Live And Direct

NoFX @ The Fox Theater

2009-12-08T20:54:00.000-08:00

Written By: Darwin Green
(Senior Editor)

Photos By: Mehra Romezi

View all of Mehra's photos here.

12/04/09 - NoFX is, hands down, one of the best punk bands to emerge from the garages of the Bay Area in the early 80s, and with Punk in Drublic achieved critical and commercial acclaim for their no-nonsense, no-frills, no-effects style. They’re a band that continues to drive home the punk ideals into its listeners without apology or any bow towards pretense, and have influenced countless imitators, inspired many fans, and continue to thrive amongst electro-pop and other such genres of the new millenium.

The Fox Theater in Pomona lies somewhere in the area between Los Angeles and Riverside. It’s not the most, let’s say, impressive area for a band to play, yet still books great acts and draws large audiences. For someone in Los Angeles, the drive can take upwards of three hours, with traffic, so when I met people in line who drove from places like Ontario, Canada and Arizona, it impressed upon me that NoFX has some serious fans.

Once in there I walked down to the pit area, where I waited through the opening acts, who were pretty good. The first one, Dead to Me, caught my attention as an emerging punk band with the same insouciance and irreverence that any good punk band should possess, particularly toward the heckling crowd shouting insults and throwing drinks. The singer boasted a song with lyrics “stolen from Charles Bukowski.” A man after my own heart.

After they left, and after the second opening act played their set, a bunch of people rushed the pit past the security guards, who looked like they were trying to push back a giant stream with nothing but sweaty and muscled humans spraying past the sides of their hands. It was all I could do to remain standing as the flow of enormous mammals with shaved heads stampeded their way into the crowd. I began to wonder if it was such a good idea to remain there.

I waited though, despite concern of being trampled underhoof. NoFX teased the audience some, then came out and opened with “Linoleum.” The crowd came to shove and be shoved throughout the entire pit, not just some small circle in the center, the entire thing. I ended up getting knocked over into some people as I inadvertently shoved some featherweight kid into the mercy of the circular mass of people gaining momentum like a hurricane. I felt like a sissy when I saw some waifish girl try and push a large bald guy with a goatee with no result, while I considered leaving.

I mustered on. The band took breaks between songs to tell some Jewish or Mexican jokes or crack wise at the audience, and then launched into some such song as “Murder the Government.” The great thing about punk is that the songs all usually last less than three minutes, if that, which means the band can pack thirty or forty songs into a set. NoFX knew how to space the energy. Just when one thought it was safe, like with the slow opening of “Reeko,” they would immediately pick up the energy, and the musty, massive bodies would start crashing into each other.

They loved the audience, and the audience loved them back.

They ended with “Don’t Call Me White,” and afterwards danced to a song that addressed the racist remarks any one of the people in the audience might find offensive. The basic theme came through as: we’re all a little racist so just laugh at the jokes because they’re funny. Whatever one felt about the message of their songs, or about the type of humor they have, the band kept their own after all the years they’ve been around.

The XX @ The Music Box

2009-12-07T00:07:00.000-08:00

Article and Photos By: Steve Sawyer

View all of Steve's The XX photos here.

It's only been a couple of weeks since I wrote so glowingly of The XX, and their similarly named debut album "XX", so understand that I was very close to having a sudden heart condition when I learned that they would playing at The Music Box with the equally amazing Friendly Fires. So feeling slightly intimidated by the thought of superbly dressed (read: potentially British) fans, I donned my favorite oxford, and blazer, dragged out my favorite pair of jeans (read: never seen the inside of a washing machine) and made my way to the theater. After a long wait outside that involved watching some skateboarders eat it about a hundred times, the line finally moved inside, and I made my way to the most important section of any concert hall. The bar. After equipping myself with a delicious oat soda, I killed some time, and wandered around the venue for a bit.

If you've been to The Avalon, or The Mayan Theater, then the seemingly ubiquitous design should be very familiar, with a balcony overlooking the floor, and stage, and exits on either side of the theater. The only difference being that The Music Box is slightly smaller than it's counterparts, which worked to it's credit that much more if only because the bill was demanding an intimate performance.

So when the lights dropped, and the curtains pulled back and revealed a very nonchalant Holly Miranda, it really did feel like it was the beginnings of something special. And as she began to audibly display the intricacies of her relationship with her guitar, something slightly strange happened. Everyone was quiet. Not the uncomfortable quiet that happens when someone is being so horrible at something that no one in the room has the heart to tell them. But rather the kind of quiet that is usually reserved to display reverence to someone or something, like a quiet affirmation of accomplishment.

The audience was captivated, and the crowd of the typically distracted Facebook generation was temporarily pacified by her delicate and soft lulling voice, and her steady and dreamy guitar work. And while she breezed through her set, I almost didn't realize that she had performed every single song from her EP “Sleep on Fire” but I suppose that's the hypnotic power of her performing ability. Also I would like to point out that she played the tambourine by stomping on it, and while I don't know the significance of relaying this information to you, I thought it was cool.

After a brief intermission that included repeat trips to the bar, and restroom it was time for The XX to take to the stage. I hurriedly tried to find my way into the press pit, only to be denied by my new arch nemesis Carson Daly, and his ragtag gang of expensive camera wielding thugs. After narrowly escaping with my life, I managed to get a pretty decent vantage point from the balcony to take some pictures and catch The XX's set. I suppose I should get the elephant out of the room right now. Baria Qureshi is gone. Now while this may not be news for some, there were definitely plenty of surprised people at the show, so maybe it was that sense of trepidation that prompted Oliver to warn the crowd. “We're just getting used to playing as a three piece so if we fuck up a lot, we're sorry.” And with that out of the way, they wasted no time in diving in headfirst, starting with the intro from “XX” and segueing flawlessly into VCR, and after hearing the now familiar chorus “Watch things on VCR's, with me and talk about big love, I think we're superstars, you say you think we are the best thing” it was rather obvious that these guys are going to do just fine carrying on as a trio. The crowd continued to sway and swoon along through the amazing set list, that saw them doing equally amazing renditions of fan favorites like “Shelter” and “Crystalised.”

But my favorite moment of their time on the stage came in the beginning of “Islands” where the band momentarily found themselves off time, laughed it off apologized for “fucking up” and only moments later made the recorded version of the song seem laughably unimportant, managing to encapsulate what makes them so special in one single song. This may seem a bit off point, but I happened upon someone's blog who also managed to catch the show, and they made mention that the crowd seemed absolutely dead. In my mind there's two ways to look it, while yes, the audience was exceptionally low key for the bulk of The XX's set, it was most certainly not for a lack of interest, or because the band itself was anything other than perfect, which they were, but rather because the majority of the people watching the show were doing just that... and doing so intently. So I took it for what is was, a sign of people enjoying something remarkable, and make no mistake, that's the word at play.

With The XX's departure it was now time for something completely different. And that something came in the form of Friendly Fires. If you haven't had the chance to check out Friendly Fires yet, then you must not be a big fan of your ears. Their unique blend of disco, electro, and rampaging African rhythms is an amazing bombastic wall of sound that's just teeming with energy.

And while I thought that their eponymous album was already bursting at the seams, their live show is that much more vibrant. Singer Ed Macfarlane exploded onto the stage and danced almost twice as much, and nearly twice as hard as he sang, which was no small feat considering that he still managed to be pitch perfect through all of it. So I guess it's totally understandable that girls (and some boys) utterly lost their minds when they heard the deep bass grooves of “Lovesick” the bands opener, a song that also just so happens to showcase what's so special about Ed's voice, an almost Kele Okereke, and still manages to find a space all his own. That same presence of strength was definitely on display through their performance of “Jump in my Pool” which was backed up by the equally capable drumming, and guitar extravaganza courtesy of Edd Gibson and Jack Savidge, and while I know that Macfarlane handles the bass duties on their albums, they did have an amazing bass player for their live line-up whose name I can not seem to find.

So with my apologies to him for not knowing his name, I would also be lying if I didn't say he did an excellent job at filling in in Macfarlane's stead. Still no sign of letting up they moved into another fan favorite, and one of their most well known songs “Skeleton Boy” and tore through it like it were mere child's play. However it's safe to say that the song that defined their performance was “Kiss of Life” a song from their recent re-release of their self titled debut. The song's undeniable dancing power was indisputable, and even the most distracted of kids had to momentarily glimpse up from their iPhone's viewing screen to watch the show with their own eyes, and hell some of them even danced. If there was anything to take away from Friendly Fires time on the stage it was this. These guys are much better live than their recorded selves. And by the time they rolled out the encore performance of “Lover Boy” I had gone from simply impressed to full blown school boy adoration.

As I think back on the night, the one common thread between sets was that each and every one of these artists puts on a live show that is far superior to anything that they have committed to an album. Which last time I checked, was kind of the point. It's just nice to see that some people still get it.

Girls @ the Troubador

2009-12-06T23:50:00.000-08:00

Written By: Justin Rands

View all our Girls photos here.

Guitarist, founder, headline-making Christopher Owens took Troubador's stage Friday night dressed in a ripped black ‘Rush’ t-shirt, red tights, and white orthopedic shoes. His hair was greasy, matted down and hanging in front of his face. J R White, bassist, founder, followed behind him, dressed in plaid, with a demeanor of complete comfort with where he was.

‘Girls’, and there definitely were a fair share of them in the crowd, have certainly ‘made it’. From 9.1 ratings on Pitchfork, best new music on blogs across the country, controversial videos involving men’s penis’s and San Francisco’s youthful underbelly, the boys have taken everything in stride and remain the front runner for one of the top Indie albums of 2009.

I, after living in San Francisco myself for seven years, still hadn’t gotten a chance to see them until tonight. Their album is definitely at the top of my list this year, and maybe one of the tops for the decade for me as well, and I looked forward to seeing if the album ‘Album’ would transmit well onstage.

The lights dimmed and the band began with ‘Ghost Mouth’, a slow methodical tune about being lost in life, confused, the type of song most people can connect with when they lose their path. “I’ve got nothing to do and nobody to see, no where to go and nobody to be” Owens, whined, with his eyes closed.

The album is packed full with heartbreak, as Owens has gone through a fair amount of it, dealing with breakups, breaking free from Children of God cults he was forced to be in during his youth, and the adjustment of living to a new city without a direction in sight. His stage presence isn’t demanding, and he stammers nervously when speaking between songs, something he claims ‘he still isn’t good at doing’ oddly enough, but because of these things you can’t help but feel that Owens is a unique talented individual.

They played their whole album, with people responding mostly to their top hits ‘Lust for Life’ and ‘Hellhole Ratrace’. The songs translated OK on stage, there’s no way that they could give the same feel of the album live, because there are far too many small nuances spread throughout that make the album what it is. At some points I couldn’t hear other guitarist or the brave guy who played tambourine throughout the whole show at all but they made it work.

The show was a success, offering us a small glimpse of what the real side of San Francisco is all about. I feel that out of all the bands coming out from the Bay Area that ‘Girls’ has really controlled their image well, creating a cohesive yet interesting portrait of the youth growing up in this society and some of the thoughts that consume them.

Papa Roach, Jet, After Midnight Project @ Club Nokia

2009-12-02T20:17:00.000-08:00

Written By: Jim Markunas
(Editor-In-Chief)

Photos By: Ed Hannigan

View all of Ed’s Papa Roach photos here.

Papa Roach is one of the best rock bands in American history. This is a documented fact.

I saw Papa Roach for the first time when they were touring off of Infest, and they blew me away. I had been resistant to listening to their music because Jacoby had made the grave mistake of comparing Papa Roach to Nirvana in an interview (this was the taboo of my generation). They were on the bill with 9 other bands at one of those Q101 shows at the United Center in Chicago, and I wasn’t exactly looking forward to their set. They took the stage wearing matching outfits, as they were going for a “roach” theme back then. Each member wore a black t-shirt tucked into a pair of black jeans. I stood there with my arms crossed, waiting for them to change my mind about them… which is exactly what they did!

Not only did they end their set by smashing all of their instruments, but Jacoby had spent 2-3 songs running through the audience; the United Center is an arena, mind you, but that didn’t hinder his mission to climb ever tier while belting out his then-signature style of alt/rap-metal. The crowd (myself included) went nuts! From that day forward, I was a die-hard Papa Roach fan. It didn’t matter that football players listened to them (the same reason I stopped listening to Korn), it didn’t matter that Jacoby had called Papa Roach ‘the next Nirvana,’ and it for sure didn’t matter that they were an overnight success (or what seemed like it at the time) – The only thing that mattered was that Papa Roach cemented their status as one of the greatest metal bands of this decade (at least in my mind).

I saw them 6 months later at the Ozzfest (remember that shit?). Any doubt I had about Papa Roach’s Rock God status was quickly demolished as they took the stage and started a riot… literally. The Ozzfest was at the Tweeter Center in Tinley Park. The Tweeter, in addition to having a stupid name, was famous for it’s exclusionary pricing structure. Seats in the front cost 8-9 times as much as lawn seats, which were so far away from the stage (which was also hidden under a giant bandshell) that concert-goers had no chance of seeing the band if they had the misfortune of buying a lawn seat. Needless to say, people were pissed.

Papa Roach ripped into “Between Angels and Insects,” and the ‘have-nots’ decided to take action. Hundreds of disaffected lawn-seaters began to rip huge chunks out of the lawn and hurl them full-force at the ‘haves’ seated under the band shell. The sky went black as large chunks of dirt and sod flew against the patrons in their seats. The people under the band shell began to throw their garbage, pieces of the lawn, and $10 cups of full beer at the people seated in the lawn. It was a full-scale riot of epic proportions, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it.

Papa Roach continued to play as the shit kept flying. At one point a chunk of lawn smacked Jacoby clean across the face. He fell to the floor, and the band screeched to a halt. The music stopped, hell, even the flying garbage fight stopped. Everyone stood in silence, waiting to see his reaction. He calmly got up off the floor, walked to the mic, and said, “Stop that shit!” Papa Roach began to play again, and as soon as the first note came out of Jerry’s guitar, the pieces of lawn and garbage once again began to fly, and didn’t stop until Linkin Park took the stage 40 minutes later.

Since then, Papa Roach has changed drastically; they no longer rap, Dave’s no longer in the band, Jacoby is half the size he was in 2001 (but with the energy he puts into the music, you’d think he was 10 feet tall and bulletproof), and Jerry’s hair rivals that of any rock star in touch with their artistic side. Seriously, Jerry – You have perfect hair! He spent 75% of the set headbanging, yet not a single hair came out of place. If I ever decide to grow my hair out, I’m going to Jerry for grooming advice.

Backtracking a little, the last time I saw Papa Roach live was when they recorded Live and Murderous in Chicago, a great show, but not nearly as awesome as their ‘riot-inciting’ set at the Tweeter. I moved to L.A., P. Roach put out The Paramour Sessions, and because I wanted to get a free copy of it, was inspired to start an online magazine… so Thanks, Papa Roach! Anyhow, I wasn’t sure how Paramour and Metamorphosis would translate live, so I was exceptionally excited to see Papa Roach play the Nokia (not to mention After Midnight Project, the band we’re championing for obvious reasons, was going to be there as well).

My one gripe of the night: After Midnight Project got stuck with the worst time slot, opening for the opening band, Johnny No-Talent, or something like that; I don’t remember their name (a.) because it was too long, and (b) because they sucked more balls than a Vietnamese Hooker. However, After Midnight Project didn’t seem to mind the shitty time slot, and brought the house down as if they were the headlining band. What I love about AMP is their ability to not only win over any crowd in a matter of minutes (they actually got the crowd to mosh and dance, RARE as fuck for an opening band), but also their sheer talent and craft. If you haven’t read our “5 Reasons Why After Midnight Project is the Next Big Thing” article, I suggest you do so. (check out Ed’s AMP Pics)

Johnny no-talent or something played the soundtrack to our cigarette/bathroom break, and then Jet took the stage. Remember Jet? In 2002, they were HUGE with radio hit after radio hit, and then one day they disappeared. I have to admit, the only song I’ve ever heard by Jet is “Cold Hard Bitch,” in my opinion their best song, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. My friend Jeremy had told me before their set that Jet is a killer live band (in his words almost as good as Papa Roach), so I was holding them to ridiculously high standards. To my absolute delight, they opened with “Cold Hard Bitch,” and proceeded to wow me with every song. A little about Jet: They have the swagger of 1970s Led Zeppelin, the vocal chops of AC/DC, and the guitar skills of Pete Townsend. If you made the Beatles less pussy-ish and forced them to have sex with AC/DC, you’d have Jet, Aussie rockers that make the feel good, Hive’s-inspired classic rock throwback of the early 00’s seem relevant again. – Not to mention the singer is a member of the tribe, which makes me happy!

If you have a chance to catch Jet live on their next US tour, I suggest you do so (check out Ed's Jet pics).

Papa Roach came on next, and kicked ass. (What else can I say?). Like I said earlier, Jerry Horton has the world’s best hair. In addition, they brought the house down. Their material from Paramour and Metamorphosis (also the name of Hilary Duff’s first album… ironic), translated fairly well live. The second or third song of the set was “Lifeline,” which as we all know, showcases the coolest guitar riff of 2009. The reason I mention this is because I've been listening to "Lifeline" for the past few months in awe of the riff (you gotta see Jerry play it live!)

Jacoby brought After Midnight Project singer, Jason Evigan back out on stage to perform "Hollywood Whore," it was a seminal rock 'n' roll torch-passing moment. Unfortunately, we don't have pictures (the press is only allowed to photograph the first three songs. Why? Not sure, let me ask Ed.)

Jim pauses writing article to call Ed Hannigan.

Jim: Ed! Why didn't we get any pics of Jason on stage with P-Roach? How come they only let photographers photograph the first three songs?

Ed: Not sure. I think clubs truly believe that something magical happens in the fourth song that if photographed, would end the world as we know it.

Jim: Fuckin' ridiculous! Gotta go, writing the P. Roach review.

During their performance of “Had Enough,” Jacoby jumped off stage and ran through the audience, hugging people and slapping fives to what seemed like everyone in the club. If anything, Club Nokia is too small of a venue for Papa Roach, a band that deserves to sell out arenas across the U.S. So, P. Roach… If you’re reading this, the next time you’re in L.A., I want to see you play the Gibson in Universal City!

With the exception of Johnny No-Talent, this show was the line-up of the century. Please see Papa Roach's tour dates and World Hunger Year news. In addition to being a great band, they're also great altruists.

Rockers Give Back To LA Youth @ The Avalon

2009-12-02T20:10:00.000-08:00

Written By: Juanita Camfield
(L.A. Nightimer)

Photos By: Ed Hannigan

View all of Ed's L.A.Y.N. photos here.

Sunday November 22nd, 2009 - The Los Angeles Youth Network hosted a sold out concert, LAYN ROCKS presented by Slash and Friends, at The Avalon in Hollywood. The event was hosted by comedian George Lopez and rock headliners Slash and Ozzy Osbourne. The night’s acts featured collaborative performances by Slash, Ozzy Osbourne, Perry Farrell, Billy Idol, Travis Barker, Chester Bennington, Andrew Stockdale, Dave Navarro, and an opening performance by Juke Kartel.

The night was full of surprises, with Slash and Friends rocking out to Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” and “Tangerine”, Thin Lizzy’s “Jailbreak”, Wolfmother’s Andrew Stockdale belted out “Woman”, and “By The Sword” off of Slash’s upcoming album. A surprisingly bad ass performance by Chester Bennington during the Zeppelin song “Good Times, Bad Times”. Billy Idol performed “Out Ta Get Me” and “Rebel Yell”. Bennington also nailed “Slither” along with “Paradise City” performed by Stephen Adler on drums and Duff McKagan on bass! Perry Farrell sang “Mountain Song”, “Sympathy For The Devil”, and an unforgettable version of “Jane Says”. Ozzy Osbourne began his set with “I Don’t Know”, “Iron Man”, “Crazy Train”, and ended the night with an unforgettably sung “Paranoid.”

The Los Angeles Youth Network, LAYN, is a non-profit organization devoted to ending “homelessness one kid at a time”. At one of the three LAYN homes the youths (12-21 years old) that come through are provided with what many take for granted – a place to sleep, food in their stomach, water, medical services and even counseling, as most come from abuse, were neglected, or abandoned. Without LAYN many of these kids would become a part of the frightening reality that, “Nearly 150,000 people live on the streets of Los Angeles” and that out of that large number “Over 10,000 kids sleep on the street in abandoned buildings and under freeways each night.”

It's because of charitable donations made by regular folks like you and I that help the Los Angeles Youth Network provide these kids with “9000 home nights, 13000 meals, 6500+ hours of counseling, 1000 hours of education and tutoring, and 300+ arts and recreation hours” per year. Imagine if no one contributed to these kids and future adults’ lives.

LAYN not only helps youths now, it helps prepare them for the future. Their services provide at risk youths with transitional living programs, vocational and placement services, independent living and job training, that helps to make sure that each kid “successfully completes the permanent transition away from street life to a safe and secure living environment to fully participate in society”. LAYN graduate and fellow guitarist/bass player Jill Avilez, shared why the program is still so important to her. She says, “I was lucky to end up at L.A.Y.N. The program and its supportive staff helped save my life and pull me out of my darkest times. I can wholeheartedly say that if I didn't end up at the Beachwood house I most likely would have committed suicide. They helped me get back into Hollywood High School and influenced me to get better grades and focus more on my arts.

They supported my creative self when almost no one else did and it and gave me the confidence to be the unique individual that I am today. I was guided with the tools to help overcome deep mental and emotional trauma and emancipated the program a high school graduate to go on to a 4 year State University to pursue my artistic ambitions". Jill is one of the fortunate“80% of our youth” who “exit our program to live successfully with their families, in foster or group home placements, or independently.”

Jill reminds us that “Not all youth get a chance to explore their own potential and have supporters who genuinely care about their growth and development. And not all youth can find their way to L.A.Y.N., but L.A.Y.N. needs to be there for the ones that do”. Hopefully along with the celebrity rockers that helped host the LAYN ROCKS concert there will also be more attention to keeping kids off the streets and into a home where they are truly cared for by individuals who want to shed light on an otherwise potentially dark road.

Rooney @ The El Ray

2009-12-01T23:13:00.000-08:00

Written By: David Carr
Photos By: Karen Curley

View all of Karen's Rooney photos here.

If you were a fan of the OC or possibly watching MTV in 2003 (back when MTV was still attempting to play music videos) you may remember Rooney. Rooney burst onto the scene with a debut disc that was one part modern rock and there parts Beach Boys/ELO and Southern California sound. They had (and still have) enough hooks to stock a bait and tackle shop, but thanks to a ton of record label hang-ups, it took four years for their follow up to be released. Within that time the band actually recorded two discs that their record label passed on. With record label woes behind them, the band is gearing up to release their third disc next year and to celebrate they are heading out on the road this winter to say hi to their fans and test out some new material. They kicked off their tour with a show at the El Rey Theater Thanksgiving weekend.

After a couple of openers, Rooney took the stage to the screams and squeals of their adoring young fans. Thanks to relentless touring the band is still in fine form as a live act. Lead vocalist/frontman Robert Schwartzman still retains his melodic vocals and rock and roll swagger and the band still has their signature harmonies intact. Since this was the first night of the tour, the group is still working out a few kinks such as a new tune sung by their drummer that fell flat and some key harmonies that may need some polishing.

The band is at its best however, when it comes to spinning tales of boy meets girl and when they hit the pocket on tunes such as “Blueside” and “Shakin”. It is clear that there is still an innocence and sincerity within that band and one might be hard pressed to find both of those attributes in today’s cookie cutter boy bands and emo outfits. Time may not be on their side but the group proved on a Friday night that they are still alive, kickin’ and looking forward to a great winter tour and busy New Year.

Rooney Tour Dates:
November 28, 2009 - The Glass House - Pomona, CA
November 29, 2009 - Slim's - San Francisco, CA
November 30, 2009 - WOW Hall - Eugene, OR
December 1, 2009 - Hawthorne Theatre - Portland, OR
December 2, 2009 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA
December 4, 2009 - In the Venue - Salt Lake City, UT
December 5, 2009 - Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO
December 7, 2009 - Station 4 - St. Paul, MN
December 8, 2009 - House of Blues - Chicago, IL
December 9, 2009 - Majestic Theatre - Detroit, MI
December 10, 2009 - Beachland Ballroom - Cleveland, OH
December 11, 2009 - Webster Hall - New York City, NY
December 12, 2009 - Club Stage - Baltimore, MD
December 13, 2009 - Middle East Underground - Cambridge, MA
December 16, 2009 - The Loft - Atlanta, GA
December 17, 2009 - Tipitina's Uptown - New Orleans, LA
December 18, 2009 - Meridian - Houston, TX
December 19, 2009 - Emo's - Austin, TX
December 20, 2009 - Granada Theater - Dallas, TX
December 22, 2009 - Club Congress - Tucson, AZ

Them Crooked Vultures @ Roseland Theater

2009-12-01T22:57:00.000-08:00

Written By: Sebastian Barnum
Photos By: Emily Rex

View all of Emily's them Crooked Vultures photos here.

Portland, OR - So here’s the story of my life. I waited for four hours in a line of awkward middle-aged people interspersed with diehard fans only to get in the building and find out that the venue lost my tickets. After waiting for 25 minutes, the lady realized that they were hiding under her big, fat floppy grandma bingo wing arms, and she kindly apologizes, as I head upstairs to a sold out show, which I am in the ass end of. However there is a light at the end of every tunnel (as long as it’s not night time.)

After sitting through what was an admittedly terrible opening band doing 80’s cover songs for 30 minutes, the lights came up and I felt hope again. Then I noticed a security guard I knew smiling at me, I asked for a favor, and he took me to the front of the crowd. Then, after waiting for a few minutes, the lights went down. As soon as Dave Grohl almost fell over his drums, and John Paul Jones Played a ten string slide bass, all the crap from earlier just melted away.

Needless to say, a band with a god, a legend and a madman is going to be quite awesome. However, I can promise you, I was blown away. I completely underestimated Josh Holm as both a front man and a guitar player. He was fantastic, and it’s a shame he is more famous for his random outbursts at audiences than anything else. Dave Grohl was fantastic. I have never seen a drummer with that level of energy having such precision and accuracy with his instrument. Of course, the most impressive person of the evening was Mr. John Paul Jones. His sheer mastery of not only bass, but also the piano was exhilarating, and stunning at the same time.

Because the album had only come out four days prior to the show, the crowd was total crap. At one point Josh turned to the audience and asked “You guys still with us?” It was clear that those who were there, including me, were attending purely out of respect and admiration for the musicians rather than the music. However, the show that was put on by this fantastic trio was amazing none the less. I would say it was the third best show I have ever seen, which is quite a statement.

The set was essentially the band’s first album on shuffle, but that’s not to say it was no better than listening to the recording. The album in no way captures the heavy, funky, grimy, energetic sound that is “Them Crooked Vultures.” There were a few moments that completely made the evening; the most memorable would be Josh’s drunken performance of “Interlude With Ludes,” a Hawaiian sounding song that resembles both an acid trip and an orgasm. He began by playing the slide guitar intro, then quickly put down the guitar, picked up a beer, and began to hula.

Another aspect that made the show great, were these two moments during songs during which the band would just start making stuff up. Not to seem cliché, but it was very “Zeppelin-esque.” Between Holms intricate and flawless guitar work, Grohls pounding of the drums like a pissed off teenager, and Jones’ funky bass riffs, it fit perfectly into that delicate gap between chaos and beauty.

Finally, as this evening seemed to be past the point of perfection, John Paul Jones sat down at his piano, and played the most gorgeous melody. It was reminiscent of “No Quarter” but this piece clearly had its very own motif. As he played through the intro of “Spinning In Daffodils” I couldn’t help but be moved, that was until Josh Holm and Dave Grohl begin the pounding and grinding that could make a mute cry out in anticipation. After they completed that song, they moved on to the finale (Gunman,) at which point Jones picks up the most incredible bass ever created. A custom made ten string bass that lights up when you hit a note. I felt like a child staring at a ray gun.

All in all, the evening was fantastic. Once I moved on from the crappy circumstances and went on to the jaw dropping band, everything seemed to work out. The band was flawless, and that was from the perspective of someone who really didn’t expect anything from Josh Holm, and knew none of the songs on the set. As a person who is now a diehard fan of both the musicians and the music, I can promise you, you don’t want to miss this band.

