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Stay up late with Owl City Saturday at Fox Theater in Pomona

Stay up late with Owl City

By Wes Woods II Staff Writer

POMONA – Electronica and synth rock act Owl City will perform Saturday at the Fox Theater. The 2007-formed band had a platinum album with “Ocean Eyes” that featured the hit single “Fireflies.”

Their latest album is “All Things Bright and Beautiful,” which was released on June 14.


OWL CITY

With: Mat Kearney and Unwed Sailor

Where: Fox Theater, 301 S. Garey Ave., Pomona

When: 7 p.m. Saturday

Cost: $40.25

Information: www.ticketmaster.com or 877- 435-9849; Glass House Record Store, 248 W. Second St., Pomona or 909-865-3802.


In a 2009 interview, multi-instrument player and singer-songwriter founder Adam Young was asked why he writes so often about the ocean and beaches, being from Owatonna, Minnesota.

“I grew up in the midwest so most of my daydreams revolved around faraway places, the ocean being the most interesting to me,” Young said. “I’d never flown on an airplane or stood on either coast up until a few months ago and both experiences have proven to be even more inspiring than I’d imagined. I probably spend way too much time lost in wishful thinking but there are so many places I’ve never been, people I’ve never met, things I’ve never experienced … sometimes I’m afraid I’m missing out on something wonderful, you know?”

wes.woods@inlandnewspapers.com 909-483-8549

Alkaline Trio hits Glass House stage Saturday

Alkaline Trio hits Glass House stage

By Wes Woods II Staff Writer

POMONA – Illinois-based punk band Alkaline Trio has been around since 1996. On Saturday it brings its high-energy sound to the Glass House.

The band’s latest album is “Damnesia,” which was released on July 12 and includes acoustic versions of past hits as well as new songs.

In a 2010 interview, vocalist and guitarist Matt Skiba was asked if the group changed its style of punk to join the mainstream.

“Well, if anyone has that perspective, then this new album will prove their theory, I suppose,” Skiba said of the group’s 2010 album “This Addiction.” “It’s not because we went to a major (label) that our sound changed. We would have written those same records no matter what label we were on. I think that the label has never really had an influence on the band. The sound changed as we made the label switch, but I don’t think that drastically.


ALKALINE TRIO

With: The Smoking Popes and Dead Country

Where: Glass House, 200 W. Second St., Pomona

When: 7 p.m. Saturday

Cost: Tickets sold out but try resellers www.stubhub.com ($65-$115) or www.ticketsnow.com ($63)

Information: www.theglasshouse.us/event/41111/www.stubhub.com or www.ticketsnow.com


“Some people disagree. Some people


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think it was like a completely different band. I think it seemed like a natural progression to me. I think that’s just the way it happened. It wasn’t premeditated.”

The show is sold out but tickets may be available at resellers www.ticketsnow.com or www.stubhub.com.

wes.woods@inlandnewspapers.com

909-483-8549

Crystal Antlers to offer free show tonight at Rhino Records

Crystal Antlers to offer free show

CLAREMONT – Long Beach indie rock band Crystal Antlers will perform a free show on Tuesday and then sign copies of its new album “”Two-Way Mirror” at Rhino Records.

“We already got some emails from fans in the Claremont area,” said lead singer and bassist Jonny Bell on Tuesday. “We don’t get to play out there too much.”

Bell said he believes fans in the area are appreciative when bands from the Los Angeles travel out to perform for them.

“It is a little bit of a trek,” Bell said. “To me, it’s like Long Beach because it’s its own scene. I like that area. It seems like there’s a lot of younger kids in their own bands. It’s really cool.”

The group’s former record label, Touch & Go, no longer releases records so the band had to pay for everything itself.

“It was tough kind of getting it off the ground,” Bell said. “We had this sort of ambiguous relationship with Touch & Go. They had a dramatic downsizing, laying off all their staff and whatever, and we didn’t have any money and we didn’t have a lot of support. We went to Mexico and wrote the songs. We had a little bit of money and rented a place down there. We saved up and recorded it. For most of the record, and its pressing, is money I’ve made from work. I build chimneys and clean chimneys and sweep chimneys. I’m sure you can hear that in the background.”


