On Sunday April 28th, the Mile-High City hosted the 2nd annual Sabroso Craft Beer, Taco, & Music Festival at legendary Fiddler’s Green in Denver, CO. A near-capacity crowd made their way up to the amphitheater for an afternoon of great food, cold beer, and killer music headlined by punk rock legends, The Offspring. And if that wasn’t enough already, festival-goers were treated to ringside seats for some amazing Lucha Libre style wrestling and got to witness firsthand the legendary Takeru Kobayashi plow through an ungodly number of tacos.
Aside from complimentary beer tasting with 25 amazing breweries, festival-goers indulged in some of the most killer street tacos on the planet. Denver’s finest lined the Sabroso Festival grounds with their flamboyant food trucks, vying for a chance to wow attendees with their custom creations and ultimately take home the “Best in Show” award (based on celebrity judging and fan voting throughout the event). If you love tacos (and I do), this spectacle was truly heaven on earth!
Now, on to the music. One of the wonderful things about Sabroso is that co-producers Cameron Collins and John Reese spare no expense in ensuring that musical lineup for Sabroso is second to none. Year two in Denver was no exception with a solid lineup consisting of The Dendrites (a local Ska ensemble), Dwarves, Strung Out, Black Flag, The Vandals, Bad Religion, and of course, The Offspring. Although Bad Religion and The Offspring were solid (outside of a bit of rain and dropping temperatures), my favorites from this year’s show were The Vandals and Strung Out. Both captivated the crowd with amazing energy, a clean sound, and some crowd surfing antics that took their performances to a whole new level.
Overall, the 2019 Sabroso festival (presented by Rockstar, 805, Milagro Tequila, Jarritos, and Gringo Bandito) will go down in history as one of the coolest events to rock Fiddler’s Green this year. Whether you were drinking amazing beer, eating killer tacos, of jamming to some amazing live music, there was something for everyone at this year’s show. As the house lights went on and the live performances came to an end and, all I could think about was what an incredible festival this was. In a day and time where many shows like this over-hype and under-deliver, Collins and Reese pulled all the stops and exceeded all expectations for what many in attendance felt was a punk-rock festival for the ages. Looking forward to seeing how this dynamic duo tops this one in 2019 with their 3rd annual installment here in Denver.
Pictures by: Susie Wolcott, Review by: Matthew Belter & Susie Wolcott
Bronson Wisconsin is a touring 4 piece indie rock outfit fronted by songwriter and singer Bronson Taalbi.
The first single, "Like a Storm", from their brilliant upcoming full length album of the same name has been released. "Like a Storm" is song of self reflection and value with a mariachi march an meter from electric rock n roll instruments.
Listen/Download the single on Disco: https://s.disco.ac/ldohgrhuwyge
As a music lover and photojournalist, I have followed Tech N9ne’s career since his early years and have bared witness to his meteoric rise in the music industry. His hard work and unbelievable business acumen paid off in spades, and he ultimately became the undisputed #1 independent rapper in the world. With 13 albums under his belt (and 8 additional in his collabos series), Tech has sold more than 2,000,000 albums worldwide and has toured extensively all around the world. Add in his now infamous Bou Lou Beer (a business venture with brewing giant Boulevard Brewing Company) and it’s easy to see why everyone under the sun wants to team up with Tech N9ne is some way, shape or form.
On Tuesday May 30th, Tech N9ne and his Strange Music disciples descended upon the House of Blues in San Diego, CA for one of the first stops of 2019’s It Goes Up Tour. Legions of fans (known as Technicians) showed up early for a meet & Greet as well as a chance to crash the barrier early for a chance to see Tech up close and personal.
The first opening act to take the stage on Tuesday was Los Angeles hip-hop artist know as Dax. Goodness gracious, the energy that this guy had throughout his 30-minute set was unbelievable. The crowd was on their feet and fully engaged from start to finish in a way that most openers might not be able to pull off. If you are a fan of real hip-hop, I’d check out Dax’s latest single, “Self-Proclaimed 2”. It’s straight fire.