DJ Tiesto @ The Shrine Auditorium 11/28/09

2009-12-01T22:52:00.000-08:00

Written By: Darwin Green
(Senior Editor)

Photos By: Susana Capra

View all of Susana's DJ Tiesto photos here.

The Shrine auditorium boasts modish yet Moorish architecture. Gentle arches, in the style seen typically in a mosque, adorn the walls and some of the entranceways. One would, in a building designed like this, wonder if it lined up with Mecca if not for the glowsticks, fishnet stockings, dyed hair in all shapes and sizes, and oversized furry boots on its male and female patrons.

Before I walked in, I wondered how much the rave scene had changed since I had been to my last rave, about seven years ago. Not much had changed, and the variables were all there. There were the people already rolling, with their friends spinning light shows in front of their eyes with bright LED lights instead of incandescent lights. There were still the electric vibrators, though now I saw them on people’s fingertips like gloves instead of those awkwardly huge ones back in the day. There were the couples who lounged on pillows outside, caught up silently in their own state of bliss apart from the crowd. There were the candy ravers, with beaded elastic bands clear up to their elbows in their bright orange clothing. And there were also the dancers, who spasmed and spun in place. The differences were minor, at most. Everyone had a cell phone. All the raver toys had been updated. Looking on above the crowd one saw them like the fish found at the deepest depths of the ocean spinning and whirling through the sea of people.

The visuals behind the opening act were nothing but Heineken ads. Indeed, it looked like Heinekin placed its ads everywhere within eyesight. I wanted to grab a beer, but the bars only accepted cash, and the one ATM in the place was “offline.”

The music of the opening act took hold of the crowd strong enough and for a sufficient length of time that they swayed and danced as though with one mind. The energy started to build almost right from the beginning, and continued as everybody’s drug of choice started to kick in. I realized that I had on a nice sweater and a pair of jeans, coming from a post-Thanksgiving lunch with my family. I felt like the undercover cop who’s out of touch with fashion trends as I walked around the venue, though after sitting down for less than five minutes someone gave me a blunt and left me to smoke it by myself midway through it. Then a girl, walking past us, asked us one by one:

“Rolls? Anyone? Rolls?”

I felt less self-conscious after she asked me, as though the way I dressed, in a strange way, fit in enough for her to even approach me.

When Tiesto kicked on I happened to be at the right place at the right time. The openers left the stage with an intense, emotional track playing. Tiesto walked up to the turntables and CDJs and powered the song up to its peak amidst the rise of every IPhone, camera, blackberry, and other portable video recording device in the house. By this time the joint started to kick in, and suddenly I saw the incredible visuals displayed behind him.

In a moment I went from being a skeptic towards Tiesto to becoming mesmerized by the entire performance. The strobes in front of the visual display hypnotized me with the effects caused by the combination of both, synced perfectly with every little musical choice he made onstage, as though each sample, each fade and transition, caused the visual behind it to appear onscreen and timed with the strobes. Skulls, women who sang the vocals, wild patterns of light and waves, all drifted in and out of the view, sometimes accompanied with a burst of smoke and, occasionally, complete darkness where suited. The meld of music and visuals, to me, held the price of the ticket.

Big Lovin' Panda @ Club Good Hurt

2009-11-28T14:39:00.001-08:00

Written By: Natalie Hamingson
Photos By: Karen Curley

View all of Karen's Big Lovin' Panda Photos here.

Big Lovin Panda Dose Out the Tunes at Club Good Hurt’s “Medicinal Mondays”

After funk pop-rock band Big Lovin’ Panda’s November 23rd show at Culver City’s Club Good Hurt, front man Alex Schneiderman remarked that it wasn’t one of their best performances, but I never would have guessed that the band’s impressive set was actually an off night for them.

So far this year, the Los Angeles band has enjoyed residencies at the Good Hurt for “Medicinal Mondays,” featuring Emilee Wilson’s Vertigirls, a non-stripping pole dancer troupe, and at the Unknown Theater in Hollywood, which will host the band’s release show on December 12th for their upcoming seven song EP, “Trinkets.”

The group started between guitarist Tony Ferrara and bassist Tal Weinman. Their name is the result of a misheard “otherwise unpronounceable intimate gesture” described by Tal to Tony over loud speakers at a concert. (When Tal clarified that “Big Lovin Panda” was not what he had said, Tony responded, "Either way, I want you to go home and do the big lovin panda, and report back to me tomorrow. ") Alex, who pays the bills by working as an audio engineer at The Roxy Theatre, was added to the mix in 2008. In 2009, Tony’s college buddy from USC, Sean Whalen was recruited on drums.

Big Lovin Panda is completely self-promoted and distributed, and Alex, says they want to keep it that way. On the band’s reverbnation.com page, they describe their sound as “Disco blasting out of the rolled down windows of a hearse raised on monster truck wheels, with just married cans clanging melodically behind.”

While songs on the band’s MySpace playlist, such as “Change of Pace” don’t especially standout over computer speakers, their live songs sound like what radio should be playing. Tal’s funky bass lines make for groove-tastic music, accompanied by Alex’s vocals, which are sort of Brandon Boyd-esque when he’s not occasionally screaming.

Thus far, all of their material has been dispensed online. As I alluded to before, the songs available now do not do justice to Big Lovin Panda’s talent. Luckily, the sound on recent mixes of “Trinkets” pops much more than the compressed MySpace tracks.

Aside from being musically in tune with each other, the sharply dressed band was also stylistically in synch. Later that night, drummer Sean Whalen joked that the band’s two month business plan was to buy boots with funds earned from the EP, when photographer Karen Curley noted how well coordinated the band was.

Between songs, Alex held pole dancer roll call, as he announced each dancer’s arrival to the stage (“It’s Tiffany Time!”). Though Big Lovin’ Panda are fun to watch onstage, I have to admit it was sometimes difficult to keep my eyes on the band, with lingerie clad women performing incredible gymnastic feats in three-to-six inch platform heels off to the side.

The band will hit the road next spring, starting on the West Coast, and hopefully ending in Austin, Texas, where the band wish to play South by Southwest. Though the band is still waiting to hear if they are accepted, Texas native Sean says they may show up for the festivities, even if they aren’t formally invited.

Fanfarlo in PDX

2009-11-28T13:00:00.000-08:00

Written By: Chris Young

Sometimes you forget just how good live music can sound. Crisp horns, whispering strings, and even clanking watering cans.

When about halfway though Fanfarlo's set, you have a "Wow!" moment. And you look around the Doug Fir to the rest of the 20 and 30-somethings tapping along, smiling blissfully. They're thinking exactly the same thing.

On Fanfarlo's first jaunt to PDX, they got their van broken into but that didn't subdue their set. Rather, they took the stage as a trio with a mandolin, guitar and drums to gently strum into the calming darkness.

Then the white Xmas lights were flipped and the band became six, complete with sleek harmonization and a lone horner on "I'm A Pilot." Percussionist Amos Memon delicately generated rolling thunder on the cymbals with his white-tipped mallets while multi-instrumentalist Cathy Lucas twanged a hand saw along with her performance of lullaby oooh-ooooh vocals and on the violin, guitar, and keys.

With a foot stomping, a cappella opening to "The Walls Are Coming Down," Fanfarlo produced a tight, precise sound that was perfumed by the whiskey drifting from my neighbor's plastic Dixie cup.

Trumpeter Leon Beckenham also picked up the world's smallest, red tambourine while co-lead singer Simon Balthazar snatched as many instruments as he could including a clarinet towards the end of the set.

The London sextet appeared very prim and proper, more like proper-hip, onstage building up to a super-synthy rendition of "Luna" with a calming interlude where Beckenham swapped his horn for a melodica to close the night.

New York's Freelance Whales opened the night with Jónsi-style bowing of the guitar strings and xylophone chimes. Banjos strummed. Electro-inclined synths chirruped. And all five members blended vocals into indubitable, indie pop.

Foggy echoes of drawn out moans and aaaahhs floated around portable harmonium pumps and the bow was employed on something that looked like a cross between a birdcage-hamster wheel-giant whisk, but turned out to be a waterphone. Obviously.

Freelance Whales even beat a tin watering can in a "Do-Re-Mi"-esque jam leaving behind a serene, familial vibe.

---
Thursday, November 19th, 2009
Fanfarlo
Freelance Whales
Doug Fir Lounge

Dir En Grey @ The House Of Blues

2009-11-27T20:24:00.001-08:00

Article and Photos By: Mehra B.

View all of Mehra's Dir En Grey photos here.

Anytime Dir En Grey plays North America is a monumental event. Most acts from overseas that try to crossover into international markets have about as successful music careers as Macho Man Randy Savage (yes, he made a record). But Dir en Grey, a progressive/metal band that got its start in Japan's visual Kei movement of the 90's, has managed to avoid the same ill-fated mistakes of other crossover acts like Japan's Hikaru Utada, and Korean pop sensation BoA.

On Sunday, November 22nd, fans lined up outside the House of Blues on Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles and waited two and a half hours for the show to begin. No opening acts, no time fillers--just Dir en Grey, and Dir en Grey fans. As the curtain opened and the band took the stage, the crowd cheered "Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!" - what's known as the "GDS chant" to DEG fans.

The band opened the show with the deep bass of "Obscure," and by the third song, the crowd had almost completely pushed the barricade to the stage. Fans were treated to a set of about 14 songs, with the first half being mostly songs from their first and third records (Gauze and Kisou), and the second half of the set being dominated by their newer and heavier material. "Bottom of Death Valley" and the five song encore that kicked off with "Akuro no Oka" and ended with the "IID Empire" were the highlights of the show.

With a vocal range and ability that could make even Mariah Carey look like an amateur, singer Kyo's voice was on point throughout the entire performance; hitting every high note, screech, growl, and sound unknown to mankind perfectly. However, missing from his performance was the inclusion of his infamous stage antics of vomiting and self-mutilation. Nonetheless, the band put on a solid show, that had every person in the venue pumping their fists, singing along, or putting up metal horns. Even the 50-something-year-old woman standing next to me was rocking her hips and taking pictures on her mobile phone.

The audience was a healthy mix of culturally diverse fans who--for the most part--seemed to be long-term devotees, with the Hot Topic kinder-goth crowd almost completely absent. At the end of the encore, the band members took to the stage one by one to bow to and applaud the fans; throwing out bags of guitar picks, drum sticks, and bottled waters. Attendees who purchased the band's new release Uroboros CD/DVD were also treated to a full band meet-and-greet after the show.

The intimate setting, common thread among fans, and mutual appreciation between band and fans provided for an incredibly personal and outstanding music experience which I have never witnessed by a band of such stature, and wouldn't mind seeing more of in the future. Note to American bands: Dir en Grey is giving you a run for your money.

Thanks to Amy @ The End Records for making this review and accompanying photos possible.

Snoop Dogg @ Club Nokia 11/19/09

2009-11-23T01:16:00.000-08:00

Written By: Jim Markunas
(Editor-In-Chief)

Photos By: Ed Hannigan

View all of Ed’s Snoop Dogg photos here.

If you’re not a fan of Snoop Dogg, you truly lack any sense of taste, musical knowledge, or history. Trust me, I know these things; I’m the editor of a magazine. Personally, I’m a long-time fan of Snoop (so is my mother).

Doggystyle was the very first album (tape, actually) that I ever owned. One of the kids in my 4th grade class gave it to me after his mother caught him listening to it, and informed him that his taste in uber-classic West Coast Gangsta shit was inappropriate for a 10-year-old. But was it? At 9-and-a-half years old, I didn’t think so! I would sit in my room for hours listening to Snoop’s first solo record. I often went to bed listening to the tape. I used to fast-forward past “Lodi Dodi,” because it wasn’t a very good song, and “Serial Killer” because it scared me; after all, I was only 9. I’d even go as far as to say that Doggystyle helped shape me into the distinguished young man that I am today.

One day, like and idiot, I managed to get my copy of the tape confiscated. My mom and I had been driving home from summer camp when I suddenly asked, “Mom, what does ‘nigga’ mean?”

I had never heard that particular word before (before Doggystyle that is), and was genuinely confused about its meaning. A look of absolute disgust and horror overtook my mother’s face as she slammed on the breaks and yelled, “Where did you learn that word?!?! At Camp?!?!”

“No,” I replied, “I heard Snoop say it… numerous times.”

“Snoopy? The Peanuts character? That doesn’t make any sense!”

“No! Snoop Dogg!”

“Who’s Snoop Dogg?”

“The best rapper ever!”

When we got home, I showed her the tape. Remember the cartoon/comic strip that made up the cover art for Doggystyle? It chronicled a typical day in the life of my Uncle Snoop, that involved getting high on Hocus Pocus (stress, cess, or ‘bad weed’), brandishing several handguns at neighbors (everyone in the comic was depicted as half dog, half man, mind you) and ended with Snoop getting it on with a bitch (literally, a female dog… or half woman, half dog) from the back. Well… When my mother saw all of that, she was horrified. Non-sequitur: What the fuck was up with MC Hammer’s “Pumps and a Bump?” Anyone remember that? That was WAY more horrifying!

Anyhow, she took the tape… and started listening to it herself. A few days later, we were driving in the car, and I decided to turn on the radio; Doggystyle came blaring out of the speakers. Yes… I caught my hypocritical mother listening to Snoop Dogg. She gave me an embarrassed look and said, “You were right, he is the best rapper ever.” She gave me back the tape, and the rest is history.

About Snoop's Club Nokia appearance... Unfortunately, Ice Cube, The Game and Kanye West are in a three-way tie for my personal best rapper ever award (bumping my Uncle Snoop Dogg down to 4th place just above Dr. Dre), but Snoop is hands-down THE best celebrity and performer I’ve ever seen! Again, if you don’t agree, you have no A&R skills (smiles).

I’m was feeling a little burned out this week, so when Snoop opened with “The Shiznit” with Tha Dogg Pound’s Daz and Kurupt as hype men, I nearly shat my pants with jubilant glee. Snoop strolled onto the stage wearing what can only be described as a ‘gang-flag jump suit’ (see pics), and brought the house down for a full two hours. After “Shiznit,” he immediately ripped into “Gin and Juice,” and from there The Dogg Pound broke into “Cali Iz Active.” The rest of the set was an awesometasticgansterfied blur (is that even a word?)

Snoop, and a gang of celebrity guest stars, including Daz, Kurupt, Xzibit, Lady of Rage, RBX, Butch Cassidy, and Too Short performed an eclectic set made up of songs from Doggystyle, Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, DPG’s Cali Iz Active, R&G, Ego Trippin’, Tha Chronic 1 & 2, and various ‘guest star’ singles. Snoop skipped all the unknown stuff from his No Limit/Priority catalog, and it was the perfect set! No offense to EMI, I’m sure going forward, all of Snoop’s releases will continue to be gems. Seriously, Snoop is hot! He may have had a minor 10-year lull from 1996-2006 (excluding his 1999 performance on Chronic 2001), but nowadays, everything Snoop touches turns to gold (or platinum). Every solo album from Tha Blue Carpet Treatment until now, and any single Snoop lends guest vocals to is an instant classic – career-wise, Snoop’s on fire!

Snoop also performed two songs from the upcoming Malice In Wonderland, his first release under his new tenure with EMI/Capitol/Priority (do I have that right?). In addition to being a flagship artist, Snoop is also Priority’s creative director, and with this position may just bring back the West Coast for a third time (the second was when The Game released The Documentary).

I’m a full-fledged believer in Snoop Dogg, a hip-hop legend that’s more musically diverse than Cypress Hill, and more fun to watch than Richard Prior. My recommendation is to not only buy Malice N’ Wonderland when it comes out, but also to catch Snoop live, as he gives any live rock or rap group a run for their money. Uncle Snoopy, I give you an A+ for Thursday’s performance!

Other Highlights: Up-and-coming rapper Diamond Lane played a few songs, including the ultra-West Coast anthem, “I Wanna Get Fucked Up,” before DJ Quick took the stage. Quick hasn’t lost a step in his old age, and got the crowd riled up with his large back catalog of classic West Coast anthems.

The only West Coast celebrities that didn’t make an appearance were Cube, Dre, and The Game.

Essential Snoop Dogg Albums:
Tha Chronic (Dr. Dre)
Doggystyle
Chronic 2001 (Dr. Dre)
Cali Iz Active (Tha Dogg Pound/DPGC)
Tha Blue Carpet Treatment
Ego Trippin’
Death Row: The Lost Sessions Vol. 1
Malice N’ Wonderland

Hot Metal Porn Night @ Hustler Hollywood

2009-11-23T01:12:00.000-08:00

Photos By: Karen Curley

View all of Karen's Hustler HPMN photos here.

It's Hot Metal Porn night at Hustler Hollywood where we explored the fusion of metal music and porn sexuality!

Jessica Tezier starred in the London West End production of Rent at the Shaftsbury Theatre. She went on to star, produce and direct in an avant-garde kinky movie called Chiuso. She's outspoken in her attitudes towards sexuality. She's fronted several London bar bands. She does a mean Marilyn Manson cover. She strips when she sings. She's so hot I suggest you wear sunscreen. She was in L.A and came (no pun intended) to Hustler last Thursday for your pleasure. Don't worry. We brought our cameras.

Musical guests for the evening were the Dysphemistic. They put the hard steel in metal combing porn novel prose with hardcore sonic thunder. It's hundred decibel orgasms coming atchya with such classics as Ass To Mouth and No Means Maybe. Put them together with Jessica and you have a night sure to etch another legend into the Sunset Strip rock and roll mythos.

Shotgun Alley @ Key Club

2009-11-20T13:04:00.000-08:00

Article and Photos By: A. Mac

View all of A. Mac's Shotgun Alley photos here.

Sounds that echo decades past, and hip swivels that give Shakira a run for her money, Shotgun Alley can put on a show. Arriving at the Key Club I was not exactly sure what to expect... I had done my homework, checked out their Myspace, listened to a song or two but, as we all know, live performances and recordings are two different experiences. It happened to be my first time at the Key Club (I'm a L.A. newbie!) and I was pumped to have Shotgun Alley kick off the work week.

When Shotgun Alley took the stage lights were dim and people were quietly awaiting the first sound. The lights came up and instantly the band jumped into a foot tapping, hair swinging, hip thrusting, ROCK. The energy was intoxicating and the sound penetrating. Shotgun Alley formed in January of 2009 in Auckland, New Zealand. This 6 piece group cites 80s superstars Motley Crue and Alice Cooper.

In fact, they claim to share a bond with Cooper after supporting him on his "Theatre of Death" tour. With multiple instruments and voices their sound is raucous and loud. Rich and full of layers, guitar leads battle in harmony, keyboards swell and lead singer, R.J Kairua dances his ass off.

You've got to give it up to a New Zealand born band playing leather panted wank rock. They aren't striving for Juilliard and the upper echelon's of musical beauty. Their aspirations are pure. Instead, they'd rather American families out to dinner gawk over their glass bound, black leather jackets at Hard Rock Cafe. Wank rock! Bret Michaels! White jeans! And they know you love it.

I could see that they are not a band of misguided day-dreamers brandishing guitars but instead, a representation of an entire lifestyle. And it shows...from top to cowboy boot bottom, drawing a crowd ranging from typical hipster kids, to a handful of tweens, rocker dudes, and even a stripper or two. Their whole appeal is boisterous good times.

Matisyahu @ Horizon Records & The Handlebar

2009-11-18T01:40:00.000-08:00

Written By: Victor Alfieri

November 12, 2009 – Greenville, SC - So a Hasidic Jew, reggae/rock/rapper walks into a bar in the “Bible Belt…” No, this is not the beginning of a joke. When Matthew Miller, AKA Matisyahu, rolled into Greenville, SC, I’m sure he had no idea what to expect. There were probably even questions in advance as to how this ended up a stop on his “Light Tour.” After all this town is truly right in the middle of the “Bible Belt” and the Jewish community is limited at best.

What he experienced may have a long-lasting effect on us all. As he has been doing in most cities, he started the evening with a free show to give the fans a taste of what was to come. Horizon Records is a beacon of light in the music industry; an independent music store that has fought the establishment for over 30 years. It was here that the evening started. The store was overwhelmed. The crowd actually spilled out into the parking lot.

What was most intriguing about this crowd was who was in it. Young children, frat boys, dreadlocked hippies and old Jewish ladies had come together to hear a special blend of music that apparently crossed all sorts of cultures, ages, genres and pre-conceived notions. Matisyahu was visibly touched by the attendance. At his suggestion, doors and windows were opened so the crowd outside could hear.

The short set was not quite “unplugged,” but scaled down considerably as he was joined by just the two guitarists and bass player. Matisyahu took care of the percussion himself using his beatbox talents to fill the gaps. The set list focused on the recent album, as well as one track that did not make the cut. The arrangements were subdued and lyrics more heartfelt. It was just a taste of what was to come…

Matisyahu brought his “A” game for the main event that evening, and the sold out crowd at The Handlebar were up for the challenge. Backing him was a stage full of amazing musicians that deserve spotlights of their own. Aaron Dugan (guitar) & Rob Marscher (keyboards), official members of the Matisyahu entity have teamed up with the Dub Trio on this tour. DT, consisting of DP Holmes (guitar), Stu Brooks (bass) & Joe Tomino (drums), are known for their ability to also blend genres seamlessly and, as witnessed, have the ability to bring the funk.

Ripping bass lines and percussion, battling guitar riffs, combined with dubs, samples and keyboard play set the stage for the man in the spotlight and he did not disappoint. For over two hours, the band shifted from rock, to reggae, to funk, all while Matisyahu pounded his positive lyrics and beatbox talents at the crowd. From the first note, the crowd was with him, and as the level of emotion went higher, we all followed as he covered songs, both popular and obscure. “King Without a Crown” and many of the newer songs were big hits with those in attendance.

As the show came to a close, the crowd was frantic and called for the obligatory encore. Special guest Kosha Dillz came out and freestyle rapped for a while about anything that the crowd threw up on stage, including a prescription pill container and somebody’s wallet. The night was set for one final push over the edge. A prolonged version of “One Day,” the current hit off of Light with a stage dive from Matisyahu put the exclamation point on an amazing night.

The crowd was not quite as diverse as the earlier free show, but there were still a few kids out way past there bedtime as well as a few old Jewish ladies sitting in the back. I think the town did the artist justice and I hope it will make him want to come back in the future. As he continues his tour, if he comes to your town, it is truly in your best interest to go see this show. The Matisyahu/Dub Trio combination is worth every penny and then some.

Glassjaw/RX Bandits @ The Mayan

2009-11-18T01:01:00.001-08:00

Written By: Steve Sawyer
Photos By: Cindy Guillermo

View all of Cindy's Glassjaw/RX Bandit photos here.

It's been 7 years since Glassjaw released “Worship and Tribute” an album that many people, including myself, consider flawless. A similar amount of time has passed since the band has seriously toured. Aside from a few one off shows, and some short east coast runs throughout the years, Glassjaw has kept a relatively low profile. But if you know anything about the band's history or their absolutely ravenous fanbase, then you know that simply being able to avoid the spotlight is no small feat for the group. With all this in mind I should have been surprised when I strolled up to The Mayan theater to find it sold out, with a line wrapping around the block. I wasn't. So despite the long lines, a fever of 101, and a security guard that didn't seem to understand how crucial the vitamin C in my Topicana orange juice was to my rapidly declining state of health, I troopered on and made my way inside the venue.

The Mayan is extremely well designed for it's size, with an open floor, balcony seating, and bars tucked in every corner, it's architect definitely made the most of it's square footage. We quickly made our way to the barricades in front of the stage so we could catch the first three songs from the energetic opening act, The RX Bandits. When the lights hit, and the band finally took to the stage the entire audience was treated to an inspired drum number where each member of the band had a set of sticks, and a drum to contribute to the raucous percussive bombast. It was spectacular. They blasted seamlessly into their opening number, and I quickly remembered what makes these guys so special, they're impeccable.

Their unique blend of ska, post hardcore, and tight vocal interaction puts them back on my list of “bands I have no excuse to not listen to”. To their credit, Matt Embree, and Steve Choi have an exceptional stage dynamic that shone through their entire performance, defined their stage time, and displayed their vocal strength all at once without so much as a single flaw. For a band that has gone through so many lineup changes, and has had to deal with label issues, and the other typical band crap, it was very refreshing to see them having a blast, and rocking it out.

After a performance that left me wishing I knew more about The RX Bandits recent years, and music, I was ready for some Glassjaw. I didn't have to wait very long at all, as the band wasted no time tearing into some new material.

The new music sounded as fresh and tight as ever, and showed that age has done nothing to take away the bands bite. Whatever doubts Daryl Palumbo, and Head Automatica had put in my head about his ability to still scream his lungs out, were laid to rest. And as he and Justin Beck shredded effortlessly into “Tip Your Bartender”, and fan favorite “Mu Empire” it became immediately clear that this band was in no danger of going soft anytime soon. What's also interesting, is just like The RX Bandits, Glassjaw has had to deal with a major component of their sound disappearing in the form of Todd Weinstock and his guitar, but just like the Bandits, it's done nothing to take away the impact of their music. By the time “Ape Dos Mil” hit the speakers, and the familiar snare roll, and bass lick combo thudded through my chest, the entire crowd was swaying, singing, and swooning all at once.

After the song, we were kicked out of the barricades, and had to quickly find a comfortable spot to watch the rest of the show. We made our way to the left side of The Mayan, and found ourselves between the guard railing and a conveniently placed set of items, in the forms of a guy selling beer, and a trashcan. Taking refuge in my new found sanctuary of alcohol and sanitation I was treated to another new song, which after a short explanation Daryl Revealed to be “Jesus Glue.”

I was utterly surprised at how aggressive the new material is shaping out to be, with Daryl's frequent screams, and an explosive blend of old school hardcore sensibility, and dare I say Latin influences? But even more critical than that is how much the band has matured within their material, the new songs are so much more fleshed out than their previous work and show a band that has used the time away to construct something bulletproof.

And continuing with that trend the highlight of the night for me was an equally bulletproof performance of the almost completely bass powered titular track from the album “Worship and Tribute”, and gauging from the response of the fans, it was theirs too. Bassist Manuel Carrero (Pew Pew) delivered every bass lick with precision, setting up the foundation for the wall of guitar sound that Justin Beck creates on every Glassjaw track. And by the time the climactic end of the song rolled around it was amazingly clear why they've stuck by their drummer Durijah for so long, with every single member watching each other for the slightest cues, it was like watching a performing family, more than it was watching a band going through a set-list of predetermined songs.

So you can understand my disappointment when Daryl announced that they were only playing two more songs. But fortunately one of those last two songs was the “Hotel of the White Locust”
Whatever reserves of energy the boys had been saving up were quickly unleashed, and all hell broke loose. And as he screamed his way through the familiar chorus, “Who could ever, who the fuck could ever. Take place of me?” It became pretty evident by the time hit their second encore “Babe” the answer was a resounding “No one.” Good to have you back Glassjaw.

The RX Bandits are:
• Matt Embree – vocals, guitar
• Steve Choi – guitar, keyboards
• Joseph Troy – bass, backing vocals
• Christopher Tsagakis – drums

Glassjaw is:
• Daryl Palumbo - Vocals
• Justin Beck - Guitars
• Durijah Lang - Drums, Percussion
• Manuel Carrero - Bass

Love Grenades Blow Up Bardot

2009-11-17T13:44:00.000-08:00

Story and Photos By: Markus Eliance

View all of Markus' Love Grenades photos here.

When I first arrived at the entrance of the club, I could feel the energy. I was early (apparently an uncommon practice as I would soon learn), and as the bouncers led me through the side alley entrance and up the stairs, the air of exclusivity was upon me. This is the Hollywood the Love Grenades were coming to turn upside down.

With an audience full of derby hats and ironic t-shirts, stylish blondes with pouty lips, and wannabe scenesters drinking imported beer, I waited patiently for the band to arrive. I waded through the crowd in the dance hall to the main room, where the DJ was spinning breakbeats and grooveable dance tracks. Out of nowhere, Smokey Robinson's "Tracks of My Tears" pops out of the speaker. This night is becoming more unpredictable by the minute.

