Coachella 2023: Bad Bunny makes history and Metro Boomin brings out several special guests

• April 15, 2023

Bad Bunny held his microphone out to the crowd and invited them to sing along to his 2021 hit “Yonaguni” as previous Coachella performer Post Malone came out to accompany him on guitar.

But festival attendees couldn’t hear much.

The sound had gone out on Malone’s guitar and though he continued to rock out like he was having the time of his life, it was an awkward silence for the rest of us. There were several long and unexplained pauses during Bad Bunny’s performance, but the Puerto Rican star gave fans plenty of powerhouse moments with fan-favorite tracks and top-of-the-line stage production that at one point morphed into a gas station to mimic his impromptu show atop real gas station back in 2022.

Still, Bad Bunny’s Friday night performance at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio marks the first time a Latin artist has headlined the three-day festival and his second appearance in Indio since 2019.

The visuals, which included his classic “Un Verano Sin Ti” beach setup, helped set the mood as he nodded to past headlining performances with a short clip of his first Coachella set. For a handful of moments throughout the night, Benito made sure to playback documentary-style videos, showing the various styles of Latin American music that Bad Bunny draws inspiration from in one way or another.

One of the videos focused on reggaeton’s rise in Puerto Rico, leading to his hit track “Safaera” off “YGLQMDLG,” during which he was accompanied by Jowell & Randy and Nengo Flow on the stage. The duo and Flow stayed on to perform their own single, “Hoy.”

Bad Bunny played hits from throughout his career including “Tití me preguntó,” “La Santa,” “Moscow Mule,” “Yo Perreo Sola,” “DÁKITI,” “I Like It” and “Vete.”

Over in the Sahara Tent, a star-studded cast supported Metro Boomin as he flipped through tracks from his “Heroes &  Villains” record. The hip-hop producer brought out a slew big names, starting with John Legend singing “On Time” with Mike Dean on keys. Hip-hop artist Future joined Boomin for a handful of hits including “Superhero,” “Thought It Was A Drought,” “I Serve The Bass,” “Wicked and “Digital Dash.”

Don Toliver then emerged, leaping on “Too Many Nights” and “Around Me,” strutting around the backup dancers who were seen sporting all-black attire and ski masks that covered each of their faces. 21 Savage and The Weeknd also showed up for a couple of songs each, with “Low Life” and The Weeknd live debuting the song “Double Fantasy” with Dean on saxophone whipping the crowd into a frenzy. By the finale, Diddy made his way to the stage for “Creepin.’”

Before Bad Bunny’s headlining set, Coachella served its usual buffet of eclectic musical treats, which on Friday included a handful of vintage acts.

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Blink-182 was a last-minute surprise addition to the lineup, the performance special for the return of original singer-guitarist Tom DeLonge to the group.

Their 18-song, hour-long feature plenty of fan favorites such “What’s My Age Again,” “First Date,” “I Miss You” and “All The Small Things.” DeLonge and singer-bassist Mark Hoppus seemed delighted to be back and bantering together on stage, while drummer Travis Barker was his usual stoic self behind his kit.

New Wave icons Blondie attracted an overflow crowd at the Mojave Tent that opened early hits such as “One Way Or Another” and “Hanging On the Telephone.”

Singer Debbie Harry was in strong voice throughout the set. Midway through she brought out Chic guitarist Nile Rodgers to play on “Rapture” and the Harry solo song “Backfired,” before “Heart of Glass” and “Dreaming” wrap things up.

Gorillaz played immediately before Bad Bunny, delivering an hour-long set that featured guests such as Thundercat on “Cracker Island,” Bootie Brown on “Dirty Harry,” and Del the Funky Homosapien on “Clint Eastwood.”

Band leader Damon Albarn handled many of the vocals himself, with opening song “M1 A1” and the always lovely “On Melancholy Hill” among his highlights.

Hip-hop trio De La Soul have often collaborated with Gorillaz, and were back on Friday to sing on “Feel Good Inc,” which was dedicated to David Jolicoeur, who died earlier this year and as Trugoy the Dove was one third of De La Soul.

The Chemical Brothers closed out the Outdoor Stage with a powerful, body rocking set of big beat techno and house music.

While Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons stayed in the shadows behind their gear, the surreal visuals added plenty to watch. The Chemical Brothers also are a Coachella legacy act having played the very first fest in 1999.

​ Orange County Register 

Photos: Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach 2023, the 200-mph beach party has started

• April 15, 2023

A great day 1 start and finish for the 48th running that race fans enjoyed.

