Mac Sabbath makes mouths water at the Observatory OC

On Friday, March 22nd, Mac Sabbath invaded Orange County, California, headlining a show at The Observatory in Santa Ana. The eccentrically garbed, McDonald’s-inspired band was supported by the Venomous Pinks and O.C. veterans of punk, D.I. Venomous Pinks, the all-female punk band from Arizona, kicked things off with their high energy, getting the crowd in […]

Atmosphere slays with NOFUN! and Hebl in San Diego

Atmosphere, the iconic hip hop duo comprising Slug and Ant, took center stage at the  Observatory North Park in San Diego for their headlining tour, Tour De Friends, on November 16, 2023. The night promised a unique blend of musical prowess with the inclusion of music producer/DJ Hebl and the LA-based supergroup “NOFUN!”.   The eclectic supergroup, […]

Artistic evolution experienced during ‘One Strange Night in Orange County’

Fans at the Observatory Grounds in Santa Ana, California went hard on a hot summer night as five diverse acts united for an unparalleled musical experience. The OC music scene reached new heights when the “One Strange Night in Orange County” festival brought together a mesmerizing lineup of goth, punk, electronic, rap, and experimental artists, […]

A stellar night of Bumpin Uglies

I hit the photojournalistic jackpot! What started as a simple photo pass request to shoot the final west coast show on the Bumpin Uglies’ Mid-Atlantic Dub Tour resulted in an exclusive interview with frontman, Brandon Hardesty, access to the VIP meet and greet (including a B-Hard acoustic set), plus all access– meaning they allowed me […]

Old-school punk rock band X brought moshpits to Santa Ana

Few bands have withstood the test of time for more than 45 years. Fewer bands have done it with the original members the entire time. Even fewer have done this in the punk and alternative world. And arguably, of those in that diminutive list, no one has done it better than John Doe, Billy Zoom, […]

Heaven 17 returns to Santa Ana, CA

Brothers, Sisters, We Need This Heaven 17 thing! 40 years. Yes, I waited 40 years for Heaven 17 to tour America! I had tickets twice previously to see them, only to be sorely disappointed with cancellations. Once they cancelled due to visa issues and once due to COVID. Thanks, COVID! So, when I saw this […]

Back to the 70s with Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg in Santa Ana

Okay, okay, okay… out of all the bands that played The Observatory in Santa Ana on September 11th, 2022, only Marky Ramone’s original band, the Ramones, were from the 70s, but c’mon — D.I. was created in 1982! That’s close enough right?! Las Vegas band JERK! opened up the night and really started the show […]

Sleeping With Sirens fills San Diego’s Observatory North Park

The CTRL+ALT+DLT Tour — including Sleeping With Sirens, Don Broco, Point North and Garzi — played a sold-out show at San Diego’s North Park Observatory. We saw Garzi earlier this year, when he supported Zero 9:36 on tour; he hit a few obstacles on that tour and didn’t have a band, but still performed with […]

Iya Terra plays postponed show at The Observatory, Santa Ana

Iya Terra closed out their nationwide tour, commemorating the release of their 2021 Ease & Grace album. Santa Ana warmly welcomed the hometown band back to The Observatory on July 16th. Fans were left eagerly awaiting the celebration last April, when Iya Terra was forced to postpone five of their southern California shows due to […]

TikTok star Emmy Meli at Santa Ana’s Observatory Theater

Emmy Meli, the Long Beach native and TikTok breakout artist, rocked a hometown show at the Constellation Room at the Observatory in Santa Ana, CA, Monday, July 25, 2022. Opening the evening was indie pop artist, Gabe James. James, who recently relocated to Los Angeles by way of Colorado, played a dynamic acoustic set of original […]

A Wilhelm Scream at Santa Ana’s Observatory Theater

There are two rooms at The Observatory in Santa Ana. I was surprised to see the lineup of A Wilhelm Scream, Brendan Kelly of the Lawrence Arms and the opening band, MakeWar, in the smaller of the two rooms on a Saturday night. Okay, so these bands are recognized more on the east coast, since […]

Royal Blood rocks San Diego’s Observatory North Park

Royal Blood sold out San Diego’s Observatory North Park on their North America Tour, with support from Cleopatrick on May 8th. Sometimes less is better and that was definitely the vibe of the night, for both bands were made up of two man bands. The night kicked off with Cleopatrick, made up of childhood friends […]

Passafire & Bikini Trill at The Observatory, Santa Ana

Duddy B. (of Dirty Heads) once called Bikini Trill “The Scooby-Doo Gang of Musicians”. He further elaborated that they travel around in a van, only to emerge in the most colorful cloud of smoke. If you’ve ever seen Bikini Trill, you know how spot-on he is: their vibrance is evident, not only in color, but […]

Hippo Campus quakes San Diego’s North Park Observatory

Hippo Campus lit up the night in San Diego at the Observatory North Park on April 10th, 2022. The line to get in was wrapped around the building for the sold-out show; you could feel the pre-show excitement in the air. Chatters of wishes to hear old favorites and claims of the band’s fame were […]