Category: SHOWS

Gogol Bordello at The Wiltern by Bobby Shih

Gogol Bordello at The Wiltern: Gypsy Punks 10 Year Anniversary Show

Danny Baraz December 1, 2015

“If you do it yourself it means that you are doing it and loving it and love is the biggest engine in the world. There is nothing bigger, thriving and lasting than a connection with your own passion” -Eugene Hutz There is something that happens at a Gogol Bordello show that is hard to find in most places in the world- a sense of community that doesn’t exclude anyone from the joy that is produced amongst it’s members. This past Friday night, Gogol Bordello’s tour celebrating and commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Gypsy Punks album stopped at The Wiltern in Los Angeles and the amount of joy produced in that room was a bit overwhelming. In a world that sometimes paralyzes it’s denizens with fear of their fellow man and woman, Gogol Bordello and namely, it’s General, Eugene Hutz brought their message of brotherhood back to Los Angeles, along with one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen. I have long contended that Fishbone is the best live band of all time. These types of proclamations are not thrown around lightly. So, it’s with great sincerity and thought that I slide Gogol Bordello into the top spot as

No Parents and Plague Vendor Drop In To The Echo for Joint Mini Tour

Johann A. Ramos November 30, 2015

No Parents, Plague Vendor, No Win and Melted. Its been a while since I’ve covered a show with a line up that actually made sense – not saying that I don’t appreciate a good diverse line up, it’s just been a while. The Echo was the second stop of a mini west coast tour shared by No Parents and Plague Vendor and it was the perfect fit. No Win is the brainchild of Danny Nogueiras, who you might recognize from his important percussion role in the earlier days of a little band you might’ve heard before- FIDLAR. That is as far as their association goes though because their sound is quite different, less aggressive, a little more sad? Comparing bands is counterproductive in my honest opinion so lets move on.. I found myself wanting to sing along to “After Your Legs” by No Win, even though I had never even heard it, prior to that night. They played a catchy and chill set and prepared for what was about to take place the following sets. The calm before the storm, if you will. As Melted set up, I noticed that there was a “new Sam” on the drums. I later found out that the

Vince Staples at El Rey for 30 Days in LA

Vince Staples Talks Trash and Spits Fire at El Rey for 30 Days in LA

Danny Baraz November 27, 2015

I had a thought Tuesday night as I was watching Vince Staples do his thang at The El Rey Theater for day 24 of Red Bull’s, 30 Days in L.A.– right now might be the most exciting time in hip hop since the 90’s. The underground is exploding with talent and style. MC’s are pushing the lyrical envelope and producers are bangin out beats that are generating kinetic enthusiasm from the West coast to the East. The old beefs have been replaced with a collaborative spirit and respect and the result is fucking epic. Long Beach’s Vince Staples is a perfect example of what I’m talking about. Staples had no long term plans to ascend hip hop mountain but folks like Earl Sweatshirt and Mac Miller believed in his skills and encouraged him enough to get in the studio. 2 mix tapes, 1 EP and his first LP, Summertime ’06 later, he is one of the most talked about up and coming rappers in the country. And for good reason. If you’ve seen Vince Staples live you know that it’s common for his DJ, Westside Ty to cut the beat, sometimes for an entire verse, as Vince Staples kicks it

Tyler the Creator at Camp Flog Gnaw 2015

Camp Flog Gnaw 2015: Beats, Beefs and Building Your Brand

Danny Baraz November 17, 2015

As I entered Exposition Park for the next annual installment of Camp Flog Gnaw, I was consumed by visions of khaki’s and polo shirts. Many attendees resembled prep school students more than the stereotypical image of hip hop fans. There was very little evidence of “hip hop past” and it’s baggy clothing, ironed creases and crisp snap backs. Rapper, producer and entrepreneur Tyler, The Creator continues to create the entire Camp Flog Gnaw world in his own image, with a tireless output and an ever evolving sound and aesthetic, fans are buying in; big time. But to say that it’s “all about the music” would be disingenuous. If the contemporary artists’ financial success were solely based on their music then Tyler wouldn’t be such a standout powerhouse (being the best isn’t enough). With streaming music services and P2P sites making album sales almost irrelevant, acts like Tyler, the Creator and indie bands like The Growlers with their “Beach Goth” festivals are at the forefront of building the new music industry. No, even with artists like Snoop, Atmosphere and Living Legends on the bill, this festival was not about the past. This festival was not about the future. This festival wasn’t