Next up was Miami based hip-hop trio known as ¡Mayday! Active in the game since 93’, Bernz and Wrekonize along with percussionist extraordinaire NonMS slayed their set with a passion and precision rarely seen in rap these days. One of my favorites from ¡Mayday! has always been “Darker Shades” off of their 2012’s release, Thrift Store Halos. I’m happy to report that they absolutely killed it along with every other song in their set. These guys are what’s right with hip-hop today, and well worth the price of admission on their own.
As fans were just beginning to catch their breath, UBI from the CES CRU assaulted the crowd with a powerful set that literally rocked the venue to its core. He whipped up the now packed house into an all-out a frenzy that would set the stage for the rest of the evening’s festivities. After a raucous 30-minute set, you may have thought his was all said and done until Ubiquitous jumped down into the pit. Those lucky enough to smashed up against the barrier got serenaded by UBI with one final track that put an exclamation point on an incredible performance. Super fun set from one of Kansas City’s finest and a perfect segway to the main attraction Tuesday night, Tech N9ne.
Around 9:40pm, the lights finally dimmed, and a short video played signaling the arrival of Tech N9ne on the House of Blues stage. The place went nuts as he kicked off the show with “N9NA” of his latest album (of the same name). Krizz Kaliko then joined Tech on stage performing “E.B.A.H.”, and as always, this dynamic duo was brilliant. Over the next hour and a half, Tech N9ne put on a near-flawless show that seemingly blew the roof off of the House of Blues. Technicians were treated to a massive set consisting of over 20 mind-blowing tracks featuring classics like “Am I Psycho”, “Riotmaker”, and “Einstein”. These jams got even the most reserved concert goer out of their seat and on to their feet. Tech’s set finally ended around 11:00pm with a searing encore featuring hits “Caribou Lou” and “Hood Go Crazy”. Perfect way to end a Tech N9ne show and one I won’t soon forget.
For those who have the opportunity to see Tech N9ne on his 2019 It Goes Up Tour this year, make the call now and buy your tickets today. Tech N9ne is an absolute genius - flawless vocals, relevant lyrics, and non-stop energy from beginning to end. He brought it on Tuesday evening and showed San Diego why he is considered one of the most incredible artists on the planet today.
We have basically skipped Spring and have jumped right into an early Summer thanks to the 2nd annual Back to the Beach Festival. Over the weekend about 30,000 ska music lovers and punk rockers took over the beautiful sands of Huntington State Beach for the 2-day festival for a good time. Back To The Beach 2019 had it all. The bands that brought the jams, the food vendors that covered a wide variety of options for everyone and sound that stretched on for miles.
The lineup included headliner Blink-182, The Used, Goldfinger, Reel Big Fish, The Aquabats, The Story So Far and more. Plus some special appearances from Sublime With Rome’s Rome Ramirez, 311’s Nick Hexum and Save Ferris’ Monique Powell. One of the highlights of the weekend was Blink-182 playing their entire Enema of the State album in lieu to its 20th year anniversary.
I had a chance to speak with a SoCal local and guitarist, Dean Santos where he told me about his AMAZING weekend at BTTB 2019:
“My experience at Back to the Beach 2019 was magical! I know that sounds cheesy, but I got to see my favorite band, Blink-182, play Enema of the State! An album that was released when I was in elementary school and one of the first albums I bought and learned to play guitar to. This album means so much to me and it was such a surprise. My friends and I attended BTTB 2019 to celebrate my birthday. Hitting this kind of nostalgia with one of my favorite bands of all time was not expected. Hearing Blink-182 play Enema of the State was perfect timing, it was like I time traveled to when I was figuring out who I was and wanted to be. The lineup in general set the tone. This continued on to the following day. I was ecstatic hearing Anthony Green from Saosin and Circa Survive, Story of the Year and The Used! This was my emo phase that jump started my seriousness in playing with my own bands. Those sounds for me were The Story So Far and The Wonder Years. It was totally a glimpse into my own musical journey being played back to me on stage. The fact that the event was on the beach was just icing on the cake. The beach is where I used to drive out to and write songs while people watching and listening to the waves crash. Back to the Beach put me in a nirvana where I could jam out with my close friends and bandmates to music that means so much to us. I was absolutely elated throughout the whole weekend. The feeling I’m left with is a total recharge and I’m ready to go just like I did when I was younger going through my younger years and problems. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for next year!”