As the minutes go by, I got bold and snuck a seat into the roped-off VIP booth, dead-center with the stage area. I invited a trio of girls to sit with me -- two brunettes, and a blonde sporting one of the aforementioned derby hats. The blonde is from Boston, and chats with me about girls in gun clubs (at the mention of the magazine I work for.) During this small talk, one of the brunettes goes to light her cigarette in the candle on the table; she leaned in seductively to take a drag, and at that moment, accidentally set her hair on fire. Luckily, I moved quickly and lightly grabbed the flaming strands, extinguishing it with my bare hand. Her friends screamed in a mix of shock and embarrassment, but the brunette simply laughed it off with, "I know who's getting a haircut tomorrow." She gave me a kiss and dragged her two companions to the bathroom (probably for damage assessment).

Finally, after two hours have passed, the stage lighting activates, swirling flashes of green, red, and squad car-blue. When Elizabeth Wight, the lead singer, belts out the first few notes of "City Lights", I was taken aback by the sudden wave of musical energy that rushed through the room. I moved closer in to the stage, sitting cross-legged on the floor. It felt like the band was playing in my bedroom. The seating arrangement is so close, that the lead singer took the opportunity to sit in a few laps and pit dive into the crowd. How much more intimate can you get?

The audience was absolutely enthralled with her, as she pranced barefoot across the room. The band's turntablist coolly sipped at his beer in between mixing, and the guitarist, Corey, turned every note he played into a vibrating harmony with Elizabeth's breathy voice. With a pitch that easily rivals any of today's female pop vocalists, she oozes a raw talent that bolsters the sound of each track. It's like the Yeah Yeah Yeah's had made a baby with Daft Punk in a disco hall bathroom.

In the middle of the set, Elizabeth pauses the show to ask for a drink. At least three male audience members struggle to make a break for the bar. She cries through the mike, "Vodka and Cranberry! And some water, too." The whole room feels like a group a friends reuniting after years of being apart. It was that carefree spirit that got everyone in the house grooving like there was no tomorrow. The band blazed through a six-song set, and ended it with an encore of their song "Young Lovers."

I highly recommend you check out the track at their MySpace, as well as the video. I left Bardot that night with a new song stuck in my head, and the remnants of that energy trailing behind me.

Switchfoot @ The Roxy 11/11 (Sold Out Show)

2009-11-17T12:56:00.000-08:00

Written By: Jim Markunas
(Editor-In-Chief)

View all of our Switchfoot photos here.

It’s been 4 years since Switchfoot has put out a seminole record. A few years after Sony tried to steamroll their career by adding spyware to hard copies of their 2005 album, Nothing Is Sound, Switchfoot severed all ties, opting to go ‘back to their indie roots.’ They started their own imprint and inked a distribution deal with Atlantic Records. Switchfoot’s new album Hello Hurricane is one of the most anticipated records of 4th quarter 2009. Released the same day as their Roxy appearance, Hello Hurricane was to be played live in it’s entirety. I knew this sold out show at the Roxy was going to be great; fans were lined up from the Roxy all the way to La Cienega Blvd (5-6 blocks down the street), eagerly awaiting Switchfoot’s first performance of Hello Hurricane (which, as I said before, was to be played by the band in its entirety that night).

Switchfoot performed without an opening act, and took their sweet time getting on stage. Just as I thought the show would never start, as hour after hour had painfully crawled by, the lights went dim, and every member of Switchfoot, except vocalist Jon Foreman, calmly walked on stage. They ripped into the first song off Hello Hurricane, singing began… but where was Jon? I flipped around 180 degrees, only to see that he was standing on a makeshift riser at the back of the club. Foreman sang to the crowd from across the room as the band played on the stage.

Jon is a rock star in his own right; he may look like the spitting image of David Spade, but believe me, there’s nothing comical about how he rocked it out. Jon was then somehow passed over the crown and on to the stage. The band ripped into the second song off Hello Hurricane, Foreman began to sing as he ripped off his black leather jacked and slowly strapped on his guitar (see the play-by-play of this in our photos section). I have to say, this was some sexy shit! That alone made up for the hours and hours of waiting for the band to grace the stage.

The rest of the show was a tad anti-climactic in certain parts, and majorly awesome in others. The next highlight was when Jon jumped off stage to sing to the crowd. He managed to push his way through the packed venue, belting out lyrics as he made his way through the crowd and back to the stage.

One thing I can say about Hello Hurricane is that it’s a consistent record (up to par with any other Switchfoot record) – fast and hard in some parts, and beautiful and slow in others. Check out Switchfoot.com for more tour dates. I’m not sure if they’re planning on playing Hello Hurricane front-to-back for the whole tour, but even if they aren’t, they’re a must-see live band.

Want More Switchfoot?
Jason Coldiron's Interview With Switchfoot's Chad Butler
View all of our Switchfoot Photos (Roxy)
News/Tour Dates
Review of Hello Hurricane

Everclear @ The Roxy 11/12/09

2009-11-16T16:51:00.000-08:00

Written By: Jim Markunas
(Editor-In-Chief)

Photos By: Ed Hannigan

View all of Ed’s Everclear photos here.

I love this band! Actually, I’ve always loved this band. The last time I saw Everclear live was back when Craig and Greg were still in the group, and they were touring to support Slow Motion Daydream. Three years later (2006), after a much publicized implosion and swarms of personal tragedies, Everclear returned with a new line-up and a new album. I bought Welcome To The Drama Club the first week it came out back in late 2006; it was a really cool record, but a dramatic departure from the band’s signature sound. Art had interwoven his feel-good rock with elements of Van Morrison/Albert Collins-influenced bar-band blues. It was really weird to hear that much Hammond organ on an Everclear record, but still kind of cool at the same time.

Flash forward to November ’09 - I found myself excited in the days before Everclear’s Roxy appearance. Would the new line-up be as good as Craig and Greg? Would they play the old songs, or were they going to perform acoustic tracks off their new disc In A Different Light ? Could Art still rock after all these years? Those questions swam through my mind as my photographer and I waited (as patiently as we could) for Everclear to take the stage.

The first band, Daniel Rockett started late, thereby throwing off the whole night’s schedule. I was pissed until I heard them play – Picture Lynyrd Skynyrd with Chris Farley’s younger brother as the singer, and you’ve got Daniel Rockett, a southern rock-influenced bar band like none other. The next act, Clayton Senne was truly a pleasure to watch (see Ed’s photos here). Clayton and his band consisted of a bassist, drummer, and Clayton himself on piano/vocals. No guitar player!!!! Clayton is the John Mayer of piano, a one-man band in his own right. If you have a chance, check out his Myspace page, you’ll hear what I’m talking about.

Finally, Everclear came on. Art and his new line up took the stage with the unpretentious swagger that Everclear is known for. They immediately ripped into “So Much For The Afterglow” as the packed club erupted with excitement. What enthralled me about Art’s new band is that, with the exception of the bass player, they weren’t too young looking. Most famous musicians make the mistake of bringing a band half-their-age out on the road with them, thereby looking like a grandparent doing his kids a favor – This didn’t happen with Art… Thank God! – Not to mention, the new line up was just as good, if not better, than Craig and Greg. The bass player handled the back up vocal duties with perfect pitch, and the guitar player hit all of Art’s old lead guitar parts note-for-note with renewed energy.

At 47, Art’s still got it! Some rockers over 35 can no longer sing with power or hit high notes. Art has kept his youthful vigor, managing to hit every note like it was 1997 all over again. Sure, he’s got twice as many tattoos and a squarer jaw-line than he did in the 90s, but stylistically, and performance-wise, Art could kick any baby band’s ass, and…. Well… did that night.

Any worries I had about Everclear vanished, as they stormed through a set that included their entire catalog (minus Songs For An American Movie Vol. 2). The few “newer” songs that were played (including a brand new song), translated just as well live as the “classic” Everclear songs. I was a little bummed that Art opted not to play anything from ’Volume 2’, (he told me later it’s his least-favorite Everclear record), but it’s a small gripe that was more than overshadowed by a great performance.

They did a 3-4 song encore (it all get’s a little blurry around then), closing with “I Will Buy You A New Life,” a perfect closing to an exceptionally good show.

The boys are finishing up a West Coast tour, and will more-likely-than-not hit the road again in the next few months. If you have a chance, head over to everclearonline.com for more tour info.

Want more Everclear?
Download Everclear’s "Here Comes The Darkness"
Everclear Feature - 10 Reasons Why Everclear is Still Relevant
Rock/Metal Editor, Jason Coldiron interviews Art Alexakis
Everclear Tour News
View all of Ed’s Everclear Photos (Roxy)
View All of Ed’s Everclear Photos (House of Blues)
CWG's review of In A Different Light

Saint Motel's The Black And White Show @ The Roxy 11/7/09

2009-11-16T12:43:00.000-08:00

Article and Photos By: Tim Bannock

View all of Tim's photos here.
Download "Dear Dictator"

** This was a sold out show!

There comes a time in anyone's life when they go to a concert and it totally takes them by surprise. The kind of surprise where they slip into their regional accent and start saying "wicked" a lot (yeah, I'm from New England).

That time was Saturday, Nov. 7th at The Roxy Theatre: Saint Motel's "THE BLACK AND WHITE SHOW," featuring ArmyNavy, Red Arrow Messenger, and Rumspringa. And it couldn't have come at a better time.

It was one of those nights where you're late for everything, you have to blow a bunch of extra money on parking, and no matter how many times you call the publicist, you find you're just not on the press list. Armed with pocket lint for money, the first realization that you actually have a use for a stupid iPhone (my cell's internet is slow as molasses and mostly unreadable), and the nagging sensation that you should have just stayed home, you just put your head down and push forward. Not out of any sense of determination or some high ideal of "getting the job done," but because you know that these barriers are just your lot in life. If you turn back now, you'd find your car had a flat tire anyway.

With that in mind, you head into the show, just barely missing the first band (sorry ArmyNavy! I heard you were pretty good though!), and grab a good, stiff drink: all black and white specials at this show, so a White Russian will have to do. And then Red Arrow Messenger takes the stage and...well, hell, things just start to get better all of a sudden. A southern rock version of Coldplay, featuring a singer who could sing circles around just about every major singer you can you think of ('cept maybe Mariah Carey, but that woman's pipes are just unnatural). After Red Arrow Messenger comes Rumspringa, a two-piece heavy-metal-esque rockabilly act with '70s funk attitude and solos that will make you wail out the blues. And that's just the start.

While I'd heard Saint Motel's music (check out their MySpace page, and make sure you scroll down; sometimes the big picture at top doesn't load and it looks like a blank page), I really just didn't expect them to be able to match the two previous bands. The show was just that good up to that point. But when the cocky quartet took the stage and exploded into their unique blend of melodic rock, the show only got better. Their music immediately brings to mind some kind of funky amalgam of The Flaming Lips, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Weezer. There's a slightly obscured sexuality to the songs, a highly irreverent rock & roll attitude, and all of that underscored by the band's energy which was unparalleled.

Saint Motel pulls out all the stops though, adding a highly visual element to the show. With so many groups now copying the "let's play dress up" of Gnarls Barkley or Slipknot (now that's a weird combo!), Saint Motel uses less costume and more movie. But it's not just static pictures on the back wall, or film clips cycled through a projector (although there's some of that, too). No, Saint Motel had every single microphone on the stage hooked to a camera, so you were looking directly into their faces at various points while they screamed, sang, jumped around, or rocked out. There was a camera in the back of the audience, so you'd get a far-off view of the entire (super-packed) audience and the antics on the stage beyond it. There was even a camera wandering through the crowd, transmitting the unwitting passersby as they channeled the band's music and whipped around in a flurry to the fantastic jams. It was like an art show within a film all trying to burst out of a concert with explosive effect.

Mere words can do Saint Motel no justice. These guys have toured with some big acts, and their debut EP, ForPlay, sold like crazy at the concert. Special digital versions containing 6 music videos on top of the EP's 6 tracks are available on the band's MySpace page. There's pretty much no stopping this melodic juggernaut, so you better check 'em out before they steamroll right over you.

Nov. 17th they are at UC Santa Barbara, and Nov 18th they will be appearing at Cal State in Fullerton.

I Will Never Be The Same @ Dakota Bar 11/6/09

2009-11-15T23:02:00.001-08:00

Article and Photos By: Tim Bannock

View all of Tim's I Will Never Be The Same photos here.

To paraphrase a great, sometimes it's a long, strange trip. You set out prepared for one thing, and you end up on a wildly different journey. Thus began Friday, Nov. 6th, as CWG Metal reviewer Dave Brooks and CWG Hard Rock/Metal reviewer Tim Bannock set out for the Dakota Bar in Santa Monica to watch I Will Never Be The Same tear up the stage in support of their debut album, Standby.

I won't trouble you long with the torrid details: the rude scarification lady that ran the door of the Dakota Bar (big thanks to Dean for the assist on getting us in!), the featureless walls of El Cholo's across the street, and the server that really didn't want to let Dave have more than one watered-down beer. There's really no reason to get into the details of Dave's alter ego, and my inability to keep his cover. More importantly, I'd hate to waste your time with just how many things I forgot to bring on this trip, and thus the reasons for my being totally unprepared in the accompanying interview.

What I will tell you is this: despite a ridiculously nonsensical list of support bands, and despite the inexplicable absence of the French guy behind the mixer for most of the evening, I Will Never Be The Same kicked ass.

If you've read the review of Standby , you have a vague grasp on what the band sounds like: a versatile admixture of rock and electronica; frustration and sinister brilliance. Seeing them live is a whole other show, quite literally. Following hot on the heels of a ho-hum Linkin Park rip-off, I Will Never Be The Same took the stage with confidence and played with deft precision. A stunning feat, given some of the factors facing the band that night: the aforementioned lack of a French sound guy (meaning no sound-check at all for the band), a drummer wandering around afflicted with what seemed like a massive head cold, and an audience that had just sat through the weirdest line-up ever (the Linkin Park rip-off, an acoustic singer-songwriter, and later a band whose music was as forgettable as their singer was unapologetically annoying).

More importantly, the band pulled off the entire set -- the lion's share of the songs on Standby -- without a single slip-up. For a disc that thrives on its ability to flow between live instrumentation and electronic ambience (or swap out the same for melodic chords and raging open-chord fests), you'd think it would be a hard sell to get its essence up on the stage, but Josh Atchley and crew pulled it off. Josh and fellow guitarist Taylor Haycraft had their guitars roaring, and then Josh switched to keyboards along Brittany Bao for some melodic dueling. Francis Ten (also of West Indian Girl) crushed it on the bass, and...well, for all the head-cold drama, the drumming was dead on target.

If you like great sound at an easy-going venue (as long as you're willing to pay the scarification lady), the Dakota Bar's definitely a choice establishment to ride into. If you like great rock and roll with touches of industrial, ambience, and a vaguely Nine Inch Nails or Orgy vibe (with some moments of Pink Floyd and Chevelle), then you absolutely cannot go wrong with I Will Never Be The Same.

They're playing with Dramarama on Dec. 3 at Pershing Square, so get in on that show! And for the folks who are affected by our lovely economic climate, the show's free, so you really have no excuse to miss it. Great band, great venue, and shoulder-checking little kids on ice skates: all in a day's work!

View all of Tim's photos here.

View the video Interview Here.

Flyleaf @ Hawthorne Theater

2009-11-15T16:02:00.000-08:00

Written By: Sebastian Barnum
Photos By: Emily Rex

View all of Emily's Flyleaf photos here.

Portland, OR - It’s an Oregon night, and things are cold. Everyone in the room is slightly drenched and bearing a grin. The lights go out, and it seems as if the world stops. Lacey Mosley struts onto the stage, along with the rest of her band of misfits, and the world is given a pulse. A flickering chandelier is the only light given to the band, as they begin what I can only describe as awesomeness.

Seeing as Flyleaf’s newest album “Memento Mori” wouldn’t hit shelves for another week, we didn’t know what to expect. But I never expected to see the outstanding performance that would quickly unveil itself. Because the opening band (Paper Tongues) cancelled, it was clear that the band would have to rely just as much on old material as they did new material, which had quite an impact.

The first four songs all came off of their new album, which made it relatively difficult to get emotionally caught up with them. And seeing as almost no one knew the songs, it felt like a slow start, to an unpleasant evening. And then, as if a switch flipped, the band started their fan favorite “Cassie.” Within seconds, the crowd was jumping and screaming the words at the band in some ritual that almost seemed tribal.

Two moments in this evening made it a truly unforgettable experience. The first was seeing Sameer Bhattacharya (Lead Guitar) pull out a violin bow during two different songs. That alone gave me goose bumps - replicating a technique I’ve only known the god of rock, Mr. James Patrick Page (Led Zeppelin) to successfully pull off was jaw dropping to say the least.

The second unexpected and easily the most interesting moment of the evening, Lacy Mosley delivered a touching speech about her faith. It is well established that Flyleaf is a Christian rock group, but when a non-believer hears a concept such as that, they seem to instantly write the band off as a bunch of holy rollers, and as nice as it was, it didn’t do much for me. However, when she followed it with a cover of Kim Walker's “How He Loves,” a Christian anthem, it was moving. Even those with no faith could feel something amazing happen as Lacey wailed the lyrics like a gothic angel.

All in all, it was regrettable that so much of the concert was unknown songs (including the finale), but the show was absolutely amazing. Pure, raw energy filled the Hawthorne Theater that night, and it was divine. I would see Flyleaf any chance I got, and I advise you to do the same.

Want More Flyleaf?
Flyleaf Album Release Party (Review)
Flyleaf Album Release Party (Photos)
Flyleaf @ The El Ray - Los Angeles, CA (Review)
Flyleaf @ The El Ray - Los Angeles, CA (Photos)
Flyleaf @ Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR (Review)
Flyleaf @ Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR (Photos)
Review of Memento Mori

Pixies Play “Doolittle” @ the Hollywood Palladium 11/6

2009-11-11T17:27:00.000-08:00

Written By: Andy Sweat
Photos By: Jeremy Ross

As a 24-year-old who, in the 80’s, could barely walk, eat or piss in a toilet, I never had the privilege of seeing the Pixies (I know. My mother wasn’t cool or insane enough to take a 5-year-old to see an angry noisy band. Shocker). Yet, through reputation and dozens of bands spouting them as influence, by sophomore year in high school, I became a devoted fan and many of my musical influences (today) can be linked to those Pixies records.

So, when you hear that the Pixies are playing in November of 2009, you geek out and jump at the chance to see them with the hopes that the band will retain some of that brilliance and mystique that we’ve built up in our heads.

I must mention that I saw the Pixies play four years ago at the San Jose Civic Auditoriumon. This was during their first leg of the (now seemingly) never-ending reunion tour (only matched by Cher). It was kick to see them that first time, though I felt their presence and energy was a little flat and stale. So I was let down, but the fact that I saw the Pixies was good enough for me… at least for the first time around.

In 2005, I geeked out for that first show and blew my load on what was probably (in hindsight) a sub-par live show. NOW, this was my second time around and being a much more experienced Pixies live show blowjob receiver, I was hoping for something better (and more authentic).

But… I got the same deal (and her tits didn’t seduce as they did the first time around).

Here’s what went down: the show at the Hollywood Palladium was a live act version of the Pixies most popular, accessible, polished sounding album, “Doolittle” (which has got to be on everyone’s top 10 influential indie records from the 1980’s). This concept of knowing what songs us fans will be getting lets us set the bar really high for our expectations. And, no matter if some of the sound has decayed, we’re still gonna be satisfied because it will trigger some of that feeling we got when we first heard the Pixies in our youth.

The band busted out the gate with “Debaser” – a classic Pixies song that blends pop hook sensibilities with bratty, lunatic like guitar work and lyrics.

On came, “Tame” – that required Frank Black to scream at the chorus… which he now fails to do. “Wave of Mutilation” and “Here Comes Your Man” were done very well and pleased the crowd immensely. And so on and son.

That’s the problem: nothing stood out and no real variation from the album happened. What’s the point of a live show if all we get is a studio album?

The band played their less-rough, most pop-sounding, accessible songs (“Debaser,” “Wave of Mutilation,” “Here Comes Your Man” and “Monkey Gone to Heaven”) really well. Partly because those tunes are simpler to play and don’t require as much stress and strain on the goods that these band members had to have back in the late 80’s. Where they struggled to retain that magic were songs that required Frank Black to attempt to call on the vocals of his younger days.

Frank Black, once sounded like a hormonal teen full of angst, twisted scratch and wailing vocals – he now sounds like an old, gruff, tired man who just can’t, physically, get to where his vocals need to go to keep up with the music. And I’m not sure what’s better: to at least see the Pixies and hear Frank Black sing in this manner or to just remember what the Pixies were and leave it at that?

Joey Santiago’s guitar work is impressively as sharp as ever. They guy hasn’t lost a step and he can still wail out those unique, classic Pixies sound even 20 years later. Kim Deal was sharp and it’s always a kick to see someone as iconic as her to casually swig beers and smile (especially from someone who was in both of your favorite bands from your teens years: Breeders).

A big complaint is that the band didn’t play to the crowd or have any showmanship. They came out, busted out their classics, and bounced. Maybe the fact that this was the 3rd show in a row at the Palladium had something to do with that. But I saw a very similar, impersonal show 4 years ago in San Jose. I’m just wondering if the show suffers a bit due to our perception that these guys are possibly just doing this whole shtick for the cash.

The cold hard fact is, in 2009, it’s cooler to SAY you’re seeing the Pixies than ACTUALLY seeing them. Because in 2009, they just don’t live up to all the hype that we’ve come to know and love. And that’s not their fault. That’s time’s fault and what age does to a singer’s voice. It’s time’s fault what age does to a band’s energy and charisma. And it’s OUR fault for not buying enough records to make them really want to do a live tour with passion.

It’s always a great treat to get a blast from the past from a band that painted my horny-driven teen years, but… saying you saw the Pixies in 2009 will definitely get you a little street cred and will probably get you laid by some hipster floozie, even though the 2009 product doesn’t live up to the 1988 output.

3 Guns (I mean, come on, it’s still the fucking Pixies).

Random Observations:
* Does writing about how you saw the Pixies get you laid by a hipster floozie?

* Pixies are probably on that “well, got to see them before they die” list (maybe – 2nd tier).

* TOP tier Bands/Artists on the “See-Before-They-Die” List: Lou Reed, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, David Byrne, Brian Eno, Patti Smith., Paul McCartney, The Who, Leonard Cohen, Iggy Pop, Pavement, Sonic Youth. - Who’s on your list?

* Is it better to see these bands/artists now or to just remember them for what they were? And if we think they still are amazing today – are we just tricking ourselves to believe this (and to justify us paying for the high ticket price)?

* Pixies Song favorites of mine: "Mr. Grieves," "La La Love You," "Gouge Away."

* I love “Doolittle” but I think I prefer “Surfer Rosa.” - It just has a more fractured, anxiety- driven rougher sound that I like. With the way things are going, well be seeing a live “Surfer Rosa” reunion tour soon…. Or shit, a Come on "Pilgrim EP" tour…?

* Paying respect and being honest about what you are viewing should go hand-in-hand… right?

* Is it me or does Frank Black seem like a man who doesn’t feel content with his legacy?

Friday Night Boys @ Cobalt Café

2009-11-11T14:19:00.000-08:00

Written By: Jim Markunas
(Editor-In-Chief)

The Friday Night Boys brought the house down at the Cobalt Café! Unfortunately, like an idiot, I left my camera sitting on the couch at my apartment. It’s a shame, as FNB is one of the most energetic live bands I’ve seen in the past month. In my opinion, a band with a stage presence that big should have been at the Gibson or the Wiltern instead of the under-sized Cobalt Café. Friday Night Boys stole the show from headliners Hey Monday; after FNB played, I just couldn’t get into Hey Monday’s set. (Sorry, guys!)

Off The Deep End has been in heavy rotation in my iTunes for a few months now. I especially like FNB’s ‘feel-good’ emo/rock sound. At first glance, there’s nothing special or new about Friday Night Boys, they look and sound like an emo band, but… If you really listed to Off The deep End, it becomes obvious that FNB is a higher caliber act than most emo/pop punk bands. Blending punk, emo, electronica, and indie and a beautifully seemless manner, the Friday Night Boys have a chance at longevity. If they can continue to write great songs and play their asses off (as they did on Monday), they’ll be a household name in no time flat.

If you have a chance, check them out on tour – Myspace.com/thefridaynightboys

Read our review of Off The Deep End

Pearl Jam - Halloween Show

2009-11-10T01:54:00.000-08:00

Written By: Alan Ritch

Length: 3 1/2 hours.
Total Number Of Songs Played: 41
Number of times I said "Holy Shit!": 92
Number of drunk guys passed out next to me: 1
Number of times Jay With AEG tried to touch my balls: twice.

Main Set: Why Go, Last Exit, Corduroy, Severed Hand, The Fixer, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, You Are, Amongst The Waves, Even Flow, Pilate (first since: 2000-10-25), Unthought Known, Daughter/"CallandResponse"/ABitW2, Johnny Guitar, Rats, I'm Open (first since: 2008-06-28)/I Got Shit, Glorified G, Out Of My Mind (first since: 1994-04-06), Black/We Belong Together, Insignificance, Life Wasted
Encore 1: Just Breathe (w/ Philadelphia String Quartet), The End (w/ Philadelphia String Quartet), Low Light, Speed of Sound, Jeremy (w/ Philadelphia String Quartet), Inside Job, Bugs (w/ Philadelphia String Quartet), Spin The Black Circle, Porch
Encore 2: Whip It! (Devo), Got Some, Crown of Thorns, Satan's Bed, Sweet Lew, Do The Evolution, Betterman/Save It For Later(partial)/"CallandResponse", Smile, Alive, Rockin' In The Free World, Yellow Ledbetter/Star Spangled Banner
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First off, Bad Religion was awesome as shit. It's a shame so many asses were in seats during their set, especially on the floor. Lame motherfuckers. Eddie snuck on stage and sang on "Watch It Die" and THEN people stood up and started cheering. It really annoyed me. I was really glad they played that together though, and Ed sounded great on the song. Greg (or was it the bass player?) made a joke saying "Hey that sounded pretty good. We should record it like that some time. " BR opened up with Los Angeles Is Burning (as I was rushing to my seat) and also plowed through stellar versions of Struck A Nerve, Atomic Garden, Dearly Beloved, New Dark Ages, No Control, Man With A Mission, Infected, 21st Century Digital Boy, Suffer, We're Only Gonna Die For Our Own Arrogance, and ended the explosive set with Sorrow. The bass player (decked out in a full skeleton outfit) made a comment about how Pearl Jam fans are the greatest fans in the world. They were all very humble and happy to be there. It's a shame it seemed like only 5% of the crowd knew who they were. Anyway...

On to the main event. Like the other 3 nights (night 2 of which I also attended), the intro tape was highlights from Spectrum sporting events, followed by The Rocky theme. The band comes on stage, Jeff wearing a devil mask, and Eddie sporting boxing gloves as he yells "THIS IS IT!" and they tear into "Why Go" as Ed is throwing fake jabs and hooks into the air. I can't even describe the feeling that rushed through me when they took the stage like that. It was the perfect opener, and I could tell right away that the band was going to be in rare form on this fine Halloween night. Last Exit felt just as good, and it seemed to be one of many perfect little salutes to the mighty Spectrum. "This is this is........my............Last Exit!"

I was a little bummed when they started "Elderly", after hearing it at the 2nd show as well, and just generally being sick of the song.....but it still managed to pull me in for the ride. The audience vocals were off the chart. Even though Ed kind of went back on his word of trying to play all their songs they recorded, I really don't mind that much that they ended up doing repeats from other shows. Everything that they decided to play worked really well and just fit like a golden glove into the moment and general mood of the show. They are masters at what they do. I loved hearing "Pilate" for the first time, and thought it actually sounded good. The night wasn't just a sloppy jam session of lost gems. You could tell they actually put some time and effort into rehearsing them for this special leg.

There was a Vegas showgirl once again with the scorecard for the World Series, but she only came out on stage once, maybe twice. I guess because we were losing, and they didn't want to bring the crowd down. Either way, I was glad because it made the attention fall more on Pearl Jam, as opposed to Pearl Jam/Phillies. Don't get me wrong, the second night was a lot of fun (and unique as hell) with all the updates and "Let's Go Phillies"/"Yankees suck!" chants...but this one was clearly meant to be more about the legendary band and the legendary building they were closing out.

Early on, Ed laid to rest all the rumors circling around about special guests for this show (Bruce, Neil Young, Billy Joel, Bon Jovi [*barf*]) and said something like "Sorry it's just us. Hope that's ok!" I'd say it was more than ok, and they more than held their own. Bad Religion was enough of a special treat anyway.

