Frosted vegan cupcake: Chocolate Mint

The December menu at Frosted Cupcakery in Long Beach, California has traditional holiday time flavors that are every where this time of year, the ones that get the festive feeling flowing: Gingerbread, Egg Nog and good ol' chocolate (pepper)mint.

But what about the vegans on your list, you ask? Their vegan Chocolate Mint cupcake is a tasty gift for every vegan on your list!

vegan Chocolate Mint cucpake from Frosted Cupcakery LBC
photo by Nikki DeMartini

I tend to stear away from chococake cake based cupcakes because it seldom seems to hit the mark, that is except for flourless chocolate cakes. When I saw that Frosted cupcakery in Long Beach has a vegan chocolate I had to see for myself if their vegan chocolate cake hits the same or close enough to flourless chocolate cake. 

The cake and frosting were a little more dense than usual, a strong start for the cake! At first taste I could tell that this vegan chocolate cake was more chocolaty decadent than standard, non-vegan chocolate cake. What is it about missing ingredients that makes chocolate cake more yummy?

The flavor combo ratio was on point as mint can be overwhelming but not at Frosted Cupcakery. The frosting wasn't as creamy as I would have liked probably because I didn't get around to eating it until two days after buying it. For two day old frosting on a cupcake that was crafted fresh in store it was still nice, not naughty at all. And for the cupcake gift that keeps on giving, had I not known this cupcake was vegan I wouldn't have guessed otherwise, that's when you know it's a good vegan cupcake. 

The chocolate mint vegan cupcake is available through December so get your holiday flavor fix while you can! If you've never tried a vegan treat this could be your sign to try something new heading into the New Year! Cheers!

Sun Room @ The Fonda Theatre 11/29/2023

 By the time I got to The Fonda Thetare last Wednesday night I knew that Sun Room, the headliners, were already on stage. It was just past nine o'clock and as I jotted across Hollywood Blvd I could hear a deep, rolling bass rocking from inside. I rushed in to find the balcony closed and the floor filled with rambunctious twenty somethings, a far cry from the setting cast at the sold-out show for The Japanese House at the same venue a week prior. It almost felt like two different venues when I walked into an atomosphere a kin to a dive bar last week. 

Sun Room @ The Fonda Theatre 11/29/2023 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The 4 guys who comprise the band are Southern California bred which was made blantently apparent by excited screaming for the band, most notably shouting for Thomas, bewteen every single song. Their shared, amphlified excitment easily elevated the experience for everyone else at the show. And it probably made it that much more fun for the guys of Sun Room, too, albeit kind of embarassing. 

The first thing I noticed was how loud they were paired with that fact that they sounded good without being able to escape the feeling how badly these guys want to sound good. To be good.  In button down shirts, cardigans, neck ties and leather jackets  they looked the part and their collective pouring of passion into their music/live show had them playing the part, too and well. 

The next thing I noticed was the backdrop: a large, colorful custom tapestry in a patchwork fashion showcasing a friendly sun and their name across the top. It's an eye catching piece to say the least and it gives the band, and their live show, a sort of retro feel. One might expect to hear some western twang with this dusty desert and tumbleweeds type of vibe but Sun Room is all about the surf and garage rock. 

Sun Room @ The Fonda Theatre 11/29/2023 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Some songs where more garage rock driven, heavy on the lo-fi guitar and bass while others struck a balance between surf and garage, a musical take on a surf and turf plate if you will. A little something for just about everybody. For instance, things got a little bit more beachy when they played "Kicking Rocks" off of their recently released EP, At Least I Tried. For as cliche as it may be, the floor was alive with a youthful exhuberience. There was movement in the crowd. More movement than I have seen at a show in a while.
 The song "Fun" from their first EP, 2020's Sol de Sur starts with a whole bunch of Ooooh Ooooh Ooohs and by the time they got around to the first verse the place had erupted into a sea of heads bopping up and down. They grew louder as they played on and as they played on there was more crowd surfing. Ironically enough, the show took a grungy garage turn when they played "Cadillac" and, yep, it was louder than the previous song they played.
While each song brought it's own flavor, Sun Room's ability to waver within genres and delicately blend genres without breaking from their signature sound is admirable, especially for an up and comers still establishing themselves as a band. They did in fact only form three years ago during the 2020 quarentine. 

It was hard not to notice the keen attention to deatil in the lighting as bright bursts of color were coreogrpahed to go with each song. From dark indigos and swirling rainbows and pirecing strobe lights, Sun Room's lighting is undeniably a part of their live show. 

