Tag: fidlar

FIDLAR at The Observatory is STILL a Vibe

Janky Smooth Central Command March 21, 2023

There is little more that’s as iconic in the last 10 years of the SoCal indie music scene than FIDLAR playing at The Observatory in Santa Ana. It brings back memories of the golden age of the now defunct label that shall not be mentioned- but it rhymes with “Zurger”. related: An Interview with Zac Carper from FIDLAR Ticket holders wasted no time filling up The Observatory for the opening acts. Fans flooded the pit, full of raw energy and not holding anything back for Reckling. The set came with fast, high energy that had the fans crowd surfing, singing along and of course, moshing. Reckling opened the night strong and set the bar high. Not to be outdone, Liily came out just as powerfully and kept that energy going, if not elevating it to the next level. From their catchy songs to the electric performance of frontman Dylan Nash and the nonstop, chaotic energy of bassist Charlie Anastasis, all combined to make for one hell of a show. The crowd was warmed up, stretched and sweaty for FIDLAR to come out and destroy and they did just that. FIDLAR came out firing on all cylinders with “ Wake

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

Don’t Fear the Weird: Fidlar’s Record Release at Teragram

Dillon Vaughn February 4, 2019

Despite 2019 being the 10th anniversary of Fidlar‘s existence, I first heard the band around two years ago while on tour (late to the game, I know.) We were driving somewhere through the Carolinas in a rattling van formerly used to shuttle the homeless out of LA and all six of us were hungover as hell. With four of the bandmates passed out in the back, I was riding shotgun and taking in the sights while my friend that was driving cued up Fidlar’s 2015 record Too and began singing along in that kind of raspy voice you have after a long night out. Something about the tone of that album – the wistfulness, pacing, and honesty about facing adulthood resonated perfectly with the moment. Almost Free, the album being celebrated and released recently at the Teragram marked a new direction for the band that captured their interest in exploring new song structures and instrumentation and allowed this show to highlight other LA bands approaching music with a similar attitude. related content: Family, Friends, FIDLAR: A Punk Rock Love Fest At The Observatory “Don’t Fear the Weird,” the motto scrawled in red across Brandon Schwartzel’s bass guitar summed up both the new direction for

Punk Rock Bowling 2017: You Can’t Be What You Were…

Danny Baraz June 9, 2017

Looking out into the sea of people in the expanses that sprawl out from the upgraded festival stage at Punk Rock Bowling’s virgin location in the booming district of Downtown Las Vegas was a seismic life experience. Not just because of how fucking rad Punk Rock Bowling was this year but because all the events of the weekend set to the music of the festival served as a soundtrack to life’s highlight reel in my head. A series of events culminated into the bitter-sweetest regression of lonerism one could ever celebrate, as I stood alone, backstage, watching The Adicts play the best set I’d ever seen from them. Being 2 months out of knee surgery, that familiar human turbine engine of 7,k people dancing and swirling in front of the stage like a pack of bats taking flight at sun down or a school of fish changing direction in unison was unfamiliar from this vantage point- I’ve always preferred being IN the engine instead of being a spectator. Because when you’re in the pit, you’re dealing directly with any physical manifestation of frustration or anger that might have built up through the grind of life and you aren’t really thinking

FIDLAR at the Observatory by Joanna Bautista

Family, Friends, FIDLAR: A Punk Rock Love Fest at The Observatory

Joanna Bautista May 18, 2016

I was finally going to see FIDLAR at The Observatory for a non-festival type show and I couldn’t have been more thrilled. Disclaimer: I’m totally one of those fans with FIDLAR tattooed above my knee. I entered the Observatory in the middle of No Parents’ set surprised to see frontman, Zoe Reign with every piece of clothing still on. I think his crop-top made up for it. In past shows it was a norm for Zoe to take off a variety of clothing which was encouraged by fans. I got to say, I would totally dance with this guy. He’s got moves. This band has a great amount of minute long songs and they’ve got catchy stuff. They shouldn’t be a punk band you can just listen to in your room, they must be seen live! San Diego-surf punk band, The Frights were up next and their fan base has grown immensely since the last time I’ve saw them live. My first time seeing them was when they opened for FIDLAR at the Regent in January. There was a small crowd that knew their lyrics but now, everyone in the venue can be heard singing along. A “Fuck Trump” chant