Ed pointed out a KISS costume in the audience and said it was Mike's mom dressed as Gene Simmons. Mike said his mom was more into Paul Stanley. Then Ed said his mom slept with Gene Simmons. And then he said his mom fucked Mike's mom in a Gene Simmons costume. Weird moment.

"We're not taping this, right?" - Ed

He also told the story about Mike thinking the lyric to the KISS song was "I wanna rock n' roll all night long... and PART of every day."

I was bored with Daughter until the "Another Brick In The Wall" tag. Ed was singing "Teacher leave this stadium alone!"
Loved "Johnny Guitar", and I'm glad I got it two nights. Rats was the shit. "I'm Open" was ok. Nothing special but still cool to say I was there for it. "Out Of My Mind" was played because a large donation was made by someone to some fund if they would play it. It was a lot of fun. Can't believe it started out as just a simple improv that they would fuck around with in between "real" songs. "Life Wasted" featuring McCready's blistering, hotter than hell leads crippled the walls of the old Spectrum, and served quite well as a first set closer.

Could have done without hearing "Just Breathe" again and "Speed Of Sound" (worst song on Backspacer), but it did serve as a nice little rest where I got to sit, take some pictures, and just take in all the amazingness I was witnessing before me. At the beginning of this encore is when Ed said "If you don't like slow songs go take a piss or something" and also said "We might not even be half done yet, so pace yourself" At this point I think they had already been playing for an hour and half or better. My goofball friend Elliott was texting me going "The game got a late start, hit me up later" and I'm like "Dude....I think I'm going to be here for hours."

"The End" ended up being my "emo" song of the night. Really hit me hard. It was beautiful with the string quartet backing. "Inside Job" was also a grand slam. Mike rocked the fuck out of a double neck guitar and made me feel not worthy. I hung onto every lyric, every note of that song, feeling for once like there was nothing wrong in the world.

Just when I thought things couldn't get any better, Mr. Vedder took the stage with an accordian and mumbled something about "never been played before...but it's Halloween...and I really want this to be the first time" and lo and behold he started playing BUGS. Matt played shakers. Jeff played a bow bass. It's novelty and filler, but I think this made my night. I never thought Id actually get to witness something like this. Yelling out all those goofy lines. Laughing my ass off the whole time. Follow it up with motherfucking "Spin The Black Circle", and I was pretty much already saying it was the greatest Pearl Jam show ever.

Throughout most of the show Eddie was wearing a Devo shirt. I chuckled once or twice thinking about those silly little red hats.
Then at the beginning of the 2nd encore, the entire band came out in complete Devo suits and played "Whip It" It was hilarious. They rocked that shit too. Devo would be proud. Immediately after they played "Got Some" which many people on the internets have been declaring "A Devo ripoff" Gotta love the balls and humor this band has to not take themselves too seriously, and poke fun at the comparison.
Satan's Bed was another perfect Halloween number, and a real highlight for me. So many times this night I thought "Why is Pearl Jam in my head?"

Sweet Lew was also pretty hilarious. Jeff rockin the mic in the Dr. J jersey, Stone slappin' the bass, while Vedder dribbled a b ball on the side, along to the beat. At the end Stone was like "Motherfuckin Sweet Lew!" and the crowd of drunken Phils Phans went nutso.
Ed made a comment about how they already played Better Man this week, but he needs to hear it one more time in this building. He was right. The crowd participation never ceases to amaze me, and the end of that song just fucking JAMS live.

"Smile" was really great. "I miss you already!" Fuckin A man. Jeff switched it up again and played some nifty guitar licks, while Stone also once again brought the bottom end to end all bottom ends. Or as Ed would later say "Stone Gossard.................he did his best!"

Since the great Neil Young couldn't be there, we got the next best thing, and his classic words to "Rocking In The Free World" rang throughout the old arena, as a shit-fuck load of confetti and red white and blue balloons fell from the rafters, making the place look more like a republican convention featuring Garth Brooks, rather than a Pearl Jam show...but somehow it fucking worked. It was pure rock n' roll madness. The band was supposed to end with Free World, but tacked Yellow Led Better onto the setlist (though no surprise there) and it was a wise decision. All the house lights on as Mike McCready serenaded us one last time at the end of the tune, with the Star Spangled Banner (Jimi Hendrix style) and brought the place down to it's knees once and for all. Easily the best Pear Jam show I've ever seen. I'll miss you Spectrum. We've shared some good times................but now it's time to WATCH IT DIE!

The Crystal Method @ The Echoplex

2009-11-09T21:03:00.000-08:00

Written By: Victoria Hill
(Urban/Pop Editor)

I've never been popular enough to get invited to a secret show, but that all changed last Saturday. I was invited to watch The Crystal Method perform for a small crowd of fans and industry people. The show was in conjunction with the newly-launched Gen Cre8 initiative from Avid, the digital audio and video media technology company behind such innovative products as Media Composer, Pro Tools, Avid Unity and more.

The crowd mingled at the bar and would turn their heads in anticipation when a sound tech would test the turntables and a Crystal Method song would play for a few seconds. Around 7:30pm, the room went dark and buzzing electronic sounds overwhelmed the small room. It seemed like an alien invasion was taking place. The spotlights flicked around as a robotic voice said "Welcome Los Angeles; welcome Glendale Boulevard; we are the Crystal fucking Method."

The energy of the room swelled as Scott Kirkland and Ken Jordan took to the electronics. True rock stars, each movement they made seemed like a possessed demon, as they played songs from their latest album “Divided By Night” and classics like "High Roller" and “Busy Child.” That feeling overtook the packed room as the crowd swayed, danced and jumped in a hypnotized trance (including myself) to the beats that vibrated throughout the room. I could feel the music pounding through my feet as I danced.

The hour-and-a-half set flew by, and when the lights came on, it seemed like everyone awoke from a dream. The warm energy still buzzing, The Crystal Method said goodnight and it was time to go back to reality.

Hanson/Hellogoodbye/Steel Train/Sherwood @ Club Nokia

2009-11-09T01:19:00.000-08:00

Written By: Darwin Green
(Senior Editor)

Photos By: Susana Capra

View More of Susana's Hanson photos here, and her Hellogoodbye photos here.

11/7/09 - I can’t remember now which other artist the guy at the box office mentioned when asking if I was picking up tickets for her or Hanson, but I do remember leaning close to the window, and, careful so that nobody else would hear, I said, “Hanson.”

He pointed across the courtyard. “Just go to the escalators and go up to the third floor.”

Now, someone else knew I was picking up tickets for Hanson, one of the most estrogen-soaked bands of the nineties. Hanson, who made “Mmmbop.” Hanson, the band all my friends made fun of and still make fun of to this day.

I found my way into the venue. That whole area reminds one of something out of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, and sometimes, when it comes to architecture or design, looks don’t always equate to functionality or the ability to find places easily. Needless to say, the inside of the venue looked as futuristic as its outside.

Sherwood started the set with an amazing, pumped-up performance. They seemed ready to envelope the whole world and everybody in the room with their sweetness and gentle gratitude towards the fans, the record label, their friend who has cancer, and anyone willing to donate money to said friend. The music itself made one feel as though teenage pop could make one feel so happy that one would only need to listen to the music instead of taking any kind of drug for the same reaction. It was the equivalent of spending a half-hour in a hot, euphoric, saccharine infused bath, letting go of the whole world in the process. (Check out our review of Sherwood's new album, QU ).

Steel Train rolled through like, well, a New Jersey locomotive, hearkening to a place of supreme confidence where Bruce Springsteen roamed the streets and smelled the steam in the air.

HelloGoodbye performed next. While having a similar effect as Sherwood in terms of music, their sardonic banter between songs only brought down any effect sustained while listening to the songs. They would break into silliness for long periods of time, blurring the line between a bad stand-up act and great music.

But then Hanson came on, and it wasn’t long before the cheers from the female members of the audience reached such a pitch that it felt like being next to a jet engine as it spins into life. The band trotted onstage and immediately jumped into a bluesy, rock-filled song, completely unlike anything one would ever expect from Hanson. They did it again, and again, and again, and one felt all the years of belittling Hanson suddenly crumbling away into praise, respect, and admiration. The audience consisted mainly of teenage girls, but the music seemed made for guys. It had a country, folksy bent to it a la Darius Rucker while he was in Hooty and the Blowfish, but the guitar often launched into pure rock, blues, and funk, far from the sugary pop one came to define Hanson as back in the nineties.

They still carried some instances of the Jackson 5, but it blended well with their other material. At one point they brought out acoustic guitars and sang together with harmonies that would have made bands like the Eagles come back for comeuppance. It was surely a surprise for anyone only familiar with “Mmmbop,” to hear Hanson taking on country and folk influences, although they played “Mmmbop” for the fans. At that point, it didn’t matter. Hanson gained my respect at that point and I realized that any pop they do, or have done, is pop perfection.

All in all there was never a lack of energy on their part, and it translated to the audience well. Few people sat down, most people had their hands in the air when the band called for it, and most everyone clapped in rhythm and sang at some point.

I am now one of the initiated males who will say, from now on in a proud voice, “Yes please, one for Hanson.”

Avi Buffalo @ The Echo

2009-11-08T21:19:00.000-08:00

Written By: Andy Sweat (Angry Staffer)
Photos By: Jeremy Ross

View all of Jeremy's Avi Buffalo photos here.

It was a cold evening outside, and even a colder night for music inside the Echo where they pump the AC juice as if their dance floor was the Sahara dessert (I was balls cold, and for the first time, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, actually wanted a fucking Snuggie). There was barely anyone there for the opening two bands (an amateur pseudo-garage band and a dude dressed in some rabbit, hamster suit hitting the drum machine with about the same amount of arrogance as if he were recreating Homogenic), but by the time Avi Buffalo appeared the room was packed with budding high school teens and freshman girls in dire need of a sensitive and swooning leading man.

Avi Buffalo (or known in his family as Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg) is the “man” behind this newly signed Sub Pop Records band. Before we can go further, we must state the one fact everyone who knows the band talks about so we can put this all into perspective: the dude is fucking 19. He actually just turned 19 fricken last night as people shouted faint birthday calls to the bushy eye-browed crooner. So, for a 19 year old to be signed by Sub Pop, either he has got some serious chops, or Sub Pop sees an indie product that they can sell and break into more mainstream outlets.

Either way, there’s a lot of buzz around this Avi kid, and I was intrigued to see what he could do.

Avi’s vocals resemble the sweet, high-pitched sound of the Shins, but at times you can hear glimpses of gruff and edge as you would in Isaac Brock’s voice (Modest Mouse). I hope Avi attempts to explore the latter because that Shins (though very cute and all) shtick gets old fast. If Avi continues to sound more like The Shins they are quickly gonna be on the “Oh-they-are-so-like-whatever” list, as oppose to a band that is challenging themselves to strive for something more. The latter route might not be aligned with Sub Pop’s plans for Avi, but, in terms of the quality of music that is both inventive, original and would push Avi himself creatively, the later is the route worth taking.

Don’t get me wrong, Avi is a very promising songwriter well ahead of most his age. His guitar work is solid with a lot of potential to explore his more jazz influenced roots in the years to come. Last night was all about seeing a promising, very young leading man trying to understand who he is, what he remembers listening to growing up in his short lifetime, and where he should go from here on out. Last night was quite possibly the beginning of a household name. There’s a lot of promise in Avi and it’s exciting to be a part of the early stages of growth.

The bands most popular, polished song, “What’s It In For,” is the perfect example of Avi combining everything that’s been influential to him into a beautiful-sounding indie-pop song. It’s a beguiling piece of Shin-style jangle pop, and you have to admit the line “You are tiny and your lips are like little pieces of bacon” is straight from a Ween catalog. It is a nice, radio-friendly tune. Nothing more nor less. It could’ve easily fit in the Shins catalog and would be adored by all the high school indie-emo kids in attendance last night. To read too much into it would be doing the song a disservice. Let the soft, sweet, pubescent teen vocals mixed with the whimsical hooks be what it is: a lovely song in search for its indie-film vehicle.

“Summer Cum,” is a seesaw jangle that teeters back and forth between vocal and guitar hooks. It’s a sweet song, with sharp wit, and is a great radio follow-up to the other hit.

Avi Buffalo will likely be an indie-darling popping up here-and-there at every bloated, over-hyped, the Hoff attending (The Hoff = Coachella) music festival this coming year or two. I wouldn’t be surprised if they could reach the same mainstream success as the Shins did (Starbucks, Walmart, and whatever overrated Garden State Indie Movie is of this year included).

But, Thursday night, Avi Buffalo was a nice time, with sweet sounds and with a lot of potential. In the end, I think the resounding constant thought that was going through my mind when listening to Avi was: “I can really see my mom digging this.” That and… “This song is stuck in my head!”

It’s solid music that doesn’t aspire to be too complicated or complex. And music like this is perfect for a shit load of people. The live show is nothing to write home about and best to be played inside small, secretive social gatherings tucked in a dingy dorm room.

For me, it’s like… whatever.

But I’ll be checking in now and then on this 19-year-old. Avi’s got a lot of promise and whole hell of a lot of time.

I like those odds - 2.5 guns

View all of Jeremy's photos here.

Dirty Projectors @ Rec Center Studio, Echo Park

2009-11-06T16:04:00.000-08:00

Written By: Cassandra McGrath Photo By: Showbiz Clique

On Halloween night at the Jensen Recreation Center, Dave Longstreth, the lead singer of the experimental Brooklyn band the Dirty Projectors, took the stage in an oversized Styrofoam cowboy hat, with a guitar re-strung to play left-handed.

He began to play a crackling, backwards guitar riff and howled into the microphone, while the audience danced along, the best we could. This type of music is hard to identify. People often toss around the term “afro-punk” when they discuss The Dirty Projectors, but the best comparison might be to the wordly sensibilities of the Talking Heads. The more accessible the Projectors sound gets, the better they become.

I must admit that I was not a fan of Rise Above, Longstreth’s re-imagining of Black Flag songs committed from memory. The songs were too unfocused and self-indulgent, and the singing veered towards screaming too often. However, with the indie hit “Bitte Orca” (which means “please whale” in German), the band came into its own, balancing odd, galloping pop songs with hypnotic, shifting rhythms.

It was great fun on Saturday night to watch the audience dancing to “Useful Chamber” and gearing up to hit the main chorus, in which Longstreth plays a guitar riff that sounds like a broken music box and cries, “Bitte Orca, Orca Bitte!” The audience expects the band to rip the chorus on an identifiable beat, and instead Longstreth begins to sing on an off-beat, tripping up everyone on the dance floor, including the man in a giant bunny suit.

Though the acoustics in the Jensen Recreation Center were not ideal (after all, the center was likely created with basketball shooting range in mind), the band’s timing was, for the most part, sparkling. The Projectorettes (Amber Coffman, Angel Deradoorian, and Haley Dekle) were astounding, and Longstreth was charismatic.

Angel Deradoorian sang “Two Doves” and sounded better than the record, if that were possible. The only letdown was the terrific song “Stillness is the Move.” Amber Coffman’s r&b-style vocals were drowned out by a dominant bass, and she ended up screaming into the microphone; the resulting song sounded nothing like the number I have danced to in my room many a time.

The opening band Little Wings was unremarkable except for trying to decide whether the lead singer, Kyle Field, was dressed up as a bum for Halloween or not. Missing tooth, check. Dirty hair, check. Gum chewing on stage, check. Bandage on face and dirty clothing, check. General disconnect to environment (measured by glazed look in the eyes), check. Songs, whatever. It was all about the Projectors, and they certainly delivered.

Chevelle @ The House of Blues 10/30/09

2009-11-06T01:24:00.000-08:00

Written By: Jim Markunas (Editor-In-Chief)
Photos By: Ed Hannigan

View all of Ed’s Chevelle photos here.

I’ve seen Chevelle a handful of times, and they’re consistently good live. They never miss a note, and they’re LOUD as fuck! If you like that classic detuned wall-of-guitar sound backed by intricate drums, this is the band to see in person.

Chevelle has never been about theatrics or stage antics, preferring to just plain rock. I was surprised to see that they had incorporated themes from Sci-Fi Crimes into their stage show. A banner the size of a football field with the cover of the album hung on the wall behind the band, and what can only be described as ‘UFO’ lights blinded the audience at certain points during the show. I haven’t decided whether this annoyed me or not, I don’t really remember, as I was pretty much head-banging non-stop for their whole set. Actually… The UFO lights were a really cool effect for opener, “Sleep Apnea,” but not so cool for other songs. Pete also played without his signature toolbox, opting to use a floor monitor for a leg rest instead. Bring back the toolbox, Pete! You gotta be you (smiles).

What I love about my hard rock brethren of Chevelle fans is that we are rabid! The audience knew every word of every song. They sang and moshed through the entire set; extremely rare for an L.A. audience (most of the time we stand there, motionless and depressed looking, as if at a Smashing Pumpkins concert). The Chevelle show changed all that. After Midnight Project brought the house down (great pairing, by the way), Chevelle built it up and tore it down all over again.

In short, Chevelle is a great band to see live; easy on the eyes, and brutal on the ear-drums (in a good way). Catch them on tour, and pick up a copy of Sci-Fi Crimes .

Opening band, New Medicine, also showed a lot of promise. Picture a more radio-friendly At The Drive-In, and you’ve got New Medicine, a band of tattooed punks out of Minnesota. They’ll be releasing their debut album in early 2010, so be on the look out! See Ed's New Medicine photos here.

Other Chevelle Articles:
Interview With Sam
Review of Sci-Fi Crimes

Nirvana – Live @ Reading (1992)

2009-11-05T14:07:00.000-08:00

Written By: Jim Markunas
(Editor-In-Chief)

Everyone from my generation, and one-to-two generations prior, have a Nirvana story and/or anecdote. Afterall, they’re one of those truly timeless bands that everyone at some point was obsessed with. Here’s mine: when I was 16, I somehow ended up at a keg party with kids much older than myself. After getting exceptionally drunk off two beers, I began to rummage through the house CD/DVD collection. To my absolute joy, I found an old VHS of “Live Tonight! Sold Out!” DGC’s second post-mortem Nirvana release (the first being Unplugged in New York). Like the kid I was, I sat as close to the TV as possible, drunkenly hanging on to Cobain’s every move.

Halfway through the video, one of the older guys at the party sat next to me on the floor and began the “one day when you’re older, you’ll no longer like Nirvana” speech. At the time, I thought he was crazy! How could anyone stop liking Nirvana?

“Everyone inevitably out-grows them,” he responded, “I used to be obsessed with Nirvana when I was your age. When you’re my age, you’ll out-grow them too. Hell, even Dave Grohl out-grew Nirvana!”

Sadly, he was right; at the age of 25, I found that my Peter Pan-like glitz and glammer over Kurt Cobain was pretty much completely gone. I never listen to my old Nirvana CDs (and believe me, my collection is extensive as fuck!), I dislike hearing “Smells Like Teen Spirit” in restaurants/elevators, and I couldn’t finish “Journals” for the life of me. In 2009, I figured that I had buried Cobain, much as Courtney Love had to do back in April of 1994.

Then… Live At Reading and Sub-Pop’s re-issue of Bleach came across my desk. I had requested both releases because I felt we needed to cover them. I spent 2 or 3 days regretting that decision as both discs sat on my kitchen table. I battled with myself incessantly, “Should I play Bleach in the car? Do I really have to listen to this stuff, or can I get one of my writers to do it?” On, and on, and on… until I finally made the firm decision to put Bleach on in the car.

“Blew” came blasting through my car stereo. I began to bask in nostalgia, remembering my awkward teenage years. I found myself falling back in love with Nirvana, the same way I had loved them from 1998-2002. I learned something important: no matter what anyone says, Nirvana will always be timeless to all and new to some, much like U2 or Lynyrd Skynyrd. Nirvana is the type of band you can listen to with your parents, friends and kids. Anecdote about “Blew”: The song was supposed to be in “Drop-D” tuning, but Kurt (who had been high and nervous in the studio) had ended up detuning his bottom string an extra note too far, thereby accidentally recording the song in CADGBe, as opposed to DADGBe. Since they were on an extremely tight budget, they didn’t have time to re-record the guitar part, so they said, “Fuck it,” and released the song in the wrong tuning. That’s Grunge, baby!!!

Anyhow, I don’t review albums, so I farmed that one out to my trusty review staff (smiles), but I made the firm decision to watch and review Live At Reading.

Every die-hard Nirvana fan/geek has a bootlegged audio copy of Nirvana’s 1992 performance at the UK’s Reading Festival (I know I do). The video, on the other hand, has always been in high demand. 17 years after the fact, DGC has released an official (previously unreleased) video and audio (previously unofficially released) version of the performance. This is a must-have for any Nirvana fan, geek or casual listener.

The official package features footage of the performance, which took place on August 30, 1992 and is considered by many to be one of the greatest performances ever at the festival.

I watched the DVD from beginning to end, glued to the couch for a solid hour-and-a-half. I ignored all my e-mails, texts from girls, and other various CWG-related business, as Live At Reading had transported me to a time that was free of cell phones, e-mail, and the almighty Blackberry. Besides, Nirvana’s Seminole Reading Festival performance was killer from beginning to end. They just don’t make bands like Nirvana anymore, and nothing will ever top the innocence, hooks and punk ideals of the Grunge-era.

Thank you Sub-Pop, and thank you David Geffen!

After the credits, there’s a short, but candid scene of Kurt hanging out with a young fan and his dad. It reminded me of Kurt’s humanity, and was by far the best part of the DVD. Nirvana fans – Please go out and buy this DVD/CD set, it’s worth its weight in gold… or Platinum…

Also, everyone has a Nirvana anecdote. I invite you to write yours in our comments section below.

The CD version of the performance features the setlist (below) minus 'Love Buzz'. CD-only and DVD-only versions of the release will be issued on the same day as the DVD package, and a double 12-inch vinyl version will come out on November 16.

The setlist for 'Nirvana Live At Reading' is:

'Breed'
'Drain You'
'Aneurysm'
'School'
'Sliver'
'In Bloom'
'Come As You Are'
'Lithium'
'About A Girl'
'Tourette's'
'Polly'
'Lounge Act'
'Smells Like Teen Spirit'
'On A Plain'
'Negative Creep'
'Been A Son'
'All Apologies'
'Blew'
'Dumb'
'Stay Away'
'Spank Thru'
'Love Buzz'
'The Money Will Roll Right In'
'D-7'
'Territorial Pissings'

Two Nights With Shiloe

2009-11-05T00:27:00.000-08:00

Written By: Jim Markunas
(Editor-In-Chief)

See all of our live pictures of Shiloe here.

At the risk of sounding like a band-aid, Shiloe, in my opinion, is one of the best and freshest indie bands in Los Angeles. This is a rarity. I came to L.A. with the misguided notion that every band in town would be awesome, as this is where the majority of mainstream bands come from. I was disheartened to find that a lot of acts in Los Angeles suck just as much as the bands throughout the rest of the country. With that said, I’m always excited to find a new gem. In 2006, this was the After Midnight Project, in late 2009, it’s Shiloe.

With a totally crushable bass player and a drummer that’s ape-shit crazy on stage, Shiloe’s balls-to-the-wall rhythym section is a perfect pairing, or paradigm, to Ken’s subdued-yet-pretty vocals and surf effects-ladden lead guitar. The dichotomy between the thumping bass (Melissa is an exceptional player), the sparkling clean guitar, and drums that sound like Jimmy Chamberlain dueling with U2’s Larry Mullen Jr., makes Shiloe’s music interesting and fun. I also like the banter: Melissa banters with the audience, Ken banters with Melissa, it makes that transitional period between songs less boring. I guess you could say I’m pro-banter.

Anyhow, on Halloween, CWG threw the wildest party ever at the CWG Mansion in the Hollywood Hills. We convinced Shiloe a few weeks in advance to headline the event. They graciously accepted, and history was made.

Fast-forward to 10:00PM on Halloween night; patrons, free-loaders, fans of Shiloe, and people dressed in a variety of costumes (my favorite being the guy in the full Gumby suit), stood in line halfway down the side of the canyon surrounding our mansion. They had come for the gala of a lifetime – a chance to see Shiloe streamed live over the internet for CWG Magazine’s first-ever live concert series, and of course the opportunity to party until 4AM in a giant mansion.

Party-goers as far as the eye could see passed through the mansion’s front door, down three flights of stairs, and out onto the lower balcony (our mansion had 4) for the kegs, full bar, and scheduled performance.

Anticipation grew, as our sound engineer running the live stream fussed over the sound check; he wanted everything to sound perfect, and it did. The audience was half-lit, as the band finally ripped into their opening song; an hour later than scheduled. The stream went off without a hitch, and the crowd exploded, dancing through Shiloe’s whole set. As Shiloe attempted to put their instruments down, a guy dressed in a full Gumby suit grabbed the microphone and demanded the band do an encore. The crown roared in approval. Shiloe put their instruments back on and rocked the crowd for the rowdiest encore in Halloween history.

After a short meet-and-greet with fans, Shiloe packed up, and the crowd funneled back into the mansion for drinks and all-night music from three of L.A.’s best local DJs.

I was so unbelievably blown away by Shiloe’s Halloween performance, I had to go see them at the Troubador the following night. They had the opening slot for Black Gold/Girl in a Coma. I showed up ridiculously early (a rarity for me), and waited in anticipation. People started to trickle into the venue as Shiloe had taken the stage.

“Oh my God, they have a girl bass player!” shouted one of the girls in the front row. Melissa winked at her while strapping on her bass. They opened with the same song as the previous night, as the crowd, previously not knowing what to expect, began to bob their heads to the music. The first song ended and the audience erupted in applause. The venue began to fill up as Shiloe played through their set, making for a very decent turn-out (the best I’ve seen for an opening band in my history of going to L.A. shows)

My one and only complaint about Shiloe’s Troubador show was that there was no encore!

These guys are definitely worth checking out! See the links under the top picture for more info.

Shiloe Live @ The CWG Mansion (Full Set)

Shiloe Live @ The CWG Mansion (Encore)

White Rabbits @ The El Ray

2009-11-03T15:29:00.000-08:00

Written By: Cody Page

Brooklyn-via-Missouri-based six piece White Rabbits are a little over halfway through their North American tour--and it shows. At this point in their travels, they are a well-oiled machine that minces few words before, during, or after their hour-long set in L.A. on Tuesday night. They enhance the lush appointments of the El Rey with a warm and choppy brand of indie rock, delivered with urgency, paced with maturity.

Hollowbody guitars begin swirling into runaway feedback spread over Phillistine tom tom assaults before the curtain even rolls back--themes that rarely let up during the next 60 minutes. Instead, they bloom, mutate, and redouble even louder as White Rabbits insist upon a powerful and earnest declaration of who they are.

You've laid a pretty intent ear on White Rabbits' May 2009 release It's Frightening, so you're curious to see how the band handles layered arrangements like "Midnight and I" in a live context. Do they pull it off? Absolutely! What's the secret? Matthew Clark and Alex Even on percussion and, well, noise, respectively. Clark is the lanky, ball-of-energy who you see behind the tom kit, mostly. As the show unfolds, you discover that he is the caveman savant behind White Rabbit's signature thud. His work is front and center on most Rabbits songs, including the drummy single "Percussion Gun." You enjoy this more muscular interpretation of the "multi-instrumentalist" that has almost become a given in many of the bands that share the scenester space with White Rabbits.

If Clark is the July 4th fireworks, Even is the fog that rolls in halfway through the display, obscuring it and keeping it from becoming too straight-ahead, too patriotic. You can't help but compare his knack for massaging effects to that of art rock's gold standard in texture: Radiohead's Ed O'Brien (Radiohead shares a label with Rabbtis, coincidentally). Like O'Brien, Even is able to coax outer space from his Epiphone Casino with a small army of persuasive devices: murky delay, eBow sustains, analog synth pads, and good old fashioned Fender amplifier reverb. His head looks as if it's about to pop off as he shadows Clark's movements (which should be familiar to anyone who has ever geeked out really hard to their favorite song in the privacy of their bedroom). At one point, you think you catch Even plinking strings behind the guitar's bridge to evoke a horror movie spider tinkle that supplements frontman Stephen Patterson's darkish lyrical content with a sinister sort of appropriateness.

