Tag: the echo

My Meat Puppets Misconception at The Echo

Janky Smooth Central Command March 21, 2017

I Thought Whiskey Would Be Garnish for A Meat Puppets Show “Hey…you wanna buy some acid?” The voice came from the direction of a gangly teenager, standing with his cohorts, a few doors down from The Echo. This took me by surprise because…well, just because. In my mind I had the Meat Puppets pegged as some hard-living punk-rock band, not as a bunch of hippies. That’s one of the reasons why I jumped at the chance to join photographer, Jessica Moncrief in an outing to review their live show. Of course, I knew the Meat Puppets, but I’d never seen them live and only a few of their tunes were well known to me. Words: John Montgomery Photos: Jessica Moncrief I always kept the Meat Puppets in high regard, but I really didn’t know what the hell they did to occupy such a space in my mind. Shit, maybe I was a poser after all? Time to make things right! The sold out show was the hot ticket on this March weeknight and it was starting to feel like the night would even be better than eating tacos. related content: The Brian Jonestown Massacre in L.A.- Music Snobs & Fentanyl

My 1st Show at The Echo With Old Pals & New: Surfbort & Feels

Jesse Fox March 18, 2017

As a photographer who primarily lives and works in the midwest, covering a show at The Echo was a bit of a check-off from my unofficial venue bucket list. Living in Ohio, you’re oftentimes passed over on tours (shocking, right?) So, upon finding out that not only would I be able to see my friends in Surfbort, but that I’d finally be able catch Feels all in one place, it made covering this show a highlight of my recent trip to Los Angeles. The difference in vibe in the lineup might be part of the reason that every other band that played, including headliners, The Molochs fell a little flat for me. Sorry guys. related content: Spending the Week w/ Feels Debut Album from Castle Face Records Surfbort: Innocent Punkers or Deranged Occultists? Brooklyn based four-piece Surfbort kicked off the night and the first show of their west coast tour. Despite being jet-lagged, singer Dani Miller’s energy was contagious as she interacted with both the crowd and her bandmates. Erratic dance moves and a giant smiley face mixed with her yelling and at times, laughing vocals, had me wondering if she was an innocent little punk just havin’ a little

Meet Moon Duo At The Crossroads: Rock Rebranded At The Echo

Danny Baraz March 2, 2017

The moment I first saw the imagery and themes from the new Moon Duo album, Occult Architecture vol. 1 released on Sacred Bones Records, I knew that Ripley Johnson and Sanae Yamada were communicating in a language I could understand. That’s why I peeled myself out of exhausted comfort this past Friday to attend their gig at The Echo, even though I was burning out quicker than Crowley, strung out in London. Apologies to the opening bands. Moon Duo has been on line-ups of shows and festivals I’ve attended in the past but sometimes, a shiny object is required to draw your attention in a time when there is more new music and less strict guidelines in adhering to people’s pre conceived notions on what kind of music they pledge their allegiance to. It would be easy for rock purists to overlook the magickal, mystical incantations and spells Moon Duo cast on their new album, Occult Architecture, Vol 1. But I’m more curious if there are any rock purists left under the age of 25 and what is the measuring stick of “pure rock”? The Rolling Stones? Robert Johnson? The Sonics? Zeppelin? How about GunsNRoses or even, Ty Segall?

Mind Meld Monday’s At The Echo: Residencies Continue Bringing Highest Value

Danny Baraz February 13, 2017

Last Monday, fans and friends of the music scene in L.A. packed The Echo for week 1 of the Mind Meld month long residency at L.A.’s garage band beta testing ground. Part of what makes the Monday night residencies at The Echo so impressive are the bands that support the resident from week to week and often times, the residents themselves are pretty damn good too. On week 1 of their residency, Mind Meld invited Babylon, Psychic Jiu-Jitsu and the reason I dragged myself from the westside to Echo Park on a Monday night, Frankie and the Witch Fingers. Even though my attendance at the Echo on Monday night’s has been spotty at best over the past few months, there are usually some pretty damn good reasons to cruise by on any given Monday at The Echo- and almost all of them are written on the lineup. Outside of the alcohol free eco system of The Smell, is there a better value for music fans than the Monday night residencies at The Echo? I don’t often make it a habit to gush over a residency or a particular venue’s booking practices but with all the different ways music snobs, including

Santoros record release for "El Perdedor"

