Tag: featured

Gorillaz, the Most Human Band, at Youtube Theatre

Rob Shepyer September 30, 2022

The events of Sunday September 25th at Youtube Theatre were moments I had dreamed of and wished for the last decade of my life, and finally, after loving Demon Days for so long, I finally got to see Gorillaz live at the Youtube Theatre. To me, there is no more beautiful music than this record and the live version released afterward. Not only do I think Gorillaz is beautiful, I consider it the most ‘human’ sounding music. By that I mean their range of songs carry the nuance and complexity hidden inside a full human life–the highs and lows, the bliss and calamity, every bit of turbulence the human race is steeped in and every shred of joy humans are blessed with, all have a place on Demons Days. 2001’s self titled album is incredible too, it’s the OG of Gorillaz’ catalogue, featuring “Clint Eastwood”, the song that made the band a household name. 2010’s Plastic Beach had a plenty of bangers, anthems and serenades featured in epic, dream-team collabs, while 2017’s Humanz may be their most slept-on album of the last five years, it’s just full of great songs from start to finish (speaking of the most ‘human’ music).

Glitz and Glamour: Roxy Music’s 50th Anniversary at The Kia Forum

Rob Shepyer September 30, 2022

The lasting legacy of Roxy Music is one of soul, style, and groundbreaking experimentation. You can hear the roots of so many different genres just by listening to Roxy Music. They weren’t necessarily setting out to produce so many artistic offspring when they began, they were trying to make music that was close to the heart—timeless tunes to make people dance and fall in love. They certainly achieved this at their 50th anniversary tour stop in Los Angeles at the Kia Forum because there, LA fell in love with the band all over again. It was a tour-de-force performance that saw every piece of the band at their best, slaying on their instruments and having the audience swaying their hips and singing along. Even though we’re far removed from the 70’s and 80’s, this show gave a modern audience a slice of a different time when people have much more style. Roxy Music alone could reinvigorate fashion and coolness for this generation, if we could just tap into Bryan Ferry’s vision more often. The more Bryan Ferry the world gets, the more things will improve, that I can guarantee you. This 50th Anniversary tour was so epic and monumental that

Photo Recap: Moderat at the Wiltern

Janky Smooth Central Command September 29, 2022

Berlin’s most powerful electronic trio, Moderat are the supergroup on the lips of everyone that loves deep electronic beats, whether they love to dance or just vibe to the overwhelming music they create. Their 2022 release More D4ta saw the band tour through the United States and stop at The Wiltern for their Los Angeles date. We got pictures from the night to give you a sense of the audio/visual splendor that went down and sent the audience into awe. Sascha Ring, Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary are proving that when it comes to Moderat, there is no such thing as moderation, it’s best to have as much as humanely possible. Photos by: Chris Molina Moderat

German Love Machines: Rammstein at LA Memorial Coliseum

Rob Shepyer September 28, 2022

Rammstein in-concert more closely resembles Mad Max’s Thunderome or Rollerball than your typical rock and roll show. The atmosphere is reminiscent of the best kind of 80’s dystopian cinema, life or death battles that pits man against machine as fire and music blast a rabid crowd salivating for more rock, sex, and violence. It gives new meaning to the words “Arena Rock”. Just like this author, Rammstein prefers a maximalist approach to performing. In fact, I struggle to think of any greater spectacle in all of music. No other marquee act, be they rock or rap, has the production value of Rammstein. These days the kings of rock and roll are the likes of Metallica, Tool, My Chemical Romance, Nine Inch Nails, and Iron Maiden, and still, none of them compare to a Rammstein show. Iron Maiden comes close, but when you behold Rammstein’s stage, you feel like you’ve entered an actual urban hellscape from the year 3000 as you stand before this industrial structure that houses the band for the next two hours. You wonder as you stand in awe of the A and B stage, how large is the crew that built this and how long did it

Photo Recap: Bad Bunny at Petco Park

Janky Smooth Central Command September 28, 2022

The people of Southern California have all got to admit and admire the phenomenon of Bad Bunny. He’s somehow beyond the mainstream, still an outsider in some respects, yet at the same time, he’s larger than life, perhaps larger than the music industry itself. It certainly feels this way when you go to a Bad Bunny concert. You can sense in the audience, their hearts are on fire for this artist and their music. If you struggle to understand the why, then I would suggest going to a Bad Bunny concert because then all the answers will come to you. These pictures from his show at Petco Park give only a small glimpse of how hard San Diego goes for Bad Bunny, with his upcoming show at Sofi Stadium, there’s plenty more Southern California love we have to give him. Opening the show was masterful DJ, Alesso, who only intensified the party atmosphere to make for an unforgettable one-two punch combo for the evening of dancing and fun. Photos by: Rebecca DiGiglio Bad Bunny Alesso

A Night at the Pantheon With Of Montreal at The Regent

Alfredo Luna September 27, 2022

With the recent release of their new album Freewave Lucifer f<ck f^ck f>ck, Of Montreal was ready to unleash their immersive sound onto the stage and illustrate the stories found here and within their deep and illusive discography. Teetering the line between a performance art and a live music can be tough to accomplish but what Of Montreal have done not only shatters expectations but also blurs the line between the two to take each to a different level. Joined by a supporting cast of characters, the Athens based indie art-pop group was able to put on a spectacle that captured the essence of why they have maintained somewhat of a cult following. Locate S,1 brought a funk-fueled electro-disco inspired set that had the crowd groovin’. The band, fronted by Christina Schneider, was the perfect bridging the gap into the main act, providing a space to let loose and feel the grooves. As the time grew near and in the most theater inspired fashion, the band came out with an emcee wearing a lucha mask, giving a rousing introduction and lay out of the criteria for the night. What stood out was their proclamation for everyone to challenge all norms

