Festival Pass: A family-friendly country music campout is coming to Chino
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Happy Thursday!
We’re midway through August and though it seems like an end to all the summer fun with everyone going back to school, the parties will still be raging during a slew of music festivals well into December here in Southern California.
Nope, the fun is not over yet. And we even have a few fresh music festivals that have been added to the 2023 calendar.
Last week, a new country music festival was announced, but it’s a little more than just some boot scootin’ in the park. This is a full-on Veterans Day weekend takeover at Prado Regional Park in Chino on Nov. 10-12.
There are plenty of activities going on at Country Campout Weekend including tent and RV camping, outdoor movie nights, dance lessons, corn hole championships, arcade games, barbecue, a pet parade masquerade, nature hikes, lakeside yoga, fishing and live performances by Chris Janson, Drew Baldridge, Sean Stemaly, Daniel Bonte, Presley Tennant and more.
Music festivals reporter Holly Alvarado talked to the festival promoters about this unique concert experience. Read her full interview and find out how to get tickets here.
Quetzal Turns 30
East Los Angeles Chicano fusion band Quetzal is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a free concert at La Plaza de Cultura y Artes in Downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, Aug. 19. The band began its career in a small café in Little Tokyo and went on to release nine albums and win a Grammy award.
But more importantly, Quetzal shared important music that highlighted its community and focused its lyrical content on progressive cultural and political stories about real people and their struggles. Reporter Richard Guzman sat down with founding member Quetzal Flores at his L.A.-area home to talk about the band’s history and cultural impact on Los Angeles. Read the full interview here.
Young the Giant Loves Irvine
Back when I was a baby reporter at the Orange County Register, I stumbled across this very young, Irvine-based indie rock band playing a bunch of shows in small local venues. When I finally caught them live, I featured them in my Locally World Famous column in 2007.
Some band members were still in high school, others had moved on to college but made time to create music and play gigs with the group. That band, known then as The Jakes, went on to become Young the Giant. They’re more globally world famous now, with a handful of records under their belt and they’ve headlined huge venues and festivals around the world.
But, it feels good to be coming home, vocalist Sameer Gadhia shared with me during a recent phone chat from a tour stop in Seattle. The band will return to Irvine to headline FivePoint Amphitheatre on Saturday, Aug. 19. Read the full interview with Gadhia and find out how to get tickets to the concert here.
Madonna reboots The Celebration Tour
Pop icon Madonna was forced to cancel the start of her career-spanning Celebration Tour due to a serious bacterial infection that landed her in the hospital.
She was supposed to play Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sept. 27-28, 30 and Oct. 1 this year, but those dates have now moved to Kia Forum in Inglewood where she’ll headline March 4-5, 7, 9 and 11 before heading to Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert on March 13, 2024. Find out how refunds are being issued and how to get tickets to the newly scheduled Celebration Tour dates here.
Until next week, thanks for reading and keep rockin’!
Read previous editions of the Festival Pass newsletter
Festival Pass: Insomniac’s inaugural Interstellar Festival prepares to take over San Pedro
Festival Pass: Head in the Clouds will bring exciting music (and food) to Pasadena
Festival Pass: Two new music festivals are launching in Orange County
Festival Pass: How Sad Summer Festival helps fill the void of Warped Tour