Rob Shepyer, Author at Jankysmooth

Rob Shepyer

Robots Need Music Too: Kraftwerk 3D at the Shrine Auditorium

Rob Shepyer July 12, 2022

Kraftwerk are a legendary band and it’s not until you see them perform that you truly comprehend the impact they’ve had on every genre, from hip hop samples to electronic music, these strange German art rockers created sounds that were essential to the world’s musical fabric. At first, I wanted to go to this show just to enjoy the sheer spectacle of it. Kraftwerk 3D, or any 3D show, must be a mind-expanding experience, I surmised. Then, very quickly, my understanding of the band deepened much further than I expected. These guys are artists in the highest regard in the sense that this robot rock is a veil for heavy political and social commentary. The song Computer World for instance features the lyrics: Interpol and Deautsche Bank, FBI and Scotland Yard CIA and KGB and total data and memory This song isn’t so much minimalist poetry but the suggestion these forces collaborate and misuse your personal data. People are rather ambivalent to the impact data mining and control have over their lives but as society draws closer to what can really be considered a “computer world”, it’s control of data that will sculpt your user experience simply living in reality.

Witch’s Brew: We Intend To Cause Havoc at Brouwerij West

Rob Shepyer July 1, 2022

When the right band comes to play Brouwerij West, there is absolutely no question whether i’ll be attending or not, it’s a definite yes. The drive through beautiful San Pedro is only the first of many gifts one is given upon venturing to this sacred brewery. The beer is the second, with an incredible selection of in-house brews from my favorite, the blackberry saison, to all sorts of unfiltered hoppy IPAs to gorgeous and rich pilsners and alcoholic slushees that can’t be touched. More than any other brewery in Southern California, Brouwerij West is the destination for art, youth, music, and beer all in one. Their Pop Fuji music series always has a few treasures on the lineup, like the one year Sleep performed an unforgettable set, even summoning a guy in full astronaut costume to crowd surf. Shows at this place are one of the most hidden gems in all underground music in Los Angeles. related content: Silver Lake Perris: Desert Daze 2019 WITCH (We Intend to Cause Havoc) are one of those must-see bands that came through Brouwerij West, since I missed their performance at Huichica, a winery based festival, I thought seeing them at a brewery was

Every Maggot Learns to Fly: Knotfest Roadshow at North Island Credit Union Amphitheater

Rob Shepyer June 24, 2022

I have to admit, Slipknot was my very first concert. It was the 2004 Jagermeister tour featuring support from one of my favorite bands, Fear Factory. Even back then, Slipknot put on an unforgettable show where the theatrics, pyro, visuals and stage antics were just as impressive and psychotic as the instrumentation. Almost twenty years later, the band has only grown in size and spectacle and having sold out North Island Credit Union Amphitheater, it goes to show that you can never underestimate the power of this fanbase. More than any other band, Slipknot have cemented themselves as the band for the outsiders. There are people accepted by the mainstream culture, then there are Maggots. To be a maggot you must feel music differently than most, then maybe, the meatgrinder of metal that is Slipknot’s sound can touch your black, tender heart. I remember one interview with Clown where he summarized the band in very simple terms. The reason they wear masks is because their art is full of so much pain, they can’t even bear to show their faces while they express themselves. This furious howling, shredding, chugging and blast-beat drumming comes from a very vulnerable place, one that

Icon on the Ivories: Tori Amos at the Orpheum Theatre

Rob Shepyer June 21, 2022

When rock and roll finds its vehicle in a piano player, often the label put on these artists is “Piano Man’, thanks to one certain ‘big shot’. The names that come to mind are the likes of Billy Joel, Ben Folds, Tom Waits, and a few more. After seeing Tori Amos live at the Orpheum though, it’s very clear to me, none of these men are able to rock as hard on the piano as she is. She has her songwriting to thank for that just as much as her fingers, Tori just knows how to craft anthems of personal rebellion through lyrics and song structures that are often outside the box but deeply meaningful and able to carry just as much quiet love as they are overwhelming rage. related content: Sensory Interference: Thom Yorke at the Orpheum Theatre I wanted to catch this show to get a bigger picture and deeper understanding of Tori and her space in the cultural landscape. She is after all, one of the iconic feminist voices in the history of music. This concert took her out of the feminist sphere for me and placed her right at the helm of rock and roll Valhalla’s

