What to See This Year at Orion Music + More

Vista Chino is a fairly new band with a lot of history behind it. Remember Kyuss, the desert rock band from the early ‘90s that featured a pre-Queens of the Stone Age Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri? Well, Vista Chino is basically a reincarnation of Kyuss with three of the original members: Oliveri, vocalist John Garcia and drummer Brant Bjork. The band formed in 2010 as Kyuss Lives! and intended to release a new album under that name. However, Homme – who refused to be part of the reunion – filed a lawsuit in 2012 to prevent his former bandmates from using the Kyuss name on new recordings, so the band changed its name to Vista Chino. The band intends to release its debut album later this year. Since they haven’t released any new songs yet, below is the music video for the Kyuss song “Green Machine.”

Wouldn’t you know it, Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett is a HUGE horror movie buff. Kirk’s Crypt is an attraction brought back from last year’s Orion Music + More, and it’s basically a monument to Kirk’s horror obsession. This year’s gallery will be even bigger, with two stories instead of one. Attendees will get to scope out Kirk’s extensive collection of classic horror movie memorabilia, meet special guest horror movie icons and hear Kirk speak on a panel about his love of all things spooky. For a better idea of what to expect, check out the embedded video below from last year’s iteration of Kirk’s Crypt.

This is basically a retooling of the Vans Motorbreath Mini Ramp from last year’s Orion Music + More. Hosted by Metallica bassist and skateboarding enthusiast Robert Trujillo, this attraction features Robert’s special team of pro skateboarders tearing it up on a 30-foot vert ramp. The key difference this year is that the ramp will be attached to the Damage Inc. Stage, so attendees will be able to listen to live punk bands while watching the pro skaters do their thing. Bands like Fu Manchu, Dead Sara and FLAG (a partial reunion of influential ‘80s punk band Black Flag) will provide the soundtrack to the skateboarding spectacle. Furthermore, after the skateboarding action on each night of the festival, the riders will take to the Vans Tent for signings and more. The below video is from last year’s incarnation, the Motorbreath Mini Ramp. It’s totally tubular, dude!

Rocket from the Crypt was pretty much the embodiment of punk and ska music in the ‘90s. The band actually broke up in 2005, and before 2013 their only reemergence came in the form of a one-off reunion on Yo Gabba Gabba! in 2011. However, they reunited for good earlier this year, initiating their comeback with a secret show in their hometown of San Diego. The band toured through Europe in April, and they’re playing the Ink-N-Iron Music Festival in Long Beach, Calif. the day before their Orion gig. Unfortunately, their set overlaps with the Deftones’ set by half an hour, so you might have a difficult choice to make halfway through the Deftones’ performance. To help make up your mind, watch the music video below for their single “On a Rope,” which will probably be the ‘90s-est thing you’ll see all day.

You might not have heard of Infectious Grooves, but there’s a good chance you’re familiar with Suicidal Tendencies. Infectious Grooves is a side project of Suicidal Tendencies frontman Mike Muir, formed in the late ‘80s. Musically, they’re what Suicidal Tendencies would sound like if they were less punk and more funk. It’s an awesome sound, with grooves that truly are infectious.

While the band hasn’t been active since the release of their last album in 2000, the original lineup – sans guitarist Adam Siegel – is reuniting this year to headline the Fuel Stage on the first night of Orion Music + More. This includes Jane’s Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins, current Suicidal Tendencies guitarist Dean Pleasants and current Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, who also used to play in Suicidal Tendencies. If you’ve yet to experience the grooves of Infectious, below is the video to one of their more well-known songs, "Violent & Funky."