Tag: goldenvoice

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds at Cruel World 2025 by Albert Licano

Cruel World 2025 At The Rose Bowl: We’re Only Happy When It Rains

Rob Shepyer May 20, 2025

Cruel World 2025 at the Rose Bowl was the fourth iteration of the festival, but some strange alignment in the distant goth cosmos caused a number of firsts in Cruel World history. Rain fell on Los Angeles’ goth community as they all gathered at the Rose Bowl for what music fans recognize as goth prom. Cruel World is much more than a goth fest, though—’80s music, metal, and punk all performed in gloomy Pasadena over the weekend. Never before did the concertgoers, wearing their finest layers of black, actually dress appropriately for the weather—until now. Some came to Cruel World to see Devo “Whip It” like it was 1980, some came to be in the palm of Nick Cave’s “Red Right Hand”, others came just to get a one-day vacation with New Order before “Blue Monday. Whatever the motivation, the festival once again found appropriate meaning in its name. This year it was cold and dreary, with imported London fog infused with LA smog. Most people prefer not to experience a concert drenched from head to toe, but as a departure from the brutal heat of previous years, it had some upsides. The rain forced many Cruel Worlders looking for shelter

The Golden Coast: Portola Festival 2022

Danny Ryan October 6, 2022

Electronic dance music festivals have been controversial amongst live music enthusiasts for quite some time. It’s clear to see why due to the emphasis on drug use, tendency to attract rowdy youth that are more focused on partying than the love for the music, massive and potentially dangerous crowds, and lack of genre diversity in the lineups. The Portola Festival at Pier 80 in San Francisco was Goldenvoice and Non Plus Ultra’s answer to these criticisms, returning the pure love for different forms of electronic music and visual art to the raving experience. Portola hosted a massive lineup of DJs and artists ranging from the 90’s rave roots of Fatboy Slim and The Chemical Brothers, to modern DJ legends Jamie XX and Flume, and even to electronic-influenced pop stars with Charli XCX and Caroline Polachek. No matter what your flavor of raving is, Portola Festival had you covered with all forms of non-stop dancing the entire weekend. Portola Festival’s setting was incredibly industrial to match the energy of the warehouse shows that electronic dance music is rooted in, with the Pier 80 location being in a parking lot surrounded by enormous ships on the dock and a tranquil view of

Stroking to LCD: This Ain’t No Picnic

Rob Shepyer September 7, 2022

Goldenvoice has been on a roll, especially with their Rose Bowl based festivals, hosting special gatherings on sacred grounds. These two to three day festivals they’ve been churning out have all featured incredible lineups and have allowed audiences to see numerous artists that could each play at the Greek, Shrine or Bowl all on one giant, dusty field inside a literal melting pot. From Pasadena Daydream with the Cure to Arroyo Seco with Neil Young, Goldenvoice is building up a powerful Pasadena legacy. This Ain’t No Picnic hosted artists that represented our modern rock and roll heroes like Sparks, Le Tigre, The Strokes and LCD Soundsystem, but also the cream of next crop of legends like Turnstile, Caroline Polachek, Yves Tumor, Magdalena Bay, Ethel Cain, King Woman, and Idles. Mark my words, these artists will be massive headliners in the decades to come and on that day, we’ll look back to lineups like This Ain’t No Picnic’s and be in awe of how so many huge artists were assembled on the same bill. related content: Arroyo Seco: The Nostalgic, The Timeless, and the Real Day 1 Getting to drive on the greens of a golf course to find my parking

Photo Recap: Kruder and Dorfmeister at the Fonda

Janky Smooth Central Command November 10, 2018

Legendary Austrian down-tempo DJ duo Kruder and Dorfmeister came to play the Fonda Theatre on their brief American tour. Featuring some of the coolest mixing I’ve heard heard and most beautiful and deliciously disorienting visuals I’ve ever seen, this show was one for the books. The audience was also my favorite of 2018 featuring Europeans from every region and 90’s club kids that danced like they were still in their 20’s and on ecstacy. Photos by: Dillon Vaughn

