Tag: the observatory

Philip "Fish" Fisher by Jessica Moncrief

Fishbone at The Observatory: The Return of Philip “Fish” Fisher, OG

Janky Smooth Central Command January 4, 2017

2016 was coming to a close and I was finally getting a chance to check out a show at The Observatory in Santa Ana. As curious as I was, who the hell would get me to drive all the way down to Santa Ana from LA on a Monday evening? The Legendary FISHBONE, that’s who! Sprinkle on top of that, the fact that one of LA’s finest musicians, Philip “FISH” Fisher would be on the Fishbone drum kit this night, and I was instantly more than game to brawl with Monday rush hour traffic to go and see the band’s Original Members Return, as they have for the past few years, one by one. related content: Fishbone at The Troubadour- The Greatest Live Band of All Time First up on the bill were STARPOOL, an OC Ska/Rock band that definitely has some punch. The band kicked out a nice blend of Ska/Reggae, Rock and World Beat and was fronted by a strong singer in one, Alan Meade. I was impressed by their tight sound, confidence and a set list filled with great songs. The crowd was very receptive to them but being a quality band was the key to the crowd’s

Peter Murphy’s Flawless “Stripped Down” Set at The Observatory

Jessica Moncrief December 8, 2016

Our adventure started at The Observatory in Santa Ana—no way could there be any better way to begin our shenanigans than with a “Stripped Down” set by the Bauhaus godfather of goth himself, Peter Murphy. When your Darkside homegirls come to town to catch an icon like Murphy, you prepare yourself for a slightly degenerate, mostly legal, goth girls night out on the town. After waiting for what seemed a lifetime, Peter Murphy made his way to the stage dressed completely in white with glowing, stark white hair to match. None of us have ever quite seem him like this and as if his appearance and voice weren’t enough, he commanded all eyes to the stage during a diva moment when he poured his bottle of water on some dudes head whilst sharply reprimanding him for “talking and drinking beer” during his set. Sorry Peter, if people wouldn’t have been drinking and listening to a DJ spin dance music for an hour and a half while waiting for you, they may have been less drunk and more likely to shoe gaze through your whole set. It’s always fun to see him lose it, though. It made us giggle remembering the

Gogol Bordello at The Observatory: Elevated Energy, Bliss & Unity

Jessica Moncrief November 22, 2016

Fuck the Red party and the Blue party, what the world needs a little more of, is a Purple party! Angels don’t always have wings, sometimes they drink vodka and play gypsy party songs. Gogol Bordello felt like saviors last Thursday, offering communion, an escape from reality, and a connection through an elevated energy that allowed us to feel complete bliss and unity at The Observatory in Orange County, if only for a moment. related content: Eugene Hutz of Gogol Bordello- An Interview and a Spiritual Experience I could go on and on about the circus-like extravaganza that is a Gogol Bordello show but it wouldn’t be anything that hasn’t already been said before. I will however, mention a bartender that I chatted with who told me about a time years ago that he saw them open for Primus and said that they blew them out of the water. Basically, if you have seen them, you know- and if you haven’t? Check out my 2 dimensional photos in this gallery and imagine that shit in High Def, with sound. Seriously, if you haven’t seen them yet, get your shit together and do so the very next chance you get!

Echo and the Bunnymen shot by Jessica Moncrief

Echo and the Bunnymen Mesmerize Suburbia at The Observatory

Jessica Moncrief October 3, 2016

September 30, 2016 not only marked a rare black moon, but a “Killing Moon” as well for the fans that had the honor to see new romantic icons Echo and the Bunnymen grace the stage that evening at The Observatory in Orange County. From my experience, sometimes seeing older bands that you love ends up leaving you feeling burned, disillusioned and wishing that you still maintained the unblemished vision of what you imagined them to be in their prime. I wanted to know what I was in for, so the weeks leading up to the show I found myself browsing YouTube for Echo and The Bunnymen concerts, new and old. With each video … starting from early 80s to present day, there may have been changes in line-ups and set lists but one thing that has remained a constant over the decades is the solid musicianship and mind blowing performances. By the day of the show, my anticipation was at its peak and I was fully ready to mark another one of the greats off my bucket list. Ian McCulloch made his way to the front of the stage with his shades and impeccable fashion. His sultry presence commanded all

Subhumans At The Observatory: Old Songs, New Decade, Same Problems

Jessica Moncrief September 20, 2016

If you think punk’s dead, then you don’t know Dick! From Wiltshire pubs in 1980 to present day Southern California clubs, Subhumans have been consistent with inciting anarchy and pushing their non-conformist ideals for over 36 years. Friday night’s packed Subhumans show at The Observatory was a great representation of this, with a multi generational crowd ranging from 2 to 70 years of age. Seeing the varying age groups really put the Subhuman’s history into perspective. The elders of the punk scene seemed to be rehashing teenage nostalgia while newcomers simultaneously were experiencing this punk rock rite of passage for the first time. Subhumans were also joined by Kicker and Raukuous on this tour. related content: OG’s, Toddlers and Whiskey for The Weirdos and Adolescents With all the perils of the world and an exceptionally ridiculous election season, so many feel like the world is more fucked now than it ever has been. Truth is, it’s always been fucked! As Dick Lucas segways his songs through short political rants covering everything from wage inequality, animal rights, racism, and of course the evil two party system governing America, I couldn’t help but think how his shows were probably very much the

