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Convoy, Kimmi Bitter, DJ Lou Niles - In Your Neighborhood

  • Convoy

     Convoy, a band forged from childhood friendships in Poway, CA, made their mark with their raw, rock/Americana infused sound with Beach Boys style harmonies. Led by founding members Jason Hill, Brian Karscig, Robbie Dodds, and Mark Maigaard, their journey began with the release of their debut cassette "The Red Tape", capturing a carefree vibe that resonated with audiences. Despite limited copies, it laid the foundation for their future endeavors. Venturing into their first full-length album, "Pineapple Recording Sessions", the band retreated to a small house on a 46 acre abandoned ranch on the outskirts of San Diego county. Living together in the mountains of Jamul, immersing themselves in a creative bubble amidst well water shortages and makeshift recording setups, their music flourished, drawing comparisons to iconic acts like The Band and The Beach Boys. Their isolation and perseverance paid off, earning them accolades and a record deal with Hybrid Records out of New York City. Their evolution continued with "Black Licorice", recorded in Burbank under the guidance of external producers. This album marked a shift towards a polished sound, aiming for broader commercial success which the band always had mixed feelings about. Yet, Convoy's essence remained intact, with tracks like "Caught Up In You" and "Eleventeen" capturing their signature energy from that record.
    Their live performances became legendary, gracing stages like The world famous Casbah, Red Rocks Amphitheater, The Fillmore, and The Great American Music Hall. With a devoted West Coast following, Convoy embarked on relentless tours, sharing stages with giants like Tom Petty and Aerosmith, and even making TV appearances including the Craig Kilborn Show. Despite their disbandment in 2003, Convoy's legacy endured. Now, reunited for a special show August 10, 2024 to celebrate the ‘25th Anniversary of their Pineapple Recording Sessions Album', their music resonates anew, bringing together old fans and introducing their timeless sound to a new generation.

  • Kimmi Bitter

     Centered around the vein of old-school country with a touch of the swinging sixties, Kimmi Bitter and the Westside Twang are here to transport you on a retro journey into the year 1962 through their nostalgic songs. “The future of classic country is Kimmi Bitter,” as Saving Country Music boldly states. Effortlessly navigating through Countrypolitan ballads in her mod wardrobe and love of white boots, Bitter has drawn strong comparisons to Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, and Nancy Sinatra.

    Creating a buzz from her grassroots efforts and vigorous touring, her debut album “Old School” hit the ground running in 2024 landing at #24 on the Americana Album Radio Chart with “My Grass is Blue” debuting on the Americana Single Radio Chart as a Top 40. Bitter is a testament that classic country never goes out of style. This ain't your typical Nashville sound. "Old School" is a love letter to the country's golden age, with a healthy dose of reverb-drenched twang, rock-n-roll swagger, and a touch of California psychedelia thrown in for good measure.

    Tracks like "My Grass is Blue" are tear-jerkin' ballads that have grown comparisons of time when Patsy Cline and The Jordanaires overtook radiowaves. Saving Country Music called it "solid country gold," nominating it for Single of the Year alongside the likes of Charley Crockett, Zach Bryan, and Sierra Ferrell. Though driving her career independently, Bitter is no stranger to building up her accolades. Her album “Old School” has garnered three separate song nominations to date. In 2024, single “Aquamarine” took home Song of the Year at the San Diego Music Awards alongside fellow nominees Jason Mraz, P.O.D., Slightly Stoopid, and Thee Sacred Souls. She's a San Diego Music Award winner for Best Country/Americana Artist, with "My Grass is Blue" snagging a Song of the Year nod in 2023. Regarding her live performance, she was notably coined one of the "biggest musical takeaways" at Nashville's most recent Americanafest.  In addition, her breakout album also skyrocketed to #1 on the Alt. Country Specialty Charts.

    On the road, Kimmi is backed by her touring band, The Westside Twang. Comprised of both decade-long bandmates Willis Farnsworth (guitar) and Ben Neal (bass), and the newly added Justin De la Vega (drums).  With his ability to make the Gretsch guitar emulate pedal steel and his signature “‘verbed up and twanged out" tone, Farnsworth has garnered stans of his own. Driven by a hyper-obsession for the 1960s, Kimmi Bitter and her band create a captivating soundscape that blends classic country with surf rock, psychedelic twangs, and a touch of mod flair.

    If you're hankerin' for some country croonin' with a swinging sixties twist, then Kimmi Bitter is the real deal. Often found hustling the highways, you can find Kimmi and her band touring throughout all corners of the United States.

  • DJ Lou Niles - In Your Neighborhood

    Lou began his career in entertainment managing bands and promoting shows in High School.  Lou DJ’d at local clubs including the early days of Playskool. He found his way to college radio while attending school in New York where he also continued to DJ in local area clubs.

    Upon returning to California Lou wound up working on several specialty shows for the ground breaking 91X FM in the late 80’s. By 1990 Lou was producing and programming various specialty shows on 91X and turning on L.A. A&R to the best in new music out of San Diego. The 91x Loudspeaker show, the longest running local music show, helped give San Diego the buzz as “The Next Seattle” nationally within the music industry.

    Over the next 6 years Lou’s show was a platform for a wave of bands to get signed. Lou was the very first to play Artist’s like Lucy’s Fur Coat, aMiniature, rust, Blink-182, P.O.D., Rocket from the Crypt, Three Mile Pilot, aMiniature, No Knife, Steve Poltz/The Rugburns and many others as well as Jewel who’s first demo tape was her live performances on his show.

    Lou spent time coordinating, marketing and managing over 40 U.S. tours and landed in Los Angeles in the late 90’s doing A&R and publishing for a UK and Japan based company.

    Lou then moved to an indie label started by the William Morris Agency where he quickly rose from A&R to Vice President.  Lou oversaw development, production, budgeting, touring, distribution and various marketing phases for annual budgets of several million dollars. He coordinated and managed productions in Sweden, North Carolina, Chicago and Los Angeles. He also oversaw and budgeted over 40 U.S. tours including artists’ tours with The Black Crowes, Goo Goo Dolls, Tonic and Japan dates with Keanu Reeves’ band Dogstar.

    Lou continued his work promoting bands and building their exposure with his own company North Bound River A&E. He elevated the careers of Rochelle Rochelle, The Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash, Tom Freund, to name a few, by securing strategic radio play and utilizing Marketing, PR, Showcases, Tours and Festival Shows.

    After having a miracle child, Lou and his wife Carly dropped their careers in Los Angeles and moved to Oceanside, CA to raise their son and be closer to family. In 2005 Lou and Carly started Love Machine Films to build a company that would use their talents to create projects each year that make a difference in the world. Today the Award Winning Love Machine Films has produced over 150 films and partnered to raise many millions of dollars for causes and non-profits. LMF has an award winning feature documentary and two other feature docs going to festivals.

    Lou is currently Executive Producer at Love Machine Films, promotes music and cause related events with Machina De Amor and is a Co-Host and Segment producer on 91X Loudspeaker.