Sun Room @ The Fonda Theatre 11/29/2023 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Sun Room @ The Fonda Theatre 11/29/2023 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

As the end of the show drew near, more and more mosh pits started circling and Sun Room only seemed to get louder and louder. Frontman Luke Asgian introduced the second to last song as a new one from their forth coming EP due out that same night! The song, louder than the last, weighed in as the night's heaviest guitar driven that they played because you literally could feel it rumbling and roaring with vigor beneath your feet. It was so strong I wondered if it was actally coming from one of them on-stage or some playback off stage.

Everyone was riled up by the time Sun Room wound down to their final song of the night, playing my personal favorite track off of their new EP, title track "At Least I Tried". 

I could see Sun Room playing sets you wouldn't want to miss at Summer Music Festivals next Summer: they know how to get a crowd going and they continue to bring it. Their's isn't a new sound but Sun Room's core sound is that of an old rock soul, tapping into the best of both worlds from surf rock and garage rock with an emphasis on playing loud. 

Tour continues for Sun Room later this month and into next year in Australia! 

The Fonda Theatre Marqee 11/29/2023 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The Japanese House at The Fonda Theatre 11/20/2023

On November first, English, indie, dream-pop songstress Amber Mary Bain who's known as The Japanese House embarked on a North American tour of 30 show days. Starting off with a sold-out show in Philly and ending in Boston on December 10th, last week marked the halfway point with four sold-out shows in California, one of which I happened to find myself at.

The Japanese House @ The Fonda Thetare 11/20/2023 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The Fonda was still filling up when I got to the venue last Monday night.  Quinnie was a few songs in as she comfortably positioned herself as an angelic sailor, cooing to the crowd with her sweet folky songs laced with swear words.
The crowd looked to be around my age (middle) and conversations seemed to grow louder the more Quinnie played and as more people showed up. 

Released over the summer on June 30th, the tour is in support of their critically accalimed sophomore album In The End It Always Does. When I gave it my first listen it stirred a resemblence to Boygenius and even HAIM a little bit...something about the riffs and harmonies. The fact that there were a lot of guys at the show that night, seemingly on thier own accord and not in tow with someone else was not lost on me as we waited for the headliner to take the stage. The Japanese House is proving to be a power player on the optomistic "sad-girl" indie trend.

Any space on the floor when the opener left the stage was inconspiculously occupied and before you knew it the place was as stuffed as a Thanksgiving turkey.
 After nearly forty minutes, the change over that didn't want to end finally did! Cheers filled The Fonda as the house lights dimmed and The Japanese House took the stage. The curtains opened up to a minimalistic stage design of one large white, wrinkled sheet stretched out longbehind the 5 piece band with Bain front and center. 

The Japanese House @ The Fonda Theatre 11/20/2023
photo by Nikki DeMartini

For as solemn as her sound can be it was refreshing to see Bain smiling as soon as the room laid eyes on her. She beamed on stage with her guitar in hand and band by her side as they kicked off the set with "Sad to Breathe" a track off the new album. 

It was clear quite quickly that there was good reason for the long change over. The Japanese House sounded impecable. Her vocals, calm amd collected were smooth as butter and the instruments clear and crisp. Causing a stir at the top of the next song, "Touching Yourself" fueled cheers as well as some movement in the crowd. Rainbow colored lights illuminated the white sheet backdrop, lightening the mood of the night. People around me knew the words, becoming cooly jubilent as they quietly sang along. The audience participation sparked a visible bliss on stage between Bain and her mates as well as between her and her fans. 

Bain, still smiling, greeted the LA crowd, expressing that it'd been too long.
In 2019 she released her first LP, Good at Falling,  that was also the last time she played in LA.
Peersonable enough, she went on to introduce the next song, "Something Has To Change" joking at the end of it that something really had to change when she had wrote the song.  

The Japanese House @ The Fonda Theatre 11/20/2023 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

They played a couple songs off the first album before coming back to new stuff and as the sixth song of the night was qued, Bain declared, "this one is for all the queers". "Boyhood" is easily one of my favorite tracks from "In The End It Always Does". It's serene and soothing for easy listening, relatable not only for those in the queer commuinity but anyone on the journey of learning who they are and finding their voice. A delicate song for a delicate dance. 

