Tag: echoplex

Down Home Ho Down: Roots Roadhouse 2019

Rob Shepyer April 2, 2019

Within moments of walking into Roots Roadhouse at the Echoplex and seeing BBQ pits, haystacks, cowboy hats and boots, I realized that this is one of the best festivals in Los Angeles, it’s a hidden gem. If you follow Janky Smooth, you certainly won’t see much country on our blog but for some reason, even though I was moshing at Gorilla Biscuits the night before, this music felt more like home than metal, punk, hardcore, or industrial to me. After listening to a few acts and thinking about why this is, I realized that the soundtrack to being a rocker would have plenty of country in it. The way outlaw country tales about being broke, losing love, chasing love, doing drugs, and getting drunk, relates to me more than other kinds of music. Part of the reason for this lack of country coverage is simply awareness. In Los Angeles, no one knows these artists but across the rest of the country, they all have huge followings, mostly because of relentless touring. With Roots Roadhouse, Los Angeles gets a taste of how the rest of America listens to music, whether it be Nashville, Texas, or Louisiana, the heart of America was

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Roots Roadhouse at the Echo & Echoplex

Janky Smooth Central Command March 18, 2019

We know that Los Angeles doesn’t do the best job of giving its people their country music fix. Every once in awhile there’ll be a show but there ain’t no scene for people to come and wear their cowboy hats and boots to. Roots Roadhouse is of course the exception in the room, turning the east side into the old west for a cool Sunday where patrons can walk between the Echo and Echoplex, beer and barbecue in hand, to catch some old country crooners on either stage. It’s a hoot and a half. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO ROOTS ROADHOUSE MARCH 31ST AT THE ECHO & ECHOPLEX Step 1- Join Our Newsletter (look for pop up every time you arrive at jankysmooth.com) Step 2- Tag a Friend in the comment section of our Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook Roots Roadhouse Posts WINNER WILL BE WILL BE SELECTED ON MONDAY MARCH 25TH AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

The Protomen: Mega Men on a Mission at the Echoplex

Dillon Vaughn October 31, 2018

There are so many opportunities to see new acts pushing the limits of their respective genres and niches I find it hard to believe anyone can say they’ve actually “heard it all,” especially when the person saying that is living in a major city. Even looking past the one-off performances unique to LA it’s easy to get a glimpse of the countless acts touring across the US to play for fans extremely passionate about their shared interests. There’s a call for music beyond the played out gates of psych and shoegaze that surround Echo Park (and the east-side as a whole.) A call thankfully answered by The Protomen, Makeup and Vanity Set, and Bit Brigade. related content: Chiptune Leveling Up At Freq. Fest: 8bitLA 6.0 At The Smell Upon walking into the Echoplex that evening I was immediately introduced to something I’ve never seen at a show before: the use of Mega Man II as an instrument. Well, not quite an instrument, but a visual guide for the instrumental renditions of the themes present in the game as a member of the Athens, GA based Bit Brigade performed a (nearly flawless) speed-run of the game on a projected screen alongside his bandmates.

Who’s The Better Brother? Jay Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel at Echoplex

Rob Shepyer September 28, 2018

I love Gene Loves Jezebel. I love Jay Aston and I love Michael Aston. So, I will do my best to contribute to this band’s legacy by casting judgement on which twin brother’s band is the better Gene Loves Jezebel. Along with seeing a rare L.A. show by Jay Aston performing their favorite songs, many in attendance came to compare the two Gene Loves. Most likely looking to Michael Aston’s Part Time Punks show from years previous which I attended and enjoyed. Check out my review of that show below: related content: Gene Loves Jezebel Play Immigrant In Entirety At Part Time Punks Gig If you don’t know the band’s history, Michael and Jay Aston are twin brothers that each have their own version of Gene Loves Jezebel. Michael’s is based in the U.S., Jay’s is based in the U.K. Michael was the lead singer and Jay was the guitarist, back-up vocalist, and songwriter. After a tumultuous breakup resulting in a legal battle to see who gets to tour under the name Gene Loves Jezebel, they both play the same banner. It’s an interesting question to ponder. How do you cement ownership of a song? Is it the writer or

