Category: SHOWS

Ministry Make Ears Bleed at Punk Rock Bowling Club Show

Danny Baraz May 27, 2016

I was on the fence about attending Punk Rock Bowling this year. It’s been 4 years in a row and when you have a wife and kids, it’s an exercise of manipulation and selfishness to leave your family every Memorial Day weekend. “Honey, but it’s work!” So as I was leaning towards a “no”, Punk Rock Bowling 2016 unveiled it’s club shows and there it was; Thursday, May 26th Ministry/Excel at the Fremont Country Club. Fuck my kids. Fuck my wife. Fuck my business and everyday life. What twisted individual thought of this lineup for a punk rock festival? A couple weeks later I found out that our friends from Death Hymn Number 9 were ALSO on the bill. “See you in a few days, kids! Daddy loves you!” In 1990, Ministry released a live album called, “In Case You Didn’t Feel Like Showing Up”. I discovered it 2 years after it was released. I was 16. To this day I consider it my favorite Ministry album and THE BEST LIVE ALBUM OF ALL TIME. On my drive out to Vegas I listened to it 2 times, all the way through. I had visions of Ministry playing this album from

Youth Brigade: Bedlam at Punk Rock Bowling Warm Up Gig at The Echo

Taylor Wong May 23, 2016

It’s that time of the year again. That time where all the old punks dust off their denim vests, while the new punks make sure they have all their new patches sewn on by their mom’s before they take off for Punk Rock Bowling. As condescending as that just sounded, Punk Rock Bowling was my favorite festival all of last year. I’ve never seen such unity amongst one scene. As Punk Rock Bowling approaches, as with any other out of town festival, a ton of related shows pop up in LA before the festival. One of those shows, which I was lucky enough to attend, was Youth Brigade at the Echo. Youth Brigade is made up of BYO (Better Youth Organization) and Punk Rock Bowling Founders and brothers, Mark and Shawn Stern as well as Johnny and Joey. The band originates in LA, so the sold out show at The Echo was of no surprise. Generation Suicida opened up the show. Generation Suicida is an all Latino Punk band from South LA. One great thing about this band is that the majority of their songs were sung in Spanish. I don’t know if you have paid attention in recent years,

FIDLAR at the Observatory by Joanna Bautista

Family, Friends, FIDLAR: A Punk Rock Love Fest at The Observatory

Joanna Bautista May 18, 2016

I was finally going to see FIDLAR at The Observatory for a non-festival type show and I couldn’t have been more thrilled. Disclaimer: I’m totally one of those fans with FIDLAR tattooed above my knee. I entered the Observatory in the middle of No Parents’ set surprised to see frontman, Zoe Reign with every piece of clothing still on. I think his crop-top made up for it. In past shows it was a norm for Zoe to take off a variety of clothing which was encouraged by fans. I got to say, I would totally dance with this guy. He’s got moves. This band has a great amount of minute long songs and they’ve got catchy stuff. They shouldn’t be a punk band you can just listen to in your room, they must be seen live! San Diego-surf punk band, The Frights were up next and their fan base has grown immensely since the last time I’ve saw them live. My first time seeing them was when they opened for FIDLAR at the Regent in January. There was a small crowd that knew their lyrics but now, everyone in the venue can be heard singing along. A “Fuck Trump” chant

Rooney Rocks L.A. For The First Time in 5 Years At Teragram Ballroom

Brent Smith May 10, 2016

The prodigal son returns. In this case, it’s Robert Schwartzman. Rooney’s comeback has gotten lots of people swooning, and the sold out album release party for Washed Away (their first album since 2010) at the Teragram Ballroom was the perfect homecoming. I arrived in the middle of Wild Wild Horses, the British foursome who made me do a double-take to make sure I wasn’t in the middle of an Axe Body Spray ad. I kid. But seriously, is boy band rock a thing? If not, these stallions are paving the way for a potentially treacherous path. Go for it, ladies, they’re there for the taking! The guitar and bassist had a pretty rad dynamic; riffs gave off electro effects, which I thought was interesting. They had me looking around the stage for any traces of digi-programmed tracks, but nothing. I don’t care who you are, making a guitar sound like anything but a guitar is never not awesome. Don’t let their squeaky clean stage persona fool you, either. They curse in cockney accents and can drink with the best of them. Deep Sea Diver from Seattle was up next, and they gave a hell of a set. Orchestrator and mastermind