Santoros Record Release w/ Cutty Flam, Cigarette Bums & Solar Sons

Aria Silva-Espinosa January 5, 2017

The Echo was decorated with pinatas and streamers with the words “El Perdedor” in metallic mylar balloon across the top of the stage for the release party for Santoros 3rd Album. Initially, the crowd was thin and only about a quarter of those in attendance by the end of the night were present for the opening sets. That didn’t seem to dissuade.Cigarette Bums, who took the stage as the first set to play songs off their new record due next month on Lolipop Records. The most outstanding quality of Cigarette Bums is how well-rehearsed their live sets are and the stoic, yet enthusiastic stage presence they exude. Musically, the band is driven by steady percussion with an upbeat tempo, giving the impression of the kind of band you wish would’ve played your high school prom, which seemed to be the theme for the night. There is a sense of urgency in the performance in a sense that they simply cannot wait to share their music with the audience. “We just love to play with our friends and we want to do that as much as possible”, says Steven Carrera, frontman of Cigarette Bums. Steven went on to tell me,

Giant Sand at the Echo: 30 Years of American Desert Roots Alt Country Rock

Todd Anderson June 17, 2016

“Giant Sand isn’t broken, we’re just putting it to bed after 30 years” said singer, Howe Gelb, as he launched into a hauntingly slow and ethereal set of American Desert Roots Alt Country Rock… Whatever box you need to put it in, it’s a music that borders on a psychosis of David Lynchian proportions. Giant Sand is an obvious labor of love, and boasts an impressive line up of members over the last 30 years. Not to mention a noteworthy (bad ass) cast of guest artists; including the likes of PJ Harvey, M. Ward, Neko Case, and Isobel Campbell… to name a few. I knew I was witnessing something special at The Echo when after asking for more vocals in the monitor, Howe said “I shouldn’t be singing above a whisper” as his deep smooth voice fell in with the Waltz already in progress… I don’t know too many people that can come off so unaffected while wearing an old black snakeskin suit and white cowboy hat as Gelb pulls it off effortlessly. Giant Sand’s performance took twists and turns, as drummers changed out and picked up guitars, guitar players took over vocals, and a pedal steel player appeared, disappeared,

together PANGEA End Tour With A Bang At The Echoplex

Jai Chebaia December 9, 2015

Since stumbling into the LA music scene a few years ago, I’ve probably seen together Pangea more times than I’ve smoked a cigarette in The Smell alleyway, and I’m not complaining, about either really. There’s something so synonymous with the LA garage rock pandemic and Pangea – half the burgeoning bands you see out want to sound like them, the other half want to embody their punk ass lifestyle. Regardless, whether you’re a fan or not, a together Pangea show is always bound to be crazy. Simply put, there’s too much hook driven, toe tappin, bass thumpin songs for a group of 200 kids not to mosh, and that’s exactly what went down at The Echoplex on Friday night. together Pangea’s debut album, ‘Night of the Living Dummy’, was a lo-fi garage punk masterpiece; with a coherent concept that threaded its way throughout the album, and some of the most original songs I’ve heard in a long time. The band went from releasing their first album on cult label Burger Records, to signing with major label imprint Harvest Records and releasing the ‘Badillac’ LP. Earlier this year, the group returned to Burger with the Phage EP, a slew of six

The Frights Frenzy At The Echo

Janky Smooth Central Command October 16, 2015

I first saw The Frights almost two years ago in a dingy Pomona basement where I dodged flying beer cans and flailing limbs to watch their high-octane set of surfy pop-punk anthems. When The Frights lead-singer/guitarist/principal songwriter Mikey Carnevale’s guitar cut-out during the intro of their live staple “Melissa,” rather than stopping and fiddling with his cable or the power supply, Carnevale dropped his guitar altogether to deliver the song’s “fuck you, fuck you” refrain while letting the small but enthusiastic house-show crowd envelop him until he briefly disappeared into the sea of bodies. Despite line-up changes (a different drummer and a second-guitarist) and spots on huge lineups (opening for FIDLAR) The Fright’s party-boy, escapist ethos and aesthetic still seemed perfectly intact, with an appropriate amount of polish to justify a packed, headlining set at The Echo. After a raucous and dynamic set from The Buttertones, The Frights walked onto the stage to be greeted by a very warmed-up and excitable audience, launching into a one-two-punch of a set featuring standout tracks from their debut album with a few new songs seamlessly mixed in. Carnevale and and bassist Richard Dotson have their frat-boy live personas down to a science, expanding