Windhand Worship at El Rey Theatre

Dillon Vaughn November 8, 2018

Windhand and Satan’s Satyrs recently played at the El Rey in support of their recently released albums as well as the shared split produced earlier this year. related content: The Protomen: Mega Men On A Mission At The Echoplex Satan’s Satyrs lost some of my attention as they strayed from their most aggressive qualities after releasing Wild Beyond Belief but I found it impossible not to enjoy their performance that night. On display was a more experienced assemblage of the wild hunger they once had: this wasn’t a band trying to prove anything, they were here to shred. It was easy to find appreciation for the new material while witnessing a group that seemed lost (and discovered) somewhere in time between T. Rex and a Hammer horror induced freakout. Clayton Burgess, the group’s leader and bassist, has obviously learned a lot and found a perfect level of comfort on stage after landing the role of the bassist of Electric Wizard. That being said, his bandmates never seem secondary to the balanced performance and their staying power lies in their ability to truly have a sound of their own. related content: Virtually No Dust: Desert Daze 2018 Windhand’s appeal is unique amongst their

POC OC: Tropicalia Music and Taco Fest at the Queen Mary

Dave Unbuckled November 6, 2018

If the crowd of over 10,000 mostly white attendees at Surf City Blitz in Huntington Beach was anyone’s attempt to portray the demographic of Orange County’s aging local hero music scene, Long Beach’s Tropicalia Festival certainly flipped that turtle on its back. Tropicalia, now in it’s second year, has usurped the beach goth crowd from its predecessors, and has established itself as Southern California’s premier Latino influenced music festival, with one of the most diverse lineups I’ve ever seen. The mostly early twenty-something Latino-American crowd sold out the two-day weekend fest’s $200+ ticket capacity and brought an energy with them that recent Southern California festivals have been lacking. related content: The Growlers Reclaim Castle Beach Goth And All Is Right With The World Again With a lineup that boasted Morrissey and Mazzy Star, in addition to The Strokes’ Albert Hammond Jr. and Kali Uchis, Tropicalia presented a full day’s worth of entertainment for its attendees. Younger crowds showed up early to watch local favorites Tropa Magica, The Hurricanes, and Jurassic Shark play on much larger stages than the bands usually get the opportunity to perform on, and each enjoyed a well-received set. related content: Janky Meets Marty: The Dwarves At

Black Baptism: Prayers at the Fonda

Rob Shepyer November 1, 2018

When I think deeply about the music and impact of Cholo goth duo Prayers, I come up with great memories of enjoying their music and many questions regarding the band’s place in music. 2018 seemed to be a pause in the band’s momentum, a break after 2017’s Baptism of Thieves. With Rafael Reyes getting married to Kat Von D and becoming a father for the second time, an outsider would think the band was stepping back from the spotlight to pursue their lives. This would be an error though, Prayers has multiple albums just waiting to be released but still, lets take this introspective moment in the Prayers’ career at face-value. related content: Rafael Reyes of Prayers Interview: On Fatherhood When the duo first released SD Killwave in 2013 and then their LP Gothic Summer in 2014, they burst onto the scene with such a powerful splash that not only did their sound take-off but they created a new genre of two seemingly clashing aesthetics, Cholo and Goth. These two records were filled with bangers and genuine underground hits. They captured the punks, the goths, and even the hip hop heads. Enter Travis Barker, who produced their next full length, Young Gods,

4AD Presents The Tune-Yards and U.S. Girls at the Mayan: A Zoo of Sound

Rob Shepyer October 26, 2018

Tune-Yards are something so unique I have an easier time describing their music using descriptors reserved for contemporary art and not music. On one hand, it’s this rhythmic tribal tapestry turned on its head into this random, chaotic, groovy, impassioned sound. Every note is like a brush stroke that conjures up auditory Keith Haring characters that dance together, in the air, over the stage. It’s a zoo of sound running wild. It makes me imagine various animals, giraffes, monkeys, kangaroos, geckos, everything under the sun, escaping their cages to dance in the wild. related content: Dreams Do Come True: Adult Swim Presents The Pillows At The Mayan With 4AD records presenting the event, label mates, U.S. Girls opened this show at the Mayan. Of all the songwriters and artists in this generation, I think that U.S. Girls’ leader, Meghan Remy, has one of the most powerful voices and minds with a soul that shines through her music to illuminate any stage she’s on. They incorporate numerous styles into what can only be described as avant-garde pop. You hear jazz, soul, and even disco during a U.S. Girls show, all the while Remy commands the audience and her band like a true

