Author: Iliana Renteria

I am currently studying social media marketing at Ventura College to obtain my certification in the field. I have obtained my B.A. in English from San Diego State University. When I’m not blogging, I am most likely substitute teaching for kids ranging from elementary to high school.

Categories
Arts & Entertainment music

VVicked Album Release Show Recap

On April 25th, 2025 family, friends, and music lovers gathered at Gibson’s Neighborhood Bar in Downtown Ventura to celebrate VVicked’s album release party. The supporting acts included 4mor and Girldad. Comatose Treats also had a table to sell some delicious cookies. Read until the end to see some awesome pics and watch the concert coverage!

This event was put on by a group of students from Ventura College who were participating in Professor Nick Norris’s Digital Marketing class. These students included Marilyn Huitron, Raya Whittington, Cristian Vasquez, and Iliana Renteria.

Photo Credit: Iliana Renteria

The first performer was 4mor, also known as Cris. Not only was he the opener, he also helped put the show together. Cristian performed songs from his first EP that just dropped April 15th! Cris describes his music as alternative indie. During his set, he brought out another local artist, Ahmod, and they performed their song together. Not only was Cristian celebrating his first ever live performance, he was also celebrating his birthday!

Photo Credit: Iliana Renteria

Next up was Girldad, a larger band made up of six members: Ava, Elizabeth (Lizzy), Vanessa, Crystal, Javier, and Jasmine. While at first they seem like a typical local band, there is a sweet twist to them. The band consists of three sisters, their father, and two friends!

Photo Credit: Iliana Renteria

Each member of Girldad had their own distinct style and embodied the look and feel of a 2000s punk band from a movie. Their set consisted of mostly covers, reimagined to fit their own unique style. The songs they covered ranged from a variety of artists and genres, such as Hombres G and Letters to Cleo, showing how versatile they are.

Last, but certainly not least, our headliner VVicked performed! Their set included songs from their new album Gum Tree II: Better on Paper.

Photo Credit: Iliana Renteria

Gum Tree was their original EP that was released two years ago and included six songs. After realizing they wanted to improve the quality of the original songs, they decided to redo the recordings and add eight songs in total to create their album!

Elijah, Rya, and Sam (aka VVicked) record, produce, and master all their own music themselves right from their garage! While the band’s genre typically falls into the larger genre of alternative garage rock, they also explore genres such as psychedelic, surf rock, and punk.

Photo Credit: Iliana Renteria

As for vendors, were happy to have Comatose Treats set up a table and sell some delicious Cinnamon Sugar Smackdown cookies. Comatose Treats is a local cookie brand owned and created by Devonte Stepter. These are not your grandma’s plain cookies, Stepter has added his own flavor to the otherwise traditional recipes.

Photo Credit: Iliana Renteria

Although Chiques FC was unfortunately unable to vend at the event after all, you should still check them out! Chiques FC is a clothing brand that is run by Ian Hernandez, who also creates his own designs.

Overall, the event was filled with a lively energy and went smoothly. Bar goers were able to enjoy good live music and have a drink and a tasty treat before their nights out on town!

If you missed out on this awesome night, here’s a recap video Marilyn Huitron!

Video Credit: Marilyn Huitron

Here’s some more pics of the show and playlist featuring some songs from the artists who performed! As of now Girldad has not released any music. Keep an eye out for their releases by following them! Make sure you show some support to these local artists by giving their music a listen checking out their Instagrams!

  • VVicked
  • VVicked
  • VVicked
  • 4mor
  • Girldad
  • Girldad
  • Girldad
  • Girldad
  • Photos by Iliana Renteria
Categories
Arts & Entertainment

Gaming With Motion Sickness

If you’re anything like me, you love to immerse yourself in a great story. Maybe, you even wish to take part in the story. There is no better medium for this than video games. When you play video games, you are the main character. You get to influence and take part in the story. But if you’re even more like me, you get motion sick doing just about anything.

Do you stop playing games?

A good chunk of my own life has been trying figure out ways to keep the world still and keep my lunch down. Take a look at some tips I have gathered and see what games you could play if you want to completely avoid motion sickness, and I’ll also include some titles that I have overcome motion sickness to enjoy.

How to Overcome Motion Sickness

Feeling the spins coming on can feel like a mood killer. You’re enjoying your time playing video games, or doing anything, and all of sudden you’re lightheaded and need to take a break. That might just be exactly what you need to do! Take a 10 minute break, or longer, and get back to it when you’re ready!

Another way to keep this sickness at bay is to have a bubbly drink on hand (preferably non~alcoholic). My personal favorite drink to keep on hand is some sort of sparkling water. Of course, a soda or bubbly juice would work just fine.

