Tag: tr/st
Substance Festival 2025: The Post Pandemic/Post Punk Era
Danny Baraz
November 14, 2025
Substance Festival in Los Angeles has become a right of passage in this city and this past November 7th and 8th we attended the 2025 installment in the festival’s return to the Belasco Theater. Approaching this Substance Fest review with any overt enthusiasm would be antithetical to the spirit of the way we revel in the morose nature of this art- the oddly mesmerizing decay of destruction/creation approached with a somewhat detached dreariness that is direct in it’s aloofness. But also… the fucking horrific beauty of it all… or whatever. related: Cloak And Dagger Fest- The Heart Of Los Angeles Bled From Dusk To Dawn Even with the orbits and cycles of pop culture and music circling back to black lipstick among the masses, the mainstream attention can cause a scene to go into lockdown and it’s members more discerning on where they spend their show dollars. So for Substance Festival, it was important to pull in the beating heart of the scene at the increased ticket price. related: Sextile At The Novo- The Most Important Band in Los Angeles? A touch for curation in the dark arts is what scene loyalists look for most and their return to the
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Take This: Win Tickets To Substance Fest 2025 at Belasco
Janky Smooth Central Command
October 27, 2025
Substance 2025 is being held at The Belasco Theater on November 7th and 8th and we are giving away 2 pairs of tickets to one of our favorite festivals of the year. You can buy tickets now or enter our giveaway below. Substance Festival is back for 2025, ready to return to Downtown LA’s most spectacular cathedral- The Belasco Theater. The two-day event celebrates the best in post-punk, darkwave, EBM, industrial, death rock and techno, merging legacy acts with the new blood both foreign and domestic. related: Becoming The Night- Substance 2019 Substance seems to be simultaneously reflecting and reshaping the underground. While having TR/ST play two iconic albums on back to back nights seems relatively safe compared to last year’s 3 weekend marathon of musical exploration at an iconic but now defunct venue, we couldn’t be more excited to see Qual and not wait half an hour to use the bathroom. related: Cruel World 2025 at The Rose Bowl- We’re Only Happy When It Rains Expect fog, strobe, sweat, and soundscapes to seed your dreams. This isn’t really a casual night out for most attendees. The Belasco’s art-deco bones, state of the art sound and gothic ambience make it
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A Proven Experiment: Oblivion Access Festival Returns To Austin June 15th-18th
Danny Ryan
June 9, 2023
Oblivion Access Festival will be returning to Austin, Texas in 2023 to host their signature celebration of experimental music and art showcases from all different walks of life, and this is not a year to be slept on. Spanning over multiple genres with darker gothic performances of Drab Majesty and TR/ST, heavier metal grooves of Godflesh and Earth, stagedive-filled hardcore sets from Drain and Drug Church, and even underground hip-hop artists like Clipping and Lil Ugly Mane; Oblivion Access Fest is sure to blow your mind no matter what your brand of the avant-garde and strange falls under. related: Austin Psych Fest 2023 – Authenticity In A Far Out Place Germany’s classic progressive rock band Faust is headlining the festival to celebrate 50 years of their mind-melting psychedelic career. Faust hasn’t graced America in 5 years with their mesmerizing grand performances, and they’re the most authentic way to experience the weirdo avant-garde roots of progressive rock live and in-person nowadays. Experiencing Faust live is a rare opportunity with how sparsely they visit the States, and their performances take you on an introspective adventure that is sure to stick in your mind just as much as an actual psychedelic experience would.
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Cloak & Dagger Fest: The Heart Of Los Angeles Bled From Dusk Till Dawn
Rob Shepyer
October 27, 2017
Good “dark” music should come from a damaged yet open heart because it’s those damages that make all the styles of dark music involved in Cloak And Dagger Festival beautiful to those that wear black late at night- or during the day, for that matter. Whether it was dark wave, new wave, post punk, goth/death rock, industrial, EBM, or shoegaze, every shade of black was represented on those two cold October nights. Right from the first lineup announcement, it was understood that this would be like no other festival. With three stages at the Globe and Tower theaters, an all black dress code, and local brand recognition, I was sure the siamese evenings would play out like a movie, think Eyes Wide Shut meets Gimme Shelter. The lineup hosted plenty of bands that are Janky Smooth favorites like Ho99o9, Health, Moon Duo, and Uniform. Iconic artists like KMFDM, OhGr, and The Jesus and Mary Chain were set to share the two stages with future headliners like Cold Cave, The Soft Moon, and Lust For Youth. So any goth kid, let alone this one, would be awestruck and elated at the chance to partake in the affair. Night 1: Black is the absence of
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