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. ...

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...

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 halfw...

Yesterday I got the notification that one of my favorite bands is coming to Portland, and they have been pouring from my speakers today every chance I got. I fell in love with Mayday Parade about a billion years ago (or somewhere in 2006-7 ish) at a Warped Tour concert.  They weren't well known yet, and they walked up to me with a very simple sign that I'm pretty sure was made from a sheet and some sharpies, and one of them said, "We're Mayday Parade.  We love you and we would love it if you would come see us and bring your friends." They told me what time and which stage, and I made a point to be there.   It was trance-like.  Every single song echoed deep in my soul and I was an instant addict.  Every time they came to town, I made it a point to see them.  My daughter, who was in middle school at the time, made Mayday Parade mixed CD's and they have remained in heavy rotation in my life since then.   Mayday Parade has just the right ...