Tag: 30 days in LA

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

Red Bull Sound Select Announces Lineup for 30 Days in L.A.

Danny Baraz September 9, 2015

We here at Janky Smooth have a special affection for the folks at Red Bull Sound Select and their annual, month long, nightly takeover of almost every club in Los Angeles called 30 Days in L.A. After all, Janky Smooth launched on November 1st 2014 and the lovely, tireless music professionals handling the press for 30 Days In L.A. allowed us access to every night of top flight talent when WE didn’t even know who the fuck we were. But before we start getting TOO sentimental- if you want to get into ANY of these, low cost, high value shows, you better start the RSVP process Here Red Bull Sound Select: Corporate Music With Soul? So it’s with great excitement and zeal that we’d like to help our friends at Red Bull Sound Select spread the word about the talent involved in this years L.A. takeover. Take a look at the what Redbull has booked for every day in November of 2015. Grimes, Joey Bada$$, TV on the Radio, No Age, Flume and Vince Staples are just a few of the bigger names Red Bull Sound Select booked to headline for their up and coming artists that are a part

ASAP Mob Show in Hollywood Comes Close to Riot in the Streets

Danny Baraz December 2, 2014

This was the 30th and final day of Red Bull Sound Select’s, 30 Days in L.A. It marks the end of November and the start of the holiday season. Day 1 seemed like it was yesterday and much of the month was a blur as I covered 17 shows and the rest of the Janky Smooth crew covered the other nights. Red Bull really bit off a lot but they delivered a great bill on almost every night of the month. Walking up to the Hollywood Palladium, I witnessed a line of people trying to get into the ASAP Mob show that stretched from Argyle, onto sunset and around El Centro. Sunset was closed to traffic due to an earlier Xmas parade. There was something in the air and it wasn’t Xmas cheer. Things feel different. I don’t feel that unity that happens this time of year that makes us all forget our differences for this short period of time. There is a struggle going on in this country right now between the Norman Rockwell painting that projects an image of this country that doesn’t exist anymore and the reality of a decaying infrastructure, disappearing middle class, militarization of police

Juicy J Smokes Out The Fonda With a Little Help From His Friends

Taylor Wong November 27, 2014

It was the first night after the decision in Ferguson and tensions were high in LA. So what better way to blow off some steam than at a Juicy J show. We are on the final stretch of the Red Bull Sound Select 30 day’s in LA with number 25 last night. The event was hosted at The Fonda in Hollywood with openers Tree and Two-Nine. Of course being a rap show in LA, the crowd was made up of mostly 18 year old white kids. The first Rap group, Tree took the stage with a half full crowd. These guys were fantastic. A bit of a mellow vibe to these dudes. They kinda had a flow like A$AP Ferg. These guys had a short set which only lasted about 30 minutes which led to a 30 minute intermission. These Red Bull events are starting to feel deja vu like with the people I see in attendance. Last night I ran into Daniel from the LA Riots for about the 5th time this month, during the intermission. The next group Two-Nine started out with a moment of silence for Michael Brown, the unarmed 18 year old boy that was gunned

Phosphorescent at the Park Plaza Hotel for Day 23 of 30 Days in LA

Danny Baraz November 25, 2014

Janky Smooth chose to cover Red Bull Sound Select’s, 30 Days in LA in conjunction with our launch because we totally respect what Red Bull is doing in music. It’s a departure for me, personally, because I have always railed against corporate music. What Red Bull is doing is a bit different, though. They are not looking for the next Justin Bieber or Beyonce. They are looking for an army of independent minded bands who are most concerned with art, not business. Make the best music possible and they’ll run the numbers and think about the bottom line. With all the love and respect we’ve shown Red Bull and they’ve shown us, I am starting to get fatigued after 23 days. Anyone would be physically tired after working day and night but not that kind of tired. The later we get into these 30 days, the more these shows start to resemble “pay to play”. In defense of Red Bull, they are the ones picking up the tab but the way some of these bands are being put together is baffling. Electro pop bands with country rock groups like Shy Girls opening for Phosphorescent reminds me of the Whiskey A

The Head and The Heart Draw a Dedicated Following at The Ace Hotel

Justin Cornwall November 23, 2014

The line wrapped down Broadway in DTLA in front of the Ace Hotel for the sold out The Head And The Heart concert. Many young and eager fans made way into the restored 1920’s theater – the headliners had a dedicated fan base. Much of the crowd seemed unaware and unimpressed by the #30DaysInLA program, but happily accepted the free flower crowns and pizza provided by the Red Bull team. Los Colognes of Nashville were the openers for the night. The six piece was reminiscent of a Disney produced incarnation of The Beach Boys. Their twangy sound was remarkably generic and very jammy. The songs seemed to wander where the band wanted them to, but surely they had some basic structure. The crowd was late for this set, distracting from the sound as people filed in all throughout the opening hour. The Head and The Heart proceeded to play to an enticed crowd. Each song was driven by a different key player – from vocals, to violin, to rancorous guitar. The captive audience kept time by tapping along and supported vocally with a hushed sing-a-long the entire set. The band did a good job of giving each member their time

Friday Night In LA: A secret show with Ariel Pink at OP and Kurt Vile at First Unitarian Church

