The countdown to Life is Beautiful rolls on as we enter the holiday weekend. I hope by now as “Rebel Heart” gets more and more spins per week on radio that you’ve had a chance to listen to up and coming LA rockers, The Shelters. Personally I cannot wait for them to take the stage at Life is Beautiful and if you are a fan of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, you are going to LOVE these guys.
You can catch them at Life is Beautiful on Saturday, September 24!
Late Monday night Coachella dropped its 2016 lineup. With Guns n’ Roses and LCD Soundsystem as headliners (and both reuniting) leaked early on, the anticipation was only building for the remainder of the lineup. My hats off to the Goldenvoice team for putting together yet another massive lineup for music fans to salivate at. This year is clearly very dance heavy (as expected) and obviously there is going to be more electro(nic) incorporated into the Coachella Stage and Outdoor Theater stage. Also with Calvin Harris drawing the largest crowd in Coachella Stage history in 2014 it’s no surprise to see him headlining as well this year. I’ll get to may favorite small line artists below but I think the most interesting part of the lineup is at the bottom which states “DESPACIO All Weekend Long;” and should get every LCD Soundsystem (and music) fan excited because if you aren’t familiar, DESPACIO is a side project of James Murphy and 2manydjs! It’s so rad, see for yourself, HERE.
The top line artists speak for themselves but let’s get into the fun stuff, discovery. Here are my quick hits to the artists you may not know but should by April. If I had to name just one of the below for your to really get lost in, Gallant. Oh baby!
Friday: Ibeyi, Black Coffee, Years & Years, HEALTH, Mavis Staples, Goldroom, Gallant, HAELOS, Miami Horror
Saturday: Chronixx, AlunaGeorge (who dazzled in 2014), Shamir, Moon Taxi, Ex Hex, Mr. Carmack, Alvvays, Algiers, Cloves, Phases
Sunday: HudMo, Kamasi Washington, Melody’s Echo Chamber, Anderson .Paak, Nosaj Thing, Epik High, Tensnake, Alessia Cara, Crystal Fighters, PRAYERS, Young Fathers, the Heavy, Girlpool, AC Slater
I wanted to share some really awesome photos Erik Kabik (www.erikkabik.com) was able to capture over the weekend at the 9th Annual John Varvatos Stuart House Benefit at John Varvatos in Los Angeles, CA on March 11. The event which Dave Matthews was on hand to provide the entertainment, was co-chaired by Leslie Mann & Judd Apatow and brought together the entertainment, arts, fashion and philanthropic communities in Los Angeles to raise funds for Stuart House. For those who are unfamiliar, Stuart House provides free, 24-hour emergency medical care, state-of-the-art forensic services, professional counseling, advocacy, Court School and other services to help child victims and their families recover from the trauma of sexual abuse.
Also pictured: Alice Cooper, James Van Der Beek, Ricky Schroeder, Matt Sorum, Adrienne Harper, Steven Tyler
Check it out, this is really cool and supports a great cause. Our friend and not to mention an incredible talent, DJ Vice has a DJ Vice – Rock The Rabbit T-shirt available for pre-sale right now at playboy.com. Not only will you get yourself a wicked cool limited edition t-shirt but a portion of the proceeds will benefit Music Unites, a non-profit organization dedicated to funding sustainable music education programs in underserved communities. Order your shirt now!
Do You Hear The Music? 