Beach Slang at the Troubadour by Brent Smith

Beach Slang Bring Their Noughties Revival to the Troubadour

Brent Smith May 9, 2016

Smack dab in the middle of their USA Spring Tour, Beach Slang packed the Troubadour and brought their revived noughties sound that’s got people buzzing from coast to coast. What’s that sound, you ask? Emo revival? So soon? Well, you be the judge. It’s not FIDLAR, but it’s not exactly Fallout Boy either (sigh of relief). Lead singer James Alex is another shining, sweaty example of how it’s never too late to punk—even for dads. Like imagine if Jason Bateman’s character in Juno hit it big instead of creeping on a pregnant teenager. What I was really stoked on were the opening acts: California, Dyke Drama, and Potty Mouth. It’s always nice to get to know some non-local talent up close and personal, and Beach Slang was bringing new noise from all over the map. The night kicked off with newly-formed, SF-based California, fronted by touring-guitarist-turned-official-member of Green Day, Jason White, Jawbreaker drummer, Adam Phaler and Dustin Clark of The Insides. As White graciously introduced each song—tracks like “Bad Direction,” “Cut & Paste,” and “No Hoodoo”—a few circa-2000 punks showed up out of the woodwork, witnessing a 3-piece of alt-rock vets riding the new west coast garage wave, diving in

Riff and Ritual: Sunn O))) at the Regent Theater

Rob Shepyer May 8, 2016

What is the loudest band in rock? Manowar earned the title in the Guinness book of world records but before that there was a consensus among rockers that Ministry was king of the hill. AC/DC’s own Brian Johnson is in danger of going deaf. My Bloody Valentine played so loud at Coachella 2014 that it drowned out Public Enemy’s set even at P.E.’s stage. Godflesh’s Justin Broderick said in an interview that they once played at 8000 watts making one audience member go deaf and a couple of women orgasm. Every band I just mentioned would have a tribute in volume’s Valhalla but Seattle’s avante garde Sunn o))) would be playing over the loud speakers. I heard a lot about Sunn O))) before I ever listened to their music. Mostly “Dude, you got to see these guys live!”, I heard their concerts described as immersive musical experiences where audiences are surrounded by so much fog that you can’t see your own hand in front of your face. Listening to their latest release Kannon, I feel like the band is trying to capture the darkest tones of nature or maybe translate gravity into music. I hear riffs that seem strummed by

Bleached Bring Catchy Hooks, 818 Pride & Friends to Teragram Ballroom

Danny Baraz May 8, 2016

There are certain taboos in modern day, independent music journalism which you don’t breach, for any reason, lest you be nailed to the cross of insignificance. You don’t speak ill of Ty Segall, John Dwyer or Mac DeMarco, never say anything negative of Low End Theory and never play cards with a guy who’s named after a city. Then again, if classic day journalists from Rolling Stone were able to trash Black Sabbath and Zeppelin and continue to increase their circulation despite saying Jimmy Page was “a very limited producer and a writer of weak, unimaginative songs.” I have very little fear of being judged for “getting it wrong” and most of the time, I’m willing to go out on a limb if I believe in what I’m saying. I think I was the only person who reviewed Tame Impala’s “Currents” that didn’t put Kevin Parker’s musical pee pee in my mouth. And now that I’ve had more time with that album, I stand by every statement, even though 3 or 4 songs on that album have grown on me since the time I reviewed it. That being said, saying that I’ve always thought the band Bleached and their live

Kim and The Created at Echoplex shot by Josh Allen

Close Encounters with Kim and the Created At The Echoplex

Rob Shepyer May 4, 2016

I get stoked whenever I know that Kim and the Created are going to play. Not just because I’m a lifetime punk that’s interested in how new talent is pushing the envelope but because I got a hunch big enough to disturb Quasimodo that someday they’re gonna be famous. The first time I saw Kim and the Created live was her December 12th 2015 L.A. homecoming to Bootleg Bar after a European tour that sent them to France the day after the Paris Massacre. About twenty people were present at the Bootleg show, just enough to let her prowl between us and shock us awake. Her antics included pouring beer over her head, hurling bottles into the audience, crawling around on all fours, toppling over stools and tables, and getting atop the bar and kicking over the display beers until the bartender signaled the sound guy to cut the show, thankfully it this was the last song anyway. Needless to say, her May 2nd 2016 homecoming after an East Coast tour supporting the Kills had more people, both old and new fans and a new Kim. Wu-Wu a.k.a. Ashley Rose Calhoun opened the night with a poppy, electronic call to

