Ratt, Lupillo Rivera and Adelitas Way all to headline Auto Club Speedway in Fontana this weekend

Adelitas Way performs Saturday at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana. Courtesy art.


Ratt, Lupillo Rivera and Adelitas Way are all scheduled to headline with one hour shows before the NASCAR races this weekend at the Auto Club Speedway.

While alternative rock’s Adelitas Way performs at noon on Saturday March 30 on the main FanZone entertainment stage, Mexican regional singer Rivera will start at 8:30 a.m. March 31 Sunday. Rock’s Ratt begins after Rivera at 10 a.m.

San Diego’s Ratt is known for songs like 1984’s “Round and Round” while Long Beach’s Rivera is the brother of recently deceased singer/songwriter Jenni Rivera and officials said he’ll perform his song in honor of her “Yo Te Extrañare” (I Will Miss You) at the event.

Las Vegas’ Adelitas Way is known for the 2009 song “Invincible” which is currently being used as the theme song for “WWE Superstars” and 2011 songs like “Sick” and “Criticize.”

Auto Club Speedway is at 9300 Cherry Ave, Fontana and tickets range from $35 to $105 to get into the race track on Saturday and Sunday.

For more information, head to www.autoclubspeedway.com.

Adelitas Way lead singer Rick DeJesus said in a recent interview he is looking forward to the Saturday show.

“We’re excited,” DeJesus said. “We’ve been off tour for a couple of months. I’m getting antsy to play. I love performing. I love to perform live. We’ll do the first two records (“Adelitas Way” and “Home School Valedictorian”). We might chuck a cover in there for fun. It’s NASCAR.”

DeJesus said he was glad World Wresting Entertainment, or WWE, was using the group’s song.

“Of course. Growing up, my dad would take me to wrestling events. It’s amazing. It’s a great opportunity for new bands. It seems like the media is very afraid of rock music. They’re jumping on the bandwagon of bands dancing and clapping and rock has fallen back to the underground. The WWE has given us opportunity to be heard by amazing fans.”

DeJesus added that his group will help bring rock back to the forefront.

“I think about it all the time,” DeJesus said. “People need time off from certain types of music. I think rock has been out of limelight for enough time. I can’t turn on radio because I don’t know the difference between the Lumineers and Imagine Dragons and Of Mice and Men and it’s all great but I can’t tell the difference anymore. It sounds like one long song by one band. I don’t get upset I see it as a lane. You can steal some people who are looking for something fresh.”

wes.woods@inlandnewspapers.com or on Twitter @IEMusicNow

30th Claremont Folk Festival featuring Henry Rollins and David Lindley on June 15

The 30th Claremont Folk Festival lineup and location was recently announced with Washington, D.C. spoken word and hardcore punk artist Henry Rollins and multi-instrumentalist David Lindley as headliners.

The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on June 15 at the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden.

Besides Lindley and Rollins, other featured acts will be Janet Klein & Her Parlor Boys, Leon Mobley and Da Lion, Moira Smiley, Voco and many more.

There is also workshops including African drumming with Mobley, Cajon drumming with Homero Chavez, European and American folk songs with Voco, drum circle with The Wahlbangers, puppeteering and more.

Tickets are $25 and children ages 12 and under free for the event which also features art and food vendors.

For more information, head to http://folkmusiccenter.com/folk-festival/ or http://is.gd/v1l621

 

The Stitches opened for Green Day in Pomona; give brief interview

Photo is from Jennifer Maher for the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and the San Bernardino Sun. View more of her photos from the night at http://photos.dailybulletin.com/2013/03/green-day-performs-at-the-fox-theater-in-pomona/#1

Opening for Green Day on March 10 in Pomona was Orange County punk band The Stitches. The group features guitarist Johnny Witmer, bassist Pete Archer, drummer Craig Barker and vocalist Mike Lohrman.

Witmer, of Hollywood, is the guitar and vocalist for the group. After the Green Day show, he gave a short interview while talking to fans and autographing albums.

“I thought it was better than our normal set,” Witmer said afterward of his group, which performed songs like “My baby hates me.” At one point Lohrman performed a roll on stage and was very charismatic.

Witmer said he enjoyed Green Day’s set.
“It was powerful, really good. And I’m not the biggest Green Day fan.”

He added his group would also perform with Green Day in Tempe, Arizona and that would be it for their tour.

The Stitches website is at http://www.thestitchespunk.com/

Some random notes from the sold-out March 10 Green Day concert in Pomona

Photo: Jennifer Maher of the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and the San Bernardino Sun; check out more images at http://photos.dailybulletin.com/2013/03/green-day-performs-at-the-fox-theater-in-pomona/

– Lead singer Billie Jo Armstrong said the words “Los Angeles” six times to the audience in asking how they were but “Pomona” only once

– He kept a constant smile on his face and had a ton of energy running around on stage and standing on speakers

– Armstrong shot the crowd with a super soaker, a toilet paper shooter and a T-shirt launcher that drew a lot of cheering

– Drummer Tre Cool got a roll of toilet paper thrown at his drum kit that hit a cymbal but he just smiled and nodded his head in approval

– The encore was “American Idiot” while the final song played was “Jesus of Suburbia”

– Some hit songs not played included 1994’s “Longview,” 1997’s “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life),” and 2009’s “21 Guns”

– Nobody I interviewed at the concert felt Armstrong should not have played because of the singer’s reported issues with alcohol and prescription drugs

– Armstrong pointed out during the concert that “ladies and gentleman it’s this guy’s birthday right here” to a fan in crowd before the band performed “Holiday”

– Bassist Mike Dirnt would frequently goof around onstage by sticking out his tongue or giving odd facial expressions while playing his guitar

 

Green Day wins over audience at Fox Theater in Pomona

POMONA – Green Day lead singer and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong showed no ill effects after taking a recent hiatus for rehab at the Fox Theater on Sunday night.

The singer wore black but a constant smile, rapidly moved across the stage and frequently thrust his guitar in the air.

“Get your hands up!” Armstrong shouted to the sold-out theater audience for the band’s opener of “99 Revolutions” from their most recent album “¡Tré!”

The Grammy Award winning punk and alternative rock band, famously features bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tré Cool besides guitarist Jason White.

Armstrong’s hiatus was the result of reportedly using prescription pills and alcohol which resulted in a rant when Green Day played the Las Vegas’ iHeartRadio Music Festival on Sept. 21 and cut short the set.

The Oakland artist went into rehab two days later.

During the song “Letterbomb” from the groups’ 2004’s album “American Idiot,” Armstrong asked the audience if people wanted to see an “explosion,” a “party” or a “celebration.”

He clearly picked the latter. During the very next song off the same album, “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” he added “Oh my God I’m still alive.”

The group’s set lasted roughly two hours with an encore and featured many of the group’s best known hits from 1994’s “Basket Case” and “When I Come Around” to 2004’s “American Idiot” and 2009’s “Know Your Enemy.”

Juan Bernal, 21, of Ontario said Sunday night’s show was his first time seeing the band and he was in line outside the Fox at 8 a.m.

“They got me into rock music,” Bernal said afterward. “Tre (Cool, drummer) looked at me during ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams.’ It was just amazing.”

Karen Reta, 54, of Tustin, said she watched Armstrong at the Las Vegas music festival where he went on his rant and said he sounded better.

“I loved it,” Reta said. “He sounded good. He had a few technical difficulties. But he loved playing the music.”

wes.woods@inlandnewspapers.com 909-483-8549 or on Twitter @ClaremontNow or @IEMusicNow