Category: SHOWS

Take This: Win Two Tickets to Prayers at El Rey

Janky Smooth Central Command April 26, 2022

Brand new world, brand new Prayers. Leafer Seyer is the king of Cholo Goth so it only makes sense he’d be performing all the hits at El Rey. We’re giving away two tickets to the show so you can join all the other children of the night. YOU CAN BUY TICKETS HERE or ENTER TO WIN 2 TICKETS TO PRAYERS APRIL 29TH AT EL REY Step 1- Join Our Newsletter (look for pop up every time you arrive at jankysmooth.com) Step 2 – Tag a Friend in the comment section of our INSTAGRAM or FACEBOOK PRAYERS Ticket Giveaway Post WINNER WILL BE SELECTED ON APRIL 28TH AT 1PM PST VIA EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Manic Fever Dream: Drug Church at the Lodge Room

Janky Smooth Central Command April 24, 2022

Drug Church brought their US tour to its penultimate stop at The Lodge Room in Highland Park in support of their new album Hygiene. The night was stacked top to bottom with incredible support that brought out an explosive energy from the crowd that continued to snowball until the very end. Openers LURK started off the night strong, pulling no punches and launching into some heavy hitting tracks and getting the energy set up for the rest of the night. The Chicago outfit had a memorable set in their first LA gig, with personal favorite parts of the set being the high energy psych-inspired “Sterilizer” melting off the faces off many in the crowd and their cover of The Ramones’ “Judy is a Punk” that had me pumped up from the get go. Most of their set featured songs off their latest album Around the Sun which is definitely a must listen after their set. Up next we had Hudson Valley’s own Soul Blind who was on their first full US tour following their newest album Third Chain. Right off the bat the crowd was mesmerized with the heavy and sludgy sound that felt almost like something you would feel

Photo Recap: Viagra Boys at the Roxy

Janky Smooth Central Command April 23, 2022

One of Coachella’s most anticipated imports has to be Viagra Boys. All the way from Sweden, these tattooed and beer-bellied punk freaks turn any show into a wild affair. There was sweat, booze, and probably other human fluids all over the Roxy by the time this chaotic banger of a show was finished. Southern California had been waiting for awhile to see these guys again, the last time they showed up around these parts was for Desert Daze 2019. This time, as they take their punk rodeo around the country, they brought local bright youngsters Kills Birds along for the ride. We’ve got amazing picture documenting the whole affair. Check these babies out. Photos by: Albert Licano Viagra Boys Kills Birds

Photo Recap: Molchat Doma at the Music Box

Janky Smooth Central Command April 22, 2022

Molchat Doma‘s reign as the kings of goth music continues across Southern California as they played their 2nd Coachella side-show after a sold out Roxy performance, following it up with another sold out Music Box show. This one was a bigger venue with bigger production value, a testament to the band’s potential which still hasn’t been reached. Though they don’t sing in English, American audiences seem completely onboard and in-touch with everything their music stands for. This trio has simply mastered what happens to be one of the most potent goth sounds around right now. Check out our coverage of their Roxy performance as well as these glorious pics from the Music Box by Rebecca DiGiglio. Photos by: Rebecca DiGiglio related content: Analysis of a Slavic Heart: Molchat Doma at The Roxy

Analysis of a Slavic Heart: Molchat Doma at the Roxy

Rob Shepyer April 21, 2022

It is my personal mission to spread the creed of Molchat Doma far and wide across the So-Cal internet airwaves. I feel so compelled because like me, these three men are of Slavic descent, them from Belarus and myself, the child of Russian-Ukrainian immigrants. More than that though, my father was a Ukrainian musician that immigrated to America, hoping to make it in the music industry. He never accomplished this dream but Molchat Doma’s success is a vicarious victory. If they can break out through the (former) iron curtain and into the international mainstream to play Coachella then it’s almost like they fulfilled my father’s dream and so, I will do whatever I can to uplift these three dreamers. related content: Super Saiyan Sasami At The Teragram Ballroom My background doesn’t just make me empathize with and root for this band, it helps me understand them. I understand what elements make a Slavic heart and the textures of Slavic emotion. Much of this is hard to put into words but for the length of this article, I will do my best. Eastern Europeans feel melodrama in a way Americans simply don’t, at least not on the surface. We might be

Your Baroness’ Majesty: Baroness at The Echo

Dillon Vaughn April 20, 2022

John Baizley and co. rolled through Echo Park recently for “An Evening with Baroness.” Pitched as a special “by request” tour, the Your Baroness run has given fans in each city the opportunity to vote and select ten songs from the band’s rich catalogue to form the first half of the extended setlist each night. related content: Hell or High Roller: Psycho Las Vegas 2021 John’s work as an illustrator has always given an interesting picture of how his brain perceives the world around him. The Appalachian roars of Baroness’ earlier days served as the defining framework of the “Savannah Sound” – something nearly inseparable from John’s contemporary art-nuveau cover art. Those lush depictions of flora and fauna drifting weightlessly across countless LP covers have seeped into the music more and more over the years as the songs themselves have become increasingly melodic, anthemic, and dare I say uplifting. On stage these days it’s clear Baizley and his bandmates take great pride and meaning in their music as they play every note with a balance of grace and heaviness. Their strength definitely lies in their range: skillful restraint as they perform sleeper tracks like “Cocainium” and “Little Things” versus palpable