Aquadolls And Friends Preview Summer At Teragram Ballroom

Joanna Bautista May 3, 2016

Every show I go to I get so nervous because people can never seem to find my name on the press list. I actually made it in before the first band played so it saved me a lot of work from pushing to get a good spot. It was no surprise that The Teragram Ballroom started off with a small crowd. Jurassic Shark is honestly an underrated band; layers of delay and reverb always does it for me. Whoever wasn’t there soon enough, -or at all, missed out on catchy riffs and an up and coming band to watch out for. So Many Wizards performed soon after with their dreamy, indie sounds that pleased the crowd. Lead singer/songwriter Nima K has a knack with riff and melody and their set was marvelous. Summer Twins followed So Many Wizards and they were the reason I had come. Teragram was their first show back home from their tour across the country. The sister’s, Chelsea (vocals/guitar) and Justine’s (drums) 50s and 60s influence, give the band their vintage vibe, from the band itself to their clothing. The crowd was young and perfect for their dream pop sound. Couples were dancing and the band had reminded the

Deap Vally & Le Butcherettes’ Double Assault on the Regent Theater

Brent Smith May 3, 2016

Rock N’ Roll Dance Party at the Regent this past Saturday, presented by Dance in a Panic and featuring Deap Vally and Le Butcherettes, served as a perfect microcosm for a new reality in rock. The recent Tidal wave (see what I did there?) of Beyoncé’s Lemonade is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to women’s dominance in rock. Yes, rock. Even Queen Bey is wising up and digging into her rock and roll roots (note “Don’t Hurt Yourself” featuring Jack White), some of which no doubt, lie with unsung female blues singers like Big Mama Thornton and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Alabama Shakes’ “Don’t Wanna Fight” winning for Best Rock Song at the Grammys was a victory for more than just Brittany Howard (the first black woman to win in the rock genre since Tracy Chapman in ’97). Pay attention and the beacons for the recent shift away from a predominantly male-dominated arena are there. The good news is that it only gets better—much better—the deeper down into that iceberg you go. I’ve never seen KAV live before—the event’s resident band, but they sounded a bit flat. I wasn’t sure if that was a regular thing, or

Dave Vanian- The Damned shot by Taylor Wong

Dab Hits and The Damned on 420 at The Glass House

Taylor Wong April 23, 2016

4/20, a holiday I have been somewhat celebrating since sophomore year when I first discovered pot. I’m not the kind of guy who makes a big deal out of smoking pot, let alone celebrating a holiday based on smoking pot, which ironically falls on one of the worst days ever (Columbine’s anniversary and Hitler’s birthday). But I’m also not going to not smoke pot. Who am I kidding? Pot to me today is like what my mom made Adderall for me throughout my school years. It gets me through the day and helps me tolerate the majority of the idiots out in the real world. That, along with The Damned at The Glass House in Pomona made for a very festive 4/20. I met up with my good friend Westin, bought a shit ton of pot, then picked up Pedro (of Them Howling Bones) and our dear friend Vera and headed to Pomona for The Damned. The Damned were introduced to me while I was in middle school. I was given the CD Machine Gun Etiquette in a box full of CD’s put together by my uncle’s, one of which was the drummer of DI so you know the box

2016 Is The Year That Coachella Jumped The Shark

Danny Baraz April 22, 2016

On a yearly basis, I sacrifice my already sus street cred to attend Coachella; a festival so widely loathed by the discerning hipster that it insures a sell out within moments of tickets going on sale. As 10’s of thousands of people descend on the Coachella Valley for week 2 of the festival, I offer those that have stayed behind a look back on a Week 1that has far surpassed the past years of vacuousness and fuckboyery. I have been defending Coachella ever since it became uncool. It became uncool the moment Goldenvoice decided to stop selling single day tickets. The moment that happened, the festival became out of reach for most music fans and understandably, those music fans rail against the festival and it’s attendees at every opportunity. Afterall, the fact that Uber is now offering helicopter rides into the venue for the low price of $700 should be all you need to know about the setting for weekend 1 inside the Empire Polo Fields. Last year, I wrote an article called “Coachella: No History In Your Hate”. I’ve been to 11 out of the 16 installments of Coachella and it has created some of the fondest concert memories