As promised by Bain herself, the mood shifted to a more meloncaly one before "Friends" picked things back up. I couldn't have been the only one there hoping that The Japanese House would play "Morning Pages", another  favorite off of the new album and I definitely couldn't have been the only one there totally shocked when MUNA, who's featured on the track,  joined The Japanese House on stage to preform the song live!?! Or was I? Being from the Bay I wonder, does this sort of thing happen all the time in LA?
 Everyone there was elated and that wasn't the finale! The Japanese House had six more songs in store for us! 

This show made staying out late on a Monday night well worth it. For as reserved as their sound is, The Japanese House live show will blow you away if they sound anywhere as near as good as they did their headlining show at The Fonda. Friends mentioned that they had tickets to see The Japanese House in San Francisco and Seattle and I them that they were in for a treat! 

The Japanese House @ The Fonda Theatre 11/20/2023 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

set-list 11/20/2023

1. Sad To Breathe 
2. Touching Yourself 
3. Something Has To Change 
4. Follow My Girl 
5. Saw You in a Dream 
6. BoyHood 
7. You Seemed So Happy 
8. Baby Goese again
9. Over There 
10. Friends 
11. Morning Pages (ft. MUNA) 
12. Chewing Cotton Wool 
13. Maybe You're the Reason 
14. Dionne
 
encore
15. Super Trooper (ABBA cover)
16. One for sorrow, two for Joni Jones 
17. Sunshine Baby 

Cupcake muffin from CHÖK in Madrid, Spain

Back in August with a week off between working music festivals,  I decided to treat myself to a week off in Spain!  After I wrapped up load-out at Outside Lands in San Francisco I un-packed and re-packed, as I'm use to, only this time I'd be boarding my very first flights to Europe to meet up with one of my best  friends who was already there!

It was the trip and experience of a lifetime! One I wouldn't have thought for myself a few short years ago. It wasn't something I really planned the way people plan vacations. It was more of an: 

"I'm here, you should come." 

"I want to be there! I can be there on these dates."

 "Let's do it." 

"I'm going to SPAIN!"

The true meaning of  YOLO?
I think it is, yes. 

Guava, Strawberry, Mango cupcake from Chok in Madrid, Spain 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

We did what we do anywhere and everywhere we go together: we ate our way around town, we ate our little hearts out and it was devine. Everything was, and I cannot express this enough, suh good! One trip to Spain and I'm convinced everything is better in Spain and is better for you. Carbs?! Gluten?! Have no fear, over there they process their foods differently with little to no enrichment or fortified vitamins and minerals like foods here in the States (we fortify foods here because Americans don't eat enough fruits and vegetables so manufactuors strip foods of certain nutirents then microdose foods with other stuff). 

On one of our last afternoons in Madrid as we purused our cutsie little neighborhood as it bustled with warm air kissed by never ending sunshine & pleasantly content passerbys, we passed one (of many) cafe type spot with pastries on display in the window. It was in fact a small bakery named Chök the spelling of it's name distinctly similair to a local ice-cream shop Töto. 

Guava, Strawberry, Mango cupcake from Chok in Madrid, Spain 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

My eyes were glued to the window as our walk crept to a crawl and then it happened. My first cupcake sighting in Spain! Only, they're called muffins in Spain! 
These were no muffins. These were in fact cupcakes. 

Are they vegan? I didn't and still don't care either way! I knew what I wanted right away: one of the red ones with orange-ish frosting please and thank you! Though I asked the lady who rang me up about the flavors my excitement for the purchase must have made my thinking a little hazy because no matter how many times she repeated herself I cannot for the life of me remember if it's strawberry cake with gauva jam in the middle or visa versa. However, I do remember that the frosting is mango. Sold! There was no wrapper holding the cupcake in place but rather a melted piece of dark chocolate on the bottom of it of the cupcake. 

Guava, Strawberry, Mango cupcake from Chok in Madrid, Spain 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Oddly enough for me and my enormous sweet tooth, I didn't eat this cupcake right away. "But, your review" my surprised friend inquired. Instead of hosuing it in the fridge for a night I took it out of it's perfectly customized single serving take away box and placed it on a plate on the kitchen counter. As I had the cupcake photo shoot with this one it donned on me that with it's red cakes and it's golden frosting it resembles the flag of Spain! 

Guava, Strawberry, Mango cupcake from Chok in Madrid, Spain 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Come the next day it's frosting was a little stiff so I lived in the moment and dove in, saving the plate of jamon for later. This is the first two-teared cupcake I've had. Sure I've had cupcakes with dollops of yum in the middle but this cupcake was literally a cake of a cupcake cut in half and smeared with fruit jam in the middle. The cake was dense almost like a pound cake, but not and it was buttery but not over saturated like one might expect from a buttery cake in the States. The red hue was deep and consistant through out the whole cupcake though even while eating it I could not tell whether it was strawberry or guava flavored. The thick layer of jam in the middle is Spain's go to sweet fruit spread, filling, flavor guava which meant the cake had to be strawberry. Right? 