Bacchanal or Bust: Huichica Festival at Gundlach-Bundschu Winery

Rob Shepyer June 20, 2022

I love wine. If I have to choose from wine and beer at a bar, I’ll usually choose that delicious and timeless grape alcohol. There was a time I was so obsessed, I wanted to learn as many details as I could and read the World Atlas of Wine. What I learned from that book is every wine and grape tells a story through its flavors. Flavor tells you details about the length and brutality of a season or drought or specific information about the soil from which the grapes grew and in that soil lies a region’s history. The history of Gundlach-Bundschu is as the oldest family owned winery in Sonoma, and always on the leading edge of wine society, they’ve taken wine-drinking and combined it with rock and roll for many years now, culminating in Huichica festival, a Bacchanal only adding to the family’s rich history in Sonoma. This year, Huichica was the place to be. Why? Simple. Tamaryn was performing. Each wine I tasted from Gundlach-Bundschu winery while at Huichica was extremely delicious and delightfully different. I could imagine myself drinking any of them from a bottle taking impolite rock and roll swigs on a holiday saunter. Part

The Envy of Angels: Lingua Ignota at the Regent

Rob Shepyer June 20, 2022

Participating in church is a form of mass formation. A sort of collective insanity, reaching a fever pitch with the right pied piper at the pulpit, leading their congregation through a wild purging of trauma and fear through sermon, song or speaking in tongues until catatonic tremors. It’s a necessary escape from sanity. Many of the people that attended Lingua Ignota have left their churches or been shunned by them but found a home among outcasts that feel Lingua Ignota’s music makes them feel like they’re in the graces of God but not under the eyes of his judgement. These people may not have an organized religion anymore but they still need spiritual guidance and leadership. Lingua Ignota fills that void. Her style of music represents a new, secular religion, scary to some, but by tapping into holy notes and chambers of her vocal cords, she is able to produce that same elusive, overwhelming and rapturous feeling of being in the presence of the sacred. Humans need myth and metaphor, which she conjures in songs like “MAN IS LIKE A SPRING FLOWER” as well as the knowledge of their acceptance, eluded to in songs like “FAITHFUL SERVANT FRIEND OF CHRIST”.

Resistence is Fertile: Midnight Oil at the Palladium

Rob Shepyer June 14, 2022

Midnight Oil has always been difficult to pigeon hole. Bringing darker notes to a popular 80’s pop rock aesthetic, this band was most iconic for their politics. Their latest album, Resist, comes at a time where the world is in much turmoil and in tow with endorsement of fighting back, the band offers a tender acknowledgement and support for all the people often trampled by giant institutions and corporate powers. They never hesitate to thank everyone that makes their shows possible and never mince words when delivering a message to authority. Coming from Australia, the band mentioned a rise in right wing politics in their younger communities, these veterans of musical dissidence are spreading the message of finding another way to make a difference in the world. Through music, yes, but also through standing up for whats right. I remember seeing the music video for “Forgotten Years” replayed over and over as a kid then upon discovering “Beds Are Burning”, I was driven to attend and review this show. Their Los Angeles stop on their final tour for Resist gave me a taste of pure rock and roll, I couldn’t help but think of Woody Guthrie’s guitar, “This Machine Kills

…And the Battle Continues: RX Bandits at the Fonda

Rob Shepyer June 13, 2022

RX Bandits will always hold a very special place in my heart. At my high school, only a specific few bands and genres bled into our campus from mainstream culture and RX Bandits were beloved by the grade above mine, the class of 2004. The fans of this band were my elders and among them were the most beautiful girls I always had a crush on. From that crush, I developed a shared love for the band and carried that love to various friend groups through high school, then college and beyond. I would smoke pot with college friends, hot boxing my van during road trips to USC just to see RX Bandits play for free. Though we were strangers to the elite campus, we felt like the in-crowd for being true fans of the band. Their best album, “…And the Battle Begun” came out in 2006, one year after I graduated high school but I always wished it came out two years earlier so I could see how those songs could’ve swept the student body. To lay beside your crush listening to that album, would put any two teenagers in the mood to make out. Few bands are able