As for Patterson, his version of very fearless leader to very fearless band is exactly right. He plays his upright piano with a drummer's precision, sometimes squirming to wrap his legs around it at the pinnacle of livelier songs. His voice sounds good--ragged and desperate albeit it slightly strained at points. You appreciate the imperfection, though, because it pulls White Rabbits' ruthless sense of rhythm off of its high horse. Patterson is a hybrid: one part singer, one part pianist, zero parts talker. But you don't really mind the lack of banter between songs because you're too busy 1) wondering if Patterson's HMO will cover the carpal tunnel that just has to accompany playing that hard and 2) admiring the Rabbits' flawless, effects-laden transitions (was that a dub machine you heard?) from one tune to the next.

The Beatles influence is heavy and you love it. If the lilting vocal harmonies between Patterson and guitarist/singer Greg Roberts on "Rudie Fails" or "Right Where They Left" don't tip you off, bassist Brian Bettancort's left-handed Hofner just might. Or maybe it's drummer Jamie Levinson's unpretentious backbeats. No matter how you arrive at the comparison, White Rabbits echo the pop sensibility of that highest of holy bands with tact and restraint, unlike some of the more conspicuous derivatives that cropped up in the 90's.

But there's something else echoed in White Rabbits, something equally tuneful but modern. Right as you're forming the thought, your jaw drops because Britt Daniel materializes out of nowhere to help close the night with a rendition of "We All Shine On." You realize that the other ingredient in White Rabbits' sound is, of course, Spoon.

White Rabbits are absolutely their own band. White Rabbits also owe a sizable slice of their sound and success to the support of Spoon frontman, It's Frightening producer, and all around indie golden boy Britt Daniel. Daniel's Spoon (in one sentence) helped set the bar for garage rock/pop by stripping it down it's rhythmic roots, severing ties with the Wall of Sound, and fathering the brand of deconstructed rock & roll that White Rabbits seem poised to inherit. Still, you don't expect the man to actually show up on stage, especially one so far from his Portland digs. Daniel strides over to Clark's corner and wrestles with a malfunctioning guitar before muting it and applying his Van Morrison-like vocal grit to his pet project's final encore. You smile a bit as you realize that you've hit hot and grainy pay dirt on what is otherwise a chilly Monday night in the heart of Los Angeles.

Bouncing Souls @ The El Rey 10/30/09

2009-11-02T14:22:00.000-08:00

Written By: Darwin Green
(Senior Editor)

Photos by: Mehra

View all of Mehra's Bouncing Souls photos here.

After seeing opening acts Broadway Calls and Bayside, I knew it would be a good night for punk.

Broadway Calls was an unexpected surprise. I had heard about Bayside before, and knew that they would unleash their brand of punk rock upon the audience, but, if anything, Broadway Calls warmed the audience up for the rest of the bands to follow with their sound, a mix between NoFX and a touch of Jimmy Eat World. Of course Bayside tore the house up with their high-energy power chords and crushing drums. The circle that started to form in the crowd for Broadway Calls etched itself even deeper for Bayside, but only in preparation for what came next.

Twenty years for any band to remain playing signifies nothing but a success story in the world of music, and on top of that, a punk band. Half that time would impress even the more jaded professionals who believe in quick turnarounds for musical acts.

Bouncing Souls stepped onstage shortly after Bayside. Mistakenly I had stepped out of a prime viewing spot, only to return to a packed floor and house. The people in front started chanting “Here We Go,” over and over again, and it gained momentum until the curtains opened up and the chanting broke out into applause. The band talked about performing on the night before Halloween, how they called it “mischief night” back in the day, and asked us if we were ready for some mischief. The crowd went nuts and they started into “True Believers,” apropos for how everyone felt about the band at that moment.

The circle in front of the stage grew larger than it had been, and people unwittingly became sucked into its grasp, like a large human vortex. People surfed above heads and arms on their backs, making their way to the stage. Once a person stood fully upright and eye level with singer Greg Anttonito, who smiled and raised his eyebrows in response. Anttonito carried the poise and self-assurance (and dress) of a car salesman just off work. He maintained a level of cool throughout the entire show without it ever becoming boring or draining. At one point he dodged several hats that flew from the fans onstage. He picked one up, a blue LA Dodgers hat, put it on, and performed the rest of the song in it before throwing it back out. His stage presence drew enough attention, even if he didn’t pull any antics. The entire band devoted themselves strictly to the music.

About midway through a roadie delivered an acoustic guitar to Anttonito, who dedicated the subsequent song to the Misfits, a “band heavily influenced by Halloween.” The song was “Hybrid Moments” off the Misfits’ album Static Age.

They played straight through, each song not lasting more than two minutes, but the judging from the show as a whole nobody even noticed. They stopped once to take a recommendation and played “Punks in Vegas,” then soon after took a break for an encore. They ended with “The Freaks, the Nerds, and the Romantics,” wrapping up a brilliant pre-Halloween 20 year celebration of their music.

A Family Tradition: Bridge School Benefit ’09 @ Shoreline Amphitheatre

2009-10-31T01:51:00.000-07:00

Written By: Andy Sweat
(Angry Staffer)

For me, the end of every October is not capped off with a hot, fun, horror filled Halloween bash. For the past 11 years running, the end of October means one thing for the Sweat Family: Neil Young and the Bridge School Benefit. It’s a family tradition to come out annually every Saturday night near the end of October to hear an eclectic mix of modern and classic bands play an acoustic set for a good cause.

The 23rd Bridge School Benefit is organized by Neil Young and his wife, Pegi, to raise money for Bridge School – a school ran for children with severe speech and physical impairments cofounded by Pegi. It’s the best family music concert event in the best venue in California.
My siblings and a few friends got to the concert two hours early to make sure we could find prime real estate on the famous steep hilled Shoreline lawn. We found the perfect spot, stage left, middle of the way up with easy access to the bathroom (planning ahead for the multiple bladder filled booze trips). We spread out 3 huge blankets, plopped down more folding chairs than a flea market and staked our claim on the big grassy hill. We sat down, and cracked a beer, soaking it all in as we observed the pre-concert buzz from the flood of people coming in with anticipation. Eclectic mix of teens, tweens, hipsters, milfs, joe the plumbers, blue collar dads, tech geek pops, and middle class families – this was the place to be Saturday night in the Bay Area.

I must preface this review by stating that over the years the Bridge School Benefit concert has turned from a “nice family festival with garlic fries” into a “slosh fest, don’t stray from the blackness but accept it” benefit concert for my family. We state that our intentions are never to get too wasted, but it now inevitably happens that way, as we’ve all reached our 20’s and (more importantly) realize that life is coming on fast with more responsibilities than we can handle (or want).

Saturday night meant music, family, friends and booze; those were our only responsibilities. Not even the steep, overpriced $12 Tecate tall-boys could stop us from moderating our responsibilities. Besides, it should be noted, every tall boy drank was for a good cause.

So, to make me feel better and less of a total degenerate…. Tonight the Sweat Family drank for the kids of Bridge School.

The lineup is always a meat mix of bands straight from the past and modern top 40 charts. Some lineups are way better than others. And some are just down right dry and bare. Here’s a list of bands/artists that’ve played in years past: CSNY, Phish, the Who, Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson, Tom Waits, Wilco, Sonic Youth, Beck, Thom Yorke, REM, Jonathan Richman, Lou Reed, Patti Smith, David Bowie, Springsteen, Dylan.

Saturday night, 2009 – we got: No Doubt, Chris Martin, Sheryl Crow, Fleet Foxes, Wolfmother, Monsters of Folk, Jimmy Buffett, and Gavin Rossdale.

Enough said, right?

Whether the lineup is dry, barren or down-right miserable, we were going to have a good time because Bridge School is one of the only concerts where you feel like these bands are playing on the lawn in your own backyard.

Here’s some quick thoughts on their bridge school performance:

Gavin Rossdale (aka Bush, aka that Glycerin song, aka Gwen Stefani’s boy-toy/babysitter) – played his little ditties from the glory days of his 90’s past with no soul or creativity. The word on the street is true: Rossdale has no talent and is best suited to take care of Gwen’s baby. (0 Guns)

Wolfmother (aka Aussie stoner rock band, aka band born in the wrong era) – enjoyed this band’s modern take on classic rock; people were generally digging this band and my family and I were too (probably due to the buzz we were starting to build from the booze, but still). I have to admit: “Woman” was actually a pretty catchy tune when played acoustically. (3 guns)

Fleet Foxes (aka King Harmonizers, aka the band that every indie kid HAS to like, aka you don’t like these guys? what’s wrong with you, aka I’m glad you came to your senses and now own everything they’ve recorded… on vinyl of course) – easily the best band of the night (sans Neil); great vocals, great sound; a band that epitomizes the cool, peaceful, Indian summer spirit of Bridge School. But… to be honest… can sometimes be a snooze fest with some of their songs sounding too similar. Overall, solid band with a lot of talent. Played right as the sun was beginning to set. Sky was redish-orange and Fleet Foxes were too. (3.5 guns)

Monsters of Folk (aka Super Group Indie Country Band thingy, aka the band Conor Oberst and that guy from My Morning Jacket are in, aka Really? That’s their name? sigh) – they played a nice blend of folk/indie rock that sounded really nice in the cold Mountain View air. Little bland at times, but mos def better than most of the other “bands” at this thing. (3 guns).

Sheryl Crow (aka Lance Armstrong’s Dumped Sweater Dumpling, Miss Grammy’s) – Sheryl Crow was fine. That’s it. She played her Grammy staples and sang normally and fine. Ummm…. Yeah. (1.5 guns: half-off for me having that fucking "Soak Up the Sun" song stuck in my fucking head today).

Chris Martin (aka Coldplay singer dude, aka Thom Yorke was here first guy, aka Gwyneth Paltrow’s man, aka the guy who named his kid 'Apple') – played a fair amount of Coldplay staples and had most of this mainstream listening crowd in stitches. For me, I was about 7 beers deep and a half-a-joint in, and all that was troubling me was not being able to remember the name of that dude in that Shakespeare movie Paltrow was in. (2 guns)

Jimmy Buffett (aka Margarita Cheese Burger Dip Stick Douche Noggle, aka this guy has made a career on lame retired post-9to5 joe schmo, jack schmucks, and jane soccer mom poor taste, aka Hawaiian shirt faux pas old creepy guy) – FINALLY… My drinking problem came in handy. I’m so glad I was too busy getting another Tecate tallboy for this ass clown hack: spending 26 bucks on 4 beers for missing this joke of a set was well worth it. Also, during this set, I realized that it was Joseph Fiennes in Shakespeare in Love. (0 guns)

No Doubt (aka the band that Gwen Stefani was in, aka the band with the album with peaces on it, aka the band with that Bananna Hollaback Girl) – No Doubt put on a classic set that had everyone in the crowd smiling and tripping back to 1995. They played staples like Just a Girl, Don’t Speak and Spiderwebs. It was a pleasant trip back to my teen years. (4 guns)

Neil Young – best performer of the night. Played classic songs from his legendary archive: Comes a Time and Harvest Moon were lovely standouts and capped the night off effortlessly and majestically. (4 guns)

Overall, some ups and downs with bands and beer buzz… but no matter what the lineup is, Neil Young will always be there; and that alone makes Bridge School worth going. That and knowing my family and 12 beers await me next year on that big blanket covered backyard lawn.

4 guns (2 for Neil and 2 for my family)

Random Observations:

I swear, weed smells better at Shoreline. It smells how I imagine Woodstock pot would’ve smelled. Anybody out there go to both Woodstock and Bridge School? Might be a tough find…
Told my sister’s friend that her “pinky is gross.” Not sure why I said that and she actually has a normal looking pinky. I’d even go as far as to say it’s a rather nice looking pinky. I’d like to take a moment right now to apologize to that person: I’m sorry for insulting your pinky.

Final beer count: 6 tall boys (12 beers) and probably a joint (or two). Didn’t see the “I Survived Bridge School ’09” t-shirt at the merch table.

I have to get this off my chest: Neil could be doing a better job at getting a higher quality of bands for this lineup. A sort of dream, quite possible lineup I can foresee at bridge school: David Byrne, Grizzly Bear, Arcade Fire, Fleetwood Mac, Joni Mitchell, Jeff Mangum, and throw in Foo Fighters and Taylor Swift for the kids and Starbucks drinkers.

Maybe I was a little harsh on the ol’ Buffett-ster back there… wait, no. That dick wad needs to GO AWAY!

All proceeds from the concert go into that school. It’s an amazing school with great people. If you’d like to donate, just go to this page and donate.

Flyleaf @ The El Ray 10/29/09

2009-10-30T01:01:00.000-07:00

Written By: Jim Markunas
(Editor-In-Chief)

Photos By: Victoria Hill
(Urban/Pop Editor)

View all of Victoria's Flyleaf photos here.

Flyleaf is awesome! This is a fact. They make Paramore look boring (which is hard to do). I've seen them play live exactly two times; both recently, one of which was tonight. The time before tonight was an acoustic performance by Lacey and Sameer. Acoustically, they were pretty good, but I couldn't help but wonder what vocalist Lacey Mosley would sound like live and backed by the rest of her band. I hoped for loud guitars, pounding drums, and more new material. Tonight, I got exactly what I wished for.

Lacey came on stage wearing a white wedding dress with black boots boots, and proceeded to bring down the house. Usually, a band with a popular frontman/woman blends into the background without being noticed. This is not how Flyleaf operates. Sameer thrashed back-and-forth across the stage, attacking his guitar as if it were an evil ex-girlfriend, and/or masked assailant. Of the whole band, bass player Pat Seals, was by far the most fun to watch. Pat looks like a overly sinister/ghoulish vampire, complete with 'guy-liner' and hair that somehow blows in the wind like an actor in a Spanish novella; he's also the hardest working bass player in show business. By the second song, a new track off the up-coming Memento Mori, Pat had managed to steal the show by climbing onto the drum tower and jumping acrobatically back down to the stage.

Most modern rock bands have forgotten how to rock; not Flyleaf. I haven't seen this much movement since the last Barack Obama ralley. In short, great sound, great energy, and lots of stage antics - If you have a chance, check Flyleaf out on tour, and remember to buy a copy of Memento Mori on November 10th.

Paper Tongues opened. I wasn't expecting to be impressed, but I'll be goddamned if I wasn't completely blown away. Paper Tongues are an up-and-coming band; freshly signed to IGA. Their blended style of southern rock and roots made for quite the interesting listen. Full of energy, as any new band should be, Paper Tongues were quite the treat! They don't have an album out as of yet, but I've been told we can expect a debut pretty soon.

Watch out for Sebastian Barnum's review of Flyleaf's appearance in Portland, OR in the next few days.

Want More Flyleaf?
Flyleaf Album Release Party (Review)
Flyleaf Album Release Party (Photos)
Flyleaf @ The El Ray - Los Angeles, CA (Review)
Flyleaf @ The El Ray - Los Angeles, CA (Photos)
Flyleaf @ Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR (Review)
Flyleaf @ Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR (Photos)
Review of Memento Mori

Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine

2009-10-29T17:19:00.000-07:00

Written By: Darwin Green
(Senior Editor)

@ the El Rey Theater - October 25, 2009

Jello Biafra must wake up early each morning, because he seems to get a lot done. With his role in the Dead Kennedys, the Melvins, his political campaigns, and now a new band, it was surprising for me to see him step directly off the street from a white Honda and through the front doors of the theater. Not that one would expect Biafra, of all people, to show up in a limo or sneak through the back, but because he actually did choose to expose himself to the public and eschewed the pretenses of modern music celebrities. Nobody put this reviewer’s name on the press list as a result of a clerical error somewhere along the way. Someone at the venue contacted Biafra once they realized the mistake, and Biafra himself granted this reviewer’s entry into the venue, something that would most likely never happen in the insulated world of performances.

One could tell immediately what kind of music to expect from looking at the audience. Biafra, in many ways, epitomizes a certain strain of punk rock, no less than his followers. Not a small portion of the audience donned the full punk regalia, Mohawks and leathers included, making the audience part urbanite social and part freak. In the time before his performance Biafra wandered the floor, talking with everyone who approached him. Freak or not, it didn’t seem to matter. He supplied the common thread through all of them with his music and ideals, and it was a small enough venue that it would be safe for him to open himself up to everyone without feeling overwhelmed.

The band started and Biafra walked onstage wearing a jacket and shirt made from the design of the American flag. Clearly, music was not the only thing on Biafra’s mind. He introduced every song with its intended message, expounding on how America needs reform and in what ways. He touched on the current state of Capitalism equating to feudalism, the evils of working in a cubicle for corporations, the dangers of Obama’s health care bill, and in particular, the opinion that all the former Bush administration should be charged with war crimes for using torture. He also heavily criticized San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom, calling him a combination of the worst parts of Feinstein, former Governor Gray Davis, and Tom Cruise, and told people to do everything they could to prevent him from working any longer in office. He also, at one point, declared the War on Drugs a waste of time, money, and lives.

People in the mosh pit ate all this up. People flipped off the air and screamed things like “fuck the War on Drugs” before running in a circle while shoving and pushing anyone who got in their way. A performance of the classic Dead Kennedys’ song “Holiday in Cambodia” drew a huge crowd to the pit. One could see the audience members on the outskirts tossing water on the floor under the feet of people in the mosh pit. Needless to say a couple people went down.

Biafra himself, while the songs played, pantomimed little vignettes onstage that had to do with each song with the enthusiasm and energy worthy of Al Jolson. For “Holiday in Cambodia,” for example, he mimed a pacifist being forced to join the army and shoot at other people. It was the best-rehearsed skit, the song having been around for a while.

At the end of the set he delivered to everyone a message that it is possible to enact change in the world, and told everyone not to live complacently any longer, but to make as much noise in the world as possible. One can take or leave it at will, however, Biafra makes the whole concept entertaining as well as inspiring.

Cypress Hill Smokeout Day 1, Part 3

2009-10-29T15:13:00.001-07:00

Written By: Pablo Cortez
Photos By: Dustin Roe

View all of Dustin's photos here.

Day 1 - After six smokeless years, well, not completely smokeless, Cypress Hill returned to San Bernardino, CA for the seventh Smoke Out tour. The joint venture with Guerilla Union was held at the San Manuel Amphitheatre, formerly the Glen Helen Pavilion and featured original member reunions of both Goodie Mob and Geto Boys and, for the first time ever, Cypress Hill closing out the night by performing the entire Black Sunday album on the first day of this two day festival.

Tents and Flicks - A number of performers opened the show including Short Dawg, Swollen Members, Devin the Dude, Psycho Dream and Hieroglyphics which you could watch at the Indonesia Stage, acting main stage for the night. The expo tent housed vendors, petitioners, medical marijuana advocates and the day’s meet and greet with the performers as well as discussion/education panels from Oaksterdam University and Celeb-stoners Mickey Avalon, Ngaio Bealum, Michael Rapaport and Adrianne Curry. A couple of stoner comedies were played in front of the grassy knoll,” How High?” and “Nice Dreams”, making for a hazy, mellow movie at the park night. This area of the event seemed to cater to the people that were standing in the sun throughout the day and burnt out. Drinks and munchies were just a few feet away and the open turf area was a good place to lay and watch the crowds go by. Speaking of munchies, a good assortment of food vendors were out. Tacos, nachos, burgers, hot dogs, ice creams and churros were readily available. Good thing too, considering the crowd.

Bushwicked, mobbed and lit up - We were able to catch the Geto Boy’s set with original members; Willie D, and Bushwick Bill. Scarface did not make it the show. Their set included hits like “The World is a Ghetto”,” My Mind is Playing Tricks on Me”, and my favorite “Damn it Feels Good to be a Gangster” the story of how to be a good gangster with a bit of politics thrown in. Making an entrance to the Rocky theme song, Goodie Mob followed. Setting it up with “Goodie Bag”, a tweaked “Git up Git out” mixing Spandau Ballet’s “True” with Beastie Boy’s “Paul Revere” which surprisingly works, and a collection of their hits, both old and new. These guys got the crowd ready for Cypress Hill who played their 1993 album Black Sunday in its entirety starting with track 1, “I Want to Get High”.

B-Real lit up what must have been the largest blunt he could hold in one hand and the crowd followed suit. They were engulfed in a steady, continuous thick fog that rolled up and over their heads for the entire set. This set took us back to the days hanging out at a friend’s garage or backyard, listening to the album while collecting cash for and debating who would make the trip to the fast food drive thru. Day 1 of SmokeOut 2009 was a very chill, very relaxed event. Definitely worth a trip out for fans of hip-hop and that little green plant that makes this all possible.

See Dave Brook's Review of Day 2 here.

See David Carr's Review of Day 2 here.

See Ed Hannigan's Day 2 photos here.

Cypress Hill Smokeout: The Boys on the Hill Bring the Rock, Rap, and Ruckus

2009-10-29T15:13:00.000-07:00

Written By: David Carr
Photos By: Ed Hannigan

View all of Ed's Smokeout Photos Here.

After a bit of a hiatus Cypress Hill brought back their Smokeout Festival to San Bernardino California. The two day event featured a ton of rock and rap acts, and a wide array of discussion/celebration around marijuana. At times the band roster came off more like a casting call for a soap opera or made for TV movie.

Many of the bands on the two day bill seemed to be going through a bit of drama behind the scenes. Day one of the festival saw reunions of Houston’s Geto Boys and Cee-Lo Green’s old Atlanta crew The Goodie Mob. Day two had Pennywise debuting a new lead singer thanks to the departure of long time bandmate Jim Lindberg.

The Deftones had a fill-in bass player while their bassist Chi Cheng lay in a hospital bed in a coma after a tragic car accident. And then there was the Sublime reunion. Original members Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson have reformed Sublime with new frontman Rome Ramirez. The family of deceased lead singer Bradley Nowell has been vocal in their displeasure of the bands use of the name and even went so far as to file an injunction against the band.

On Saturday while dj Muggs and Mix-Master Mike kept the beats pulsating and flowing on the second stage, Pennywise turned in a pedestrian set with fill in vocalist Zoli Teglas on the main stage as the crowd watched and yawned. The party seemed to get started when Sublime 2.0 took the stage with their new lead vocalist. The band played through their most well known tunes and had the crowd singing and moving to their heady mix of ska, punk and reggae. Rome Ramirez is a solid guitar player and seemed to handle the pressure of filling in for Nowell well. He handled the breezy laid back vocals with ease and was able to keep the party going throughout the set. Whether or not this new version of Sublime will yield any new music remains to be seen and the group still has to contend with the Nowell family.

As Method Man and Redman and Bad Brains stormed the second stage, Cypress Hill hit the main stage with a set filled with their greatest hits. After a quick break The Deftones were up next. The Deftones may not have been as commercially successful as their nu-metal brethren but the band remains one of the heaviest and most thought provoking of the nu-metal pack. Lead vocalist Chino Moreno screamed, wailed, shrieked and emoted as his band laid down their Sabbath meets Robert Smith brand of metal. Moreno even showed off his skills as an mc as he rapped “Back to School” off of the bands classic disc “White Pony”

The Deftones raised the bar for headliners Slipknot and the “knot” was able to clear it. With nine band members dressed in masks and matching jumpsuits, kettle drums on hydraulics and a dj violently convulsing back and forth one could have made the assumption that Slipknot would be the band with all of the “issues”. Instead Slipknot proved to represent the best of what the metal genre has to offer. Musically the band is a three way split between Metallica, Faith No More and the Blue Man Group. On stage the band is a demented circus with singer Corey Taylor as the would be ring leader. Taylor shouted, screamed, rapped and sang his lyrics of alienation and lost hope as the band brought their pummeling music to a raucous level. The band gets the award for most interesting sing-a-longs (or in this case shout-a-longs) of the day. Taylor had the crowd chanting such lines as “I am the push that makes you move” and “give me a minute and I’ll change your mind…give me a bullet and I’ll change your life”.

If there is one criticism of the Smokeout it may be the division of labor between stages. Acts like Bad Brains and Method Man and Redman deserve to be on the main stage. If this can happen next year B-Real and company will ensure the party will be alive an smokin’ all day and night.

See Pablo Cortez's Review of Day 1 here.

See Dave Brook's Review of Day 2 here.

See Dustin Roe's Day 1 photos here.

The Cypress Hill Smokeout Part 1

2009-10-27T12:08:00.000-07:00

Written By: Dave Brooks
Photos By: Ed Hannigan

View all of Ed's Smokeout photos here.

I show up to the Cypress Hill Smokeout in my green "Naturally Gifted" t-shirt with a plant on it that at first glance looks like a pot leaf (it isn't), my camo shorts and my usual longish hair with full beard. Not your typical photographer look. I bring along my trusty Samsung S630 to take my "pro" shots with and forget to bring the memory card. That means I get to take 9 whole pictures!

Jim, editor-in-chief of CWG, and I enter the parking lot and ask some San Manuel Amphitheater employees where to find the V.I.P. parking section. We are given a variety of answers that don't seem to point towards anywhere, so we decide to park in the first available spot and buck authority. This is Rock 'n Roll damn it! A flash of our passes and we are in. We navigate through the maze of barricades and personnel with sheer ignorance and walk right onto the main stage. There's only a sound check going on at the time, don't get too excited, but we do just happen to walk onstage through on to backstage. According to our brightly colored, segregated wristbands, this is a 'no no.'

We're now backstage illegally and face a dilemma, how are we going to see the show when we can't risk running into the Gestapo-ish San Manuel Security? More importantly, how are we going to eat, when there's a limited ration of food tickets and you can't buy anything backstage with money? We try to bullshit the volunteer staff, no luck. I try bribing and begging the food guys, no dice. I turn around and find my temporary savior. The Ice Cream Man. This guy is giving out FREE motherfuckin ice cream. "Two ice cream sandwiches please" I ask King, leader of the Ice Cream Men. "No problem" says King. "Come back anytime" he adds. Fuckin A I will.

Word is spreading around backstage that Pennywise are about to go on. What to do? We again try to act like we belong, but this time there is a wily veteran of a backstage security woman in our way. She notices our inadequate wristbands and it's on. "What are you doing back here? You're not allowed back here! How'd you get back here?" All "back here" excuses fail. She ain't having it. I am escorted off as Jim smartly evades her and stays backstage. He eventually joins me as I figure out that I get to stand directly in front of the stage for the first 3 songs of each band. (With my photo pass and all)

I get to the front of the stage as Pennywise goes on and notice that I am a little out place. I'm surrounded by 15-20 photographers, over $100,000 worth of camera equipment and look nothing like a person that should have a photo pass. Who cares though! No one is kicking me out! For a novice Pennywise fan, I think they played pretty damn well. I overheard hardcore Pennywise fan's say that new singer Zoli Teglas isn't really up to par, but the guy just started filling in for Jim Lindberg 2 nights ago. Give him a break I say! I had a good time Zoli. Thank you for having the balls to face the hardcore fans.

Jim gets a call and finds out that we have the opportunity to interview Immortal Technique. As one of the most controversial and outspoken MC's out there, 'Tech would be a great interview. I scheme my way back into what I find out later is the wrong backstage to try to find 'Tech. Might as well get some more free ice cream! I spend my time wandering around looking for anyone that might look even close to a rapper. No luck. As I leave the backstage area, Sublime, or the new incarnation of Sublime with Rome Ramirez fronting the group, has taken the stage. While I do agree with Bradley Nowell's wife regarding the use of the band name, I have to say that I enjoyed their set immensely. This kid sounded like Bradley, played guitar pretty damn close to Bradley (messed up the intro to "Santeria") and has even stated that he plans on writing new songs for the band like Bradley. What balls! The crowd loved him and enjoyed every second of their set. All of the classics were played. A successful reunion if I ever saw one.

We leave their set a little early to go see and meet Immortal Technique, who we now know is backstage of the 2nd stage where he is performing. We feel a little stupid to say the least, but it doesn't end there! We don't immediately recognize him as we approach his trailer! We shake his hand and say that we are here to do an interview with "Immortal Technique." He says "That's me. Immortal Technique isn't a group, it's only one nigga." I knew this, but....well, forget it, I feel like an idiot. He proceeds to tear up the 2nd stage. Dropping hits like "Bin Laden" and "Harlem Street." Leading the crowd through a sing along of "Homicide harlem, BLAM! What's the problem?" With the time splits between each stage you end up missing either the beginning or end of a set. We race back to see Cypress Hill only to catch the last 2 songs of their set . Chino Moreno of the Deftones guest starred on "Rock Superstar," making this hit track even more hype with his unique brand of vocals.