Super Saiyan Sasami at the Teragram Ballroom

Rob Shepyer April 19, 2022

Those who attended Desert Daze’s legendary 2019 installment will never forget Sasami‘s set. It was sweet, tender and psychedelic. Sprinkled with her signature screeches, the band separated themselves into a different league than the rest of the lineup. It was clear to me that Sasami Ashworth was willing to take risks the rest of the LA indie scenesters weren’t dabbling with. That was in a different world though, now, after so much global turmoil, Sasami has evolved into a different artist altogether. Her latest album, Squeeze, has heavy metal, industrial and hardcore moments that are so potent, that instead of being the outlier of the LA indie scene, the scene changes to the music. The Nagas serpent woman that adorns the cover represents Sasami’s anime-esque character arc where a hero or villain needs to show their true form to stand a chance in battle. Slithering, coiling, and constricting with four arms on each side of her serpentine tail, Sasami reminds me of the light version of Naruto’s Orochimaru mixed with a bit of Takashi Miike cinema. related content: Silver Lake Perris: Desert Daze 2019 The concert in question at the Teragram Ballroom was the last stop on Sasami’s tour. This

How to Wage Class Warfare: D.O.A. at the Roxy

Rob Shepyer April 17, 2022

“Listen to your elders”, though punk rock is eternally young, the timeless adage applies to this rebel art form. Since D.O.A.‘s groundbreaking 2nd album, Hardcore ’81, the genre they helped create has gone through many evolutions and branching-offs until it doesn’t quite resemble its original sonic or thematic mold. Hardcore doesn’t need to change their sounds, but it wouldn’t hurt to listen to Godfather punk bands like D.O.A. more, not just to be inspired by that original, tested and proven sound, but to relearn what the true ethos and political/existential stance punk is supposed to stand for. related content: Sacred Vibration: Guided By Voices At Teragram The moment D.O.A. broke into “Class War”, off the band’s third album, War on 45, introducing the song by saying “the only war worth fighting is a class war” I knew all bets were off. D.O.A. and bands from their era never failed to mince words, opting to make songs with straight forward messaging, striking metaphor, ruthless aggression and artistic bravery that also get the party and pit going full speed. Hardcore these days is much more interested in brutality. There’s nothing wrong with that but in times like these when we can’t quite

Dungeon Demon: Hulder at Don Quixote

Rob Shepyer April 16, 2022

Black metal is like black caviar, a rare and special treat not to be consumed everyday for every meal but on those much needed occasions when you need to feel truly alive. Grizzly, noisy, hazy, and atmospheric are the usual descriptors the mind shuffles through trying to synthesize the experience of listening to this purely underground genre. However, when seeing Hulder live, my mind was more consumed with the thought of power, in awe of how much she was able to harness when performing on stage. It’s not just in her demonic vocals or the way she wields a black guitar, or even a sword for that matter, it’s the entirety of her presence. You sense that this person has integrated the genre so deeply into their core, that they’ve become an actual warrior. As if there’s some kind of medieval mitochondria the black metal injected into her cells to give her the fortitude to be Hulder. related content: Satyricon’s Final Los Angeles Show At The Regent: A Night Too Blackened To Forget Women in black metal isn’t common. It’s not unheard of but it’s certainly not the reason Hulder is special. Hulder is special because she commands an audience,

Hardcore Disco: HEALTH at 1720

Danny Ryan April 13, 2022

Words by: Danny Ryan Photos by: Manuel Arredondo Health’s record release show at 1720 Warehouse was an excellent demonstration of their ability to incorporate the widest-array of contrasting sounds and emotions into their artistic vision. Their dedication to breaking ground in the incorporation of these genres was on full display, from the diversity of the crowd to the band’s ambitious blend of industrial, noise, goth, synth, metal, hardcore punk and shoegaze influences blasting throughout the venue. With their new album “Disco4: Pt. 2” comprising of different guest features on every track, Health proves that their signature style can collaborate with any artist without straying away from sounding like themselves. This show was an ideal celebration for the release of this new album. Even with most of the set being comprised of their solo works, Health is presenting their fusion of these genres in a powerful manner. Health always distinctively sounds like Health, no matter which artists they are featuring or taking influence from. From an outsider’s perspective, it would have been very difficult to discern which genre of music they would be seeing that night. Mesh tops and leather outfits evoking industrial style could be seen throughout the venue, as

Photo Recap: Jawbreaker Celebrates 25 Years of Dear You at The Wiltern

Janky Smooth Central Command April 10, 2022

For three nights, punk legends Jawbreaker celebrated the 25th anniversary of their album, Dear You. Jankysmooth sent our photographer to capture the emotional evening of music which featured opening performances of The Linda Lindas and Face to Face. From the youngest punk band on the scene to icons of the genre, this string of shows will go down in LA punk history. Jawbreaker Face to Face The Linda Lindas

Happiness and Misery: Lights at the Glass House

Janky Smooth Central Command April 10, 2022

Words and Photos by: Veronika Reinert It’s been several years since electro-pop sensation, Lights, has ventured down from her home base in Canada to perform live in the U.S. Her “Baby I’m Back” tour celebrates the debut of her fifth studio album, PEP. The record is her second release put out by Fueled By Ramen, adding her to their roster of distinguished artists such as Panic! at the Disco, Paramore, and Twenty One Pilots. “PEP is the dichotomy between happiness and absolute misery,” Lights told the crowd during her set on April 8th at The Glass House in Pomona, CA. Flipped upside down, the word “PEP” appears as “dEd.” The album’s aesthetic theme of bright red, yellow, and blue primary colors “make [her] feel happy,” she explained. This particular show was exactly one week out from her album release, giving fans just enough time to become familiar with the record to sing along with her live. Joined by Jess Bowen (drums) and Brodie Tavares (guitar and bass), Lights took the stage on the hottest day of the month at the sweltering Glass House for a diverse and enthusiastic, albeit sweaty, fan base. While Lights and her bandmates donned red, yellow,

Category: SHOWS

Subscribe to the Janky Newsletter

ticket giveaways, exclusive content, breaking news and of course- Music, Art & Activism