You’ll Cowards Smoked Crack With Viper at Zebulon

Rob Shepyer June 7, 2022

Have you ever seen a unicorn? Not in some kind of drug-fueled hallucination or dream but in the flesh, standing right before you. It would surely cause a crowd to gather and if word got out, you would expect people to travel far and wide to see it. Then when someone decided to start selling tickets to view the creature, you could rest assured they would sell out in mere seconds on the internet. This is the case for those who bought tickets to see Viper at Zebulon presented by the incomparable Eighty-Four productions. We all saw a unicorn perform songs off their iconic record, You’ll Cowards Don’t Even Smoke Crack. There are many ways to book a show like this. Given the audience of deep music heads that sold it out in seconds, a hardcore band will do the trick in providing a proper complement to Viper’s chill vibes and insider audience. Fans of outsider artists appreciate heavy music, though the label “Outsider artist” is surely a foolish one. Real artists are all outsiders. Texas’ Skourge was up for the task to open for Viper. The band was wearing their state’s pride and joy hardcore bands on their shirts

Lyrical Assassin: Pusha T’s “It’s Almost Dry Tour” Hits the Novo

Rob Shepyer June 6, 2022

The year is 2018. Kanye West has announced he will produce five albums, one for himself, one for a project with Kid Cudi called Kids See Ghosts, one for Nas, one for Teyana Taylor, and one for his collaborator in G.O.O.D. Music and legendary member of Clipse, Pusha T. These albums each only featured seven songs and though that’s considered short compared to other releases, each album felt perfect, without a single song worth skipping. These albums were pieces of art, in it of themselves. Of the iconic 5, Pusha T’s Daytona was my personal favorite and probably the pound for pound best of the lot. The moment the album cover was teased, the internet went crazy. Featuring a film photograph of Whitney Houston’s bathroom, Daytona carried a mystique before anyone heard a single song. Then once the album was released, it was evident this was going to be on every major best albums of the year list. I became obsessed with Daytona, going out of my way to see Pusha T on Jimmy Kimmel live and then in concert at the Observatory. Following this, Pusha T engaged in a now legendary rap beef with Drake that saw him victorious

One World Under Goth: Molchat Doma at the Fonda

Rob Shepyer June 4, 2022

After performing two sets at Coachella and having their first show in North America at the Roxy before a sold out crowd, Molchat Doma gave Los Angeles what they wanted with two dates at The Fonda so everyone that was dying to see them could finally check them off their concert bucket lists. Just before the pandemic, Molchat Doma was going to perform at Zebulon for what was still an underground show by an underground promoter. After the pandemic, the band sells out every show they book, making the only tickets available for most fans resales at a price around 120$. They are more in demand than any band hailing from Eastern Europe, especially at such a young stage in their careers. Them, and a few other bands, represent a very specific phenomenon only occurring in the goth-sphere. This phenomenon is that international bands seem to rise to the top of the North American goth music scene’s consciousness over domestic bands. Such is the case for She Past Away and Molchat Doma, but even Prayers falls under this umbrella seeing as they integrate Mexican culture into their sound. I want to see this phenomenon expand to every part of the

Rabbit Holes and Glaciers: Anika at Lodge Room

Rob Shepyer May 21, 2022

Desert Daze 2019 was the last gasp of Southern California’s art-life before the pandemic put the world on pause and separated us into various little, claustrophobic boxes for two years. That year, Anika, was an early daytime treat that awakened new pathways of musical possibilities in the minds of those present. Completely alone onstage and wearing a white suit that gave her charisma an air of artistic purity, jive, and her signature stoicism, Anika’s voice felt like European art pop of the highest order. It’s a voice that seduces listeners into thinking she’s hiding some wellspring of peaking emotion that she could unchain at any given moment. This is the effect of taking stoicism and reservation as part of your performing style, audiences only grow more curious as to what’s not being shown. Instead of rewarding audiences by plainly giving away its secrets, Anika’s voice keeps people begging and listening for more. In 2022, seduction is its own reward. Every bit of media is served to us on an endless platter and having people take the time to travel down rabbit holes has become a financially risky business strategy for artists. What works in Anika’s favor is that her voice