​ Orange County Register 

Fullerton baseball beats La Habra in a walk-off replay for the Freeway League rivals

• April 15, 2023

FULLERTON — Zach Fany’s single to left in the bottom of the seventh drove in Miguel Velazquez from third to give Fullerton a 1-0 victory over La Habra in a key Freeway League game Friday at Fullerton High School.

For the second game in a row, La Habra and Fullerton battled for six scoreless innings, with the home team coming away with a 1-0 walk-off victory.

Fullerton (13-6, 5-1) and the Highlanders (13-3-2, 4-2) had been tied for first coming into the game, but the Indians are back in the top spot by themselves after the victory.

Velazquez reached on error to start off the seventh for Fullerton and then took second on a sacrifice bunt from Carlos Barrios.

Niko Savage then walked, sending Fany up to the plate.

With a one-ball, no-strike count, the Indians pulled off a double steal that put Velazquez at third and Savage at second.

That set the stage for Fany’s game-winning hit.

“After (the double steal), I knew I was getting a fastball,” Fany said. “Right off the bat, I knew it.”

The pitching for both teams was exceptional.

Fullerton right-hander Matthew Carbajal allowed no runs on five hits over 6 2/3 innings, and he left runners in scoring position stranded in three innings.

“He was outstanding,” Fullerton assistant coach Tom Rainey said. “He came in and he threw all three pitches in any count all day. He kept them off-balance.”

Rainey was filling in for head coach Shaun Hill, who received a postgame ejection for arguing the balk call that ended Wednesday’s game.

La Habra starter Matthew Viveros pitched a complete game, allowed a run on three hits with three strikeouts.

After retiring the first two batters in the top of the seventh, Carbajal gave up back-to-back hits to Bobby Fiero and Bobby Brooks and left the game with Brooks on first and Fierro on third.

Eddie Advita relieved Carbajal and retired Anthony Gomez on a hard line drive that was caught by Fany, the shortstop.

Carbajal was on the mound in relief in the bottom of the seventh Wednesday at La Habra High when he was called for a balk that allowed the winning run to score from third to give the Highlanders a 1-0 victory.

La Habra baseball scores on a balk for walk-off win over Fullerton

The right-hander said he was anxious to get back on the mound.

“I really wanted to have a good day today,” Carbajal said.

A pivotal play took place in the fourth when Indians center fielder Connor Sunderland threw out Izaiah Posada at home.

Posada was trying to score from a second on Andrew Gandara’s single, but Sunderland threw on target to catcher Nate Norman, who applied the tag.

“I think if we get the run across there in the fourth, it puts a lot of pressure on them,” La Habra coach Jack Brooks said.

​ Orange County Register 

Fans keep the party going during Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach’s Fiesta Friday

• April 15, 2023

They danced.

They boogied.

They strutted and stomped — pretty much anything but the waltz or fox-trot. Rule out the tango while you’re at it. None of those classics, after all, works well when partying to electronic dance music during an outdoor concert.

Instead, hundreds of EDM fans — or race lovers who just wanted to listen to some music — helped close out Day 1 of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Friday evening, April 14, by grooving to the beats of DJ Boombox Cartel at the Terrace Theater Plaza.

Boombox Cartel, a Mexican American DJ based in Los Angeles, helped celebrate the return of the Grand Prix’s Fiesta Friday concert for the first time since 2019. And the type of music — electronic dance music, or EDM — was also a first for Fiesta Friday.

“We’re very happy that they have brought Fiesta Friday back,” Long Beach native Alicia Hernandez, who has attended the Grand Prix with her family for the past six years, said in Spanish. “We missed it.”

Like many other fans that gathered at the front of the stage, Hernandez said she was excited to be introduced to a new musical artist and genre.

Fiesta Friday had been a regular occurrence before the coronavirus pandemic. But then race organizers canceled the 2020 Grand Prix. And there wasn’t enough time ahead of the 2021 and 2022 iterations to also host the Friday concert, which is free to Grand Prix ticket holders.

But on Friday, crowds migrated from throughout the Grand Prix concourse to the plaza outside the Long Beach Performing Arts Center to welcome the concert back — and to enjoy the fiesta.

Boombox Cartel, an internationally recognized producer and performer whose given name is Americo Garcia, has risen to the ranks as an unparalleled force in the world of dance music by combining, EDM, hip-hop and Latin influences.

Some first-time Grand Prix attendees spent the day exploring the circuit just to jam out to Boombox Cartel in the evening.

“This was the highlight of the day for me,” said Stephanie Castro, who arrived from Los Angeles in the early morning, eager to see one of her favorite EDM artists.

“I’m excited to see (Boombox Cartel), listen and relax at the end of the day,” Castro said.