Reel Big Fish and Suburban Legends: Ska Skank Redemption at The Observatory

Justin Cornwall January 21, 2016

The Observatory in Santa Ana had to have been built for local ska shows. The layout, the locals, everything about it fell perfectly into place for Reel Big Fish and Suburban Legends to absolutely kill at their hometown show. The all ages crowd was rowdy the whole night, feeding off the high speed energy the bands were channeling effortlessly. This was the perfect jolt back into my high school ska phase. Suburban Legends didn’t have any trouble getting the crowd moving. The part-time Disneyland resident band were able to be themselves and kick back, no Mouse watching over them. Every other time I’ve seen them has been at Tomorrowland in Disneyland, everything very G rated and kosher. However, on their home turf, without restriction, you could feel the change in energy Suburban Legends shifted into. They definitely weren’t ‘working’, they were having the time of their lives. The 6 piece had synchronized dance moves, Disney cover songs, and a devoted fanbase which enhanced the entire performance. A circle pit was moving the entire set and their young fans knew every word. They sang of the friend-zone, high-fiveing their friends and partying – exactly what ska should be about. Their frontman,

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

Thee Oh Sees at Berserktown II by David Evanko

Berserktown II: Music Fringe Binge at The Observatory

Danny Baraz August 18, 2015

Last year at around this same time, the first annual Berserktown Festival was in the midst of a filthy, sweaty, hardcore but successful mess at club Los Globos in the Silverlake district of Los Angeles. A harder edged alternative to Echo Park Rising, Berserktown was successful enough for a sequel this year. With ambition in his heart and dollar signs in his eyes, Church on York captain, Graeme Flegenheimer decided to take some risks in an attempt to expand and grow his vision. The result was one of the most interesting festival lineups I have seen in quite some time. It was a buffet of musical delicacies and rarities such as Dead Moon, Royal Trux, Lust for Youth, No Hope for the Kids, Destruction Unit and Total fucking Control. When it was announced that the second annual Berserktown would be held at The Observatory in Orange County I thought to myself, this could either be genius or it could be a disaster- like a football coach deciding to go for it on 4th and inches, late in the game, backed up deep in their end zone. The Church on York venture has been disturbing the music scene’s status quo in

Django Django Fit Their Big Sound Into The Constellation Room

Danny Baraz August 10, 2015

To state that the self titled, debut album by Django Django was a success would be an understatement. It was one of my favorites of 2012. I saw them live for the first time at a sold out show at The Fonda Theatre in Hollywood in 2013. It was their first show in Los Angeles and the venue was bursting with a capacity crowd. Flash forward to 2015 and a valiant effort at a follow up called, Born Under Saturn. Nowhere near as powerful as their first release but still, some great tracks on the new album. With a previous engagement the night of their Thursday night show at the El Rey in Los Angeles, I decided Django Django were worth the drive down to Orange County to check them out at The Observatory. The night was full of surprises. Surprise 1: Django Django were playing in the smaller, low capacity room inside the Observatory called the Constellation Room. How is it possible that a band with one of the best albums of just a few years ago is not playing the biggest stage at The Observatory? I was happy for myself and the other patrons that we would be

Take This: Berserktown II Ticket Giveaway at The Observatory

Janky Smooth Central Command July 31, 2015

Did you see the lineup for Berserktown II festival at The Observatory? It’s tough to pinpoint what we’re MOST excited for but a Royal Trux reunion is a good place to start. Not to mention, TOTAL CONTROL from Australia, The return of Destruction Unit to this years lineup, Dead Moon and Thee Oh fucking Sees. Those are only a fraction of the bands booked that will make you swing your elbows. Last year’s Berserktown festival was facking insane and this year looks even crazier. The move to The Observatory was a great one, even if you have to drive from L.A. The Observatory is becoming a premier venue for these types of festivals and Church off York has solidified themselves as a premier talent booker and promoter of shows in L.A. and Orange County. Single day Berserktown II tickets are $55 and a 3 day passes are $125 with payment plans available. You can purchase tickets HERE WE ARE GIVING AWAY A PAIR OF 3 DAY PASSES TO Berkerktown II to ONE LUCKY WINNER. Contest Rules: 1. Follow us on Twitter and Like our Facebook Page 2. Retweet and share our contest post on FB and Twitter. 3. Leave a

OG’s, Toddlers and Whiskey for The Weirdos and Adolescents at The Observatory

Taylor Wong December 7, 2014

When I got to the Observatory in Santa Ana, the first things I saw were teenagers drinking whiskey from water bottles, old timers drunkenly fighting in the parking lot and babes with mohawks bouncing around. The scene has been set for one of the gnarliest punk shows I’ve seen in a long time. Last night, The Observatory had the ultimate punk line up, The Widows, Channel 3, The Stitches, The Weirdos, and The Adolescents. This was an all ages show, and when I say all ages I mean all ages. There were what i call, with all due respect, “old timers” with canes, blue hair, and driver caps as well as toddlers in patched up denim vests with mohawks. I was loving every moment of it. Out of all the shows I’ve been to, punk shows seem to be the most family oriented and friendly shows, ironically. The only time I almost got knocked out over the course of the show was when I was pulling a girl through the crowd to get up closer and forgot to say sorry to the dick head i accidentally bumped into. The first band up were The Widows. I’ve never heard of them