There was literally something for everyone of all ages. With beach games to play, a Lil’ Punk Zone for the kiddos 10 & under and sponsor booths with a hangout zone. Not to mention a ton of food options to take advantage of. With the growing number of eating trends, diets and ‘restrictions’ you are normally s*** outta luck when it comes to coming to an event like this, but this was no issue at all. The assortment of options brought all the carnivores, sugar craving, vegetarian and vegan eaters together in one happy, hangry-free place.
The only negative part I personally would have to say about the entire event was the sand. While you would think it is the perfect spot for a SoCal music experience, it really was a total pain in the ass. It’s hard enough to walk in the sand for a distance. Add in the weaving through crowds, carrying drinks or food or just trying to relax in general. If you’re not struggling in those areas, you are probably sitting on your beach towel getting sand kicked all over you by anyone walking by. And then there was the weather... Some might have thought the weather wasn’t ideal but again, personal thought is that it was perfect. We weren’t blazing in the sun all day. It was the right amount of cloud coverage and just when the moment was right there it was bringing the blue skies with it.
Overall, I had a total blast and was very happy for the opportunity to come out to the event. BTTB is a fantastic festival to highlight the very much alive third wave ska and punk rock genres. Thank you to Travis Barker and John Feldmann for kicking off an early summer vibe and creating this music love child Back to the Beach. We look forward to 2020.
From behind the lens - Alyssa Mize
This Thursday night is going to be the party mothers warn you about with the line up being led by Hot Tub Johnnie followed by Katey Sagal And The Reluctant Apostels and Caleb Henry and the customs with Hot Tub Johnnie spinning in between and after the artists!. Dance party guaranteed!. Get the tickets here.
Katey Sagal And The Reluctant Apostles bring together the history of dozens of collaborations, hundreds of albums and thousands of concerts. The result is world-class musicianship and a shared instinct that infuses their connoisseur’s songbook of recordings with a confidence that only derives from years of high-level experience.
The band traces their roots back to the hit series SONS OF ANARCHY, where, as The Forest Rangers, they acted as the musical muse throughout the show’s 7 seasons. They began recording covers and original songs for the hit series; unknowingly, it was the start of something very unique and special.
But it’s a new day and with that comes a new band. So who exactly are THE RELUCTANT APOSTLES?
They are Davey Faragher (Elvis Costello, Richard Thompson) on bass and vocals, Phil Shenale (Tori Amos, Jane’s Addiction) on keys, Billy Harvey (Patty Griffin) on guitar and vocals, Michael Urbano (Cracker, Sheryl Crow) on drums, Bob Thiele, Jr. on vocals and guitar (Bonnie Raitt, Mavis & Pop Staples) and, of course, Katey Sagal, singing, playing guitar and percussion.
From the start, THE RELUCTANT APOSTLES decided to dedicate their sound to preserving the long lineage of great songs and records that they grew up with. To that end, the band performs only cover songs, bringing each member’s own individual experience to a carefully crafted repertoire of familiar and unfamiliar songs to which they have applied their own unique interpretations.
As evidenced on their debut recording, INTRODUCING THE RELUCTANT APOSTLES, the energy and vitality of the band is clearly on display. As for their live show, imagine all that, and multiply by 10!
Caleb Henry And The Customs
Caleb Henry is a Country Rock, Blues, and Americana artist from the Wild Wild West of California. Henry's music focuses on his real life experiences of love, loss, and things to come. Backed by his loyal gang of musicians known as "The Customs," Caleb Henry and The Customs go from town to town turning every stage into an energetic, and heartfelt home for those who like to live on the wild side.
DJ Hot Tub Johnnie
HOT TUB JOHNNIE aka John Anderson, Hunnypot Unlimited/Hunnypot Radio, Music Publisher, Film/TV/Ad Placement, Supervisor Consultant, Hunnypot Live Events Host, DJ HOT TUB. HOTTUB JOHNNIE plays Party Music for Party People, all genres!