Castro said she was surprised the Grand Prix would have him as a headliner — but she definitely approved.

“It brings in different crowds and different people,” Castro said. “I’m going to jam out and maybe lose my voice from singing along.”

Boombox Cartel represented a different style for Fiesta Friday, officials said previously. The Friday concert has traditionally featured rock bands.

But officials said they hoped the change would broaden the concert’s appeal, drawing a younger, more diverse audience — and particularly enticing the Latino community.

The show did its part: The concert was full of high energy and had fans of all ages jumping in the air and dancing along.

As the sun startedsetting, Boombox Cartel took the stage.

He ran on stage with his hands in air and encouraged long time EDM fans and new listeners to take part in the concert experience. His set included remixes of songs by popular artists such as Rihanna, Sam Smith and Billie Eilish.

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John Lumantas and Laura Navaja from Glendale put their hands in the air right along with Boombox Cartel — and jumped to the beat of each song the DJ played.

“I didn’t expect him to perform in this setting but it’s really cool,” Lumantas said about the EDM artist. “It’s a good element for the Grand Prix to have multiple things in one place, not just racing.”

Fiesta Friday was the first night in the concert series for this year’s Grand Prix. The Saturday night concert, closing out Day 2, will feature all-star rock band Kings of Chaos on the same concert stage in front of the Terrace Theater.

Space in the plaza is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

​ Orange County Register 

Swanson: Galaxy lucky to have fans turning up the heat

• April 15, 2023

CARSON — The Galaxy is lucky to have such distraught fans.

To have people so committed to showing up and … not showing up: Many of the iconic MLS team’s most devoted supporters have, for the first two home games this season, gathered outside Dignity Health Sports Park to protest. Their beloved soccer franchise has faded over the past few years, and they hold president Chris Klein and technical director Jovan Kirovski responsible.

Since Coach Bruce Arena left in 2017, the Galaxy has churned through coaches, lost more games than it has won and made the playoffs just twice. That, after having earned eight consecutive playoff appearances and won three MLS Cups and two Supporters’ Shields in the period prior.

This season, the team is 0-3-3 and limping into Sunday’s match against LAFC, the first against its crosstown rivals (7-1-2 in all competitions) since LAFC won the MLS title last season.

Usually, when a team loses games, loses luster, it loses fans. Interest dips because folks are fickle and would rather find a fun way to spend their free time. It’s the natural order of things – unless you’re lucky enough to have people who just won’t quit you.

And these Galaxy supporters couldn’t care more.

So they can’t stay away. But they can’t go in either.

“The Galaxy is everything, and I can’t wait to be back,” said a masked supporter named Kevin, who, like the other protesters I met before a loss to the Seattle Sounders on April 1, declined to give his full name. “But I am ready to sit out the season as well until we make the change and we have a little bit more clarification and communication and know exactly the way this club is heading.”

“What we’re demanding of them is accountability,” a young man named Izzy said. “If I were bad at my job, I would get fired – this man got promotions!”

It all reminded me of a public comment period at a contentious City Council meeting, when a hot-button issue arises and gets constituents all fired up.

Those comments can be a little nebulous and a lot biased. Sometimes they lack context. Sometimes they’re on the money.

But they almost always come from a place of genuine care and concern, delivered by people passionate enough about something that they’ve taken time on a work night to look up where the City Council even meets so they can go down and speak up about whatever is on their minds.

And what good mayors do when a prickly communal debate arises is type out an open letter to concerned residents promising – wait, no. That’s not right.

What they do is show up and listen. Sit and absorb criticism, uncomfortable as it must be. Because it’s always good when people pay attention and participate in the democratic process.

And, no, pro sports isn’t a democracy, and fans don’t get a vote. Except, of course, with their dollars – and many of the protesters outside the stadium already paid for season tickets they don’t expect to use.

So too had a lot of the hardcore fans inside. That was one reason they were watching live and not off-site with the supporters who’ve sworn off attending home games – the first two of which, by the way, attracted relatively robust, if less-festive crowds of around 20,000.

But there were other reasons – none sympathetic to the front office – for boycotting the boycott.

There’s the matter of supporting the team on the pitch: “I feel bad for the players,” said Brian Abrego, who stood in the sparsely populated supporters’ section, quietly watching the Galaxy lose 2-1 to Seattle.

Carlos Montana said when he suggested 15-minute walk-outs instead, he felt like he was “roasted” for it. And Gerson Diaz said he initially supported the boycott – until he saw someone who was planning to do so buying a Galaxy jersey: “I was like, ‘Wait, that makes no sense.’”

