Category: SHOWS

Sweet Existential Melancholy: Animal Collective at the Greek Theatre

Dillon Vaughn May 31, 2022

With a tour highlighting the recently released Time Skiffs record, Animal Collective seized the opportunity to bring the playful collage-esque themes of the record to life. There’s always been a level of sincerity and child-like wonder in the quartet’s output that’s sorely missed in the majority of music released by their contemporaries and it’s exactly what keeps AnCo fresh. Album after album they’ve managed to effectively bridge disorienting experimentation with pop-comfort; a feat that honestly astounds me when I consider how accessible and widely known they’ve been over the span of their career. related content: Silver Lake Perris: Desert Daze 2019 Avey Tare, Panda Bear, Deakin, and Geologist have each grown so much in their craft and it’s a blast hearing some of my favorites from Strawberry Jam and Merriweather Post Pavilion live again. The pure joy exuded by everyone on stage truly is infectious and a quick glance at the audience revealed nothing but the smiling faces of an adoring crowd. Avey’s shifting vocal style hits a perfect mark between catchy melody and abrasive frenzy while Panda Bear and Deakin’s vocal leads consistently shift perspective and tone at the perfect moment. Implied by the title of the new album, the idea of drifting across a

Gen X Drip: Mudhoney and Meat Puppets at The Regent

Danny Ryan May 30, 2022

Words by: Danny Ryan Photos by: Jessica Moncrief Mudhoney’s recent headlining show with Meat Puppets at the Regent Theater was an excellent celebration of the early roots of late 1980’s alternative music scenes that would later branch off into genres such as indie rock and grunge music. While both artists are vastly different in their sounds and aesthetics, they both represent an era of major expansion in the influences seen in the 80’s punk scene while maintaining its DIY ethics and aesthetics. While 90’s artists like Nirvana are often credited as the first to break down boundaries in the mainstream perspective of independent music scenes by bringing more variation into punk rock’s sound, there was an entire community of artists in the late 80’s responsible for exploring ways of transforming punk into a more diverse genre. With 1980’s culture having a large emphasis on the celebrity-like fanfare that rock stars and pop singers received during the period, bands like Mudhoney and Meat Puppets were crucial in creating spaces for artists that wanted to place more importance in their passion for independent music rather than the ego-driven attitudes seen in other rock scenes of the time. related content: TGIFETUS: Dying Fetus

Getting High at Low Tide: Beach Life Festival in Redondo

Janky Smooth Central Command May 28, 2022

Words by: Donna Borges Photos by: Pedro Carrera On one of the first sunny weekends in May, a seaside parking lot in Redondo beach was transformed into a musical oasis for the annual Beachlife Festival. The 3-day weekend lineup featured an eclectic mix of 90s legends and rising modern rock stars. Dedicated to celebrating California’s thriving “beachlife” culture, the festival supports a variety of charities and strives to be as eco-conscious as possible. Upon entering the festival grounds, you could hear music emanating from all sides of the event space. There were plenty of places to eat and drink and the place was filled with people of all ages enjoying their time in the sun listening to live music. On Friday, the Hightide main stage was graced by Black Pumas just in time for sunset. The festival-goers seemed relieved that the sun was finally going down after a long, hot day – and Black Pumas’ soulful sound definitely encapsulated that relaxed feeling. I was especially impressed by their female back-up singer Lauren Cervantes, who really stole the show during “Know You Better.” Frontman Eric Burton maintained an effortlessly cool stage presence throughout the set and got the audience involved by

Photo Recap: The Teaches of Peaches at the Observatory North Park

Janky Smooth Central Command May 28, 2022

After stealing the show at Just Like Heaven, Peaches continued her tour in San Diego at The Observatory North Park where her seminal album, The Teaches of Peaches was celebrated and performed for an audience that left in completely awe of Peaches’ genius. Electro-clash has always had its finger on the pulse of whatever magic needs to be played to get an audience to dance their asses off. Peaches, more than any other artist from her time and artistic space, has always brought a huge show with her, that makes the entire experience completely out of this world. Every taboo is involved, every line is crossed, it’s pure transgression and pure fun, with so much humor you can’t help but let go. With giant penises and vaginas everywhere, Peaches made it clear that she is the goddess of sex positivity. Her motley crew of performers are all brilliant artists in their own right, not just as dancers and musicians but also simply in their being. At this part of her iconic career, one has to look forward and see which artists owe their sound and style to her. Do this, and you will see clear as day, that she has

Photo Recap: Destruction at 1720

Janky Smooth Central Command May 27, 2022

Heavy metal was alive and well at 1720 when German thrash legends Destruction rolled through town to one moshing and drinking all night long. This was pure shredding from start to finish with an amazing lineup featuring the likes of Nervosa, Sunlord, VBN, and VX36. Check out these epic pictures from the night, all caught on glorious film. Photos by: Jason Murillo Destruction Nervosa Sunlord VBN VX36