Entering the Void at L.A. Psych Fest 2015

Brent Smith September 24, 2015

‘The unspeakable is the true domain of being.’ –Terence McKenna For lineup snobs, the 4th annual Los Angeles Festival of Psychedelic Music and Art may not have compared to the recent bills of Levitation Austin or Toronto earlier this year, or even Levitation France for that matter, which synchronistically went off on the same weekend. Nevertheless, for a homegrown spectacle, L.A. Psych Fest was a wildly intimate affair. It also served as yet another euphoric instance in today’s mushrooming psychedelic revolution happening everywhere from L.A. to Denver to Boston and beyond. If you weren’t in the crowd this weekend decked to the nines in glitter mascara and your old tie-dye, you definitely missed out. L.A. Psych Fest definitely started off on the right foot, with sick performances that first night at the Regent Theater by Jennifer Castle, Green Gerry, Mr. Elevator & the Brain Hotel, Night Beats, and epic crowd-pleasers The Budos Band on the main stage. The Echo proved to be the more fitting venue, as the fest really caught its momentum during a manic second day, headlined by instrumental giants Earthless. I personally couldn’t wait to finally see JJUUJJUU and Moon Duo live for the first time (and

Radkey Play The Echo and Make Me a Believer

Taylor Wong September 23, 2015

It has been about a month since I have been out to cover any thing and I was jonesin’ for a good show. FYF was my last assignment and that is entirely too long. I was sent out to The Echo, one of my most frequented and favorite venues to check out the brothers, Radkey. I got there right when the doors opened like a freshman at Junior Prom. The month away from shows had me acting like a newbie. Since I got there early, I grabbed a beer and sat down as I took in my surroundings. As I sat there I took a deep breath of the musty venue air. The venue was quite empty, “but that’s ok since it’s still early”, I thought to myself. Gentle Pony took the stage first. This duo had a sound that I would describe as a grown up Cherry Glazerr. This band was the perfect start to the evening as Steve and Lena both thrashed around the stage from start to end of their set. The odd thing was that this was probably the largest the crowd ever got during the course of the entire show. The next band up was Prettiest Eyes. A 3-piece band that had its own horny cowboy. This

No Parents pose at Echo Park Rising by Taylor Wong

Echo Park Rising 2015: Rising and Rising and Rising…

Taylor Wong August 20, 2015

In it’s 5th year, Echo Park Rising has become a barometer of culture in Eastern Los Angeles. 20 years ago, the music scene in L.A. was way further west on Sunset Blvd on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood. Most of the music lovers that attended Echo Park Rising 2015 this past weekend wouldn’t have felt safe crossing the street in this part of L.A. 20 years ago. 20 years ago, the club now called The Satellite was purchased by a man named Mitchell Frank (and partners) and transformed from a gay disco called Dreams of L.A. and rebranded into an alternative music club they named, Dreams and Spaceland. That one event proved to be one of the most important events in the history and future of the city of Los Angeles. That one event was a catalyst to the complete transformation of everything between Los Feliz to Downtown L.A. Significant events like the building of Staples Center in 1998 and the collapse of the music industry at the turn of the century contributed to the transformation but Mitchell Frank might just go down as one of the most important figures of modern history in L.A. There aren’t many examples of gentrification

Meatbodies Lay Waste to The Echo With Spectacular Theatrics

Jai Chebaia July 25, 2015

Around five minutes before the Meatbodies took the stage, I realized it was all about to go down. There was a mysterious Ty Segall in the corner, suiting up in god knows what, who seemed to be reading lines off his phone. Chad Ubovich, head honcho at the Meatbodies, wearing an epic red cape and face paint to match, gave Ty a pat on the back as he walked onstage to put his guitar down. Onstage, there were two drum kits. Which was weird, because as far as I knew, the Meatbodies only had one drummer. The Echo started to fill out as the crowd slowly came to the realization that they were about to witness something different, and hopefully, something memorable. The Meatbodies, who released their debut album earlier this year to critical acclaim, had obviously been planning this tour kick off for a little bit. Like any band that faces rampant success, the pressure to step up their game is always on, as the audience expects a little something more each time. As always, the Meatbodies seemed up to the challenge, and likewise, the crowd was roaring to go, laying waste to each other before the band even