Tag: house of blues
Photo Recap: Overkill at the House of Blues Anaheim
Janky Smooth Central Command
March 10, 2020
If you were to ask me who thrash metal’s biggest badass is, I’d answer you in half a second with the name, Bobby Blitz. New Jersey’s own devil, the lead singer of Overkill. Overkill just embarked on their North American tour, beginning with their House of Blues Anaheim show with Exhorder and Hydraform opening. It was a display of the dirtiest, most fun and carefree sort of thrash you can ever hear. Whereas plenty of thrash is about evil and hell, Overkill paints a portrait of the street life from the gutters to the alleyways that one could only get when growing up in a hard knock state like New Jersey. Overkill came out with their most recent album in 2019 with The Wings of War and unlike plenty of bands they came up with, they still sound fresh and brutal. The same goes for Exhorder who released Mourn the Southern Skies in 2019 to continue their tradition of creating some of the most brutal and groovy NOLA thrash metal in the scene. Photos by: Dillon Vaughn Overkill Exhorder Hydraform
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Off Without a Hitch: Elvis Costello and the Imposters at House of Blues Anaheim
Maggie St. Thomas
December 5, 2018
Words and Photos by: Maggie St. Thomas I was escorted into the Anaheim House of Blues by Professor Steve Nieve himself, who came out to greet his daughter, my date for the night. We walked into the venue and backstage through production to the Green Room, adorned with english teas and candies, and just under a 1/2 dozen Elvis Costello mugs and Grether’s Pastilles on the table. A man walked by who I introduced myself to. He looked familiar, but I couldn’t place it. My eyes lit up when I saw him enjoying a small cup of espresso in the greenroom. I asked if I too could get a cup, and within seconds a tiny mug of espresso was in my hand. I am almost too embarrassed to admit I thought this was a roadie due to his friendly and accommodating demeanor, I figured it out long after my espresso had kicked in, when the man I mistook for a roadie walked onstage to the sold out venue to take the microphone, and the band kicked into “This Year’s Girl.” related content: Falling In Love All Over Again: Sparks At The Palace Theatre The Anaheim House of Blues didn’t keep fans
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Dirty Reggae, Smooth Ska: Hepcat and the Aggrolites at House of Blues Anaheim
Janky Smooth Central Command
October 29, 2018
Words and Photos by: Maggie St. Thomas On a late October’s evening at the Anaheim House of Blues, generations gathered to witness a high energy night packed with great ska classics by The Aggrolites and Hepcat, with Jessie Wagner killing it on guitar and vocals during both sets and sustaining the momentum for the entire night. The dirty reggae style of The Aggrolites began as they opened their set with a mixture of songs led by organ player Roger Rivas (also a member of Long Beach Dub All Stars). They played “Pound for Pound,” a new song off their upcoming album, ‘“Right on Time’’, “Countryman Fiddle,” and ‘Don’t Let Me Down,” and delivered plenty of hits with precision and beats to a jam-packed house. related content: Make America Green Again: The Great American Smokeout Hepcat performed a full 90 minute set sharing the same energy onstage with Alex Désert and Greg Lee singing and dancing the night away, looking sharp and sounding as good as ever. Hepcat’s sound was warm and lively as they kept their live show refreshing, much to the delight of the actively engaged crowd. During songs, Greg Lee began, “We’ve lost some brothers. We’ve lost some family
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