Skipping the Kottonmouth Kings, we stay around for the Deftones. I have personally seen them roughly 15 times now and count them as one my most influential bands. They open their set with a brand new track titled "Rocket Skates" off of the yet to be released 'Eros.' If this is any indication of what's to come, I am extremely excited. It's a combination of their early and recent stuff all balled into one. Chino had a ton of energy that night with Jim attributing it to his weight loss. Makes sense to me. He was running around the stage, physically emphasizing the high points in the songs being played. I'm completely truthful yet definitely biased when I say that their set killed. At least the beginning did, as we missed the last 20 minutes running over to the Method Man and Redman show at the 2nd stage.

As I enter and get closer to the back of the stage, I see Redman walking to the stage. "What's up Redman!" And do that half handshake/half pat on the back thing. He says, "What's up." Meth and Red jumped on stage, and brought the house down for a full hour with their individual hits, delivering the final blow with classic Wu-Tang ("M-E-T-H-O-D Man" being the topper). My current rating for the Cypress Hill Smokeout, out of 10, at this point would probably be a 9.935. Oh yea, one last band to go.............SLIPKNOT. Did I mention that I get to sit in the very, very front for the first three songs?

Damn. It's just clockwork for these dudes now. Always killer shows. I know it helps when you have that many guys on stage, but you still have to give credit where it's due. Slipknot are touring on their latest album "All Hope is Gone" and decided to pay a visit to the Smokeout. Corey Taylor, Jim Root, Mick Thomson and the gang all have killer new masks. This just adds to a dynamic, precision based attack of a show that seems to never let up. I think that they played 3 tracks off of their debut right at the get go, just so they piss themselves off enough to make it through such an energetic performance. And 4 encores too. As we were leaving we heard some type of music playing and thought it might have been a 5th encore. We're still not entirely clear about that.

Walking back to the car was interesting, as we passed the car initially and then remembered that it was definitely on more of a sloping hill like the one behind us. Finding the car was a relief. So much walking and bullshitting had taken its toll. The conversation shifts to what fast food restaurant the GPS tells us is closest and......the car won't start. Are you serious... Some nice guy in a truck comes down to jump the car and it doesn't work. Everything is in place, it just won't work. We thank the guy for trying as he leaves and go back to the car. I replace the positive terminal cap and what seems to be 15 seconds later, I notice that the car's interior lights are on. The what? Yea! They're on. Start the car! Start the car! Jim turns the keys and........

It starts right up. Un fucking believable. See ya next year, Smokeout!

See Pablo Cortez's Review of Day 1 here.

See David Carr's Review of Day 2 here.

See Dustin Roe's Day 1 photos here.

A Night with SPIN

2009-10-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

Story and Photos By: Giselle Rivera

View all of Giselle's photos from the party here.

Running off the infamous Brooklyn to Manhattan L train, I darted west to 16th street, where there would be a night of amazement awaiting.

I Whistled for a cab and hustled down the busy streets of Manhattan’s Lower East Side, as the city’s nightlife filled the air. “Highline Ballroom,” I read out loud as we approached a crowded mid section of west 16th. Checked in with the guest list, got stamped and ran up the stairs just in time for an unexpected insane performance by Temper Trap.

An audience of over 300 filled the stage room of Highline Ballroom as DJ 9th Wonder settled in the beats and sounds of the night. Talking. Dancing. Gaming. It was clear that those in attendance were only the Industry Gurus and the Interns who dreamed of becoming the next generation of Gurus. The atmosphere was stylish, clean and modern, like that of the style of its host; SPIN Magazine.

Banners hung on every inch of banister, free SPIN magazines laid on every lounge and table, posters of memorable SPIN covers graced the walls of Highline and to the left of the stage the bright “Batman” light with the SPIN logo illuminated the walls and dance floor.

With their final sound check completed, Temper Trap thanked New York and SPIN, and started an impressive performance. The clarity, intensity and talent of Temper Trap was justified right there on the stage of Highline Ballroom as all those in the audience sang along to every song and applauded with overwhelming satisfaction after every track.

I spoke with Temper Trap and the lead singer, Dougie, after the show for a brief moment and they seemed eager for that success that was well-deserved. Dougie stated that they had been doing this for five years and in the past year their career has taken off, as they have been on tour and all around the world. Snapping a couple shots of the group, I went back to join the crowd who had been expecting a performance by Clipse all night.

Shouting out the words to songs like “Grinding” and “Mr. Me Too,” the crowd welcomed Clipse with a great sense of true fan base, as most singing along did not skip a beat. Playing both old and new tracks, Clipse touched base with all fans, as most were waiting for the performance of their latest track, off their upcoming album, “Till the Caskey Drops.”

Definitely a job well-done for SPIN Magazine! If you're in Los Angeles over Halloween, check out CWG's mansion party.

Stone Temple Pilots @ San Manuel Indian Bingo/Casino

2009-10-23T23:23:00.000-07:00

Written By: Darwin Green
(Senior Editor)

Highland, CA - 10/22/09
Opening act: Something To Burn

At first it seemed difficult to find the venue. Not only do the Casino grounds reside somewhere in the obscurity of the Inland Empire, but once a person arrives one has to walk down a long hallway through several buildings, walk around a giant set of spiral stairs, enter through the correct opening to the casino out of two or three, and then walk through the casino, amid tables of blackjack, craps, and slot machines, until one comes to a series of metal detectors near the doors. Any misstep in any of these series of steps would have caused much confusion and dismay to the excited fan, although an intoxicated patron with enough money from the slot machines might stumble onto it rather quickly if luck and persistence have anything to do with it.

The auditorium itself doesn’t exactly say, “concert,” either. It reminds one more of a business seminar ballroom, or somewhere that would host Amma with her legions of followers in hotel conference rooms. It held a surprising number of seats, however, and they fanned out and filled in most of the room. It didn’t seem the kind of venue that Stone Temple Pilots performed in during the peak of their fame, or worthy of their past career as genuine alternative rock stars. The fans, mostly older than 25, still filled the seats.

STP didn’t do much as an introduction besides just walking onstage. The fans stood up as soon as they did, howling, some chanting, “STP, STP.” Then they played. The guitar and drums lit up the room, with Weiland standing on the front lights, legs slightly spread apart and body waving back and forth with the beat and riffs. He sang as though nothing stood between him and the music, not even years of rehab or heroin addiction. He didn’t even seem to break a sweat.

After some initial hard-hitting hits like “Vasoline” and “Wicked Garden,” STP moved on to the softer yet still popular, including hits like “Creep,” and “Sour Girl.” “Plush” and “Interstate Love Song” pushed the energy back up, way back up for “Sex Type Thing” and “Unglued” before they left for the obvious encore return of “Dead and Bloated” and “Trippin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart.” They managed to play most of their big hits in one set, and threw in some deep cuts for the fun of the show.

The audience screamed in admiration as the four band members all stood up on the front lights and hung their arms across each other’s shoulders. They didn’t do or say anything in particular, unless they said to the audience simply by their presence, “We’re back.”

Blues Traveler @ The Littlejohn Coliseum

2009-10-23T17:31:00.000-07:00

Article and Photos By: Victor Alfieri

Clemson, SC – 10/20/09

View oll of Victor's Blues Traveler photos here.

Each year, the Sigma Chi fraternity of Clemson University has their “Derby Days” where they raise money for a local charity. This year, to cap of their work for a local children’s charity, they hosted a concert with Blues Traveler as the headline act. And while I was there to cover this historic band, the opening act, a local band called PictureMeFree, blew me away.

With reggae, rock, jam band and even urban influences, PMF brought together a mixture of music that could not possibly let the crowd sit still. It does not take much to see the connection the musicians have with each other and how they fit together. It’s hard to say if they will ever become anything more than a local band. They certainly have the talent and ability to become a major force, but it takes just as much luck as it does talent and hard work to take things to the next level. Hopefully we will be hearing more from them in the future.

When Blues Traveler took the stage, it did not take long to remember why these guys were pioneers in the “jamband” world in the 90’s. BT took just one song break in the first hour and ten minutes of the show. They came out and hit the crowd hard to get them going. Opening with “Brother John” off of Four, they rolled through three covers over the course of a half hour long “jam” that also included a solo from bassist Tad Kinchla. Popper channeled the movie Animal House with his version of “Shout” followed up by Charlie Daniels’ “Devil Went Down to Georgia” and Sublime’s “What I Got.”

Over the course of two plus hours, BT reached through the length of their songbook. Going back to “Slow Change” & “But Anyway” from the self-titled first release to “Forever Owed” & “You, Me & Everything” from the recent North Hollywood Shootout, they covered everything in between.
Each member of the band had an opportunity to showcase their talents, and they never let the crowd relax. Crowd favorites like “Run-Around” and an amazing cover of Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry” kept everybody up, dancing and singing. The encore of “Hook” sealed the deal for many in attendance.

Blues Traveler has been making music for over twenty years. There is no doubt that, while many enjoy their studio work, this band is truly at it’s finest on stage. With the exception of a few vocal hiccups from Popper, the set was strong and tight. As they continue to tour over the next month, I highly suggest going out to see these guys if they come to a venue near you.

See Victor's review of North Hollywood Shootout

See Victor's interview with Brendan Hill

Grizzly Bear/Beach House @ Hollywood Palladium 10/20/09

2009-10-23T00:45:00.000-07:00

Written By: Andy Sweat (Angry Staffer)
Photos By: Jeremy Ross

View all of Jeremy's Grizzly Bear/Beach House photos here.

For the majority of Angelenos, Tuesday October 20th was all about Angels and Yankees or O’Donnell and LL (but certainly not 90210 or Melrose Place). But for all those west side trendsters and east side hipsters, KCRW’s hosted show at the Palladium was the place (you had) to be.

Nothing makes an indie kid (who secretly follows Pitchfork Media) cum harder than the sound of Grizzly Bear and Beach House getting down and dirty together for some symphonic love. Both bands have a similar dreamy, hypnotic style of music yet both differ in the way they deliver that sound. And Tuesday night was a marriage made in heaven.

Beach House hails from Baltimore, and last year they put out their well-received second album, “Devotion,” which they played a fair amount of songs from on Tuesday. Beach House delivers their dreamy sound with charming, simplistic, neo-psychedelic guitar and keyboard work while making sure the vocals stay as hush as possible (though there were frequent siren cries throughout each tune). Victoria Legrand’s frazzled, drained, elongated vocals and Alex Scally’s deftly acute melodic guitar made for a pleasant experience that had the viewer drifting slowly into a deep state of unconsciousness.

My only quarrel with this band is that after about 3 songs – you’ve heard them all. The variation is slight from song to song but the tone is copied in each tune. But that’s not to say that I’m not a fan of their music as a whole. I can appreciate a minimalist style approach that is both hypnotic and breezy. And, on this night, Beach House was a nice little snack before the main course; a main Lobster course that performs on a different level sonically, technically and lyrically than 99% of the bands out there.

By the time Grizzly Bear took the stage, the audience was ready to go a bit further with the drowsy hypnotic sound established by Beach House. Grizzly Bear’s latest release, “Veckatimest,” is the bands third album and it has their sound taking on similar territory and landscape: big, expansive, twisted, chaotic, harmonic… there’s really no use in trying to categorize it.

Personally, I’m more of a “Yellow House” fan due to that perfect warm, eerie cabin-like sound. On that album, the band didn’t try to be overly-complicated, yet their harmony and music was as enchanting as the fireplace they set their music and logs in. I’m still a fan of their latest stuff, but I do have reservations about it for the simple fact that it is a little too ambitious for its own good. An ambition that seems to be boundless which sometimes hurts the end result. Either way – their music is fucking good whether I prefer one album to another. And… their live show Tuesday night didn’t let anyone down.

The Brooklyn-based band has always been fantastic and better musicians than the majority of the clones rolling around indie-stardom-ville. Their articulate and meticulous musical craftsmanship and talent is obvious, but, live, this band also unleashes sonic assaults on the faces of every eager and willing fan. We got a glimpse into a more noise-influenced band that might not be so apparent on their albums.
A standout moment was "Southern Point.” A psychedelic folk-jazz influenced mix that floored its audience with its lively acoustic guitars, heaps of vocal harmonies, jaunty drums, and all sorts of various clinking sounds making it bewildering and alluring.

The lovely "Two Weeks," in contrast, is a song where the chorus wobbles sophisticatedly between beseeching and encouraging as it's sustained by the backing vocals of Beach House's very own Victoria LeGrand. On this night, it was just simply dazzling.

“On a Neck, On a Spit” was a glorious moment from the “Yellow House” album that recalls their folk influence while “While You Wait for the Others” showed off the band’s more tangible and accessible pop friendly side.

Grizzly Bear played in a fierce and focused manner with a passion that just simply couldn’t be ignored.

Overall, and to no one’s surprise, Grizzly Bear is worth the hype (both in their studio output and their live performances) and they are a must see band for music fans of any kind. It’s exciting when a band tries to do the things Grizzly Bear attempts (and succeeds) at doing: music dripping with influence that also transcends and becomes its own separate entity.

It’s music for anyone who enjoys aspirant, inventiveness ripe with emotional suggestion… which should be all of you.

Random Observations:

* Is it just me or does Ed Droste sound like the most beautiful 5-year-old who’s complaining to his mother during the Carole King cover “He Hit Me (and It Felt Like a Kiss)..?

* The lighting was fucking really good. Anybody else notice those awesome tube shaped cylinders on the ceiling?

* Victoria used the word “facetious” and said it’s a “big word” – really, Victoria? You can do better than that. What about: Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis…?

* Celebrity sightings: Aziz Ansari (Human Giant, Parks & Recreation), and maybe Busy Phillips (Freaks and Geeks, Dawson’s Creek). Were you there, Busy? But more importantly, did you really sing back-up vocals for John Mayer?

* The Palladium’s acoustics were (are) utter crap. The venue is spacious, hip and sorta cool – but the sound quality and general ambience of this place made for a distraction rather than aiding the quality of music. This concert would’ve been better suited at the Greek Theatre: sitting down, relaxing outdoors - enjoying whatever drug of choice. This show didn’t need the fucking dance hall floor space. The music of Beach House and Grizzly Bear belongs in the air – not trapped in walls.

* Sold a ticket to a chick on Craigslist at face value. Disheveled, MapQuest retarded, dangling cig chick showed up 40 minutes late and then had the nerve to ask me for change. I should’ve taken that cig, burnt the ticket and then shoved the ashes up her ass…. Instead, I gave her change and we parted ways. Sigh. (BTW - who the fuck still uses MapQuest?)

View all of Jeremy's photos here.

Praise For Pretty Lights @ Crystal

2009-10-21T02:32:00.000-07:00

Written By: Chris Young

"Sunday School" started right on time and I wasn't late. But as the beat dropped and the drum kicked, this sabbath day gathering was not about praising a ritual deity but rather about reviving musical lore.

The instantly recognizable drone from Biggie coupled with the raging, harsh lyrics "Fuck Him, I didn't wanna go to Heaven anyways" let everyone know what kind of church we were in.

This Sunday's best included short skirts, sparkly face paint, and fanny packs congregated in the nave of the Crystal Ballroom under impish frescoes and colonnades topped by cackling jokers all to exalt the Pretty Lights.

Derek Vincent Smith of Pretty Lights beamed life back into old vinyl cuts but not just by spinning and sampling. Hunched over the glowing lights on his Monome 128, he organically mixed and meshed delicate sounds with deft accuracy.

Complemented by live drummer Cory Eberhard, the pair resurrected hammered beats while forging new material and playing with osmotic precision as Smith manipulated the electronics and Eberhard the sticks. The duo simultaneously, continuously changed tempos and transformed rhythms fueled by the bouncing crowd.

Backed by a multimedia show teeming with acidic oscilloscope visualizations, blinding strobes, and yes, a rainbow of pretty lights. He took the audience for a zooming joy ride strapped to the fender of the big red PL bus cruising through the city lights of Chicago, NYC or maybe even Denver—showing us the companioning cityscapes to his immense soundscapes.

The west coast was not neglected as the kids grinded to snippets of "Shake, shake it baby" from "California Love" buzzing to afros and disco hustle above.

Stating there'd be no encore, Pretty Lights continued to smash through cut after cut of tantalizing dance anthems with the crowd sweating along and the Crystal's windows clouded by a moist haze like after a steamy shower.

Absorbed in the keypad before him, a Rubik's Cube of color and rectangles blipped behind the band, and a classic Jordan finessed his way along the baseline and onto the screen for a flash on "More Important Than Michael Jordan."

The finale of Wreckx-N-Effect's "Rump Shaker" vs "Paper Planes" by M.I.A. tastily blended the choral lyric "All I wanna do" to the delight of manic mob.

At the close, Smith humbly thanked Portland for coming out and asked the people to buy a t-shirt or hat to support the free music.

Check out all of Pretty Light's tracks for free on his website.

---
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Pretty Lights
Chicharones
DJ Rootz
Crystal Ballroom : 1332 W Burnside Portland, Oregon 97209

Patrick Watson @ Largo L.A.

2009-10-20T14:33:00.000-07:00

Written By: Jim Markunas
(Editor-In-Chief)

Photos by: Sarah Yeo

View all of the Patrick Watson Live Photos here.

Patrick Watson was quite the treat! I walked into the concert not knowing anything about the artist and his band, but I left a complete believer. Patrick Watson is a combination of John Mayer, Coldplay and Radiohead (From the "Kid A"-era before they got boring and drippy). Not only are each and every one of the musicians in the band, Patrick included, multi-instrumentalists and exceptionally talented, they also put on a hell of a show. They brought in James Brown's old sound guy, and had a light show that could go toe-to-toe with any of Coldplay's arena theatrics.

Patrick is by no means lazy - In addition to having a sultry Mayer-esq voice, strong enough to be heard without a microphone, he understands the value of showmanship. He made quips and jokes to the audience, and made us all feel as if we were part of the show. At one point, Patrick jumped off stage and sang to the audience, from the audience, without the aid of a mic.

Even more unbelievable was Patrick's band. The drummer was the embodiment of percussion, as every move was executed as if he and his drums were somehow cosmically connected. He also backed up Patrick's beautifully orchestrated piano playing with tonal chimes (while at the same time playing the drums), creating a sonically-beautiful and unique atmospheric effect. The bass and guitar managed to seamlessly blend with the music, yet stand out at the same time; this is hard to pull off well, and is a rare quality that can't be over-looked.

The song that stood out the most to me was "I Like You," the band's lover's ballad. This song has major cross-over potential, and gave me the urge to make out with a hot chick... and I would have too, if the sound booth hadn't been such a sausage fest!!!!

Patrick Watson and Co. are extremely popular in Europe, and are starting to make a major push in the US. My only concern is that Patrick's music may be too sophisticated for mainstream American audiences, as it lacks the standard pop structure (verse, chorus, verse, solo, chorus, etc.) However, Muse was misunderstood by American audiences on their first US release, but eventually ended up as a household name. I whole-heartedly believe that Patrick Watson may be the next Coldplay or Radiohead if given the right opportunities and hooked up with the right producers.

Patrick's performance was so unbelievable, my review can't possibly do it justice. If you have the chance, check out Patrick and his band in San Francisco on October 20th or New York on October 22nd. These are the only US dates remaining on his tour.

View drummer Robbie Kuster playing the saw.

Threes and Nines opened, and were also a stellar act - kind of like The Violent Femmes with happier lyrics - gritty/pretty music that could easily find a home in and David Lynch film or Las Vegas drinking binge.

HORSE The Band Album Release Party

2009-10-20T01:40:00.000-07:00

Story and Photos By: Steve Sawyer

View all of Steve's HORSE The Band photos here.

HORSE The Band just unleashed their new album "Desperate Living," and to celebrate, the band decided to bring their unique brand of blasphemous noise to the Eagle Rock Center for the Performing Arts for a record release party. But they also brought some friends along for the ride, in the forms of iwrestledabearonce, and Rolo Tomassi. So were they able to melt everyone's faces off with the combined power of heavy metal and keyboards? For the most part, yes.

The opening bands borrowed/lend quite a bit to the type of sound that Horse has created. And while it would be completely unfair to label either of them as opportunistic, or derivative, it's not completely unfair to say that they sounded very similar to one another. And interestingly enough, they were both fronted by female vocalists, both feature keyboardists, and both bands have five members. Matters of clarity were only made even more complex by the fact that both bands lead singers use an almost audible identical twin of a scream, with the only stand out moment of difference coming in the form of iwrestledabearonce's Krista Cameron's occasional Bjork inspired crooning, and Eva Spence's blond hair to Krista Cameron's brunette.

While both bands did a more than competent job of getting the crowd moving, and shaking, there's definitely room for some expansion of sound for both camps, which isn't a surprising thing in a genre that's still wide open for experimentation. But at the same time, I think that for both of these bands, any type of overindulgence that only results in them falling further into their own rabbit hole would probably be a misstep, as others like Genghis Tron continue to paint some very frightening, and beautiful musical images that should serve as a creative template for those that are serious about progression, and intimidation for those that are content to settle. It's one of those "only time will tell.." sort of situations, but the potential payoff, could be well worth the investment of risk.

By the time Horse took the stage, the audience was a healthy rock and roll mixture of half drunk, and sweaty excitement. So when the signature sound of Lord Gold's keyboards filled the crowded auditorium, the response was predictably insane. It only took one song to turn the entire audience from a collection of mumbled conversation, into a cacophony of slam dancing maniacs. It seemed like everyone was right at home in this absolutely insane mix of noise, and wildly animated bodies, but no one more so than Horse. Only a few songs in the band had made a "friend" in the form of one of the audience members whose drunken performance was apparently either so amusing, or amazing (take your pick) they decided to let him join them on stage to help them sing along.

This unique brand of organized chaos is without a doubt what made the show so much damn fun. If Nathan wasn't fighting back the swarm of people constantly overflowing onto the stage, he was singing in the sea of them, or wearing the various items of clothing they saw fit to throw to him at random intervals. I'll forever have the image of him using a red beanie as an impromptu sock puppet back up vocalist, only to pull it over his head moments later to do his best cholo impersonation while singing.

The highlight of the show however was without a doubt their encore performance, which had them performing one of the single greatest songs of all time "Kangarooster Meadows" (youtube it) with members of both Rolo Tomassi, and iwrestledabearonce, and a good chunk of the front row of people invited on stage to finish off the show. The results were immediately spectacular, with the crowd turning into a massive bouncing crazed collection of dancing madness. During the chaotic mass dance recital, a crowd surfing member of the audience came careening down onto Lord Gold's keyboard... rendering it inoperable for almost half of the song. All they did was laugh their asses off, and played through until someone managed to reconnect the victimized cable. It doesn't get much better, or more Rock and Roll than that I suppose.

Before the show started, I had a chance to talk to lead singer Nathan Winneke for a few minutes. When I asked if he would mind me reviewing the show, he said something that I've been thinking about since. Rather than try to quote a casual conversation that wasn't intended to turn into an interview I'll attempt to relate what he said as I remember, and reap the consequences of getting pummeled by the band later in the off chance I got a bit of it wrong. But Nathan said, that he wasn't terribly fond of reviews in general. That when someone would write a review that wasn't particularly good it would bug him a little, but at the same time, whenever he read a particularly good review of something they did, it would bother him just as much if only because he would feel like it was undeserved praise.

I thought about that as I watched the guys interacting with everyone from the audience members, to the members of the supporting bands. There is truly a sense of legitimacy to the group, the sense that if only 15 people had shown up, that they would have played just as hard... That type of ethic is damn near impossible to come by anymore, and their live show is amazing for it, as much as it may bother Nathan to know so.

The Jesus Lizard @ The Henry Fonda Theater 10/15/09

2009-10-19T16:26:00.000-07:00

Written By Paul Losada

So fucking awesome is the musical prowess of the Jesus Lizard that I feel immediately compelled to tear down any other bands even attempting follow in its wake. In this case, Model/Actress sits in my path. I arrived at the re-union show at the Henry Fonda Theater intentionally late because I knew these feelings would come up, but--God, help me, I had to witness all of the second opening act's set, and I'm too weak not to write about it! There will never be another Jesus Lizard, and upon its almost alarmingly solid performance, I hope nobody else even attempts to come close. Yeah, I'm that selfish when it comes to this band.

Model/Actress--I immediately hated the group approximately 8 seconds into the set. Looking at its MySpace page now, I'm almost shocked being as that members of Brainiac, Enon, and even the Jesus Lizard are involved in its creative output. But in a live setting just moments before the band that almost made "pigfuck" a household term--it looked and sounded like a group of dudes who just overheard somewhere that such music is cool. I felt irritated by their fedora hats, perfect fitting jeans and new leather jackets; and I guess more importantly, by the deep swaggering bass lines and wire-y guitar shards that sounded just a little too perfect. When the curtains were closing I kept my eyes peeled for the slick-haired fat man in shiny shoes and a suit clapping louder than anyone else.

A lot of other people at the show seemed to sorta dig Model/Actress, so I wondered if maybe I was being irrationally harsh, but I dismissed all second-guessing once I seemed to blink and suddenly realize David Yow was jumping on top of me and belting out the lyrics to "Puss." The music and energy of the band kicked off so quickly that there was hardly a second to process it, and by the time any of us there did it was already too late and it didn't matter. The band ripped through songs mostly from the Steve Albini/Touch & Go era (Thankfully--though, "Thumper" from Shot stood out as one of the highlights of the evening) at what almost seemed like record quality caliber. David Wm. Sims and Mac McNeily's rhythm section sounded as tight as ever while Duane Denison effortlessly plucked, scraped, and peeled his way through the now legendary riffs of "Seasick," "Mouth Breather," "Gladiator," "Destroy Before Reading," "Glamorous..." And the slide guitar
that opens "Nub" still sounded meaner than a buzz saw.

And of course there was David Yow. Ahhh, David. You're older now, your eyes softer, and your smile more apparent--but you still bring the fun while making us fear for our lives! Well, there wasn't as much fear at the Fonda last week, but a couple of us got kicked in the eye a few times as we gleefully passed you along over our heads to watch you somehow sing/scream every lyric without missing a single beat.

And that's what was so impressive about the reunion show from what some circles of rock music fans call the only band that truly mattered from the 90's--somehow both precision and assault were at full-force even though the music seems more powerful than the people playing it now. These four men are considerably older these days, and to see them execute some of the most aggressive, melodic tune-age written in the past twenty years--and have it sound JUST AS assaulting as it was fifteen years ago--well, it wasn't just impressive; it was the live reunion closest to picking up immediately where it left off. I've seen Iggy & The Stooges, New York Dolls, Nancy Sinatra, Jesus & Mary Chain, and My Bloody Valentine over the past few years, and while they were all great in their own ways, The Jesus Lizard affected me the most profoundly for providing a type of music that simply shouldn't be coming out of such bodies. It just defied logic.

Wrapping the night with the Dicks' "Wheelchair Epidemic," I couldn't help but feel it was also a "Goodnight" for a certain type of music that may never exist again. Bands like Model/Actress will find ways to afford the image and recording techniques that go along with similar pummeling sounds, but they just aren't creating from an abrasive pop sensibility that was bred out of the same frustrations--namely, the frustration over not being able to create such songs so easily. The Jesus Lizard proved it takes years to sound authentically accomplished.

Brand New @ The Hollywood Palladium 10/17/09

2009-10-18T03:48:00.001-07:00

Written By: Darwin Green
(Senior Editor)

Photos Courtesy of Mehra Romezi @ AMehraB Photo

Walking into the Palladium, one gets the sense of arriving in some gigantic, Las Vegas bowling alley. With its sleek, retro interior and the cheesy patterns on the carpet, the hallway leading into the auditorium could, for an instant, confuse one into thinking that there are slot machines, poker tables, and bowling lanes around the next corner.

The auditorium floor, made entirely from thin strips of wood in a giant circle has the feel of bowling lane turned skating rink, and looking up, one sees the LED lighting shining against the expanding circular frames lining the ceiling. Between performances they even played bowling noises for the audience to confirm my suspicions, or at least to strengthen them. Would Siegfried and Roy suddenly appear on the stage set up in the front of the room? No, but Brand New would, eventually.

Brand New walked on after the opening acts, and without pausing, started into their performance. Before too long, and expectedly, the plaintive beginning chants of the song “You Won’t Know” gave way to screams of angst and anger. The audience immediately responded with a minor bout of crowd-surfers skimming the heads of the front section.

Jesse Lacey said very few words between songs. Although perfunctory, his voice sounded genuine and slightly sad, as though he didn’t quite believe the screams, cheers, and singing along coming from the audience belonged to him and the band.

