Radgirl's Portland Playground

Being a music blogger means you must listen to a lot of music and sift through all of it looking for something that stands out.  Being a huge pop punk addict means that I am constantly listening to bands that sound just like every other pop punk band out there.  Not this time. Air Combat jumped onto my radar out of the blue, but they are not new to the music scene.  As a matter of fact, they are on tour in Canada right now after releasing their second album The Story Of The Boy With The Stolen Name . What set them apart was their sound.  It’s a mixture of post-hardcore, old school punk, pop punk, and angst filled emotional lyrics, which you feel in every song.  In the era of pop punk sound-a-likes, the raw sound of Air Combat is like that ragged first breath of cold fresh air after a set spent in the mosh pit: coarse and jagged yet fulfilling and necessary.    If you haven’t heart Air Combat, it’s time to put them in your playlist. Listen to their new single Dis

Finding new music is one of my very favorite things.  I'm always on the hunt digging through artists on Spotify, and I get sent a lot of 'watch my video!' requests on Instagram all the time.  Every once in a while, I click on a band's spotify list and I can't stop listening because their sound speaks to me. Today I plugged into Foreign Sons, a band out of Las Vegas, a place where everyone is an entertainer and it's truly sink or swim, so to stand out you have to have something special.  The first thing that caught me about their sound is their passion.  You can feel it reach into your ears and stretch its musical tendrils throughout your whole body. Everything I have read about them suggests they are an Indie band, but the hints of metal woven into their alternative sound sets them apart.  They have a reminiscent sound that takes me back to the early days of the Vans Warped Tour and Portland's Big Stink concerts.  I close my eyes and feel the memories

Just over ten years ago, there was this band at the Warped Tour.  They weren't even playing, but they were walking around introducing themselves to everyone and selling their CD.  They were the happiest, sweetest, most positive guys, and you couldn't help but fall in love with them and hand over your money. When their debut album 'A Lesson in Romantics' hit the airwaves, it was literally like magic.  Every person who heard them couldn't stop listening.  Their gut-wrenching lyrics and intensely beautiful sound worked its way right into you, took hold, and ten years later still won't let go. Last night, Mayday Parade hit the Portland stop of the ten year anniversary tour along with Knuckle Puck, a pop punk band from Chicago, and Milestones, a pop-punk band who joined the tour all the way from England, and not one of them disappointed. Lead singer of Milestones. Photo by Sunshine O'Connor Milestones walked out on that stage and warmed up the crowd

No matter where you live in the United States, there's sure to be a Vans Warped Tour stop near you.  Here are the tour dates for 2017: 06/16 – Seattle, Wa – CenturyLink Field 06/17 – Salem, OR – Oregon State Fairgrounds 06/21 – Albuquerque, NM – Balloon Fiesta Park 06/22 – Phoenix, AZ – Fear Farm Festival Grounds 06/23 – Las Vegas, NV – Hard Rock Hotel And Casino 06/24 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah State Fair 06/25 – Denver, CO – Pepsi Center 06/27 – Nashville, TN. – Tennessee State Fair 06/28 – Metairie, LA – Shrine On Airline 06/29 – Atlanta, GA – Lakewood Amphitheatre 06/30 – Orlando, FL – Tinker Field 07/01 – St. Petersburg, FL – Vinoy Waterfront Park 07/02 – West Palm Beach, FL – Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre 07/04 – Wilmington, NC – Legion Stadium 07/06 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion 07/07 – Camden, NJ – BB&T Pavilion 07/08 – Wantagh, NY – Nikon Theater at Jones Beach 07/09 – Hartford, CT – XFINITY Theatre 07/10 – Scranton, PA – The Pavilion At Mont

For more than 20 years some of the biggest names in music have been rocking the stage at a Warped Tour show, and it's not about to stop in 2017.  There's sure to be a stop in a town near you. Here's the lineup by stage: JOURNEY’S LEFT FOOT STAGE Attila (6/16-7/2, 7/6-8/6) CKY (6/16-8/6) Bowling for Soup (6/27-7/2, 7/26, 7/27, 7/29, 7/30) Futuristic (6/16-6/23, 6/25-8/6) Hawthorne Heights (6/16-8/6) Never Shout Never (6/27-7/7) I Prevail (6/16 – 8/6) Julie Vera (6/16-8/6) Watsky (6/17-7/14, 7/16-7/18, 7/20-7/21, 7/23-8/6) New Years Day (6/16-8/6) Sammy Adams (6/16-7/28, 8/1-8/6) JOURNEY’S RIGHT FOOT STAGE American Authors (6/16-7/19, 7/21-8/6) Andy Black (6/16-8/6) Beartooth (6/28-8/6) Dance Gavin Dance (6/16-8/6) Goldfinger (6/16-6/17, 8/4-8/6) Hands Like Houses (6/16-8/6) Memphis May Fire (6/16-8/6) Neck Deep (6/16-8/6) Our Last Night (6/16-8/6) Streetlight Manifesto (6/24) Save Ferris (6/21-8/1, 8/5) MONSTER MUTANT NORTH STAGE The Acacia Strain (6/16-8/6)

Looking for something to do this weekend?  Here’s who you can catch on the Portland Music Scene April 7-9, 2017: Roseland Theater: Tritonal Friday, April 7 th 8PM 18 and over only Wonder Ballroom: The Infamous Stringdusters with Jackalope Saints Friday, April 7 th Doors open at 7pm 21 and over only Marco Benevento with Wyndham and Lilah Larson Saturday, April 8 Doors open at 8 All ages show Mitski with Kadhja Bonet and Steady Holiday Sunday, April 9 Doors open at 7:30 All ages show Doug Fir Lounge: Moon Hooch with Animal Eyes and The Lucy Ring Friday, April 7 th Doors open at 8pm 21 and over only Vanessa Carlton Saturday, April 8 th Doors open at 8pm 21 and over only Wrekmeister Harmonies Sunday, April 9 th Doors open at 8pm 21 and over only Bossanova Ballroom: PDX-RATED April Edition Birlesque/Dance/EDM, Kink, Performing Arts Friday, April 7 9pm-2am 21 and over only INFERNO! Spring F

The Van's Warped tour has been pumping out music for more than 22 years, and they have always tried very hard to accommodate their entire fan base which spans from tweens to as old as you can possibly get and still rock hard core.    Rumors were spreading that they were going to eliminate their parent program entirely, but instead they have chosen to rework it.  Here are the deets: 1 ticket = 1 parent 1 parent age 28 and older will be permitted with 1 child under the age of 16 with a paid ticket.  This is a complementary non-transferrable wristband, and the Vans Warped Tour reserves the right to deny entry.  In order to accompany your child for free, you must arrive the morning of the show with photo ID, the child, and the paid ticket at the yellow guest list tent by the nain gates.  There are no exceptions, so if you don't have all three of the listed items, you will not be getting in.   ADDITIONAL NOTES: No switching parents out halfway through the day No old