There was even a difference in how those inside the stadium and those outside discussed the team’s issues.

Inside, they griped about roster construction: “We have quality players, but it’s just not assembled correctly,” Abrego said.

Outside, the critique was more existential: “It’s not because we’re upset we don’t have any wingers,” Gloria J. said. “We talked about better communication … and there’s always going to be that gray area, nothing’s going to be black and white, but I do appreciate a little gray sometimes.”

Going into this weekend, though, inside or out, it is black and white: No one is happy.

You could read it in Klein’s open letter this week: “I believe in what we are building and in the people who are building it. However, if we fall short of our goals this year, I will step aside as the President of the club that I so dearly love.”

Open letter from Chris Klein to the @LAGalaxy season ticket members.
Is this enough #lagalaxy fam? Reactions? #mls pic.twitter.com/wbevcqFIHU

— El Escudero de LA (@ElEscuderoDeLA) April 11, 2023

And in the rebuttal from L.A. Riot Squad president Andrew Alesana: “They say ‘if you love something let it go.’ I believe, for you, that time is now. Your leadership has been ineffective, and has created a Galaxy organization that lacks transparency, with no clear vision …”

An open letter. pic.twitter.com/tOYV4VfITs

— LA Riot Squad (@LARiotSquad) April 12, 2023

You could feel it too in Coach Greg Vanney’s response during a scrum with reporters: “The most important thing is get rid of the noise. Don’t care what anybody thinks. Don’t care what anybody says, don’t honestly care who shows up in the stadium.”

Greg Vanney talks about context of the season so far …the upset supporters and bad situation overall at the #LAGalaxy pic.twitter.com/UCRFokdZOK

— Eduard Cauich (@ecauich) April 13, 2023

They really should care who shows up, though.

Remember in 2011, late in Frank McCourt’s dispiriting tenure as Dodgers owner, when there was a 21% decline in home attendance and the club drew fewer than 3 million fans for the first time in a non-strike season since 1992?

That active apathy was punctuated by true-blue fanatics like Roger Arrieta, who organized a pair of anti-McCourt protests.

“You love them so much you want to fix the problem, even though you’re not an owner and you’re not in the front office or any of that stuff. So you think, ‘How can I take it upon myself to fix this?’” Arrieta said by phone this week. “It’s like if a family member, a brother or sister, is in trouble. You’ll do whatever you can to help them out.”

Those efforts at intervention, organized and organic, helped lead to the embattled owner finally selling the team.

Whether the Galaxy should acquiesce to protesters’ demands, I don’t know. But they better appreciate those fans making them squirm, respect the power of these people applying the pressure, and then proceed from there.

Because they’re lucky to have them. Fair-weather fans, regular fickle folk, they would’ve faded away by now. Or maybe switched sides.

Klein Out Protest by LA Galaxy Supporter Groups/Fans #LAGalaxy #mls #barras #ultras #hinchas #kleinout pic.twitter.com/X8xXGfDQoX

— Ultras Barras Usa (@UltrasBarrasUsa) February 5, 2023

​ Orange County Register 

Zoe Prystajko strikes out 18 to lead Huntington Beach softball into tournament semifinals

• April 15, 2023

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Huntington Beach left-hander Zoe Prystajko provided another reminder Friday why she is one of the best softball pitchers in California.

The junior committed to Stanford struck out 18 to help lead the Oilers past previously undefeated Sutter 1-0 in the Best of the West Classic in Santa Maria.

Cali Bennett delivered the game-winning hit in the seventh inning as Huntington Beach (17-4) advanced to Saturday’s semifinals against Paso Robles at 11:15 a.m.

Prystajko matched her season-high for strikeouts and allowed two hits and three walks against Sutter, a Northern California school that entered the game with a 14-0 record.

Last season, Prystajko struck out 20 in a victory against Clovis.

Saige Anderson added three hits for Huntington Beach, ranked third in Orange County.

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The Oilers return to Sunset League action Tuesday by playing host to No. 1 Los Alamitos at 6 p.m.

In the Trinity League:

Orange Lutheran 6, Santa Margarita 3: Freshman Peyton May earned the victory and Tessa Jerue went 2 for 3 with a home run as the visiting Lancers (14-5, 5-0) remained undefeated in league.

​ Orange County Register 

Cody Bellinger returns, Dodgers’ bats go quiet in loss to Cubs

• April 15, 2023

LOS ANGELES ― Dodger Stadium held no ill will toward Cody Bellinger. The Dodgers’ longtime center fielder received a loud ovation before his return visit with the Chicago Cubs after a tribute video played before the game, showing his highlights from six years in a Dodgers uniform.

