Gnarly Town Offers a Fast, Loud and Fresh Spin on an Action Sports Festival

You know summer is almost here when you can plan a one-of-a-kind family-friendly event that includes punk rock and an insane motorcycle circus. Musink kicked off the 2019 festival insanity a few weeks ago, then we have Sabroso and Back to the Beach around the corner. Now, we get the word of another event that will entertain us like no other event to date. It’s time for Gnarlytown, Bikes, Boards, and Bands!

This event is presented by 95.5fm KLOS and Synergy Global Entertainment [“SGE”]. This is another kick-ass collaboration between the two juggernauts of entertainment. As for the radio end, KLOS is proof that radio is back to being a force in the music industry. Truthfully, online services took a big bite out of the broadcasting industry’s listenership over the years, but radio was partly at fault for their own demise. The knock for years has been that too many radio stations sounded the same, and the human connection was virtually non-existent. Almost to the point where there was almost no difference between some stations and iTunes.  In 2019, the radio re-connection project is in full effect. One of the leaders on that front is KLOS.

For years, KLOS Program Director, Keith Cunningham, and his staff have made a very loud point that they need to lead by example and be engaged with the community. The plan was to provide more than great music on the airwaves. Over the last few years, they’ve partnered with bands, charities, and organizers like SGE to put on some of the most successful and over the top festivals in recent memory. Now, there’s a collision of all things that are the southern California lifestyle, and thus, Gnarlytown went from concept to reality. The event takes place at the scenic LA Waterfront Berth 46 at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro on June 22nd.

Along with Nitro Circus, Chris Cole and Brew Ha Ha, the event is produced by Orange County-based entertainment Goliath, SGE. They’re led by John Reese who has brought SGE to the top of the concert festival totem pole. Some of his recent festivals include Back to the Beach, Surf City Blitz, and Sabroso Craft Beer, Taco & Music Festival just to name a few. Warped Tour may be back for a few dates this summer, but make no mistake, SGE is the new force for festivals from coast-to-coast and in our own backyard.

As for the main event, KLOS and SGE bring us a blend of punk rock music, bikes, boards and craft beer tastings. The festival will highlight several extreme sports shows, featuring  Nitro Circus. If you’re not familiar with Nitro Circus, they’re an OC-based action sports collective headed by motorsports champion,  Travis Pastrana. Nitro Circus is just that, a heart-stopping / gravity-defying show that’s beyond belief. That in itself is worth the price of admission. Nitro Circus has developed from a TV stunt show to one of the most successful motorsports organizations on Earth. Their shows are so unreal, Pastrana once said, “Be careful what you ask for because Nitro Circus will give you the opportunity to do it.” If that’s not enough on the adrenalin side, you’ll see pro skateboarder Chris Cole’s Rail Jam Invitational. You’ll be able to check out FMX, BMX, and skate stars put on four separate shows during Gnarlytown and Nitro Circus’ Giganta ramp, this is a monolithic sight to see. The Rail Jam Invitational comes from the mind of Chris Cole. About the event, Cole says “Skateboarding and music are all about energy; it’s also a great experience for the skaters to be around the music and a great opportunity for the festivalgoers to enjoy something extra.”

The motorbike and board cartoon-crazy show should be enough to entertain anyone, but KLOS and SGE teamed-up again to bring out the big guns. On the music side, appearing will be two of the most iconic punk and ska bands on the planet. Headliners include Pennywise and Rancid. These two bands have been entertaining us for decades. From Hermosa, Pennywise features two of the biggest names in punk in  Jim Lindberg and Fletcher. The band provides a high-energy, bone-crushing, sound that will electrify your senses. Then, there’s the Tim Armstrong and Lars Frederiksen show. Rancid is the best link between punk and ska anywhere at any time. They provide a sound and stage show that’s infectiously entertaining. Opening for these icons will be Action Bronson, Off! And Madball.

That’s not all, there’ll be craft beer tastings spotlighting some of the best selections from Southern California breweries as well as Rancid’s own collaboration with Ska Brewing, the Brewstomper Golden Ale. The event is nuts, but not that nuts … so 21 and over is still the rule for the tasting.

There are good people out there trying really hard to give us what we want. As a result, radio is back, there are a few stations here in SoCal that have been the leaders in making radio matter again. KLOS gets a ton of credit for the way they’ve stayed with their plan to engage with everything that is the southern California lifestyle, and interact with the community. They even have fun while at it. As for SGE, yeah it’s a business, but John Reese and staff go beyond just putting on uber-shows. They put on spectacles that entertain us and serve as memories we can all share for years to come. Any way you look at it, KLOS and SGE recognize the value in creating memories, and family is part of that equation. Be it your immediate family, or with your friends, family is family; and Gnarlytown is the event we can have the time of our lives at with the people that matter most to us.

Tickets go on sale today (Friday, March 22) at 10 a.m. at Gnarlytown.com.