Timmy’s Organism at The Satellite- Fuzz, Fireworks and Fun

Alfonso Contreras November 10, 2015

So I end up in the land of the hipster, the trickster, and the club going fiend Friday Nov the 6th – Where did this adventure take me do you ask? The good old Satellite, a longtime LA hotspot that has been hosting killer acts across many genres for many years now. On this fine evening, my next assignment was to be a band by the name of Timmy’s Organism– A three piece hard rocking machine, full of earth shattering fuzz guitars, growling bass tones, and superb, technically heavy drums. If you dig on explosive bands that deliver with authority then Timmy’s Organism would’ve been the perfect stop for an exciting start to a weekend. If not, then I don’t know what to prescribe to you, my friends. I arrive ready to take on the night armed with a camera, a set of hungry ears, and a close friend to help me battle the evening with an endless and unstoppable tank of energy (thanks Katie). I stepped into the Satellite right at the beginning of the Timmy’s Organism set and prepared myself for the gorgeous noise that was to come. The vibe reminded me of the old punk shows from my

Joey Badass Rips the Mic At The Belasco On Classic LA Night

Danny Baraz November 6, 2015

On Wednesday night, Joey Badass headlined The Belasco Theater in Downtown Los Angeles as a part of Red Bull Sound Select’s, 30 Days in L.A. Joey Badass showed why he is the illest M.C. in Hip Hop right now. The preeminent Pro Era MC was joined on the bill by Chicago’s Lil Herb and local, L.A. crew Warm Brew. There is nothing like Fall in Los Angeles. Last week, the Santa Ana winds moved in to blow away the built up smog of a long, hot and punishing summer. Just a few hours of rain on Monday served to wash away the impurities in the air to reveal the true palette of colors in the City of Angels. It felt like it would be a classic type of night in L.A. One of the photos you see in your mind when you think about the good times. One of those nights that makes you proud of your city. With the transient nature of industry in L.A., sometimes it’s easy to forget there are millions of real people born, raised, schooled and molded by the teachers, artists and streets of Los Angeles. People who have nothing to do with Hollywood movie

FIDLAR Halloween Show at The Regent Theater- Top 10 Concerts of 2015- shot by Don Morris

FIDLAR Put Razor Blades In My Candy At The Regent

Paige Vreede November 5, 2015

If you didn’t celebrate your Halloween at The Regent Theater, you pretty much fucked up. Big time. FIDLAR, Dune Rats, and Mind Meld satisfied our ears and exorcised our afflictions with their garage-punk and party sound. It being the last show of their US tour, one could expect nothing less than chaos. Upon entering the venue dressed as a ghost, it was to my surprise that nobody else was dressed up. I figured “fuck it dog life’s a risk” and rocked that shit anyway. Halloween décor adorned the walls and the vibe of the room was that of a wild house party. The sold out audience mostly consisted of crowd-surfing and head-banging youths who were drenched in sweat and beer. To begin the evening, psychedelic surf rockers, and LA natives, Mind Meld took the stage. Due to some Uber complications, I was unable to see them and was highly disappointed as they are most definitely up-and-coming in LA’s music scene. There is no doubt that they will be headlining their own shows soon, and I look forward to seeing the talented quartet then. Hailing from Brisbane, Australia, quintessential stoner dudes, Dune Rats took the stage next. As someone who used to

Sylvan Esso Moves The Fonda for Day 3 of 30 Days in L.A.

Justin Cornwall November 4, 2015

Day 3 of Red Bull Sound Select’s, #30DaysInLA featured performances by Sylvan Esso, Race Banyon and Akua at The Fonda. The evening was sold out, but Red Bull kept the crowd light rather than packing the room to capacity – which was a nice relief. I’ve experienced many sardine-packed nights at the Fonda, it was good to see the promoters give back in a conscious way to the fans. This Year’s Complete Calendar and A Look Back At Last Year’s 30 Days. This year the #30DaysInLA lineup is a bit lighter (headliner-wise) and even lighter on the support acts, most of who are relatively unknown in the Los Angeles market, but as the neon signs in the venue declare – Red Bull is here to BREAK MUSIC. The atmosphere during the opening acts has a battle of the bands like vibe to it, you can feel them fighting to make an impact on the crowd (who the majority of is there for the headliner). Sometimes they hit the mark and stick, sometimes they’re local and draw on their own, but sometimes they become a complete afterthought. Akua is a Montreal based one-woman band, gently crooning to the audience with even

