
Tag: the aggrolites

Getting High at Low Tide: Beach Life Festival in Redondo
Words by: Donna Borges Photos by: Pedro Carrera On one of the first sunny weekends in May, a seaside parking lot in Redondo beach was transformed into a musical oasis for the annual Beachlife Festival. The 3-day weekend lineup featured an eclectic mix of 90s legends and rising modern rock stars. Dedicated to celebrating California’s thriving “beachlife” culture, the festival supports a variety of charities and strives to be as eco-conscious as possible. Upon entering the festival grounds, you could hear music emanating from all sides of the event space. There were plenty of places to eat and drink and the place was filled with people of all ages enjoying their time in the sun listening to live music. On Friday, the Hightide main stage was graced by Black Pumas just in time for sunset. The festival-goers seemed relieved that the sun was finally going down after a long, hot day – and Black Pumas’ soulful sound definitely encapsulated that relaxed feeling. I was especially impressed by their female back-up singer Lauren Cervantes, who really stole the show during “Know You Better.” Frontman Eric Burton maintained an effortlessly cool stage presence throughout the set and got the audience involved by

Dirty Reggae, Smooth Ska: Hepcat and the Aggrolites at House of Blues Anaheim
Words and Photos by: Maggie St. Thomas On a late October’s evening at the Anaheim House of Blues, generations gathered to witness a high energy night packed with great ska classics by The Aggrolites and Hepcat, with Jessie Wagner killing it on guitar and vocals during both sets and sustaining the momentum for the entire night. The dirty reggae style of The Aggrolites began as they opened their set with a mixture of songs led by organ player Roger Rivas (also a member of Long Beach Dub All Stars). They played “Pound for Pound,” a new song off their upcoming album, ‘“Right on Time’’, “Countryman Fiddle,” and ‘Don’t Let Me Down,” and delivered plenty of hits with precision and beats to a jam-packed house. related content: Make America Green Again: The Great American Smokeout Hepcat performed a full 90 minute set sharing the same energy onstage with Alex Désert and Greg Lee singing and dancing the night away, looking sharp and sounding as good as ever. Hepcat’s sound was warm and lively as they kept their live show refreshing, much to the delight of the actively engaged crowd. During songs, Greg Lee began, “We’ve lost some brothers. We’ve lost some family