Endgame Like Beckham: The children of Marvel superheroes defy their parent's wishes and start a soccer league. The Beyonder kidnaps them to Battleworld to compete against Kickers Inc. for a New Universe galactic trophy. None of this has anything to do with Hunnypot Live (4/29/19).
We do wage a not so Secret War on mediocrity though. Hot Tub Johnnie broke box office records for coolest opening set. Carolyn Richardson gave us her Supervisor origins story AND got onstage as Music Carolyn to give us Rhythms, Blues and pop hues. Natti Vogel opened his chest and poured his heart all over us with just a voice and a piano. Lauren Rocket blasted us with OG forces of pop music. Josephine Clark confidently commanded with clutch compositions. Memento reminded us why we asked him back to rap and the night closed with another famous Hunnypot Dance party.
Carolyn Richardson is an independent Music Supervisor and founder of Music 4 Scenes, a music consulting firm. She has over 10 years of experience in music licensing in TV, film, and new media. Carolyn is a member of the Guild of Music Supervisors and The Television Academy.
Carolyn began her career with Sony Music Distribution in Marketing in Chicago. Carolyn has worked for Entertainment Tonight and The Insider in music licensing, where she also produced music-related segments and reviewed music releases.
She has been nominated for Best Soundtrack in the Indie Series Awards for Funny Married Stuff. She formed Music 4 Scenes to provide music supervision, music clearance, and talent consulting services.
She recently joined the Fox Sports Music team as Manager of Clearance. Carolyn is a Houston, Texas native who is obsessed with the Hawaiian Islands. Pitches with the subject line "Free Trip to Hawaii," will always get a response.
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Jazzy Soul singer-songwriter Music Carolyn has shared the stage, screen and studio with an eclectic group of artists in the jazz, classical, soul, gospel and pop world including Grammy winner Kathleen Battle, Grammy-nominated Lukas Graham, Oscar-nominated Alfre Woodard, as well as Grammy-nominated gospel singer Dayna Caddell and R&B Crooner Jon B. Fans may have also seen her singing at Dodger stadium singing a gospelized rendition of the national anthem, at Jewish temples and Christian churches for Hope's House Christian Ministries, alongside Dr. Diane White-Clayton with her gospel/classical fusion group BYTHAX Ensemble, or with her husband in the Hip-Hop Soul duo TANIQ, which garnered critical acclaim with their album The Life and Times of Love.
Her influences include Nancy Wilson, Amel Larrieux, Gregory Porter, Bobby McFerrin, D'Angelo and Sade. Her foundation in classical and sacred music may rear its head during her live shows from time to time as well.
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Young alt-pop mastermind and piano singer-songwriter Natti Vogel is rapidly becoming New York‘s buzziest independent artist with his stunning new orchestral pop EP “Serving Body” and its equally inimitable array of music videos, including the viral "Brown Rice" which is nominated for Queerty’s Best Music Video if 2018 and "I Don’t Want to Find the One" which PAPER called one of the songs that made 2018 bearable.
His live shows - most recently a string of sold-out National Sawdust dates and a Highlight Event solo concert with Q&A led by Billboard Pride at the flagship SoHo House - where Vogel’s conservatory, cinematic, cabaret, rock, jazz, comedic and foreign-language training are all put to use, create an unusually intense and wonderful experience raved about by Huffington Post, Edinburgh Evening News, Shanghai Magazine, Keyboard Magazine and diverse fans worldwide.
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Lauren White is a singer/songwriter born, raised, and based in Los Angeles, CA. A lifelong musician, she has turned her childhood passion into a thriving performing and songwriting career, specifically known for sparkly heartfelt pop and high energy powerpop anthems.
Lauren grew up playing and composing classical piano music. Performing and composing always came quite naturally to her. At 16, she founded what was to be her first passion project: an all girl power pop band called ROCKET. At 18, Rocket signed their first record deal with Silverlake’s garage indie label “Teenacide Records.” With three releases under their belt over an eight year stint, the band completed five American tours (including Van’s Warped Tour), various television appearances and commercials, as well as being a top ten finalist on Fox’s “America’s Top Band” in 2008.