The announced sellout crowd of 52,298 clapped again before Bellinger’s first at-bat – he stepped out of the box and was cruelly penalized with an automatic strike for violating the pitch-timer rule – and again when he doubled into the right field corner in the fourth inning.

The only ill will Friday night was the Dodgers’ starting catcher; Will Smith could not play because he was sick. Without one of their hottest hitters, the Dodgers matched their season-low with three hits in an 8-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs.

Their other three-hit game? Tuesday night in San Francisco. As the baseball gods would have it, the Dodgers managed to sandwich those two losses around a 10-run outburst Wednesday night against the Giants.

Then again, consistency hasn’t been the Dodgers’ forte en route to a 7-7 record. They won three straight, then lost three straight, from April 3-9. In their other eight games, they haven’t won or lost two in a row.

“I think that to sync up hitting and pitching, get some traction, and win consecutive ballgames, that’s been hard for us to do at this point,” Manager Dave Roberts said. “Tonight, you’ve just got to flush it. We were in there the whole game, lost it late.”

The Dodgers trailed 3-2 after Max Muncy homered against Cubs starter Justin Steele in the seventh inning. It was Muncy’s fifth home run this week; he swatted four in San Francisco against the Giants.

Chicago then broke the game open with three runs in the eighth inning and two more in the ninth, all against Dodgers pitcher Andre Jackson.

The right-hander allowed solo home runs to Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki and Patrick Wisdom in the eighth. He allowed another homer to Yan Gomes in the ninth and one more run scored when Nico Hoerner stole second base, then scored on a double by Happ.

Happ finished 4 for 4 with three RBIs and a walk. Gomes homered twice and stole a base.

Jackson was charged with five earned runs in two innings, inflating his ERA to 8.64. Roberts had left-hander Caleb Ferguson warming up in the bullpen, but he did not want to use one of his high-leverage relievers in a game the Dodgers trailed and were struggling to string together hits.

“That’s a decision I made and obviously it didn’t work out,” he said.

Jackson acknowledged he might have been tipping his pitches.

“It comes in waves,” he said. “May be some tipping in there. I definitely left a lot of pitches in the middle of the plate.”

The final score obscured a serviceable start by Dodgers pitcher Noah Syndergaard, who allowed three runs in six innings. The right-hander relied on an effective changeup to strike out nine batters while walking two. He exited with the Dodgers trailing 3-1.

Syndergaard also struggled to coax speed from his four-seam fastball, which topped out at 92.5 mph, below his season average. He threw only eight four-seamers in the game out of 92 pitches total.

“The workload that I had in-between starts, I threw quite a bit,” Syndergaard said. “It might have been a little bit of that. I’ll just probably manage the workload intensity before my next start.”

After his first three regular-season starts, Syndergaard is 0-2 with a 5.63 ERA. Batters are slugging .515 against him. But he was not the Dodgers’ biggest problem Friday.

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Steele (2-0), a 27-year-old left-hander, kept the Dodgers off-balance with a four-seamer, slider and curveball. He became the first pitcher to throw seven innings against the Dodgers this season. He issued one walk and struck out eight.

The Cubs opened the scoring in the third inning. Gomes poked a single through the right side of the infield. With a 3-and-2 count on the next hitter, Gomes successfully stole the eighth base of his 12-year career.

Happ then shot a line drive into right field that bounced into the stands on one hop. Suddenly, the stolen base loomed large, as the automatic double drove in Gomes with the game’s first run.

Chris Taylor led off the bottom of the third inning with a towering solo homer to left field, tying the score at 1-1 and giving the Dodgers their first hit against Steele.

In the fourth inning, Bellinger burned his former team for a double into the right field corner, went to third on a groundout and scored on another, putting the Cubs ahead, 2-1. Gomes then led off the fifth inning by parking a changeup into the left-center field bleachers.

​ Orange County Register 

3 suspects arrested in connection with Home Depot thefts in Southern California

• April 15, 2023

Three people have been arrested on suspicion of being involved in a retail theft operation targeting Home Depot locations throughout Southern California, the California Attorney General’s Office announced.

On Wednesday, April 12, the California Highway Patrol and the Home Depot’s retail crime investigators served arrest warrants for three different suspects.

The alleged thefts began around October 2021 and occurred in Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties, according to a state Attorney General’s Office news release.

The suspects allegedly would enter stores and steal power tools, among other things. Officials estimated the total loss in property at around $75,000.

The suspects face felony charges including organized retail theft, grand theft and receiving stolen property.

Other details surrounding the crimes and suspects were not immediately available.

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​ Orange County Register