When I dove into this cupcake I did so with a knife and fork because it looks like a cupcake that demands to be respectfully eaten with a knife and fork. Also, the frosting made it a pretty tall order and I wanted to taste all of it's flavors all at once all at the same time. So I cut it into bite sized pieces. All of the flavors: mango, strawberry and guava were super light which was just right. It would have been too much if all three were full-on flavor town. The strongest of them was guava, then mango then strawberry. Like the cake, the frosting was also dense and I'm sure it's creamy when fresh. 

None of it was overinduldgent but overall the whole thing was induldgent. That's part of the magic of Spain. No single thing is overindulgent but almost everything is so genuinely beautiful, awe inspiring, inviting and welcoming that you want more, more, MORE! You want it all and you want to take it all in because it's all so good so you don't miss any of it, not a crumb! With each bite sized bite I took I thought to myself, "I'm eating a cupcake...in SPAIN!"

Ladies, pack dresses and sandles when you go to Spain and keep in mind, Barcelona is the hot spot but Chök in Madrid is the place to be! This was a fun trip down memory lane and now I really want to go back to Spain! 

Remember in the beginning of this post when I said a few short years ago I wouldn't have thought I'd be going to Spain? Me? Spain?!
They say money can't buy you happiness but not being able to afford a the bare minimum to live can be a major bummer. And forget about the finer things in life.
 Keep striving to live your best life, whatever that might look like for you. Keep working: work to pay the bills and work on yourself to be your best self so you can live your best life. Everything will fall into place if you move with that intent. The journey won't be straight forward and that's what makes it exciting. Don't forget to rest but don't give up.
How will you find the beauty that's literally all around us and learn how to make the most out of what you've got to live the best life YOU possibly can? Life is not easy but I have learned the hard way that it is also oh so sweet. 

Ready to take that leap whatever it may be? No? 

(that's the perfect time!) 
 Treat yourself to life itself! 

See Escape Artist Lovers for FREE tonight!

 Long time friends turned new rock duo, Escape Artist Lovers had some fun turning a lulluby into a sedated, fuzzy, garage-rock love song on their break through track, "Hey M*therfucker" out now! 

Catch them bring their rendition of 70's, 80's and 90's like-minded tunes to the stage at Gold Diggers in LA! They're playing a free show tonight with Sunday Mourners and Frankel, who's going out on a Tuesday? For free dollars you can't go wrong! 

RSVP here

Vanilla Latte cupcake at Vanilla Bake Shop in LAX

 Before I got on a plane on my way to Spain, I treated myself to a cupcake, imagine that. 

Vanilla Bake Shop in LAX
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The Vanilla Bake shop was rigth across the way from my gate so in an impropmtu-ish gestiture, living up to my best YOLO life I seemingly attempted to squash any nerves with a good dose of good ol' sugar. With 5 flavors on the menu at 5 dollars a pop, the Vanilla Latte cupcake seemed like a perfect little pick me up. The man behind the counter let me know he'd have to put the cupcake in a bag and with that I was back at my gate. 

Vanilla Latte cupcake at Vanilla Bake Shop in LAX
photo by Nikki DeMartini

It seemed greasy as I took it out of the bag to take a bite before boarding but it was butter that smoothered my finger tips. 

The toasted coloring of the frosting reminded me of Mocha Almond Fudge ice cream. With it's light brown hue sprinkled with a dark contrasting brown it's texture was that of store bought cupcakes frosting. Light and airy, melting away at the first touch of tongue. Sweet and creamy, it was a whipped confection of buttercream frosting. 

Vanilla Latte cupcake at Vanilla Bake Shop  in LAX
photo by Nikki DeMartini

I didn't notice how small the cake was until I removed the cupcake from it's wrapper. Up until then I thought 5 dollars wasn't too bad for an airport cupcake but when I saw the size of that cupcake it's pricing made more sense. The little golden cake was just that, little. The cake part of this cupcake was at least half the size of any other cupcake. Like one you bake at home that doesn't rise all of the way. 

Vanilla Latte cupcake at Vanilla Bake Shop  in LAX
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The spongey, buttery cake was a good mix with the sweet, creamy frosting with just a little bit of latte flavor peaking through. 