EXPERIENCE
Lauren's most recent project was Atlantic Record’s “Night Terrors of 1927” A synth-pop harmony driven indie pop band alongside Rilo Kiley’s Blake Sennet and The Honorary Title’s Jarrod Gorbel. She has worked with Grammy-nominated producer Tom Holkenburg (aka Junkie XL) as a featured vocalist on his release, “Booming Back to You.” Two of her songs went to number one on the European Dance Charts, and peaked at #11 on Billboard’s Top Electronic Album chart. She’s also collaborated with songwriters Jeff Silbar, Matt Squire, Michael Fitzpatrick, Beau Dozier, Don Was, and Thirty Seconds To Mars. She’s toured with a variety of acts, including Fitz and the Tantrums, The Colorist, Butch Walker, Van’s Warped tour and The Horrorpops. She’s played at numerous music festivals including Coachella, Bunberry, SXSW, Life is Beautiful, CMJ, Lollapalooza, and Outside Lands.
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Imagination is mere reality once you've heard the sultry vocal constitution of this singing fairy tale.
Josephine Clarke, born fantasist, began her steps in the entertainment industry early on; which led to her acceptance into the Prestigious Alabama School of Fine Arts as a Vocal Performance Student. During her high school experience, Josephine discovered a new-found love for classical and opera music which led to her performing for The ARCHBISHOP OF CAPE TOWN, Desmond Tutu, and Grammy Award-Winning Cellist, Yo-Yo Ma. She was also granted the opportunity to perform with the Award-Winning cast of the Hit Broadway Musical CATS.
Upon high school graduation, Clarke was given a Vocal Performance scholarship to "The University of Alabama" where she shared stages with the likes of Micah Stampley, Kim Burrell, L. Spenser Smith, Sherri Pepsi-Riley, and Blanche McAllister. Clarke, known for ambition and idealist reasoning, graduated from college only to pack up her life and took a relocating road trip from Alabama to California where she quickly gained international attention from a leaked record by Recording Artist Nicki Minaj entitled "Top if The World" where she is featured on the Chorus! The YouTube-crazed song went on to gain close to 300 million views by early 2012!
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Combining the lush richness of a film score, the rhythm section of a rock band, and the introspective storytelling of underground rap, Memento is a hip-hop artist from the San Francisco Bay Area.
He loosely categorizes his music as “hip-hop with an indie rock sensibility” — meaning that he uses live instruments and records his vocals within a few takes to capture raw, genuine emotion. Memento avoids the use of studio trickery in order to achieve authenticity, and always believes that less is more.
He approaches his music with the mindset of a composer: he wants the instruments to say what the words are saying, without the words. In order to do this, he pays great attention to detail while crafting his melodies and rhythms. Once the instrumental can express the emotion on its own, Memento paints a picture through his stories, his emotions, and his observations, all while maintaining a brutal honesty.
Rapper JohnBoyCool is a fast rising star within the Compton Hip Hop community - you can see him surrounded by his peers on the cover of Kendrick Lamar's 'To Pimp A Butterfly' album; he and his Pirate GVNG crew have been featured on Vice TV's "Noisey," as a straight up rap artist he's opened for acts like 2 Chainz - but for his latest project PLVNK (pronounced Plank) he wanted to explore other sounds and styles.
"Where I went to middle school, I had a bunch of rocker friends. I was listening to Blink 182, Nirvana. I always loved the sound of drums and guitars..."
A chance meeting led to a collab with Israeli singer Nachum Peterseil (frontman for Automatic Toys, an alt-rock group with a love of all things electronic.) Despite coming from completely different backgrounds and cultures, the two vocalists found that had a lot in common ("He literally survived wars...and I have my own stories to tell".)
After a series of successful live shows, plans were set in motion for writing sessions to continue that vibe. 'JB' brought in Joey Mora (a.k.a. 'The Klassiks', a maverick Hip Hop and Dance music producer), whilst Nachum drafted Automatic Toys drummer Sir Mal, a UK recording artist with a list of credits including Pete Yorn and Andy Allo.