Midway through the set he simply told the audience, “I’m going to play some new stuff.” This series of songs built up with the intensity of Tool and landed with scream-o/hardcore vocals worthy of bands such as Cannibal Corpse or Children of Bodom. Brand New took its time to make its transition from emo punk to borderline metal during the show, and by the time it happened the crowd surfers remained standing. The audience as a whole didn’t quite move as much as though tired from the amount of sheer energy exuded from the band. The same amount of cheers followed each song, reassuring, as it might have been, the band that it didn’t wipe the audience out.

Projections of animals, spiders, and other weird creatures accompanied the songs throughout the rest of the performance. It was as though Halloween had arrived at the Palladium two weeks early, and someone projected it behind the band. The lighting, amazing and expressionistic in its own right, provided the just the right eerie ambiance to give the songs yet another dark edge to them.

Jessie said at one point, and I paraphrase, “I want to thank everyone who listened to the record, everyone who bought the record and listened to it, everyone who downloaded the record off the Internet and listened to it, whether legally or illegally.” To which a girl from the audience screamed in reply, “I love you Jesse.” Brand New, it seems, has come to terms with some of their demos being released prematurely in 2006. Whatever Lacey’s fears about the audience’s reaction to hearing a song mid-creation it doesn’t seem to have affected their fans’ loyalty whatsoever.

The show ended with the song “Play Crack the Sky,” with Lacey solo on guitar. It’s a sad song about lost love and the heartbreak that follows, a song to cause any forlorn ex-lover to dive into reminiscences of the absent other. Some girl must have hurt Lacey, because the beauty of the song conveys the hurt and loss palpably. To end the show he simply walked offstage. The lights went up and some of the audience cheered for an encore, but the security guards started waving their flashlights to signal that it was time to leave.

Catch Brand New on tour - Check out CWG's review of Daisy

Flaming Lips Myspace Secret Show

2009-10-18T01:01:00.000-07:00

Written By: Darwin Green
(Senior Editor)

Photo By: Mike Fabio, A.K.A. revrev

October 15, 2009. Hollywood

I walked to the Nike Theater on Vine in Hollywood at 6 AM for the opening of the Flaming Lips’ “pop-up” store where they would give out wristbands for the subsequent show to the first 150 people who arrived. I had a tip that the store would open at noon, and as a dedicated fan and reporter I went there early expecting a gigantic line. I decided to potentially submit myself to hours of cold and discomfort in order to guarantee entry. As I approached the box office, under the marquee, where large posters for Embryonic hung on one side, I saw three people in sleeping bags. “Not too bad,” I thought. “At least I’m not alone.” I sat down in one corner, opened my book, put on my IPod, and started the waiting process. A few minutes later the sleeping people started waking up. They looked at me and I smiled.

“I can’t wait for the Flaming Lips,” I said

“Who?” The guy asked me.

“Are you here for the show?”

“What show?”

I pointed to the poster, but to no avail. His companions woke up next, and they all took their sleeping bags, backpacks, and bags full of food and wandered off. I never saw them again.

I realized I was the first person in line for the pop-up store.

A half hour later several more people showed up. An hour after that and a couple showed up with some chairs and board games. Two or three hours after that the line had about twenty people. Later on, several homeless people tried ruthlessly to cut in front of me, which caused the security guards to chase them away. A couple people saw the large Nike emblem in the theater’s lobby through the glass doors and asked if we were waiting in line for a new release of Nike shoes.

Wayne Coyne arrived shortly before they opened the doors. He thanked everyone for waiting so long, and looked directly at me. It was a thrill. Eventually the moment came when they opened the doors to the people in line and I stepped through the doors into the almost empty theater lobby. I didn’t recognize him at first, but Kliph Scurlock walked with me up the stairs to the actual store. I managed to get a “What’s up man?” through my intense excitement about being there after all those hours of waiting.

I walked up the ramp to the area where they gave out wristbands. A Warner Bros. employee handed me a neon-green, numbered wristband and said, “Congratulations on being the first person here.” They gave me a set of key covers. Elated, I continued into the store.

The store had t-shirts, CDs, posters, lithographs, and other assorted stuff. It all seemed to cost $10. I bought a t-shirt, a CD, and a lithograph. Sure enough, it came to $30. In a booth one could walk through some curtains and view a video for the song “Watching the Planets.” A sign on the curtains read “NC-17. No one admitted without ID. No exceptions.”

I went home to get ready for the actual show. I took a nap, drank some green tea, took some B vitamins for energy, and changed into my new t-shirt. I arrived at the theater at around 5:30 pm. By this time there was a line of people at least a block long and I had some doubts as to whether I was going to make it inside since one disclaimer on the event blog noted: “Ticket holders are not guaranteed seating. All ticket holders will need to be in the venue by 7:30 PM.” More people started piling into the line and I felt better about my place.

We filed slowly into the theater at around 6:30 PM. The auditorium was dark and smoky. Seating came easy and I even ran into a friend of mine. We sat for what seemed like hours and watched every single music video the Flaming Lips had ever made previous to Embryonic, for songs I sometimes didn’t recognize. Some songs had more than one video. I realized they were on a loop when I saw the first video that played when I first entered the auditorium. Wayne stuck his head out a few times to keep the audience enthusiastic through the waiting. Kliph tried the same thing, but sadly enough, nobody except me cheered.

At around 8, Wayne and Kliph both walked onstage for a Q & A session. They instructed the audience to Twitter the questions to Kliph’s account, as seen on some of the videos floating around the internet, and we waited another 20-30 minutes.

Wayne came out and answered about ten to fifteen questions with his usual charm and good humor. Wayne loves his fans, and loves talking to his fans. Some interesting things came out in his answers, like the fact that the money from the songs they sell to commercials goes both towards Scott Booker, the Lips’ manager, to fund the Academy of Contemporary Music in downtown Oklahoma City, and to provide funding for the Central Oklahoma Humane Society.

He also answered such questions such as, “How much do you spend on confetti?” “Have any of your songs induced nightmares for any of the band members?”, “What is ‘The Impulse’ about?” and “What would have happened if you guys decided to drop the whole Flaming Lips band and go to law school instead?” to which Wayne laughed about the idea of any of the band members going to law school, and replied that he never even intended for the band to last as long as it did, and he would continue with it as long as he had the fans to support the efforts of the Flaming Lips. He also intimated to the audience a certain future project that he asked for us to keep secret. I won’t write exactly what it is here, but I will say that it involves Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, Henry Rollins, Peaches, one can play it along with "The Wizard of Oz," and as is being made as I write this. Also, plans for a Soft Bulletin tour might be in order for its ten-year anniversary.

After the Q&A, the rest of the band assumed their station on stage. Wayne commented that the set would be only four songs plus a sing-along. All the songs would be off Embryonic. The first three songs they played straight through. For a Flaming Lips performance it was very stripped down. No furry animal people, no inflating clear plastic ball, no UFOs, no glowing vaginas, and no balloons or confetti. It was just a simple, straightforward set. Wayne didn’t even know how to start the show without the theatrics. He even asked Steven, “How do we start this? Do we just start?” Steven and Kliph didn’t say anything and just started into “Convinced of the Hex.”

After they played 'Hex,' they played an amazing performance of “Silver Trembling Hands.” I had never realized that Steven Drozd performs all backup vocals, including the high-pitched wails, without the use of any effects. They then played “See the Leaves,” which Wayne said they had never performed live before and gave an introduction to the song worthy of any of his liner notes in the past.

Then came time for the sing-along version of “I Can Be a Frog.” I could see the look of discouragement cross Steven Drozd’s face as Wayne instructed the audience on how to growl and grunt on cue like animals. Wayne kept telling the audience to be expressive, that there was no right or wrong sound, to just belt it out. The audience, on several occasions, however, didn’t live up to Steven’s rigorous musical standards, and he stopped the whole performance each time, once to instruct the audience on how to better make a helicopter sound effect. He stuck out his chest and started drumming his hands on it. The audience followed suit. The Lips left the stage with a blow-up performance of “Watching the Planets.”

Everybody, it seemed, stayed to get an autograph of the hand-numbered limited edition posters they handed out for free after the show. From around 9:30 PM to 12:20 AM I waited for my turn. At midnight they took the whole audience outside the theater so that it could close, and we lined up around the block. By the time I got my lithograph signed Steven seemed burnt out. He said, “I’ll write something good.” He stopped, and it seemed like he couldn’t drum up anything at that moment. I told him, out of sympathy (and out of honor and admiration for the guy), “Your signature is good enough.” If I got my autograph at 12:20 AM, I estimate that they would have had to stay until at least 2 or 3 AM to sign autographs for the rest of the audience behind me. All these things are just examples of how much they love their audience.

Ground Coverage: Eagle Rock Music & Arts Fest

2009-10-18T00:56:00.000-07:00

Written By: Juanita Camfield
(L.A. Nightimer)

Stumbling off the 81 bus, my friend and I danced past the always musically forward Rastafarian Ice Cream Truck and dashed over to the best taco truck on the block, Tacos La Estrella: Tacos & Burritos (they gave me a free Coke with 3 of the best carnitas tacos I’ve eaten in a minute) to calm our stomachs. After getting started on a promising foot we began our trek along Colorado Boulevard and experienced the oddest look into our peers’ futures in the form of super-eclectic-fashionable families. At about 5ish in the afternoon it seemed like there was no end in sight to all theses “stroller hipsters” walking around with their 2.5 person families making me feel bad for being slightly intoxicated, yielding an American Spirit, trying to make my way down the street with a barely understandable map.

Five-ish came and went, and there I stood, map in hand, feeling like Zelda, trying to map out a way we could see the bands we wanted to check out - and had a map FAIL. The map, the one with all the pictures and set times on the back became tedious and cryptic, but we still tried to figure out where and when some of the bands were playing. It became difficult to maneuver the festival because, one - some of the stages were basically on the same stage just called a different thing (Kingsize Soundlabs Stage/The Ship Stage). Two - they were hidden and not directly on Colorado Boulevard (American Legion Hall). And three - the set times of one DJ ran later than expected (which should always be expected, Soul in the Park/Future Music Stage). There’s only three things to do when put in a confusing situation - try to make the best of it, adapt, and move on.

We ended up finding the American Legion Hall tucked between Merton Avenue (Caspar = over-priced-gourmet-world-food alleyway) and Colorado and ended up stumbling in on Random Patterns’ set. The American Legion was what I imagined was used for old World War dances, except that Random Patterns set the mood for a very loud and distorted prom band. Not that they played prom songs, but their entire set was muffled by the blaring speakers that bounced off the acoustics of the hall. You could tell that despite the loudness not even the saxophonist and the amazingly intense drummer (props to the guy who helped him get part of his cymbal set back on stage after it fell off) could salvage the music quality.

Just a note: NO props to the lighting guy who kept shining bright production lights in the eyes of the band. Good job (sarcasm) guy. I guess you get what you pay for at a free concert. Although the band started out rough and loud, I give them props for making the best out of the semi-discouraging things occurring around them. Way to keep at it! That doesn’t mean I don’t have a small complaint to the band – say the track title loud and clear for the people who are jotting down notes about you. It’ll help come review time. Or turn down your amps so we can make out the song title through the lyrics. Thanks. Much appreciated.

Next we headed into the Coffee Table Lounge, the only sports bar on Colorado and a great selection of $5 beer, and decided to look at the map again to plot our course. After being pushed to the edge of confusion, again, we got up and decided to find the next stage – Soul in the Park/Future Music Stage. Basically, we went to go find the electronic and DJ stage. We got there and caught Computer Jay’s set and a DJ by the name of Free the Robots. Computer Jay began his set with what sounded like a thousand rabid pigeons cooing at the same time, except that they were digitalized. I think the guy said that he was using an Atari 600 to create whatever sounds he was making, and that was alright with me.

I didn’t know that’s what it took to create those kinds of sounds, but I now see why it sounded 8-bit. Most of Computer Jay’s mixes were low key and appropriately chill for a Saturday afternoon. Free the Robots took the stage and immediately had sound problems. He quickly overcame this and moved on to an intense mashup of edgier and sexier beats. At one point the guy used some sort of “Close Encounters” crazy aleatoric sound that inspired some wobbly toddlers to start dancing. Hell, I even got down! At this point the sun was about three quarters down and the alcoholic brown bags started coming out. People became braver, more nocturnal, and friendlier. The full moon helped too. We didn’t get to see DJ Nobody like we hoped because Free The Robots went over time, but that’s okay because it pushed us to move on to The Ship Stage to see The French Semester.

On our way to the Ship Stage my friend and I noticed that there were lots of people wearing t-shirts that said “The Rock 90041” and “Mount Wash 90065”. I don’t know if it was my jealousy that I didn’t have on a “90501” zip code t-shirt to represent (!) but I was not feeling it. What I was feeling though was the little wooden stage a group of about 8 or 10 performers set up curbside of the 7-11! That was the most unexpected awesomeness that came out of the night. They each had what looked to be ukuleles with 8 strings! The people playing the ukuleles stood around the wooden stage and two women began dancing and clicking their heels to the beat. I don’t know what their name is, but if anyone knows, let me know!

The Latin/Spanish/I don’t know-inspired performance was mind blowing and inspirational, since they were not a featured band and just randomly appeared! They even accrued their own dancing crowd! And since the crowd kept growing and show time for The French Semester was near, we moved on.

One thing about the indie rogue band The French Semester is that they have a sound that directly reflects their influences (The Zombies, The Flaming Lips, and Neutral Milk Hotel) and also has an honest, simple-complicated, yet modern-classic acoustic rock sound that they have and own. To me, they sound similar to a band called The Anniversary and share a deep rooted psychedelic Velvet Underground sensibility that’s set off by the tambourine and accompanying female vocals. Come performance, each band member approached their instruments, stage, and crowd with a sort of mature fearlessness (maybe this came from their recent spring ’09 tour). They kicked off the set with a new song “A Shoutout to the Underside” (EP out in a few months!), jived into “Backwards Rolling” and “The East Man” (both from full length album Good Friends Only I Could See), and then gave the good-sized sea of concertgoers three more new TFS tracks, “Deep Tissue on a Saturday Night”, “Lessons on the Autoway”, and ended their album-diverse set with “The Large Bouquet”. They rocked it and the crowd thanked them with genuine hoots and claps for helping to create an easy transition from laid back summer into nostalgic and bittersweet fall.

Out of all of the performances I saw I think my favorite memory comes from the group of 8 or 10 musicians who managed to play their 8-string ukuleles or guitars in unison, each strumming, plucking and singing while two dancers on a makeshift stage click their heels to the beat. They weren’t even on the bill and they had a stage and had a focused and intensely joyful audience to dance and keep beat with. That’s what I love about hometown music festivals – they’re smaller than mainstream ones and promote the growth of independent musical talent within a local and larger cultural realm. I can’t wait for next year’s Eagle Rock lineup. Who will be the next band to catch the attention of our ears?

Doc Martin @ The Liberace Penthouse

2009-10-17T02:14:00.000-07:00

Written By: Darwin Green
(Senior Editor)

Photos Courtesy of: Topher Perea

View all of Topher's Liberace Penthouse Party photos here.

The penthouse rests on top of a building nestled in Hollywood near the Grove. It’s a building that everybody drives by, on the outskirts of a residential area north of Beverly Blvd, though few people could actually reference the building besides its tenants. Arriving on the top floor, however, one realizes that Liberace chose this space for a reason, and all the mundane aspects of the building dissolve away in the memory of anyone stepping out of the elevator. In the hallway leading to the main living room area, with its large sliding glass doors and mirrored walls, one feels either in a temple devoted to narcissism (Liberace, after all, convinced Scott Thorson, one of his lovers, to have plastic surgery so that he would look like Liberace at 30 years old),[1] or as a participant in a scaled-down version of a “hall of mirrors” attraction at a carnival. Without the implications of its former tenant, it’s a sleek, angular marvel with views on one side from Los Feliz to Beverly Hills, and through the windows on the other side ones eyes rests on the rooftops and buildings of Hollywood and environs.

The DJs set up in the main living room of the penthouse. Behind the DJs one could see the Hollywood sign standing clear and bright from through yet another large window. A short hallway to the side led into what must have been a bedroom, though now a bar sat freshly stocked and waiting for drink tickets from patrons. The carpet extended through all rooms, including the bathrooms, except for some of the side rooms and the outside areas. Years of people walking on it gave it a dirty tinge. One could possibly count the years based on the overlapping stains from spilled drinks.

People, during the day, stuck mainly around the pool area. Ashtrays in the form of half-buried urns jutted out from the walls. The pool was a kidneyesque shape, kidney enough to claim the shape though flat up against a wall on one side. People sat under the sun or in the shade of a couple trees leaning from inside the patio over the edge of the wrought iron railings.

This scene set the stage for an awesome night of music. Musahsi San of Rotunda Sound, Juan Pablokey of WC Music_Latintronik, and Luis Miolaro of Made in Brazil started the day with their Tech House sound. Also appearing was Franco Benito of Incognito with his Funk Tech. This reviewer won’t go into details of all who played that day. The highlights included here are Jordan Strong and Michael Tello of Uniting Souls_OM_Nice N Smooth, Cache with Incognito, and the headliner, Doc Martin with Sublevel LA.

Jordan Strong and Michael Tello burnt the bridge somewhere between house and funky acid jazz. Strong and Tello would alternate controls, providing the crowd a mix of enough punchy rhythms and head-shaking riffs to keep bodies moving. Strong himself danced to his own beats and rhythms as though part of the audience. He would, at times, run out of the control booth and bang on nearby congas. The energy transferred easily into the audience, who ate it up with cheers. After creating a groove that sounded like falling sonic bombs, Tello stayed true to his ability behind the console, shaking Afro-funk jazz into urban thumps and slaps, crescending into mind-altering moments of blissful beats, and then handed it back to Strong’s funk and jazz.

At around 8 pm Cache stepped into the console. By this time the skies had darkened, allowing the constellation of lights visible on the Hollywood Hills to frame him. Cache played a deeply intensive set, as though releasing relics of soul out of ancient inner cities. The set included, early on, a rare track by David Mancuso, off a record with only five copies in existence, as an example. Live saxophones and congas accompanied him in small doses, making the already chic beats and mixes more sophisticated. A break-dancer in the audience broke out of the crowd and started working some moves in front, inspiring a line of two or three others to follow each other by jumping into the circle, their feet and bodies shaking the floor underneath the filthy, stained carpet. Cache bookended his set with the famous disco version of Beethoven’s Fifth, cutting a clear distinction between him and the main act, Doc Martin.

Doc Martin started where Cache left off, with prominent beats riding through the disco like a freight train. The beat drove steadily forwards throughout the rest of the night, picking up snippets of various musical passengers. The crowd now crammed into the main room, each adding to the journey whose destination seemed only to be that present moment.

[1] http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0208/12/lkl.00.html

Locksley @ the Roxy (10/13/09)

2009-10-15T15:27:00.000-07:00

Written By: Andy Sweat (Angry Staffer)
Photos By: Jeremy Ross

See all of Jeremy's photos of Locksley here.

All the bad signs were in place, and the worst sign of all: a Tuesday night at the 36-year-old Roxy club. Throughout history, Tuesday night bands have been notorious for being utter crap. In a baseball starting lineup, a Tuesday band is usually equivalent to the batter right before the pitcher. Dan Fogelberg and Hoobastank were notorious for playing on Tuesdays and hitting eighth; though most likely those two should have just been sent to the minors (excuse me for the baseball analogy – lately I’ve had LA baseball fever on the brain).

So seeing a band on a Tuesday night had me a bit worried. The fact that it was at the Roxy also made my stomach churn for fear of being the oldest person at the club (and yes… I’m 24). BUT! I promised myself to put all that shit behind me and bring some integrity and objectivity to this review. I went with an open mind (and a stomach full of Valium just in case).

Locksley is a band that hails from Wisconsin. But like all indie rock bands must do, and any band from the Midwest, they picked up and moved to Brooklyn. Locksley did, and they’ve been playing modern indie throw-back twists on the sound of the British Invasion, full of hip-shaking jingles and hooks ever since.

Locksley has been around and has been received well for a little while now. Back in 2006, they received praise from Rolling Stone Magazine who “anointed” them one of the top 25 bands of MySpace for that year. I’m not sure what that even means and, in all honesty, how can you trust or deem a publication credible when they have Peter Travers on staff (does that guy ever NOT like anything?). Nonetheless, Locksley isn’t a fresh band without any guns to back them up.

Wikipedia is a wet dream for someone looking for dirt to dish about. Wikipedia cites that the band has had many difficulties and hardships: “The 14 hour trip from Wisconsin took them 46 hours, [ending] with their trailer coming off on the New Jersey turnpike. They were then evicted from their first apartment due to the noise they were making while practising.” I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that, in both instances, the hardships MIGHT’ve been your fault, Locksley. Did you hitch the trailer correctly? Did you play loud music in a building full of 9to5 working neighbors? Yeah…

I mention these things because all of this made me very skeptical of Locksley (the band, Blueskyreality, that played before before them made me even more suicidal: think Maroon 5 meets Bros with guitars).

Locksley came on stage with lead singer (Jesse Laz) dressed in hip clean Gap bought jeans while the bassist (brother, Jordan Laz) sported a tiny Hot Topic leather jacket. They cooked and jammed, bounced around, spat water into the air, and were very into singing into the same microphone as if they were centimeters away from kissing each other (see picture). I have to admit, a few of these things came off as showy without it being cool, nor having a real sense of purpose, for it didn’t feel like these antics should coincide with the music that was being played.

I popped another Valium and dismissed these things. All is calm.

As they played, I started to really think: the band has got some solid goods. They have the Hives guitar garage sound mixed with Kings of Leon melody. It’s very reminiscent of a Strokes-y vibe with a 60’s sense of rockabilly to their sound. I could have even sworn I heard a little bit of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy with Locksley’s frequent harmonizing vocals and swing in their song (and step). Whatever it was – they certainly had the crowd into it and they never let go.

Actually, to say the crowd was more than into it would be an understatement. They ate this shit up like they were a mouse finding some Kraft cheese. And… it was actually rather refreshing to see a crowd dance to a show instead of the usual head-nodding that occurs at eye-rolling hipster concerts. Then again, the crowd was made up of 17-year-old kids and a few loose cougar soccer moms on the prowl mixed in between.

I’m not going to sugar coat them or stroke their knobs. Locksley is simply a middle-of-the-road type of band. Nothing great. Nothing bad. Just fine. And, to be honest, they actually made for a nice, safe, pleasant time out that was fairly enjoyable for what could have otherwise been a complete waste of time.

Locksley has done a nice job of capturing the pop garage sound and blending it with influences of rock classics such as the Kinks or the Hollies.

A standout moment was a new song, "21st Century." The song is a smooth ride along the Pacific Coast. You look to your left and your best bud is there. You look to your right and you got your girl’s hair whipping in the wind. And you're content… at 17 years old. It doesn't get any better. Nothing more complicated or requiring much complex thought. And that's the way you like it in the summer of your 17th year. Locksley nails this feeling with this new track.

Another nice moment was the Modest Mouse cover of “Float On.” It might’ve been nostalgia or the remembrance of how popular that song was back in ’03-'04 that made me really enjoy this cover. To be frank, Locksley’s cover was nothing original or brilliant. And that was the beauty of it. Sometimes it’s really nice to hear a cover that isn't trying to be more inventive than the original. They did a nice homage to a band I'm sure they admire.

I also enjoyed the song "Cheaters" as the band attempted to show us some of their punk inspired roots. Laz’s vocals and the bands rhythmic teetering back and forth reminded me of the White Stripes song “Black Math.” It was a nice change of pace.

Locksley is the type of band that parents get into and believe to be modern and hip so they decide to stuff their teenage daughter’s stocking with their album come Christmas time. And, for the most part, the second half is dead on and would delight the faces of many teenage daughters.

The first part, well, is what Locksley needs to work on. Then again – who the fuck cares. Nothing is wrong about being safe, decent, and having the ability to create an enjoyable nice live show. BUT, if they aspire to be modern, inventive, and original… Locksley has some rethinking to do.

I think it goes a long way to say that a band isn't terrible or amazing yet simply OK and be fine with it. A slacker such as myself can appreciate the acceptance of that middle ground.

Overall, if Locksley is happy. We are happy. And everyone is OK with that.

View all of Jeremy's photos here.

And You Will Know Us By The trail Of Dead @ The Fonda

2009-10-15T01:33:00.000-07:00

Written By: Paul Losada

I've known about the ridiculously annoying-to-say-and/or-type ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of the Dead ever since high school when they were "that other band" playing on Farmclub one night--the same night as the newly popular, far more catchy, and maybe more conventional At The Drive-In. I didn't stay up late enough to watch "Trail" then, and I even managed to ignore them for nine more years until they played the Henry Fonda Theater in Los Angeles last week. Oddly enough, they were following after another freshly popular, frenetic and somewhat easier to comprehend act, but this time I feel bad for everyone else who missed out. I'm sure I could turn the rest of this review into some over-wrought diatribe about life coming full circle, as such was the glorious power of this live experience--but instead, I'll just extrapolate a bit on how I saw God in some way. There was plenty of cause for alarm upon walking into the venue at almost 9:00 pm. Nobody was there. I had never seen the Fonda look so sad and empty before, and several of us were making it known on Twitter as we nursed our $7 attempts at cheap beer, wondering if the admission price that may have just sunk us in the hole was actually worth it. But the venue started filling out a bit more by the time openers Future of the Left kicked off their loud and power punk-y, if intimate set.

I had been dying to see Future since the excellent "Travels With Myself And Another" released early this summer, and the energy I only knew from the record still managed to make the relatively small crowd come to life--especially after singer/guitarist/bassist/organist/former McClusky-ist Andy "Falco" Falkous announced, "This song is about Satan." By the time singer/bassist Kelson Mathias jumped off the stage to hand his bass off to a girl while he did push-ups on the floor, just about everyone in the room was converted. Though I have to say, this band's music demands a bigger and completely without restrains audience.

When the curtains opened up again for Trail of the Dead, the venue was at a volume of people I can only recall as feeling comfortable--we could all breathe easily, but it filled out far more than I was anticipating earlier, and everyone seemed pretty stoked on inching their ways towards the front. Again, I had no idea what to expect having never been much of a fan, but when the dual drummers revealed themselves for the opener "Will You Smile Again For Me," I was ready to receive anything. Listening to the album version of the song now I can't help but feel this band was only built for playing live. All six members bring an energy and power that a tape deck will never capture, and it was clear within the first minute of performance that I'd probably never be able to attempt a serious listen to them in any other way.

Trail played with an enthusiasm and precision that was nothing short of just sheer fucking awesomeness. The band's ability to open with the slowest and most delicate of piano signatures to chugalug, grinding rock, to walls of distortion over showers of erratic percussion all within a 5-7 minute almost seemingly, meandering jam is astonishing to watch and listen to. As I reminded myself to pull away and take note of my observations I couldn't help but wonder how the hell these guys remember all the parts of their songs. Perhaps the bands biggest influence, Sonic Youth, stirs a similar feeling, but Trail's songs wander even boldly further away from whatever original core they establish only to end on a note that, at least in a live setting, made me feel EVERY note was completely within their foresight and effortless control.

Certain riffs plunged deeply and darkly within the performance, and others burned quick and glaringly brightly while the band bounced, twirled, and switched to and from positions and instruments on a deceptively calculated and controlled set that was just unfriendly enough to give it true rock credibility, but safe enough to keep it within still recognizable boundaries.

I originally wrote something earlier about "seeing God," because I thought it was funny, but equal parts chaos and order coalesced into something harmonious at the Fonda that night, and if it was possible I'd gladly get in touch with it once a week to keep a balance within my own life. Praise be to two excellent rock bands that still have a few shows left on their tour.

See trailofdead.com for the current Century of Self Fall Tour dates.

Mae @ The Roxy 10/13

2009-10-14T01:42:00.000-07:00

Mae brought the house down tonight! Playing an energetic set including all the old classics, gems from (m)orning, and unreleased songs from the up-coming (a)fternoon, Mae kept the crowd singing along for an hour-and-a-half.

Highlights from the show:

1. Tallest band members ever - Yes... They're all 7-8 feet tall... except the singer.

2. 3D projector - This was exceptionally cool. The band provided free 3D glasses to audience members and played in front of moving 3-dimensional footage. It was similar to being in an IMAX film.

3. They played "Summertime" - If you haven't been banging this song since 2003, you should be ashamed of yourself - Download it here.

Opening acts were Blueskyreality and Locksley.