Color Me Punk: Rubella Ballet Plays First L.A. Show Since 1985 at Echoplex

Rob Shepyer September 20, 2018

Rubella Ballet comes from a time when there weren’t as many boxes for you to cram bands into. There was punk, metal, and a few subgenres in between. They were associated with the anarcho movement, namely Crass, in England in the late 70’s and 80’s but musically, their albums show more diversity than any label could commit them to. Their songs and look represented the essence of anarchy. Rebellion, even against itself. When everyone wore black, they wore Day-Glo. When everyone played fast, short songs, they experimented with slower rhythms and more nuanced arrangements. Singer Zilla Minx and guitarist Sid Ation still know how to get weird. For all these young kids born after Rubella Ballet’s heyday, this was a show unlike anything they had ever seen. Rubella Ballet’s latest album, Danger of Death, brought them back to Los Angeles to play Part Time Punks at the Echoplex for the first time since 1985. Along with a few death rock, anarcho, and post punk bands, their combined effort made for a very special night of music. related content: Gene Loves Jezebel Play Immigrant In Its Entirety At Part Time Punks Gig Spain’s Fatamorgana was the first to take the stage. Made

Too Heavy to Die: Boris’ 25th Anniversary with Melvins at Echoplex

Janky Smooth Central Command August 23, 2018

Boris celebrated their 25th anniversary of being a band at The Echoplex opening for the band that they take their name from, Melvins. Both classic sludge rock staples played incredibly loud, noisy, and heavy sets. Photos by: Dillon Vaughn

Live Desolation: Khemmis at the Echoplex

Dillon Vaughn July 10, 2018

Performing an album in it’s entirety is generally reserved for bands with monumental releases; devoting a night to a single release shows confidence in the structure and integrity of the album as a whole and seemingly elevates the title and importance of the gig from a show to an “event.” Doubling down on the critical success of their previous releases, Khemmis performed their new album Desolation in full recently at the Echoplex for the first night of a very short run of intimate album release shows in LA, Chicago, and Denver. related content: Los Angeles Strikefest At The Regent: By Die-Hards, For Die-Hards Desolation was something I avoided listening to before the show as I wanted my first experience to be in a live setting. I had only seen Khemmis once before – at last year’s Psycho Las Vegas – and while a late afternoon festival set time doesn’t generally lend as well to showcasing a bands strength as a headlining set does, their performance was still something that cemented me as a fan and remains a highlight of the weekend. That being said, the LA event did not disappoint. Beginning the night with a powerful performance of Hunted’s title

Take This: 2 VIP Tickets & VIP Swag Bag For Dirty Penni Fest 3 At The Echo & Echoplex

Janky Smooth Central Command May 14, 2018

Dirty Laundry TV and Penniback records are joining forces once again to bring you the gnarliest, dirtiest, most insanely fun festival this side of Sunset Blvd, that’s right boys and girls, Dirty Penni Fest is back with its 3rd installment on July 1st and it’s taking over the Echo and the Echoplex again for you animals to crawl up and down between sets. related content: Dirty Penni Fest: A Rock And Roll Romper For Young And Old This year’s lineup hosts none other than LA noise rock hooligans No Age, surf punk trio Sad Girl, Oakland’s own Mt. Eddy, kings of LA psyche rock Frankie And The Witch Fingers, garage rock from the future: Feels, and much, much more including a special guest >_>. Underground legends get made at Dirty Penni Fest, so here’s your chance. Janky Smooth, Penniback Records, and Dirty Laundry TV are giving away 2 VIP tickets to Dirty Penni Fest 3 and a VIP swag bag that includes shirts, CD’s and cassettes to one winner. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR: ENTER TO WIN 2 VIP TICKETS AND SWAG BAG FOR DIRTY PENNI FEST 3 July 1st 2018, The Echo + Echoplex Step 1- Join Our Newsletter (look for pop up everytime

