In the Shadow of Los Angeles: A Review of Local and Regional Press Coverage of the Inland Empire’s Contemporary Music Scenes, B.C. (Before Coachella)

ABSTRACT

While Southern California’s Inland Empire region receives copious press coverage for the annual Coachella Music and Arts and Stagecoach Festivals, this landscape, with its expansive deserts and suburban neighborhoods, has not always garnered such entertainment media attention. Prior to Coachella’s establishment in 1999, the local music scene rarely received substantial media recognition. This article reviews local press of the region’s music scenes from 1989 to 1999, offering historical perspectives via print media reports, interviews, and reviews. Several themes are presented, including scene identity, optimism, aggression, lack of venues, and comparisons to the Los Angeles music scene.

KEYWORDS:

• Entertainment reporting
• independent publishing
• Inland Empire
• music journalism
• music press
• music scene

Disclosure statement

This study included articles from Mean Street, a monthly music magazine. The author is a former editor of Mean Street; issues reviewed for the study pre-date the editorship.

Notes

1. For examples of media coverage of Coachella 2019, see Fessier; Tracy; Daly.

2. The Los Angeles Times has also questioned the I.E.’s specific boundaries (see Rosenblatt).

3. Most fanzines reviewed for this article were sourced from the archives of Artifix Records. The author wishes to express his thanks in providing such resources.

4. Face to Face released its debut album Don’t Turn Away on Inland Empire-based independent record label Dr. Strange Records, and its second album Big Choice on Victory Music, which was later re-released via major record label A&M in 1995.

5. Kyuss released two albums on major record label Elektra. Some members of Kyuss later formed Queens of the Stone Age, which received a Gold record in 2003 in the United States for its third album, Songs for the Deaf.

6. Monrovia is a suburban city, located in the San Gabriel Valley, a region in eastern Los Angeles County. It is approximately 25 miles (40 kilometers) due east from Hollywood.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Waleed Rashidi

Waleed Rashidi is an assistant professor in the Department of Communications at California State University, Fullerton. He teaches courses primarily in the entertainment and tourism communications concentration. Rashidi was the editor-in-chief of a monthly music magazine and a section editor for a weekly newspaper in Southern California. He has contributed to five books and several music periodicals as a freelance journalist.