"We've got the rapper telling his stories; this old-school, rocking lead vocalist from Israel, the hopeless romantic from London...from the beat, the producer - they're putting in what they've been through. Love and Life and Society. This music crosses boundaries...it's for Everybody, not just this or that community...different friends, kids, your Grandma!"
Their newest video: “Cindy with an S” is a blend of 50’s rock n roll with westcoast rapping that perfectly shows their backgrounds. PLVNK is going to be performing our Hunnypot LIVE at The Mint party 5/13. You should definitely check them out if you’re ready to have a blast.
Rapper B.o.B, a flat Earth believer, comes back to the game with his newest party single “Soul Glo” , his last release and supposedly last musical endeavor was Naga which was released on July 5 2018.
This track is a genre busting funk, Rap and Soul party classic.
Hunnypot Approved!
"Old Town Hoe" is Cupcakke's spin on the recently famous "Old Town Road" (Lil Nas X). No Stranger to celebrating underdogs and underpants (no matter who's wearing them), Cupcakke has never held back on being honest for our entertainment.
Most definitely, Hunnypot Approved!
Tech N9ne’s latest album, N9NA, may be one of his finest releases since All 6’s and 7’s back in 2011. This one is lean, mean, and takes listeners back to a time when all that mattered was the music. It’s Tech N9ne at his finest and won’t disappoint even the most discerning of Technicians. We rate this one a solid 9.4 out of 10 and it’s Hunnypot Approved!
For those that know me, it would come as no surprise that I am a huge Tech N9ne fan. I’ve followed him for nearly 15 years and been to more Tech shows than I would care to admit. I even have the Strange Music’s “Snake and Bat” represented on my arm courtesy of LA Tattoo legend, Mr. Cartoon. When I heard that we were in for another Tech N9ne release, I was cautiously optimistic because I wasn’t sure if he could continue to improve upon releases like The Storm and Planet (which I thoroughly enjoyed). After taking N9NA for a spin around the block a time or two, I can honestly say that this one was in a class all by itself. It’s a “No-frills” Tech release that took me back to his early releases that were raw, witty, and most importantly real.
N9NA’s 21 tracks are collectively some of Tech’s best work in years. Listeners are immediately transported to classic Tech N9ne cyphers that hypnotize and mesmerize listeners simultaneously. In addition to instant classics such as “N9NA” and “I Caught Crazy!”, this one is chock full of amazing collaborations with up-and-coming artists such as JL, King Iso, and Futuristic. I especially liked “Hit the Ground Running”. It’s loaded with cool flows, powerful orchestration, and lyrics that simple yet hard-hitting. Listening to it a few times, I’d swear that I hear piano samples from Bonnie Tyler’s Total “Eclipse of the Heart” (but that may just be in my own crazy mind). And I’d be remiss not to call out the amazing contributions of the uber-talented Krizz Kaliko. Track’s such as “Don’t Let Me Fall”, “You Line!”, and “Rata” illustrate just how special Krizz is to Tech N9ne and the Strange Music label. Straight fire if you ask me.
Bottom line, Tech N9ne has hit a bases-loaded home run with his latest release, N9NA. It has everything you would want in a Tech N9ne album, and so much more. Rhymes are solid, mixing is best in class, and each song is special in its own unique way. Listening to N9NA is like reading an autobiography of Tech himself. It’s full of stories that tie together one amazing journey – and one that many of us can relate to in one way or another (“Like I Ain’t” is a great example of this).
My only beef with Tech would be that the killer metal collabs of the past have somehow been put on hiatus over his last few albums. “Starting to Turn” (with Jonathan Davis of Korn) was the last one I can recall, and it was brilliant. Time to get Travis on the phone with James and Kirk of Metallica and make that next metal masterpiece happen. Until then, pick up a copy of 2019’s N9NA. You’ll be literally blown away by a once in a lifetime artist that’s hitting on all cylinders and continues to get better with age.
As always, rock on my friends. Hunnypot Approved! Overall Rating: 9.4 out of 10
Artist: Tech N9ne, Album: N9NA, Release Date: April 19th, 2019, Label: Strange Music, Inc.