Photos by Ana Baca Only several sunsets left of summer and I’m trying to take it all in […]

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Grimy Goods |
Jackson Wang and Milli HITC Day 2 by Asha Mone
Photos: “Magic Man” Jackson Wang was just one of many extraordinary moments at Head In The Clouds Day 2

Head In The Clouds day two photos are in! Jackson Wang, the “magic man” was just one of the many highlights from a lineup busting at the seams with talented, multi-faceted Asian artists from around the world. Thank you for a weekend filled with great music, insatiable energy and Asian representation on the big stage.  […]

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Asha Mone Jackson |
Crowd Shots HITC Day 1 by Asha Mone
Day one of Head In The Clouds leaves fans thirsty for more music, and more water

Day 1 of Head In The Clouds left fans thirsty, and ultimately revealed why Jay Park is K-pop royalty and should have been the headliner for the first day of the festival.  Photos & Words: Asha Moné Doors opened to tens of thousands of fans on Saturday, Aug. 20 at Brookside Park at the Rose […]

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Asha Mone Jackson |
Rina Sawayama at Fonda Theatre - Photo: Asha Moné
Rina Sawayama shines with pop supernova opulence at Fonda Theatre, joined by supporting act HANA

At 8:50pm, the line around the Fonda Theater seemed endless and the one-person-manned merch counter seemed submerged in a sea of “pixels.” On this Saturday night, the Fonda was sold-out and everyone was here for Rina Sawayama. Sawayama is an alt-pop queen in the making without question, just ask her loyal fanbase, cleverly named “pixels,” who […]

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Sandra B. Olinger |
smokin grooves fest
Smokin Grooves sparks up a fiery force of eclectic sounds and timeless grooves

Saturday was a spiritual reset for the 80’s and 90’s babies. For eleven hours, fans from around the globe came together on the vast greenery at the Los Angeles State Historic Park to relish in all the groovealicous offerings at Smokin Grooves music festival. Nothing else mattered but enjoying 38 of the world’s most talented […]

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Once upon a time in la 2021 photos
A bright celebration of hip hop goes dark as Once Upon a Time in LA shutters with the untimely death of Drakeo The Ruler

Once Upon a Time in LA took place at Banc of California and Exposition Park Saturday, Dec 18.  The festival featured an epic lineup of hip hop, soul, and funk — both modern and legendary throwback style. While Once Upon A Time in LA was proving to be a great time, sadly, the festival ended with a […]

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Head in the Clouds by Steven Ward
Head in the Clouds day 2 kept the energy high and fans full of joy with The Linda Lindas, Niki, Keshi, Luna Li and more

Day two of Head in the Clouds sought to top the impossible energy of day one with a lineup that included the likes of Los Angeles’ own hometown rockers The Linda Lindas and Indonesian powerhouse Niki. It also highlighted many of the younger artists and bands that have emerged in recent years. On the 88 […]

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Head in the Clouds by Steven Ward
Head in the Clouds ends a festival drought at the Rose Bowl with a celebration of Asian culture, music, and food

For many, the two-day celebration of Asian music, culture, and food that was Head in the Clouds was the first music festival they’d attended since before the pandemic. The event, started by 88 Rising founder ​​Sean Miyashiro, sought to bring only the best in Asian music to the stage, its lineup spanning genres. Between its […]

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Yves Tumor at Outside Lands - Photo by Tom Dellinger
Outside Lands Day 3 Highlights: Yves Tumor, Goth Babe, Kehlani and more

On Sunday, Outside Lands wrapped up their three-day festival with another day of stellar performances that culminated with sets from Tame Impala and Kehlani. In yet another instance where Outside Lands booked an artist that is a radical departure from most of the lineup, an early set on Sunday was with Cam who is a […]

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Sandra B. Olinger |
Rico Nasty at Outside Lands - Photo: Tom Dellinger
Outside Lands Day 2 – The Good times continue with Lizzo, Rico Nasty, Vampire Weekend, Dr Dog and more

The weather continued to be on our side on Saturday as Outside Lands continued to offer up great music throughout the day and into the night. The crowds seemed to have swelled a little from Friday and everything went off perfectly. Great Halloween costumes were everywhere and the party vibe was infectious.  In a festival […]

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Remi Wolf at Outside Lands 2021
Photos: Outside Lands Day 1 Highlights — Remi Wolf, Sharon Van Etten, Bartees Strange, Khruangbin and more

As everyone begins to feel their way into the new world of “almost” post pandemic it’s worth noting that nothing is the “same as it ever was” (sorry David Byrne). And as the big music fests put their feet into the water, Outside Lands was noticeably different from years past. Make of it what you […]

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Sandra B. Olinger |
HARD day of the dead 2019
Hard Day of the Dead delivers big smiles and heavy bass lines

The good vibrations were flowing this past weekend at HARD Day of the Dead at the LA State Historic Park. An all star line up that included Skrillex & Boys Noize as Dog Blood, ZHU, TOKiMONSTA, and The Martinez Brothers brought out Angelenos looking to dance. People really embraced the holiday spirit and almost everyone […]

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kills birds at desert daze
Wu-Tang Clan, Jonathan Bree, Kills Birds and more deliver stand-out performances at Desert Daze 2019

This past weekend Desert Daze returned to Lake Perris for the second time since its move from Joshua Tree. In the opening ceremonies Ian Svenonious joked that despite its name, the festival does not take place in the desert. The location is not all that has changed as the festival has, year after year, strayed […]

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Sandra B. Olinger |
ohana fest 2019
Ohana Fest remains a mainstay for SoCal festivals with its dizzying trifecta of The Strokes, Eddie Vedder, and Red Hot Chili Peppers

Returning for its fourth year at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point the annual Ohana Fest remains a quintessential festival amongst the many that have cropped up in Southern California in recent years. With its placement on the shores of one of the state’s picturesque beaches, surrounded by palms, and constantly caressed by cool weather […]

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Pasadena Daydream Festival photos
Despite the heat, a sea of goths come out for Pasadena Daydream Festival featuring The Cure, Pixies, Deftones

Brookside, a golf course and country club bordering the Rose Bowl hosted the Pasadena Daydream Festival on Saturday August 31, 2019 and it was “Hot, Hot, Hot!!!” The lineup was hot; the setlists were hot. Everyone was hot. We’re talking literally and metaphorically here, though the setlists were probably just figuratively hot.  A legion of […]

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Sandra B. Olinger |
First Annual Future Sounds Festival Celebrates Soul at the Historic Baker Street Viaduct

Over the weekend, the coolest venue in the city hosted a brand new music festival, Future Sounds, featuring some of the most soulful up-and-coming acts. The Viaduct glowed, not only from the lights and projections but also from the dazzling event happening just below. Kensington Presents put the shindig together, featuring mostly local artists, with […]

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