From The Bay To L.A. Classic Metal Burns Bright: Hell Fire At Echoplex

Rob Shepyer April 20, 2018

With my recent concert-going escapades seemingly devoted to punk, in all its forms, it felt like I had forgotten my first love: heavy fucking metal. And, in attending the Echoplex’s Metal Monday showcase, it was as if the prodigal son had returned to church. In a sense, I mean this literally because the show was booked by Church of the 8th Day, Los Angeles’ most prolific metal promoter. On this, the day after the Christian sabbath, once the religious had gotten their fill of rest and ritual, it was time for the devils to come out and play; and those devils were Hell Fire. The opening band originated and hit close to home, Blade Killer, is a gem in the Los Angeles metal scene. Immediately, the frantic guitar-work of Jay Vazquez and Jonathan Rubio kicked in, backed by a pummeling flying V bass of Kelsey Wilson and the lighting fast, swagger-filled drumming of Peter Lemieux. The singer of the band, Carlos Gutierrez, harkens the greatest metal singers you can think of, both Iron Maiden singers Bruce Dickinson and Paul Dianno, at times. Seeing as the lead guitarist, Jonathan Rubio, was celebrating his birthday on this night, he didn’t hold back

Fierce Fiesta: Scum’s 2 Year Anniversary W/ Limp Wrist At The Echoplex

Rob Shepyer March 28, 2018

There was something queer about March. Even the month’s name conjures up the image of boys with chiseled jaws in uniforms and leather boots. Or maybe it was the number 3 that was symbolic; of a third chromosome? A third gender? Or a third nipple or partner? Whatever it was, this merry month’s man-on-man madness began with me seeing Fischerspooner at the Fonda, where myself as a straight, life-long fan of queer cinema and music, got to see a myriad of males half naked on stage, sweaty and throbbing. Then after attending sCUM’s 2 year anniversary show at the Echoplex with Limp Wrist headlining, I got the sense that East Los could be the new Weho and that LGBTQ punks have ideas to express, verbal and non-verbal, that straight punks can neither access nor fathom. With Lethal Amount’s Sex Cells Divine Ball approaching on the 31st, who knows, I might start behaving in ways I never thought possible in February. I don’t think I’ll be going cruising but hell, I might try to suck my own. related content: Los Crudos Play The Echoplex Right When L.A. Needed It Most sCUM is a party for queerdos of color at Club Chico created

Midnight Massacre: American Nightmare At The Echoplex

Rob Shepyer March 18, 2018

Like a long, dooming swing of the reaper’s scythe, death rock and hardcore rained down upon us as if by the hand of Death itself. Since the headliner was hardcore, one might not expect two death rock bands opening up the show but when you consider the history of American Nightmare, it’s not so strange at all. American Nightmare has always highlighted the darker, more gothic side of the human experience to the point that Wesley Eisold, the band’s singer, evolved into Cold Cave, a goth, dark wave sensation. Never straying too far from his roots though, Eisold always kept American Nightmare in his back pocket. Perhaps now he’s wearing those pants back-side front. It’s too sides of the same coin, anyway. A sad, depressed crooner making music you can dance your sorrow away to and a rage-filled banshee that inspires blood-lust, violence, and anarchy in mosh pits that flood onto the stage. American Nightmare was the first band in the hardcore scene to really delve into emotional, darker lyrics and tones while not straying from true hardcore and the scene. The first band to open up the evening was Death Bells, a young death rock outfit from Sydney, Australia that

When Words Fail To Describe A Band: Igorrr at the Echoplex

Rob Shepyer February 21, 2018

Intrigue is the best motivation to get your ass out and to a concert. Seeing a band you’ve been dying to see forever or being a super-fan and seeing your favorite band for the dozenth time are cool too, but never having listening to a band and only hearing a certain curious strain of hype around them, that’s the sweet-spot for a music blogger. Of all the bands I’ve ever seen, none have summoned up as many descriptors out of me as Igorrr and certainly “curiosity” is one of them. I first heard of the band from a podcast with Metal Blade Records owner Brian Slagel, the label notorious for introducing the world to a little band called Metallica. On that podcast, Slagel boasted that Igorrr was the newest band on his label that he was excited about and even he failed to describe the band with brevity. Hailing from France, a country that has only seen its biggest metal acts in the last two decades (Gojira and Alsace), what Igorrr does is combine almost every musical genre under the sun and pack it into an industrial-metal frame. As strange as that is to imagine (or maybe it isn’t these