FIDLAR Halloween Show at The Regent Theater- Top 10 Concerts of 2015- shot by Don Morris

FIDLAR Put Razor Blades In My Candy At The Regent

Paige Vreede November 5, 2015

If you didn’t celebrate your Halloween at The Regent Theater, you pretty much fucked up. Big time. FIDLAR, Dune Rats, and Mind Meld satisfied our ears and exorcised our afflictions with their garage-punk and party sound. It being the last show of their US tour, one could expect nothing less than chaos. Upon entering the venue dressed as a ghost, it was to my surprise that nobody else was dressed up. I figured “fuck it dog life’s a risk” and rocked that shit anyway. Halloween décor adorned the walls and the vibe of the room was that of a wild house party. The sold out audience mostly consisted of crowd-surfing and head-banging youths who were drenched in sweat and beer. To begin the evening, psychedelic surf rockers, and LA natives, Mind Meld took the stage. Due to some Uber complications, I was unable to see them and was highly disappointed as they are most definitely up-and-coming in LA’s music scene. There is no doubt that they will be headlining their own shows soon, and I look forward to seeing the talented quartet then. Hailing from Brisbane, Australia, quintessential stoner dudes, Dune Rats took the stage next. As someone who used to

Beach Goth 4: The Party of The Year

Danny Baraz October 28, 2015

The freaks, stoners, hipsters, bloggers, vegans, photographers, rockers, punkers, pukers, trippers, hippies and seemingly every beautiful woman from Southern California to Vancouver attended The Growlers annual trademark event, Beach Goth 4 this past weekend. They came to celebrate the best thing in their lives- music. I talked to a unicorn from Australia, I smoked a joint with a fairy from Mexico City and got my nipple twisted by a witch from Westminster. It seemed as if all inhibition was lost as everyone’s freak flag flew sky high and more spit was swapped than at a mouth swabbing clinic. And there was music. Oh lord was there music. With little touches and surprises like The 5678’s serving as the house band on a small stage on day 1, The Selena Impersonators and G-Funk pioneer, Warren G randomly performing a song near the end of Day 2, Beach Goth 4 had one of the most exciting lineups since Woodstock (if you love independent music). The scheduling issues which plagued the festival last year were a distant memory. Then again, after riding the snake all weekend, this past yesterday seems like an eon of a couple lifetimes ago. Sure, the ticket price has

Video Recap: Janky Smooth at Riot Fest Chicago 2015

Danny Baraz September 24, 2015

Janky Smooth was reppin hard at Riot Fest Chicago 2015. With a team of people stumbling around Douglas Park, it might’ve been the first time belligerence and gratitude were able to co-exist within a group of salty, jaded individuals. We caught up with a number of bands and artists and asked them some stupid questions which made it clear how unprepared and mildly intoxicated we were. Check out our full review and photo gallery of Riot Fest Chicago 2015 Riot Fest Chicago 2015 also reminded us how much fun festivals can be when you aren’t incarcerated in beer prisons called beer gardens. It seems the state of Illinois isn’t as concerned as California and specifically, the city of Los Angeles with underage drinking. Therefore, it was refreshing for the adults to be treated like adults. I almost forgot what it was like not to have to schedule time to drink a beer in a designated drinking area, just so they can MAYBE avoid some teenager getting drunk at the festival. After all, it’s MUCH better for those kids who are going to party, one way or another, to buy illicit drugs off a complete stranger, rather than getting their grubby