CRYSTAL ANTLERS

Where: Rhino Records, 200 W. Second St., Claremont

When: 7 p.m.


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Tuesday

Cost: Free show with the band signing copies of its new record “Two-Way Mirror”

Information: www.rhinorecords.cc; 909-626-7774 

In Fear and Faith to headline Partery Tour tonight in Pomona

In Fear and Faith to headline Partery Tour

By Wes Woods II Staff Writer

POMONA – The 2011 Summer Partery Tour will feature post-hardcore and screamo band In Fear and Faith as headliners for tonight’s bill at the Glass House.

The San Diego group’s album “Your World on Fire” was released in 2009 and in 2010 the group released “Imperial.” In May, the group released an EP titled “Symphonies.”

Vocalist Cody Anderson left the group in December, but band member Scott Barnes has filled the role. “Scott’s singing, as our `Symphonies’ EP shows, has tremendously grown,” said guitarist and keyboardist Ramin Niroomand in a May interview. “On the EP he had full range to do what he wanted to. Scott re-wrote all the vocal melodies on the EP.”

Besides In Fear And Faith, other acts include post hardcore act Vanna as well as A Loss for Words, Close to Home, Ten After Two, Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! and Adestria.

wes.woods@inlandnewspapers.com 909-483-8549

California Speed Jams with Led Zepagain roars into SB Saturday

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California Speed Jams roars into SB

By Wes Woods II Staff Writer

SAN BERNARDINO – Led Zepagain brings its tribute performance of Led Zeppelin classics to the Orange Show Speedway on Saturday.

The show will take place after hours of auto racing including super late models, pony stocks and stock cars USA.

Led Zepagain features on its website, www.zepagain.com, a photo of themselves with Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, who watched them perform in 2004 at the House of Blues in Hollywood.

“I think we’re actually helping them in some ways with our sales,” said lead singer Swan Montgomery, who sounds like Zeppelin’s Robert Plant, about his band’s selling of sound-alike Led Zeppelin music on iTunes.

Guitarist Steve Zukowsky said the band’s music “started flying” when Zeppelin fans who had never heard of them started catching them on iTunes.

wes.woods@inlandnewspapers.com 909-483-8549

Story on Riverside band Suicide Silence

Suicide Silence joins Mayhem Saturday

By Wes Woods II

DEVORE – Riverside’s death metal act Suicide Silence has previously performed at the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival as well as on the Vans Warped Tour, but it has something new planned for its set at this year’s Mayhem Festival, on Saturday at San Manuel Amphitheater.

“It will be different from any set we’ve done before,” said lead vocalist Mitch Lucker. “We tried out a new set for a European festival. It was a killer. The structure here is similar to what we did overseas.”

Their latest album, “The Black Crown,” will be released Tuesday but advance copies will be available at the festival.

Lucker said album sales are still important to bands. “It’s huge. That’s what you used, to get the bigger tours,” he said.

The group will play a selection of songs from the new album, including “Slaves to Substance.”

“We’re rehearsing nine songs into being 31 or 32 minutes,” Lucker said of the band’s set.

“We’ve all matured bigtime,” said Lucker, 26, who was born and raised in Riverside and calls Saturday’s performance a homecoming. “We’re excited.”

At the first Revolver Golden Gods Awards in 2009 the band won an award for best new talent and have toured with Slipknot and other metal acts.

Besides Suicide Silence, celebrated metal acts such as Disturbed and Godsmack will perform at the festival.

“I’m really looking forward to playing with Machine Head again,” Lucker said of the San Francisco-based


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heavy metal band.

Making a special appearance in San Bernardino are the animated virtual band Dethklok and thrash and heavy metal pioneers Testament.

wes.woods@inlandnewspapers.com 909-483-8549