I don't know if a cupcake with coffee in it's flavor was the best choice to make before getting on an international flight but it sure did taste good! 

Vanilla Latte cupcake at Vanilla Bake Shop in LAX
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Brijean @ The Bellwether 7/12/2023

The Bellwether marquee 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

 

Slightly over a month ago, LA's newest concert venue, The Bellwether, opened it's doors to an irresistable roster of live shows! Phantogram headlined the sold-out grand opening on July 11th. People packed into the 1600 capacity room which had up until then only been known as a night club in years past. Reserected by the combined forces of the Bay Area based Another Planet Entertainment and LA's own Teragram Presents the walls of 333 Boylston Street dripped with sweat that warm summer night as fans rocked out at the very first show there. 

Show number two the next night boasted a different type of appeal. About half the max cap amout of tickets were sold for the duo headlining on July 12: Puerto Rican expatriates from Brooklyn, Raquel Berrios and Luis Alfredo Del Valle better known as Buscabulla with like minded opening band Brijean, a new music discovery from 2021. 

Brijean @ The Bellwether 7/12/2023
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Though only half the amount of tickets were sold, the show room filled up comfortably in comparssion to the stuffed and sweaty grand opening the night before.

Fans arrived early with a laid back air, ready to have a good time. 

The duo miticulously deliever a unqie blend of melodies created by an orchestra of instruments including different sized and shaped bongos, keys, synths, wind chimes, maracas just to name a few. Watching the two of them bring their music to life is quiet awe inspiring and as the crowd learned on July 12th, can also lead to some techinical difficuluites. After already running behind shcedule, Brjean was off to a shakey start yet impressively kept the show going as they  worked through the kinks.

To untrained ears, I thought they sounded great. As fans encouraed them as we anxiously watched the on stage struggle which both bandmates picked up on. After they got through the first two songs of the night, "Hey Boy" and "Ooo La La" Brijean seemed to let go and go with the flow. The crowd followed suit and soon enough everyone there was vibing. 

Brijean @ The Bellwether 7/12/2023
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Brijean @ The Bellwether 7/12/2023
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Front lady and namesake Brijean Murphy, took time to converse with the crowd, sharing how she grew up not too far from The Bellwether and learned to swin at the YMCA nearby. She shared graditude for playing at the brand new venue before trasitioning into the next song. 

Brijean @ The Bellwether 7/12/2023
photo by Nikki DeMartini

There were a couple instrumental interludes where the two just jammed, allowing the crowd to get lost in their sauce. The combined easygoing energies of the encouraging crowd and chill vibrations that flow from Brijean made for a non-judgemental room as more and more people in the intimate venue started finding their dancing shoes and intrepreting the band's music into their own groove.

Brijean @ The Bellwether 7/12/2023
photo by Nikki DeMartini

 

Brijean played a good mix of songs off their 2021 album, Feelings as well as their 2022 album, Angelo. 

One of my favoite songs of theirs, "Moody" made it to the set list near the end of their set. Brijean commented on what a big fan of Buscabulla and how special it was to be opening for them. With that said reflecting back it's fitting that "Daydreaming" closed out Brijean's opening set for one of their personal favorite bands. 

Brijean @ The Bellwether 7/12/2023
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Another Planet Entertainment Grand Opening in SoCal @ The Bellwether!

Today is the Grand Opening of LA's newest concert venue, The Bellwether! 

Once owned by Prince and known as Glam Slam nightclub, 333 South Boylston Street will open it's doors as a 1,600 capacity concert venue and is the birthchild of the partnership of Another Planet Enterainment and Teragram Presents'. 

Based out of the Bay Area, opporating numerious venues and putting on Outside Lands Music Festival Another Planet Entertainment is the largest independently owned concert promoter in North America and The Bellwether is the company's first stint down in Souther California. 

When the upcoming roster of shows dropped a few weeks ago it was plain to see that The Bellwether is here and it means business. There are so many good shows! The first two weeks alone will see the likes of Phantogram, Tycho, Haim, Andrew Bird, DRAMA + more! So far there are shows slated all through mid November with new shows being added on the daily. 

Along with offering live music in a brand new alluring space with a vibey ambiance, there's also food offerings upstairs in The Virginan resturant. The whole venue is GA, allowing guests to wander and enjoy where they please. VIP ticket upgrades are available for those who like the idea of a VIP viewing area, a priavte bar and private bathrooms. 

Check out The Bellwether website for more info and to buy tickets to the next show!

