South by South Bay Punk Festival: Big and Loud
South by South Bay Punk Festival makes a scene by Gavin Heaney The inaugural South by South Bay Festival brought music, film, poetry, panels, photography, literature and art together in an exciting expose of South Bay punk rock heritage. But most of all, it gathered the local community to celebrate and reminisce in its own […]
Donavon Frankenriter, protege at Saint Rocke, warmup for BeachLife Festival
by Gavin Heaney There’s a place where hip meets hippie, city slick yet perfectly torn and frayed at the edges. It’s where all the pretty people meet at the magic moment. On first glance it all seems kismet, but in the hipster scene, spontaneity is carefully crafted and surreptitiously staged. Fashion is passion and threading […]
Black Flag Rise Above at Saint Rocke
by Gavin Heaney They took the stage unceremoniously, shadows in the dim smokey light. A rumbling bass dangerously starts in and its pulsing persistence quickens as primitive, pounding drums escalate the adrenaline. After an inordinately long intro, electric guitar comes scraping in with distorted, discordant swirls, chaotically adding dissonance to the deadly rhythm. Black Flag […]
Bands at the Lagoon: Friday Night Lights at BeachLife
by Gavin Heaney I brought my trusty, rusty beach chair to BeachLife this year. As I flipped my old fold-out, I realized there’s something still grassroots about setting down your chair and throwing down a blanket at an outdoor show. It’s a free zone where anyone can claim their own little base camp. Normally people […]
Food for Soul: BeachLife Nights pairs Reggae with BBQ
Locals’ Summer BeachLife Nights is ready to light up by Gavin Heaney There’s a sweet serenity to fall in a beach town. Kids are back in school, the tourists have left and the trampled sand slips peacefully back into place. The air is subtly cooler, the sky a more stable cerulean and the sun shines […]