The Church of Clutch at El Rey w/Sevendust and Tyler Bryant

Rob Shepyer October 18, 2018

Among die-hard Clutch fans, a label which describes most Clutch fans, it’s common to hear the slogan: “Clutch is Church”. The sentiment comes from a deep connection with the band that develops after you see them the first couple times and start sharing memories with people that orbit around their music and shows. There’s something nuanced about why this band generates such loyal fanfare and it can’t just be a consequence of the sound. Having made funky alternative metal blues boogie rock for the last three decades, Clutch’s sound keeps progressing with every album. With this tour coming off the heels of their latest 2018 record Book of Bad Decisions, they seem to be moving into a more rock and roll direction and keeping their alternative metal side more hidden. I don’t mind the change because in today’s musical climate, no other band flies the blues rock flag prouder than Clutch, it’s an important style of rock and roll that must be preserved and Clutch is not only refusing to let it go by the way side, but is expanding on the sound. related content: Neil Fallon Of Clutch Interview: Dog Ears In The Book Of Bad Decisions Combining this blues

Take This: Win 2 Tickets To Tune-Yards and U.S. Girls at the Mayan

Janky Smooth Central Command October 12, 2018

Goldenvoice and 4AD records have come together to bring you one of the best concert bills all year with Tune-Yards and U.S. Girls gracing the stage at the beautiful Mayan Nightclub. Having just collaborated on a few tracks, the two bands are sure to put on powerful and unique performances. 4AD’s legacy as a label that brought the world loads of amazing post punk, will be cemented for a new generation at this show. Both bands, Tune-Yards and U.S. Girls are impossible to pigeon hole, blending together so many influences but mainly making music from the heart, this is not a show you want to miss. Janky Smooth is proud to be giving away two tickets to the show. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE OR. ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO TUNE-YARDS AND U.S. GIRLS OCTOBER 18TH AT THE MAYAN THEATRE 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 Tune-Yards/U.S. Girls Giveaway Posts WINNER WILL BE WILL BE SELECTED ON MONDAY OCTOBER 15TH AT 11AM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Time Machine for Young and Old: Gary Numan at the Fonda

Audrey Kemp October 9, 2018

Gary Numan teleported his Los Angeles audience into his multidimensional universe for the final leg of his “Savage” tour on Saturday. It was 8:00 p.m. The venue, called the Fonda Theater, has a capacity of 1200. By the time the I got there, around six, a dense line of fans had circled the block, waiting for the door to open. They were mainly clad in leather jackets and Nine Inch Nails shirts, and with the exception of some millennials, almost all of them seemed to be older than 50. related content: Gary Numan Interview: Art In The Age Of Savages When the doors opened, a sea of veteran fans and first-time attendees flooded the floor. For 63-year-old Mike Sperks, who’s seen Gary Numan 10 times since 1979, he’s gotten better and better. “I like his music better now. There’s more energy. My all-time favorite song of his is ‘Prayer for the Unborn’ — a song dedicated to his unborn child,” he said. Among the older people was a group of 18-year-old University of Redlands students from a class called “Punk Rock DIY for Personal and Social Change.” Their professor held Mr. Numan in such high regard that he bought them

CHVRCHES Give the Greek a Religious Experience

Aria Silva-Espinosa September 27, 2018

Sunday night’s show at The Greek Theater brought a massive slew of concert-goer traffic to the thin winding roads at the base of Griffith Park, overlooked by the throngs of tourists lining the observation deck of the Observatory. Back in the day, you were permitted to abandon your automobile on the precipice of the canyon overlooking the city of Los Angeles, now you have to pay gratuitously for parking in less perilous locations designated by L.A. Parks & Rec. The Greek is an imposing white amphitheatre-style building, an open-air venue that backs up to the darkened cliffside. This makes for a long walk through sports arena-style seating to find your seat with the assistance of an usher or if you’re like me and too proud to ask for direction, your cell phone flashlight. related content: Hot Chip Make Machines Come To Life At The Greek Fittingly, there was an almost full moon hanging in the sky on Sunday night. Lo Moon, the opening act from Los Angeles, delivered a fittingly lovelorn performance early in the evening. Lo Moon is a relatively new formed indie rock trio. Lead vocalist and guitarist Matt Lowell played the song “Loveless“, which he had been