Mike Muir of Suicidal Tendencies by Josh Allen

No Rest ‘Till Knotfest

Alfonso Contreras November 3, 2015

It came, it went, and it fucking rocked socks off of every color. The festival brought along a roster of respectable new and old school heavy metal, rock, and hardcore bands that entertained the masses from noon into the dark hours of nightfall – and having a couple of highly popular hip hop acts thrown into the mix not only made the entire experience that much better but brought the entire festival in a direction not expected. For an old school metal/hip hop head like myself this was the absolute perfect Pre-Halloween treat! Day:1 The entrance line like at any other festival of this magnitude was as one would expect – long, dirty, drunk, and a show in it’s own right. Luckily for me, I got to stroll in right past the mob of overly excited fans and rolled on in on the Janky Smooth wagon and straight into the VIP/Press check-in area. Quick props to bossman Danny B. for the ultimate hookup. The entry gate was packed with an array of black tees, strange hairdos, and multi-oddball shave jobs. The age range stretched from youngsters and their parents to teens and seasoned heshers. The first day offered up the

Beach Goth 4: The Party of The Year

Danny Baraz October 28, 2015

The freaks, stoners, hipsters, bloggers, vegans, photographers, rockers, punkers, pukers, trippers, hippies and seemingly every beautiful woman from Southern California to Vancouver attended The Growlers annual trademark event, Beach Goth 4 this past weekend. They came to celebrate the best thing in their lives- music. I talked to a unicorn from Australia, I smoked a joint with a fairy from Mexico City and got my nipple twisted by a witch from Westminster. It seemed as if all inhibition was lost as everyone’s freak flag flew sky high and more spit was swapped than at a mouth swabbing clinic. And there was music. Oh lord was there music. With little touches and surprises like The 5678’s serving as the house band on a small stage on day 1, The Selena Impersonators and G-Funk pioneer, Warren G randomly performing a song near the end of Day 2, Beach Goth 4 had one of the most exciting lineups since Woodstock (if you love independent music). The scheduling issues which plagued the festival last year were a distant memory. Then again, after riding the snake all weekend, this past yesterday seems like an eon of a couple lifetimes ago. Sure, the ticket price has

Ho99o9, Cerebral Ballzy and Fat Tony in Venice for Red Bull Sound Select

Danny Baraz October 23, 2015

What more can I say about punk rock, hip hop mongrels, Ho99o9 that I haven’t already said? Are there truly any words that can describe the sheer chaos, danger and magick that ensues at one of their live shows? Last night in Venice Beach, Red Bull Sound Select put together one of their most interesting and diverse lineups to date and all you needed was an RSVP link and $3 to be initiated into the Ho99o9 Death Kult. Along with Brooklyn punkers Cerebral Ballzy and Houston M.C. Fat Tony, I witnessed a somewhat sleepy crowd transform into a swirling cauldron of aggression and questionable intentions. The Del Monte Speakeasy in Venice is like a stone mausoleum with a bar. It’s concrete floors and low ceilings, along with dim lighting and the ghosts of Venice OG’s fighting has a gothic, absinthe drinking vibe to it. I arrived early, half expecting a line of mutants wrapping down Windward Blvd and around the alley on Speedway, much like the scene outside of the Mystery Box in Downtown Los Angeles when Ho99o9 played there for the Horrors of 1999 EP release party a few months ago. As the clock ticked closer to Fat Tony

The Garden “Haha” Record Release Party at The Teragram Ballroom

Danny Baraz October 20, 2015

On Thursday, October 15th, nouveau punks, The Garden held their record release party for “Haha” at The Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles. The VadaVada Vaudevillians, Wyatt and Fletcher Shears opted for a setting that reflected their art- fresh, bombastic, chemically imbalanced and extremely vivid, rather than the sterilized and homogenized stronghold that spawned it- Orange County. But even with such guests as Tyler, the Creator in attendance, The Teragram Ballroom still only reached 2/3rds capacity by the time The Garden took the stage, thus critically challenging my proclamations of L.A. being the epicenter of music in America. Afterall, if Angeleno’s aren’t swarming to see The Garden then my braggadocios proclamations about L.A. being the center of the music universe are somewhat unfounded. Joining The Garden at The Teragram Ballroom and setting the tone for the evening was ex Murder City Devils frontman, Spencer Moody and young rockers, Slow Hollows. We walked into the Teragram and Spencer Moody was already on stage. Toward the beginning of his set, Moody reminded me of a mix between Tom Waits and Lemmy Kilmister. He was quite intriguing. Moody was joined on stage by a Fender Telecaster and the most bored drummer in the world. He