Cyber-Core: Vein. FM at the Echoplex

Danny Ryan September 22, 2022

Vein.fm’s signature blend of emotionally driven post-hardcore and ferocious metalcore with unpredictable glitchy electronic-based samples transformed the Echoplex into a violent cyperpunk apocalypse with their recent headlining performance. With the show starting at 6pm, they hosted a nearly festival-sized lineup of upcoming hardcore punk bands from all different sounds that shared a common theme of having intense, ass-beating breakdowns that inspire spin-kicks throughout the room. As hardcore punk gains more prominence with current trends, bands like Vein.fm and co-headliner Candy are beginning to break into the audiences of other heavy music scenes more than ever. If you’re a fan of punk rock, metal, or even heavier electronic IDM scenes at all, then Vein.fm should absolutely be one of the top bands on your radar. With the show starting at the incredibly early time of 6pm, the first opening acts of the night were Twist of Cain, Living Weapon, and Momentum. Each band brought their own unique brand of hardcore to the lineup, with Twist of Cain starting things off sounding raw as all hell with their lack of effects or electronics compared to the rest of the bands that evening. Twist of Cain has an incredibly down-to-earth hardcore sound with

The Sounds of Spring in Summer: Primavera Sound LA 2022

Rob Shepyer September 22, 2022

On the surface, Primavera Sound LA appeared to have an almost perfect lineup. There was something for everyone. Legendary rockers like Kim Gordon or Nine Inch Nails, extreme acts like Mayhem, exotic and rare imports like Arca, Drain Gang or Chai, young bands on the verge of greatness like Amyl and the Sniffers or Dry Cleaning, or massive millennial bands like Cigarettes After Sex and Fontaines D.C. For those who fancy themselves adventurers across the modern musical landscape, this was a necessary expedition. I checked many bands off my must-see list all in one weekend and these weren’t even the headliners. If Primavera Sound could be defined by two things though, they would be expert curation of international artists and an unforgettable set by Nine Inch Nails. related content: Stroking to LCD: This Ain’t No Picnic Prior to Primavera weekend starting, I checked out Dark Side‘s Hollywood Forever show, their first performance since 2014. It was a mind-bending musical experience, transcendent of whatever it is we call psychedelic rock into something beyond genre or ideals. With this in my rear view mirror, I had high hopes for their performances finishing Primavera’s opening day on Friday along with the rest of

Fidlaring The Fonda all Night Long

Taylor Wong September 21, 2022

Fuck it dog, life’s a risk, and hundreds of people risked going out during one of the city’s worst heat waves to catch FIDLAR in Los Angeles after a three year hiatus. Opening for FIDLAR’s sold out two-night run at The Fonda Theatre, Liily gave an all-star performance. With only one EP and one record under their belt, the LA natives still managed to draw in plenty of fans. Thursday’s show had concert goers starting a pit before frontman Dylan Nash sang the first words of their first song. Three songs in, the crowd surfing had begun. Liily’s live sound brought an aggressive edge to their alt-rock tracks that kept the crowd rowdy and ready for FIDLAR. By the time FIDLAR got on the stage at Thursday’s show, the temperatures outside were still in the 90s. Inside, things were getting even hotter. The band played heavily from their first two albums, “FIDLAR” and “Too,” but new singles like “FSU” still had the crowd moshing. The Fonda, however, couldn’t handle such a sweaty scene. By the middle of their set, Zac Carper even joked “Can somebody turn on the air conditioner? Turn off that eco setting, fool!” Security started throwing out

Photo Recap: Pink Turns Blue at Echoplex

Janky Smooth Central Command September 20, 2022

Post punk at Echoplex is a goddamn L.A. institution and with Pink Turns Blue performing there, the tradition is back in full swing. Berlin’s finest put on a banger of an evening, performing all their most tragic and powerful tunes. LA’s goth scene showed up and gave the band all they had in response. Photos by: Jason Murillo Pink Turns Blue

Photo Recap: Nouvelle Vague at the Fonda

Janky Smooth Central Command September 20, 2022

Nouvelle Vague delivered Bossanova jams the likes of which Los Angeles had never heard before. This French group shed new light on classic post punk and new wave songs that made them sound sexier, more romantic, and downright cooler than what the original artists envisioned. The French have always had superior style and Nouvelle Vague taught everyone in attendance of their Fonda show what it means to be suave. Photos by: Todd Anderson Nouvelle Vague

Photo Recap: My Chemical Romance at Barclays Center

Janky Smooth Central Command September 19, 2022

The moment you’ve all been waiting for is here. My Chemical Romance is touring the country and we have pictures from their show at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. It’s only a matter of time now until they cross the United States and arrive on the West Coast for shows in Los Angeles and San Francisco. We suggest you come to these shows and experience these epic moments for yourself. A picture is worth 1,000 words but these are priceless and every cent of the money you pay for those tickets is worth keeping memories that resemble these. Photos by: Michelle Corvino My Chemical Romance