Utah Pride with Trixie Mattel + more! June 2nd - 4th, 2023

Last weekend the Utah Pride Festival kicked off Pride month celebrations! 2023 marked a more elevated experience for the Utah audience with performances from Icona Pop, Dragonette, Drama, Crystal Waters, Trixie Mattel herself plus more! 

Icona Pop hit the dance scene with their 2012 singles "I love it" and "All Night" and remained a fixture on the dance floor at club nights in the LGBTQ+ community ever since. The Swedish electropop duo are not a couple but they are both advocates for and icons in the LGBTQ+ community. The girls hit the stage from 10pm-11pm on Friday night DJing, singing their hits and sharing the stage with guest performer Ultra Nate for the tailend of their set. 

Trixie Mattel @ Utah Pride Festival 6/3/2023

The Friday night dance party kept going because up next was the biggest star of them all. Trixie Mattel herself closed out show day one with an 11pm  to midnight DJ set and yes,  she looked good and had us feeling gorgeous ourselves. 

She also ended up drawing the biggest crowd of the weekend by far!

Saturday's lightning delays didn't stop the music acts lined up that evening which included the OG gay icon, Crystal Waters, Canadian singer/song writer Dragonette and best friends from Chicago, Drama. 

Crystal Waters brought it to the stage with some fierce, flirty and even X rated dance moves during an extended rendition of her 1994 hit, "100% Pure Love." Her energy and enthusiam left the crowd in awe and riled up for more! 

Dragonette @ Utah Pride Festival 6/3/2023
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Dragonette followed and she's just as fun as I remember her. Without the backing band, Martina Sorbara held it down with only a DJ cranking out the tunes behind her as she worked the stage. Small
but mighty, she rallied up the crowd before bidding ado with her hit single, "Hello." 

Dragonette @ Utah Pride Festival 6/3/2023
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Indie crooners, Drama put their party pants on and hit the stage with a club set in the 11pm - midnight slot on Saturday night. Na'el Shehade and Via Rosa started out at the DJ deck, Shehade spinning while Rosa encourgaed her bandmate on as this was one of their first club sets. 

Drama @ Utah Pride Festival 6/3/2023
photo by Nikki DeMartini

While he didn't mix songs off their 2020 album, Dance Without Me, Rosa hopped on the mic for a more dancey version of their 2022 single "Don't Hold Back". She was jubilent as she swayed around the stage, happily engaging with fans as the duo's super chill vibe ended the night on a light note.
It was so fun to see them having fun up there. 

Drama @ Utah Pride Festival 6/3/2023
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Drama @ Utah Pride Festival 6/3/2023
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Icona Pop just released their first single in years "Shit We Do For Love". Dragonette released her first new album in six years last year and this year she's bringing Twenties on the road. "Feel the Same" is the latest from Drama and they'll be playing more club sets this Summer!

The party doesn't stop there, Pride is just getting started!

This weekend LA Pride welcomes thee hottie, Megan Thee Stallion and no it's not a fantasy, Mariah Carey!  

Next weekend San Francisco hosts their Pride celebrations and festivies!  

National Wine Day on the eve of BottleRock Napa Valley 2023

Today is the eve of BottleRock Napa Valley but did you know it's National Wine Day?! What a perfect pairing, don't you think? 

Bottlerock Napa Valley 2023 line-up 

Along with an amazing food line-up and fun interactive cooking demos on the culinary stage all day long, Bottlerock is sponsered by the local JamCellars winery to keep the wine flowing all weeked.
 The 3 day music festival which marks it's 10 year anniversary this year, easily caters to it's more mature audience hence why it is known as the Mom fest. 

Culinary Stage line-up 2023

Updates to the line-up have been trickling in as the show approaches. Just yesterday, the culinary stage line up finally dropped, Killer Mike of Run the Jewels was added. A little over a week ago Keanu Reeves' band, Dogstar, was added to the line up and Mr. Neo himself will also make an appearance on the culinary stage. 

Kara's cupcakes is celebrating both Bottlerock Napa Valley 2023 by suggesting wine and cupcake pairings at their Oxbow Public Market location which happens to be not too far from the festival grounds. Kara's cupcakes is also a vendor at Bottlerock this year so you can mix and match and enjoy as get your first tatse of Summer at Bottlerock Napa Valley this memorial day weekend!

Kara's cupcakes OxBow Public Market location 

Not sure what wine would pair with your favorite cupcake? Here are some pairing ideas from Sprinkles cupcakes, yum!

Please don't drink and drive!