Danny Baraz November 22, 2014

Los Angeles is the best place in the world to have a love affair with music. Aside from the occasional, low energy, scenester transplants that fill up some of our venues, it is the perfect city to go see shows. There was so much going on this past Friday night that it made the head spin with possibilities. Janky Smooth attended two events: Kurt Vile and the Violators headlining the First Unitarian Church and a surprise and semi secret Ariel Pink show at Over***, L.A.’s seediest, most exciting rock and roll speak easy/after hours. It is L.A.’s worst kept secret and is surprisingly celebrating it’s 3 year anniversary. Amazing it hasn’t been shut down yet. The night started at The First Unitarian Church for another amazing Red Bull Sound Select installment of 30 Days in L.A. Kurt Vile on stage in a religious sanctuary was draw enough to worship at this opulent altar of Rock and Roll. Red Bull brought in some extra sound and some elaborate lighting to fill up the palatial sized ceilings with more audio and visual. The night featured two more solid Red Bull Sound Select artists, Air Review and Little Tybee. Air Review gave a

Future Islands at The Wiltern: Torn Shirts, Gargled Roars and Bouncy Blue Orbs

Amir Kashani November 22, 2014

On the 20th night, Red Bull’s 30 Days in LA gave us Future Islands to continue the trend of one great show after another. It was obvious everyone was driven to The Wiltern to see Future Islands and their lead man, Samuel T. Herring aka Hemlock Ernst. However, two upstarts with a very similar vibe took the stage first. The first band, Speak from Austin, took the stage to an almost empty room. They opened with just a drum machine and synth. The young, black clad upstarts are interesting but the two gentlemen on strings sort of reminded me of a younger Skolnick and Gilbert from the Lambda Lambda Lambda fraternity. The lead’s voice is high and reminiscent of a younger Ezra Koenig, at times. It took him and his crew about five or six songs to be adopted by the crowd but for the most part this crowd was saving up for the next course on the menu tonight. I went out for a popcorn and came back to a much fuller room of jihadi hipster beards and the stronger scent of quickly smoked, fermented barley. I hurried back to my spot and noticed 4 guys take the stage

Real Estate at The Belasco with special guest, Rivers Cuomo

Justin Cornwall November 20, 2014

Oh, Red Bull – you’re running us ragged with this month of shows. Luckily, last night provided a bit of a necessary lull in the energy of the month. Beach Party, Pure Bathing Culture and Real Estate brought their talents to The Belasco in Downtown Los Angeles, to a crowd of eager fans. Personally, I was very much looking forward to another set from LA locals Beach Party. I’ve gotten to know this band as friends over the last year and I’ve never had to fake being into their music. These guys always put forward a wave of high-energy surf/punk/rock that is exactly what you’d expect from a band called Beach Party. Their stage presence is as strong as their drinks and they didn’t skip a beat flowing through their set. They played a few newer tracks and teased they are currently wrapping up their full-length album. Their lyrics lament of bad decisions and debauchery, I believe the smart choruses played a big part in winning the crowd over. This was their last show of 2014 and they were well received by the mellower Real Estate crowd. Red Bull Sound Select has mismatched sounds on some of these lineups this

PPL MVR surprise performance at Red Bull’s screening of Spinal Tap

Danny Baraz November 19, 2014

Who the hell are PPL MVR and where did they come from? All gimmickry and showmanship aside, their music is pretty fucking awesome. They are a metal version of one of my favorite, new bands, Fartbarf and the first time I saw them at the Sunset Strip Music Festival I was skeptical but intrigued. No one knows who they are or why Atlantic Records signed them to a record deal with no established presence or fan base to speak of. One thing is clear- Someone is banking on them and sinking a lot of money into making sure that people are exposed to this band of yeti like creatures with metal guitars and vocoder vocals. PPL MVR were the “surprise guest” at The Electric Dusk Drive In Theater for a screening of one of my favorite movies, This is Spinal Tap. This was yet another interesting special interest event that was a part of the diverse, 30 Days in LA by Red Bull. It was a beautiful night and setting in Downtown L.A. I set up a beach chair on the astro turf in front of the movie screen. Red Bull promised a special performance at an intermission and part

Dum Dum Girls Headline Night 16 of 30 Days in L.A.

Janky Smooth Central Command November 18, 2014

November 16th, night 16 of the Red Bull 30 days in LA. Well I made it, the back end of the month of November. Boy has it been exhausting. This night we were given a performance by Lowell, Tapioca And The Flea, and Dum Dum Girls. I wasn’t familiar with any of the bands other than my boys in Tapioca, so I was pretty excited to see what was in store for me. As soon as I got there I saw a lot of familiar faces. It was a cool mix of people I had met over the course of the 30 days and a large group of supporting friends were there, shit even my ex-girlfriend was there. The venue was The Well, a small clothing store in DTLA with a artist warehouse space in the back. The show never hit capacity which shocked me seeing as how it was a sold out show. I got to the show a bit early so we took advantage of the free pizza and prize give away. I’m pretty stoked on my new ear plugs I won. These ear plugs actually came in handy as soon as Lowell started playing. I definitely wasn’t

Chance The Rapper And My First Hip Hop Show by Justin Cornwall

Justin Cornwall November 17, 2014

I’d never been to a hip-hop or rap show prior to setting foot in the House Of Blues Hollywood last night. Chance the Rapper, Azizi Gibson, Kamandi baptized me into a new world – and I couldn’t be happier with the lineup. After some confusion with the House Of Blues and the Red Bull team, I eventually made my way into a sold out night and settled myself up on a balcony. Kamandi is going to be huge. The New Zealand native performed his first show in America, in Los Angeles, opening for Chance. He may have underwhelmed the crowd, but he left an imprint on me that I won’t soon forget. He fits the exact same vein as Flume, but more aggressive and gritty. He got under my fingernails and had me digging for more. Bass heavy creations flowed from his laptop through the PA and caught the ear of those with fine taste. The majority of the crowd was full of “basic bitches”, as many nowadays would say, and for the most part shrugged off Kamandi’s set. However, he ended his set with a reworking of “Return Of The Mack” which pulled everyone into his universe for the