TGIFETUS: Dying Fetus at Regent

Danny Ryan May 24, 2022

Words by: Danny Ryan Photos by: Dillon Vaughn Heavy metal has long been the subject of more criticism than most music genres for various reasons. It is often stereotyped as being aggressive, hard to understand, structurally abrasive, and needlessly obscene. Nobody embodies these traits more than Dying Fetus, but they do so with full embrace and awareness of these criticisms. While many metal artists have tried to reach a more mainstream audience by toning down these aspects of the genre, Dying Fetus doubles down on what it truly means to be heavy metal legends by never compromising their sound or image to appeal to outsiders. If you don’t appreciate death metal or Dying Fetus’ sound, they do not care what you think. They’re a death metal band for fans who deeply love the genre, and they’re easily one of the most grandiose performers in the scene. They personify the spirit of heavy metal in every way possible by being the loudest, fastest, darkest, most brutal band possible and their recent headlining show at the Regent Theater represented this spirit of metal at its deepest core. Upon arrival at The Regent Theater, the venue was filled with long, shaggy hair and

Post Animal Celebrate Love Gibberish Release at the Lodge Room

Janky Smooth Central Command May 23, 2022

Words and Photos by: Alfredo Luna To celebrate the release of their new album Love Gibberish, Post Animal stopped by the Lodge Room in Highland Park and gave an out of this world experience packed with a ton of emotion. Since the album had just dropped the same day I gave it a listen on the way to the venue and was already set in a trance by the hypnotic vibes that the album was giving off. By the time I got to the venue I had given the album a full listen through and was as hyped as everyone to experience an album release, which in itself is already special, but somehow Post Animal is able to make it even more than that. related content: Rabbit Holes and Glaciers: Anika at Lodge Room Even as I walked up the stairs into the venue you could just feel like the vibe was shifting, and by the time opener Caroline Kingsbury came on, the journey into a different plane of existence began to materialize. Making an appearance with a look that was very much an amalgamation of Surfbort meets Retro-Futuristic Flintstones, and that is said with utmost love and respect. Captivating

Photo Recap: The Church at Pappy and Harriet’s

Jessica Moncrief May 22, 2022

Last weekend, the Cruel World Festival at The Rose Bowl was a great example of what concert season looks like in Los Angeles. One great thing about living near LA is that it’s a prime spot for music festivals of epic proportions and if you’re paying attention to tour dates of your favorite bands on the line ups, sometimes you’re lucky enough to snag a ticket to a club show before it sells out or better yet, you get to be media. That was the case for myself last week when I, in fact, saw The Church perform “Destination” and “Under The Milky Way” at THE quintessential destination to see the milky way during the summer months in North America. The desert sunsets and starscapes of Joshua Tree are some of the most beautiful in the world, the land has forever inspired creativity and cosmic wonder, last Thursday was no exception. It seemed only fitting that Pappy and Harriet’s would host a night of musical desert magic from Aussie legends The Church, and what a spectacular night it turned out to be. The weather and clear skies were perfect for an outdoor evening, so rather than being crammed into a

Photo Recap: Ethel Cain at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever

Janky Smooth Central Command May 22, 2022

Ethel Cain is the singer/cult mother of the Daughters of Cain, a southern-based cult inspired by all things American gothic and the darker tones of Judeo-Christian belief. Adorning her head like a crown of thorns are the tattooed Hebrew letters that anoint them as divine. Gender, regardless of debate, exists firmly in the realm of humanity, while Ethel Cain is deity and living mythos. Much like Ismael (a woman cast in a male role) in Ingmar Bergman’s great film, Fanny and Alexander, Ethel has the power to spread the echoes of their energy throughout the many layers of reality. Ethel Cain, through her voice and music, can cast spells and bound curses upon those she wishes simply by the enchanting sounds that escape her magick throat musculature. Her latest album, Preacher’s Daughter, has already skyrocketed her into new territories of collective consciousness. And like any good hive mother, the daughters and sons of Ethel Cain will feed her until she devours the world. Her show at the Masonic Lodge was one of two album release shows in high-demand and sold out beyond capacity. It was an initiation rite, filled with symbolism, love, and danger. Photos by: Michelle Corvino

Rabbit Holes and Glaciers: Anika at Lodge Room

Rob Shepyer May 21, 2022

Desert Daze 2019 was the last gasp of Southern California’s art-life before the pandemic put the world on pause and separated us into various little, claustrophobic boxes for two years. That year, Anika, was an early daytime treat that awakened new pathways of musical possibilities in the minds of those present. Completely alone onstage and wearing a white suit that gave her charisma an air of artistic purity, jive, and her signature stoicism, Anika’s voice felt like European art pop of the highest order. It’s a voice that seduces listeners into thinking she’s hiding some wellspring of peaking emotion that she could unchain at any given moment. This is the effect of taking stoicism and reservation as part of your performing style, audiences only grow more curious as to what’s not being shown. Instead of rewarding audiences by plainly giving away its secrets, Anika’s voice keeps people begging and listening for more. In 2022, seduction is its own reward. Every bit of media is served to us on an endless platter and having people take the time to travel down rabbit holes has become a financially risky business strategy for artists. What works in Anika’s favor is that her voice