Iggy Pop at Riot Fest Chicago 2015 by Dwayne Roberts

Janky Smooth at Riot Fest Chicago 2015: A Drunk History

Vanessa Burgundy September 22, 2015

By Vanessa Burgundy This was my Riot Fest hat trick and they do always say that “third time’s a charm”. Let it be known, Riot Fest, you have always been positively charming, however; this year, you were downright enchanted. Day One: I had a bit of a late start, missing favorites like Mariachi el Bronx, Fishbone, and garage-girl-group The Coathangers. Danny caught up with them in our Riot Fest Video Recap but got there just in time to catch classic New York, rock band Living Colour. This years Riot Fest was already off to a better start than the previous year, with a smooth, no-wait, check-in and entry but also a gorgeous day. I actually didn’t even know that the entirety of field at Douglas Park resembled a bowl of pudding until I got kicked off the stage later that night during No Doubt’s set. Thanks Gwen. I got to my perch on the side of stage during Living Colour’s set. Once the god awful sound issues were worked out, Living Colour were amazing and I couldn’t find any difference between now and 88 except a few scattered greys in the dreads and fro’s. Impressive. Conveniently, our buddies, Eagles of

Burgerama 4: Burger Food Poisoning

Danny Baraz April 2, 2015

Almost every place in the world now breeds the type of angsty teens that pick up guitars to butcher some out of tune power chords. What is it about Orange County, California that continuously, for the last three generations in a row, forms and re forms these amazing scenes that surround dozens of good local bands? Many bands that eventually rise to international fame or at least, notoriety. Decade after decade the youth of Orange County reject the status quo, vandalize their strip malls, piss in their pools and rock the fuck out. Once the music industry crashed and burned, you would think that those kick-pedal-carrying kids would remain in anonymity in the solitude of their own bedrooms, never to move out of their parents homes. Rising from the smoke and the ash of a music industry unwilling to adapt to the digital age comes Burger Records bearing, of all things, cassette tapes. They are here to service this generations’ insatiable thirst for angst, sex and adolescence. Burger Records was formed in 2007 by Sean Bohrman and Lee Rickard. They allowed all their artists to retain complete control of their works and primarily, all of their releases have been on cassette.

Friends & Fans Pack Isaac Rother Release Party at Cretin Hop

Taylor Wong February 25, 2015

There are very few respectable Rock N’ Roll nights in LA these days. I’m not talking about just booked bands, playing around town but a nightly, weekly or monthly party dedicated to the devils music. One of the few good nights out there goes by the name of Cretin Hop at Footsie’s in Highland Park. The night is thrown by Roger Mars on the third Saturday of every month. Roger Mars DJ’s the night along with his partner in crime, Telegram Sam. They spin tunes from Del Shannon, Nancy Sinatra, The cramps, and The Ramones, to name just a few. You get the picture. Pretty much any Rock N’ Roll from the 60s and 70s is fair game. The party is filled with greasers and pin up type women as well as punks and mods. From time to time, Roger will book a band to play out back in the parking lot but due to recent noise complaints from neighbors, it has become more and more difficult to get away with live music. Lucky for us Isaac Rother and The Phantoms were approved to play their record release party at Cretin Hop. Footsies was a full house inside and

FIDLAR return and play one of their best shows ever at The Regent

Danny Baraz January 25, 2015

We all know FIDLAR as the beer swilling, vagina drilling, fun poking, nose coking blacked out voice of this generation. Proof that art imitates life and not the other way around. They are history repeating itself without being boring or predictable but rather, a reinforcement that the youth of today are still angry, sad and depressed enough to change this world if they are able to survive the chaos of coming of age. Zac Carper took a deep breath as he scanned the audience and began to formulate his thoughts. “This is fuckin me up. The Smell, this place, everything.” It reminded me of a statement from a man who has been on his best behavior for an extended amount of time, trying not to succumb to requests like, “C’mon, one hit won’t kill you”. And then they started playing Cheap Beer and the place exploded. The Regent Theater was combustible all night and why not? I’m pretty sure the last show FIDLAR played was headlining Burgerama 3 last year and they were not in their best form at that gig. Zac could hardly form a sentence and the band was not tight. Flash forward 10 months later and FIDLAR