There is also the tried and true method of chewing mint. Now, most people probably don’t have a mint plant on hand, so you might just have to settle for the next best thing. Try chewing some mint gum or use a breath mint. Peppermint is known to help with nausea, and take it from me, this is a life changing discovery in all areas of life.

What Can You Play, What Could You Play

Often games that follow your movement as the player can be dizzying. Whether it’s first or third person, a camera with a lot movement can trigger a persons motion sickness. These are typically 3D games. This means that the world surrounds the player.

The opposite of a 3D game is a 2D game. Rather than being completely in the middle of a a game’s world , you are now looking at the game from above or to the side. Typically, these titles feature a still camera. The player moves around the screen without it moving. Some great examples of 2D titles are the farming simulators Stardew Valley (pictured below) and Animal Crossing and the classic Nintendo title Super Mario Bros.

Though I may have trouble keeping my head straight when it comes to 3D games, I have found myself employing the earlier tips mentioned in the beginning in order to enjoy the games.

There is the ever classic survival game Minecraft that I have found myself enjoying over the years. Though, this is the game I have found myself having to turn away from the most. It is available on any and all gaming platforms. Next, I have found myself gravitating to the post nuclear war series Fallout. Which includes 4 3D games you may play on a console of your choosing (except for Nintendo). Fallouts earliest releases are 2D games, which are available to purchase through Steam to play on PC (or you can search for a physical copy). Lastly Sims, the life simulator, is a 3D game that takes no time at all to get used to. In fact, the camera does follow you with every movement, but allows you to watch the characters and choose when to move the camera.

With this new information, go and fire up that console, and have a good time.

Categories
Local Business

Where Do These Ventura County Thrift Stores Donate?

In recent years, secondhand shopping has become increasingly popular. Whether it’s thrift, consignment or vintage stores, there are multiple options for anyone trying explore second hand style or cut back on their carbon footprint. Many people use the term “thrifting” interchangeably, however there are some key differences. One of these differences is whether or not they donate. Here are some of my favorite local thrift stores and what cause they choose to donate to.

Super Thrift

This thrift store is Located on 815 N Oxnard Blvd and is a Christian non-profit organization. It is a part of a larger group of thrift stores that make up the Rescue Mission Alliance family. Super Thrift focuses on donating to the Lighthouse for Women and Children. The Lighthouse has a capacity of 112 beds. Besides providing shelter, the Lighthouse also offers services such as life skills education, substance abuse counseling, Christian discipleship, and even transitional housing.

At Super Thrift, you can expect to have a wide variety of clothing options whether you’re shopping in the men’s, women’s, or even the children’s section. You can also find yourself browsing the electronics and home goods sections for a great find. You can even find your new favorite accessory or buy a bike to carry you home.

Avenue Thrift

Avenue Thrift is located on 22 N Ventura Avenue in Ventura, California. This thrift store has been staple in the secondhand community for 15 years. It was started by JD and Amber Drury, who felt passionate about helping children in their community. Due to this passion, the two decided to donate to the Boys and Girls Club of Ventura.

Avenue Thrift has a multitude of departments to shop in. From clothing for everyone, home decor, or even furniture, just about anyone can find something they like. They have deals almost every day of the week! Check out their location and website for more information! Avenue Thrift accepts drop off donations and will pick up donations for free!

CAAN

The CAAN, which stands for The Child Abuse and Neglect thrift store is located on 340 E Main Street. The CAAN is a family owned business that has been serving the city of Ventura since 1985. The business donates its proceeds to the C.A.A.N division of Interface Children and Family Services. This particular organization aims to protect those who are vulnerable to domestic violence and seeks to end this cycle. As a part of their efforts, Interface Children and Family Services offers 24/7 advocacy and response, as well as an emergency shelter and a transitional shelter.

CAAN accepts and sales the usual thrift. departments such as men, women, and children’s clothes. They also accept records, books, accessories, and more! While they do not do pick ups at this moment, you can drop off donations at the allotted times.

Consignment and Vintage Stores

It is not uncommon for people to call a consignment store, or even a vintage one, a thrift store. These stores may share similarities, but there is a key difference. Consignment and Vintage stores are for profit, unlike thrift stores, which are non-profit. The formers get their inventory from sellers, unlike thrift stores who rely on donations. These stores allow the sellers to gain a profit from their items. Also, the cheap prices that are expected to be found at thrift stores, may not be present at a consignment or vintage shop. Even though these stores may not a non-profit, they are still second hand stores and are worth checking out.