Watch for a full show review by Andy Sweat and exclusive live photos from Jeremy Ross later this week!

UPDATE: Check out Jeremy Ross' live photos of Mae.

Manic Street Preachers, Metro, Chicago, 10/1

2009-10-12T23:55:00.000-07:00

Written By: J. Byrnes
Live Photos By: Jong Chae

View all of our exclusive photos here.

Manic Street Preachers once declared that they would break up after releasing their debut album; after witnessing their live performance at Metro in Chicago, it’s a good thing that they didn’t follow their own advice.

A stadium act with numerous Top Ten singles in the UK, Europe, and Asia, this Welsh band had never really crossed over to the US masses like some of their Brit-pop contemporaries; yet their lack of commercial success on this side of the pond was not evident as their rabid fans filled this 1,500 capacity club on a cold and rainy Chicago night.

Fans who published their own Manic Street Preachers fanzine passed out ashcan issues; others bragged about the amount of driving hours they clocked in just to see a band that hadn’t played these shores since 1999's opening spot for a Noel Gallager-fronted Oasis. It was the Chicago gathering of the unofficial Manic Street Preachers fan club, and the only requirement for membership was being at the Metro that night.

For many devotees of this brainy trio (that expanded into a touring five piece, adding a rhythm guitarist and a keyboardist), it was their first time witnessing this enigmatic, quasi-political group with a bizarre musical career that has always eluded US commercial success.

The band started in the early 1990s as a four piece. Former rhythm guitarist and lyrical contributor Richie Edwards, who had a history of self-mutilation and mental instability, mysteriously disappeared in 1995. Edwards was recently declared deceased but still never found. On the band’s latest album, Journal for Plague Lovers, (their ninth) the remaining Manics set to music previously unrecorded Edwards’ lyrics, to finally close the chapter on Richie Edwards and accept the death of their former band mate: “Richie James.”

Starting their Chicago set with the full on, energetic “Motorcycle Emptiness” from their first album Generation Terrorists, the band knew they had this Chicago audience eating right out of the palm of their hands. Performing songs that spanned their career, including a cover of The Small Faces’ “All Or Nothing,” and a Nina Persson-less “Your Love Is Not Enough,” the band proved that live, they know how to be stadium rockers as well as the indie darlings.

Singer and guitarist James Dean Bradfield peppered the night’s between-song banter with apologies about the band’s lengthy absence in the US tour market. All was quickly forgiven as the audience ate up songs from the band’s nineteen year career, including songs from their latest album Journal for Plague Lovers produced by Chicagoan Steve Albini.

In the middle of the set, Bradfield made a solo appearance on stage with only an acoustic guitar, demonstrating his exceptional playing. When the band returned for what would be their only breather, bassist Nicky Wire pogo-ed along with Bradfield to the catchy “You Love Us.” Drummer Sean Moore remained with his head down throughout most of the band’s 80-minute performance keeping time like a syncopated watch.

The night ended with the epic ballad “A Design For Life,” and without an encore, since the Manics stated that 'when a show is over, it’s over.' Hopefully, North American fans won't have to wait another decade for their return.

Opening the evening was the Brooklyn-based band Bear Hands: an all male group dressed as hipster wood shop students. Their sound was reminiscent of Siouxie and The Banshees, Modest Mouse and Arcade Fire.

- J. Byrnes

She Wants Revenge/Kill Hannah @ The Vic

2009-10-08T16:21:00.000-07:00

Photos and Story By: Jenny Wittman
(Midwest Correspondent)

View all of Jenny's photos here.

A sort of homecoming was what it felt like for Kill Hannah to play at their hometown Chicago’s north side venue, The Vic, last week. They literally lived only a few blocks away not too long ago. Touring with She Wants Revenge, both bands had new material that they showcased to loyal fans. In some ways, I wish they hadn’t.

Kill Hannah has become a common household name for the local Chicago music scene since 2006 when “Kennedy” was played repeatedly on radio station Q101. I remember catching them at Lollapalooza 06’ when most of the band sported guyliner and black spiky emo hair covering their faces. Without knowing, many people mistook lead singer, Mat Devine, as a women with sultry vocals. They quickly became a group that was a part of the beginning of synth-alternative rock. Now a few years later, it seems like they are more comfortable with the direction they are going.

They came out on stage to perform “Kennedy” right of the bat. All three of their guitars had a glowing white light patch attached to the bottom of body of the guitar, along with green laser beams that shot out of the top stem of the guitar. Forgive me if I don’t know the technical parts to the guitar. I just knew it looked cool when they performed. Devine commented after the song, “This is home. Thank you. We are celebrating the fact that two days ago, we released our new album.”

KH performed many of their hits including “Nerve Gas,” “Black Poison Blood,” and “Crazy Angel.” They also tried out some of their new material off the album Wake Up The Sleepers. “New York City Speed” was a great new song that will probably end up the first single Devine mentioned to the crowd.

During the whole performance, Devine was very talkative in-between songs and told us that it wasn’t so easy as a local band to start up. “A lot of people told us that we were nuts in the beginning. I guess we were just too crazy,” Devine said. “We didn’t quit.” And then they performed “Radio” that will be a single in January 2010. The song had a great uplifting feel to it, without it being too commercial. The band all had their black skinny jeans and a military arm patch with their own symbol on it. It looks like a shooting target with a heart in the middle.

Another new song, “Strobe Lights” was dramatically done with real strobes that lite up the stage. How could you not have those during a song with that name? The song incased a mini guitar solo that morphed into a guitar shredding ending moment.

KH ended their set with favorite “Lips Like Morphine” and overall it was a really great performance. Their new songs are very promising while still sounding like themselves. I’m not sure how the rest of the world thinks of them, but I think Chicago fans will always end up coming back to their shows. We love our local boys.

After a short break and sound check by the band themselves, She Wants Revenge began their set. Lead singer, Justin Warfield, came out with his usual loose knitted hat and bandmate/bassist, “Adam 12” Bravin wore a black/red/white rimmed striped hat. For some reason, I think Bravin has a close resemblance to Tom Morello.

They started out things with old favorites “Sister,” “These Things” and “Broken Promises For Broken Hearts” with a great moody feel. Their 2005 self-titled album really was a favorite of mine as I listened to each song as if it was a well kept secret. Even their 2007 release of This Is Forever had the same sound that kept me in a trance. But after hearing a few of their new songs, I’m not sure if I want to listen anymore. It sounds a little brutal, but maybe I’m not into huge change.

Their new EP, Up And Down, was released a few weeks ago and sounds over produced and too poppy. One of the signature reasons why I think people liked SWR in the first place was Warfield’s deep baritone vocals and sexy murmuring. These new songs have Warfield singing in a much more upbeat and Top 40ish marketable way, not at all what we’ve heard in the last few albums.

Off the EP they performed “Your Love” which had a strong synth beat but horrible lyrics and I think Warfield even let out a Prince-like “ow” noise that was not expectant. Other unpleasing surprises were “Animal Attraction” and “All Wound Up.” These booty shaking-fast-tempo songs did not appease the crowd and simply did not fit in.

SWR made up for the new songs with old favorites like “What I Want” and “Red Flags Long Nights.” They even did a great cover of the 80’s band Psychedelic Furs’ “Love My Way” in which KH’s Mat Devine came back on stage to sing the last few verses.

For their encore, they played “Out of Control” and of course, “Tear You Apart.” For a moment, I forgot about the new songs that were horrific and danced along with the crowd. The dance party was pretty out of control (pun intended) during “Tear You Apart” which ended with a harder guitar break.

SWR definitely took a 180 with this new EP and I’m wondering how everyone will feel about it. I usually am not this bitter and negative, but it’s a little saddening to see one of your favorite bands turn into another over-produced Chris Cornell sell-out. Let’s hope it’s just a phase.

Ladyhawke/Natalie Portman's Shaved Head Lick Wonder Ballroom

2009-10-06T00:41:00.000-07:00

Written By: Chris Young

Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton brought his first national music tour to Portland September 29th, and the Wonder Ballroom rolled and reveled in charged synthesizes reverberating from every angle.

Co-headliners Ladyhawke and Natalie Portman's Shaved Head spread their lush decadence with grinding electro-beats that made the kids bounce and wiggle to Perez's delight.

Ladyhawke cooked up Kiwi-rhythms on the stage with her signature "big synths and big guitar riffs" reminiscent of the 80's. Heavy synthesizers provided the strength behind her dance-anthem "Paris Is Burning," and she pleased the Portland crowd with tracks like "Dusk Till Dawn" and "Back of the Van."

After much success Down Under and in the UK, Ladyhawke is sure to make a name for herself in America playing her synth-infused rock with flair and touring in support of her self-titled debut released a year ago.

Crowd claps and chants accompanied the Seattle art school/hipster electronica from Natalie Portman's Shaved Head. Nerdy/sexy, so-easy-to-sing-a-long lyrics married with alluring keyboards galore induced ballroom convulsions as NPSH blared odes to facial hair, side ponies and a song for your girlfriend's parents.

The kids were clap-clap-clapping along as the quintet shook maracas, tambourines and pelvises to honeyed drumbeats and electrifying keyboards. Low-fi love spread thickly and quickly across the gymnasium stage for NPSH.

And what would Perez Hilton be without some glamorous gents opening the night? NYC's gender-bending, glam rockers Semi Precious Weapons fueled lusty passions while Perez's favorite boyish, Brit Julian Perretta played a mediocre, pop set.
---
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Perez Hilton Presents :
Ladyhawke
Natalie Portman's Shaved Head
Semi Precious Weapons
Julian Perretta

Holly Conlan/The Echo Falls @ Hotel Café

2009-10-04T00:06:00.000-07:00

Written By: Jim Markunas
(Editor-In-Chief)

Photos: Dan/Jess Krogstad and Wendy Brynford Jones

View all of our Holly Conlan/The Echo Falls photos here.

The night started off with a bang, as Oakland-based The Echo Falls took the stage. For a three-piece, acoustic-only band, these guys were an orchestra of sound! If you threw Weezer, Death Cab For Cutie, and John Mayer into a blender, you'd have Echo Falls, a subdued, but technically superior art rock act.

I was astounded and in awe of the crazy shit that came out of frontman, Alex Mandel's guitar. With a simple acoustic guitar, Alex's technique and ability to play rhythm and lead at the same time kept me hanging on to every note throughout their entire set. I've always preferred electric guitar to acoustic, as acoustic has always seemed so 'limited,' but Alex may have single-handedly changed my mind. At one point, I turned to my photographer and said, "That shit is HOT!"

A few more cool things about the band:

The bass player used an upright bass, sometimes playing with a bow. The drummer stopped playing the drums at one point to accompany the band on Vibraphone, and as a social experiment, The Echo Falls decided to offer their new self-titled record under the "Radiohead model," in which fans were asked to name their own price for a copy of the CD.

The Brendan Hines Band followed. His claim to fame is a starring role in Fox television series "Lie To Me." He was good.

Next up, was headlining artist, Holly Conlan - A cross between Vanessa Carlton and Regina Spektor. She and her band were adorable, charming, and catchy like a pop band should be.

I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I wouldn't be surprised if Holly were to become the next "it" girl for the female indie/pop genre.

With her haunting voice, flawless piano playing, and backing band fit for any pop star, Holly kept the large crowd under her spell for her hour-long set. If you haven't already, pick up a copy of her Bird EP

Blink-182 Live In Sacramento

2009-10-02T14:43:00.000-07:00

Story and Photos By: Chris Martinez
(Sacramento Live Show Correspondent)

See all of Chris' Blink-182 photos.

It’s nine in the evening, Weezer just walked off stage after closing with The Clash’s hit, “Should I Stay or Should I Go," and it’s getting dark and cold, but the heavy breaths screaming fans keeps the pit area feeling more like a sauna. Blink-182’s guitar techs come out on stage to tune the guitars and basses. In the midst of tuning, the techs begin to throw out Mark’s signature Octopus pick and Tom’s “Dance Monkey, Dance” pick to the crowd; and they begin to act barbaric - Jumping, screaming and pushing for a small piece of plastic; it’s a scene that perfectly depicts what the rest of the night is going to be like.

A black curtain falls over the front of the stage, the lights dim, and the fans scream. Mark and Travis enter from stage right; Tom from stage left. From the front of the stage, I can see them doing a high-five before getting into their designated areas. The curtain has been down for a minute, but seems like ten, and then it begins to rise as the crowd erupts. Blink-182 kicks off their twenty-one-song set with the opening track to Enema of the State, “Dumpweed.”

A five-year hiatus has done no harm to the members of Blink-182. They seem stronger, more energetic, and just as potty-mouthed as they ever were. Blink-182 are still the band they were over ten years ago, running across the stage, and shouting obscenities at the crowd. “This song is going to get everyone pregnant. I promise!” shouted Tom just before starting “The Rock Show.”

The band dedicated a song to one of the band’s friend, Chris "Little Chris" Baker, who was from the Sacramento area, and died in the plane crash that Travis Barker was seriously injured in last year ago. Mark gave a speech about Little Chris, and the band played “Stay Together For The Kids” as homage to Chris Baker.

Their performance was nothing short of epic, from beginning to end. The band shows no sign of weariness and pushed through the show, sweating bullets all the way. The crowd does the same; circle pits ensue, the security at the barricade are catching crowd surfers every second, and the crowd’s blow voices still sing along with the band. Blink-182 made sure they kept their fans content by playing all their biggest hits ranging from their albums: Dude Ranch, Enema of the State, Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, Blink-182, and their Greatest Hits - Songs like, “Feeling This”, “What’s My Age Again”, “Josie”, and “I Miss You.”

“We are Blink-182, and thank you for an amazing show, Sacramento!” were the last words Tom spoke through the microphone before playing their last pre-encore song, “The Anthem Pt. 2.” It seemed as though the band saved their best for last. Everyone in the amphitheater could feel the band’s energy and focus. The song ended and the band walked off stage followed by that same black curtain coming down over the stage again. The crowd began to chant in unison, “Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!” The curtain is raised and Travis sits behind his set. He begins to play as the stage his drum set rests on begins to rise in a Tommy Lee-style fashion. This is the highlight of the show, Travis’ signature drum solo on the levitating stage that rotates, spins and swings.

Travis plays for about two songs before the stage is lowered back into its right position and Mark and Tom come back out asking the crowd if they were still ready for more. Soon after Travis’ harness and straps are taken off, Mark gets ready and picks up his bass. Mark starts off with the signature intro bass lick to the hit song off their first record, Buddha, “Carousel.” The song ends and the crowds are relentless in their chants, “Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!” The band ends their set with their biggest hit to date, “Dammit” off their Dude Ranch record from 1997.

It was one of the most memorable shows of my life and everything I expected it to be. Blink-182 knows how to put on a show and how to work a crowd, no matter the size, and they know how to do it well. “Dammit” ends and the band says their goodbyes to Sacramento and walk off stage, leaving the crowd open-jawed, stunned, and amazed.

“Thank you Sacramento, that was one of the best shows on the tour. See you soon!”

Flyleaf Album Release Party @ Boardner’s In Hollywood

2009-10-01T22:23:00.000-07:00

Written By: Victoria Hill
(Urban/Pop Editor)

View More Photos here.

On a warm Hollywood night, candles burned on the Boardner’s patio. The intimate setting was filled with passionate Flyleaf fans excited to hear the songs from the new album, Memento Mori (scheduled to be released on 11/10). As each song plays, the applause gets louder as the crowd waits for Lacey Mosley and Sameer Bhattacharya to take the stage to play an acoustic set of the new album.

Lacey glows in the candle light, looking like a porcelain doll in her orange dress. Her stunning voice becomes even more powerful during the stripped down set as she sings “Again” and “Arise,” which Lacey said was about believing in your dreams. Even though this is the first time fans have heard the song, the crowd starts singing the chorus with Lacey. I could feel the love and respect the fans have for the band.

Lacey and Sameer show the fans two music videos from Memento Mori (“Again” & “Beautiful Bride”) and explains the cover art for the album, which was based on a picture done by bassist, Pat Seals. The videos are outstanding and very creative.

The album sounds great and is available for pre-order at http://www.flyleafmusic.com.

The first 3,000 people who pre-order the album will receive an exclusive lithograph of Pat Seal’s art work for the album. The single “Again” is available on iTunes.

Want More Flyleaf?
Flyleaf Album Release Party (Review)
Flyleaf Album Release Party (Photos)
Flyleaf @ The El Ray - Los Angeles, CA (Review)
Flyleaf @ The El Ray - Los Angeles, CA (Photos)
Flyleaf @ Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR (Review)
Flyleaf @ Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR (Photos)
Review of Memento Mori

Living Colour Returns to Los Angeles to Greet Fans with “Chair in the Doorway”

2009-09-30T20:28:00.000-07:00

Written By: Natalie Hamingson

On September 15, legendary experimental hard-rockers Living Colour released their fifth album, “Chair in the Doorway.” The album’s title serves as a metaphor for self-created obstruction, and was partially recorded at Sono Studios in the Czech Republic. The studio, where bassist Doug Wimbish had previously been a client, may “as well have been the surface of the moon,” according to guitarist Vernon Reid. Though the experience was isolating, Reid says, “it was actually good for us to be in that context,” as it made for a more productive experience.

Now that the band have been able to get away from all the distractions and complete the record, they’ve set out on an American tour to promote their latest work. Nine days after the record dropped, the tour made a stop at Hollywood’s Key Club for a headlining show.

The show was opened by Just a Theory, whose performance I missed, and Sarah Wasserman, whose latest album, “Solid Ground,” features a guest performance by Reid. Wasserman’s powerfully angelic voice was accompanied by keyboards and an electric stand-up bass, played by her father Rob.

Around 10:30 PM, frontman Corey Glover appeared onstage in a gas mask and butcher’s apron, along with Reid, Wimbish, and drummer Will Calhoun, and kicked into “Middle Man,” off of “Vivid.” (I feel I should mention at this point that I have a personal history with this band, as I made a brief appearance in that song’s video at the age of 3 months old. Though I may have an obvious bias toward the band, nothing could change the fact that their performance was nothing short of stellar.)

The tight, nearly two-hour set was a mix of classics like “Glamour Boys,” and “Cult of Personality,” and new tracks from “Chair,” like “Burned Bridges” and “Bless Those.”

As psychedelic images were projected on a screen behind the band, all songs had hardcore fans grooving, jumping, and singing along. Glover commented at the end of one song, “and to answer your question, yes I am hot in this fucking outfit!”

Highlights included Wimbish jumping offstage to jam in the middle of the crowd, and a ten-minute drum solo by Calhoun. Midway through, the lights around Calhoun went out, so that all you could see were the swirling neon lights on his drumsticks, as the room was literally vibrating from the force of his performance.

After an encore performance of “Love Rears its Ugly Head,” the band announced that they would be signing stuff at the merchandise table in 15 minutes, before shaking hands with the entire front row, and exiting the stage. Apparently, these meet and greets are standard procedure after every show. Though you would think they’d want to relax after their long, energetic sets, the band is incredibly appreciative of the thankful reactions they get from most fans.

Reid says he hears comments like, “I started to play guitar because of you,” and “I changed my life because I heard this song.” He explains, “It’s kind of a trip to get that energy from people because I remember how I felt when I met Carlos Santana and [other] people that I was HUGELY into.”

Sondre Lerche - Sold Out Show @ The Troub

2009-09-29T15:34:00.000-07:00

Article and Photos By:
Colette Weintraub

September 24, 2009
@ The Troubadour, LA

See all of Colette's photos here.

Last night I was fortunate enough to attend Sondre Lerche's sold-out show at The Troubadour.

Before we jump into the details, here's what I learned during the show:

It's all about simplicity - you don't need a lot of equipment. . . or any equipment at all

The better you are, the less you need to sing

Sex sells. . . tickets and merch

Lerche is a musician from Norway whose U.S. career launched in 2002, and who continues to sell out shows and merch - how does he do it?

I first discovered Lerche in 2002, when Faces Down came out. It was during my Largo era (they're not music snobs. . . they just have better taste than you). I used to spend several nights a week at Largo, hanging out with the sophisticated music insiders, which gave me an early awareness of all the truly talented emerging artists on the scene.

Lerche was the guy to hear/see/buy at the time and I was among the few people in LA who knew about Lerche during his opening stint with Nada Surf. In March 2003, I went to Nada Surf's sold-out show at the Knitting Factory to see Sondre Lerche. Just to add further context - this was the year Nada Surf's critically acclaimed album, Let Go, came out. The place was packed and hot, and everybody was jockeying for the best position to see their favorite band - Nada Surf - play. . . until Sondre Lerche hit the stage.

Lerche spoke very little during that show. If I remember correctly, his English vocabulary may have been quite limited at the time. From the moment he sang the first note, the audience was spellbound. He played for approximately 45 minutes while the crowd stood silently, eyes wide, mouths open (not to talk - just so they remembered to breathe). When Lerche finished his set there was an uproar of applause and then silence. He left the stage and everybody around me looked like they had just witnessed the coming of their religious icon. People, who had initially been excited to see Nada Surf, looked blankly at each other as if to say, "now what?" In fact, a significant number of people left early during Nada Surf's set, muttering that nothing could top Lerche's performance.

The next day, everybody in Los Angeles was talking about Sondre Lerche. That was the show to be at, that nobody knew about, and they weren't going to miss him again. Lerche's music broke beyond the sophisticates and to the masses of LA. His headlining shows have been sold-out ever since, which is the only reason I hadn't been back to seem him. . . until last night.

Cut to The Troubadour, 9:30pm, September 24, 2009: another sold-out show for Lerche. I believe that you can get a good gauge of how a show might go based on the energy in the audience before the show. This crowd was buzzing . . . and talking about a lot of sex. Now, I love sex, and I'm happy to talk about it, but this felt like I'd walked in on some inside joke - as if they'd passed around a note before the show that read: Discuss your wildest sex adventure between sets. I heard about people's video-taped escapades and sex on the beach (not the drink, the act) for 15 minutes leading up to Lerche's performance. And let's be clear, this was not a trashy crowd - these are your neighbors, colleagues, sons and daughters - and they're having a good time.

Boy, was the audience excited when Lerche took the stage! Other things that I noticed about the crowd (pay attention new artists and record labels) were:

It was a young audience. Lerche has managed to remain relevant 7 years later, continually gaining new fans

It was a good-looking crowd, a nice mix of women and men, but mostly good-looking women - which as you know, draws the men

They were so into the show they didn't budge for an hour and a half - not to go to the restroom, not to get a drink (sorry bartenders, but Lerche is really good)

Now none of that may seem ground-breaking or revolutionary, but what is somewhat amazing is that Lerche continues to build this loyal following, without the help of radio or mainstream media outlets. In fact, speaking about the song "Easy to Persuade," Lerche said, "I get a lot of people saying I ripped off Nelly. So I'm hoping he disses me, disses me on the internet, or maybe on MTV. That's probably my only shot at getting on MTV." Lerche is one of those artists who is so good, people know about him and they will come to his shows and buy his t-shirts repeatedly. He is also extremely engaging and charming on stage. If he didn't before, he's certainly got a great handle on the English language now! I haven't laughed that hard between songs in a while.

Lerche sang a nice mix of newer material and old favorites. He also covered "The Word Girl" by Scritti Polliti and "Jessie" by Joshua Kadison (remember this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iElty90IPiw). The "Jessie" cover was one of the highlights of the night, dedicated to Lerche's friend and opening act, Jesse Marchant (aka JBM). Lerche's expressive performance, infused with his humorous version of the song (achieved via pauses, inflections, and facial expressions as he sang) had the crowd begging for more. In fact, I kind of got the impression Lerche had only planned to sing the first verse and one round of the chorus, but people were so into it, he sang the entire song, a cappella.

Lerche also sang an old favorite, "Two Way Monologue", a cappella. Although, this time not by choice. About midway through the song, Lerche encountered technical difficulty with his guitar cable and had to unplug. Not only did he play the guitar without amplification, he moved away from the mic, stood on the edge of the stage, as close to the crowd as possible, and just sang. The crowd offered support, at first cheering (until Lerche reminded them they needed to be quiet in order to hear) and then singing along. It was one of those magical impromptu moments that you dream to be part of during a live show.

When Lerche sang "My Hands Are Shaking". . . well, he didn't have to sing. The audience sang the entire song while Lerche played guitar and lent his voice on occasion. But mostly, this song was performed by his fans. "Wow, usually on a really good day, you hope the crowd sings along for the encore. But that's not even the encore," Lerche said, addressing the audience graciously. Lerche also had the benefit of crowd vocal support when he played "Heartbeat Radio." "Tell me what you think about this song," Lerche sang, and the crowd sang back, "I love it!"

Lerche returned for 2 encores and the crowd left gratified, but not before stopping by the merch booth. I've been to a lot of big shows at The Troubadour (Queens of The Stone Age, Ryan Adams, The White Stripes, Damien Rice, etc.) and I have never seen a merch line this long. On a good night the line will extend the length of the bar. But last night, there were so many people in line that The Troubadour was forced to open the side door and allow the line to extend outside. The line of fans waiting to purchase music and merch (and hopefully meet Lerche) stretched down the block, beyond the building, to the corner of Doheny and Santa Monica.

Seven years later, Lerche upholds the promise of a show you'll never forget.

Portugal. The Man Live @ The Troub

2009-09-28T17:13:00.000-07:00

Written By: Colette Weintraub

September 25, 2009 @ The Troubadour, L.A.

John Baldwin Gourley, Jason Sechrist, Ryan Neighbors, and Zachary Scott Carothers - they call themselves Portugal. The Man but they may want to consider calling themselves Portugal. The Man!!!

Now I know what everybody's been talking about. . .

Well, let me clarify - not everybody is talking yet. The show was sold-out, not a celebrity (that I'm aware of) in sight. The Troubadour was packed with actual die-hard, screaming, chanting, singing, moshing, fans. Give it time - this band is sure to become a Hollywood favorite, and before you know it Drew Barrymore will be rocking right alongside you.

Not that there's anything wrong with Drew - she actually likes music and enjoys the shows. It's the "celebrities" that arrive 37 minutes late and then give you dirty looks because they can't hear their cell phone conversation over your cheering. . . let's not tell them about Portugal. The Man, ok? Because they will want to be there. Everybody is going to want to be there when they find out what they've been missing. The show was epic and it's only a matter of time until the masses find out, but for now, Portugal. The Man is the best-kept secret around.

They're not a secret to everyone. Once you get inside you realize you're being introduced to something that others have known about for some time. People greet you with looks that communicate: "Oh good. You finally made it." and "Get ready. You're in for something. . ." and "Please tell me you're not an asshole - this is my favorite band." and "Where have you been?! You must be an idiot for not knowing about these guys sooner, but I'm glad you're here now." And rightfully so. . .

There's something that overtakes you the moment these guys hit the stage. You become part of this Portugal. The Man experience. You can't stop moving, dancing, clapping, screaming. And we're talking about LA - a city I love, but one whose residents (myself included) are so spoiled by the access they have to great entertainment that often times they just stand (or worse yet, sit) at a show, never more than a nod of a head and a polite clap. I've seen it happen to some of the biggest and best bands in the world. Well, that's not happening to Portugal. The Man.

Gourley plays guitar masterfully and sings with considerable range and uncompromised passion. So you're tempted to just want to stand there and watch him, but you can't ignore the bass line Carothers throws down and you can't believe he can play bass while practically doing a full back-bend. Then Neighbors takes a break from the keys and brings further force to the music, with additional percussion. All the while Sechrist grounds the songs and the experience as he takes command of the drums. The lights are synced to the beat of the music (which is important to note if you have any hope of capturing a decent photograph of the band while they're playing) and the crowd can't contain themselves. Needless to say, if you wanted to just stand there and watch, there would be plenty to hold your attention. But I don't think it's possible to stand still at a Portugal. The Man show, and I can't imagine that you'd want to.

If you've heard their music and you haven't seen them live, go see them. Travel to another city if you need to. If you haven't heard their music, it doesn't matter - go see Portugal. The Man - you won't regret it. Here are their tour dates - you have no excuse.

Some people will describe a show as a "religious experience". I've been to a lot of mind-blowing, extraordinary shows, but I've yet to describe one as "religious." Perhaps that's because I wasn't raised with much religion and those who were don't speak very highly of it. . . But assuming a "religious experience" is a good thing, that it's transformative, that it overtakes you, that you forget where you are, that you forget who you are, that for a moment nothing else matters - well, then, seeing Portugal. The Man live is a religious experience.