Tag: asia

It’s important to sprinkle in a little classic rock to any LA concert junkie’s calendar of shows. Frequenting only underground music, no matter the genre, will still give you a limited understanding of the human soul, no matter how much you bounce around the spectrum of different sounds. Sometimes you need the radio hits, KLOS or otherwise. Such was the case when I had to decide between Knot Fest, The Drums, and Yes‘ Royal Affair Tour with Asia, John Lodge, and Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy. The choice was obvious. Janky Smooth originated as a psych rock operation after all and the psych kids of yesterday were the progressive rockers. Bands like Yes and Emerson, Lake, and Palmer made music and sang lyrics that took listeners on journeys far beyond this plane of existence, much like King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard do in 2019. The way King Gizz sings about magic, mysticism, and adventure differs from that of the old kings though. Where the new breed sings about these topics with irony, pastiche, or jest, the old bands sang about them with authenticity and the hope to inspire. It’s no wonder progressive music might be considered a nerdy genre by