Category: SHOWS

Pro(n)g Rock: Voivod at The Fonda

Rob Shepyer March 28, 2024

It’s a rarity that the Voivod UFO comes hovering over Los Angeles and to miss witnessing an event like this is simply a rookie metal move. Last time, the band came to El Rey opening for Revocation for an oddly mixed bill. Now, the band paired with Prong, who they took on the road decades prior to make this tour a metaphorical full circle around a distant sun. This tour saw saw them playing new music off Morgoth Tales and reaching up their sleeves to play classics and obscurities. related content: Heavy Metal UFO: Voivod and Revocation At El Rey Voivod is a child of thrash metal’s golden age but they were nothing like any of their contemporaries. They made songs that sounded like radioactive war ballads, long and sweeping musical tales featuring ranges of emotions, all-over-the-place instrumentation, and structure that would blow the minds of many musicians that only understood thrash as a blend of punk and metal. This was a co-headlining tour though, and many people came for Prong, partly as a way to connect to their Danzig worship, given that Tommy Viktor is the leader of Prong and long time guitarist for Glenn, and partly because Los

Ceremony at The Palladium by Albert Licano

Ceremony Gets Their Flowers at the Hollywood Palladium

Rob Shepyer March 4, 2024

As 2024 launches into orbit, I see our Los Angeles music scene and its veterans coming full circle as the year’s trajectory begins to take shape. Ceremony’s epic Palladium show celebrating the anniversary of 2010’s Rhonert Park EP was the biggest headlining show of their career, performing in front of 3,700 people. It was a moment created completely by the organic devotion of their fans and not by a music industry needing new rock stars. It was the moment Ceremony received their flowers. related content: If Ever A Band Was My Home: Ceremony’s HOME SICK Festival at the Phoenix Theater For as long as Ceremony has been my favorite band, I’ve considered them an underground darling. Their shows were more energetic than seeing a major rock band. You’d go to a show and think “everyone who loves live music ought to see this at least once”, yet people just assumed hardcore couldn’t break the ceiling above any underground music act. Sound and Fury, though, could imagine otherwise. The festival had been the engine behind Ceremony’s Southern California icon-status, giving our hardcore scene unforgettable sets with the band like their 2016 Regent set, their 2018 headlining Belasco set, their Your Life in

3Teeth at The Teragram Ballroom shot by Abraham Preciado

3Teeth at The Teragram: Industrial Dystopia

Danny Ryan February 8, 2024

Love for gothic industrial and nu-metal aesthetics seemed nonexistent for a while, being almost universally seen as cringe and outdated as indie rock and trap music dominated the airwaves in the late 00’s and early 2010’s. With political tensions rising after the 2016 election however, angry and darker music came back in a massive way that can be seen with festivals like Sick New World selling out quickly and the industrial scene feeling as relevant as ever again. 3Teeth is a band that took full advantage of this shift in attitude, bringing the angsty edge of 90’s greats like Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson to a new audience that’s just as wild at live concerts. In celebration of their newest album EndEx, 3Teeth transformed the Teragram Ballroom into a cyberpunk wasteland and hosted a late night of industrial sounds from every era; with ear-piercing distortion, infectiously dancey synthesizer melodies, and leather as far as the eye can see. With Skold, Straight Razor, and 8mm as surprise openers for the evening, there was a treat for all fans of industrial music no matter what their preference may be. Straight Razor’s performance began with an eerie but blissful ambient intro, almost

The Black Angels at Levitation by Grace Dunn

Levitation 2023: The Catharsis of Heavy Music

Janky Smooth Central Command January 11, 2024

Halloween weekend. Thickness in the air. Darkness in the world. I’m committed to a music festival far from home and it’s supposed to rain. Austin, Texas: despite having been there only 5 months prior for Austin Psych Fest, one of the most special community-based music experiences of my life, I felt anxiety leading up to Levitation 2023. So when I left LAX and landed at AUS Airport on Thursday afternoon before the music began, I begged the weight of the world to lighten, with hopes for a familiar outcome of levity, connection, and reclaimed freedom. I believe all of us lost festival goers are in search of an escape from our daily lives. We’re looking for something to feel, something to connect to, and to be amongst similarly yearning souls that are open to the ebb and flow of this world. An ebb and flow that gets the best of us sometimes, for better or for worse… But this weekend, we tried to make it for the better, in the live music capital of the world, together. Words: Michelle Schuman Photos: Grace Dunn related: Austin Shines On: Levitation 2022 Community, that’s what Levitation has to offer. Psychedelia, in all its

The Pixies at The Hollywood Bowl by Jessica Moncrief

Pixies and Modest Mouse: Clash of the Indie Titans at Hollywood Bowl

Alfredo Luna December 20, 2023

Sunday night, Sept 17th at the Hollywood Bowl was a clash of the titans, with powerhouse artists in Modest Mouse and Pixies gracing the stage and concluding their joint North American run together. The lineup had prompted many in the lots and the shuttles playing the guessing game of figuring out who each person was there to see. There was almost an even split of fans there for either Modest Mouse or Pixies, but despite the split each fan was still excited to see the other. Overheard were fans recanting the first time they ever saw either band. Stories ranging from old university lounges to small clubs across the country and down to the couple who first met at a Modest Mouse show and are now seeing them for the 20th time since then. Cat Power also played but unfortunately, I didn’t make it to the venue in time. It was my second time seeing Modest Mouse, with the last time being at the smallest venue in Riverside about 7 years ago where they ripped through a banger of a set and came back for multiple encores. So I was more or less prepared for what the Modest Mouse who would

Ladytron Reverberate The Belasco In Their Return to Los Angeles

Janky Smooth Central Command December 15, 2023

The long-awaited, electrifying and innovative live show of UK’s Ladytron finally returned to Los Angeles. Ladytron performed at Belasco Theater after their summer stop at the alt-rock “Just Like Heaven” 2023 festival. Historically still standing from LA’s silent era movie theater district, The Belasco has become the best tour stop in housing top acts in an intimate and impressive venue with plush styled lounges and an exquisite live sound. Live acts thrive here and Ladytron would prove themselves and pay tribute to that “Silent Era” history by producing an electrifying tech sound at its purest. The band’s current tour is the first in four year after a decade long hiatus. But the band hardly stood still and were busier than ever with production collaborations from Brian Eno to Christina Aguilera. Remixes were produced for a long list of artists such as Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan, Goldfrapp and Nine Inch Nails. Ladytron saw themselves with personal efforts outside of the band’s orb with singers Helen Marnie completing two solo LPs, and Mira Aroyo producing music, as well as some documentary filmmaking. The ladies’ co-conspirators/founding members Daniel Hunt and Ruben Wu are DJs and producers from Liverpool. Daniel Hunt with his expertise

Yves Tumor at The Wiltern by Sarah Dinse

Yves Tumor at The Wiltern: Living in the Abstract

Sarah Dinse November 16, 2023

Yves Tumor took the stage On October 12th at The Wiltern in Los Angeles to give us a performance as eccentric and memorable as they are. This four piece experimental rock band can hardly be tied to one genre, making their sound something we’ve never heard before. They have carefully crafted their entire brand to be so abstract and artistic so that their audience can imprint vastly different parts of themselves onto any piece. Yves Tumor is an art piece first and musician second. Yves Tumor is a specialist at guiding the imagination. Every song feels like looking through a kaleidoscope; you can see what you think the image is, but you never really know. Their lyrical way of montaging concepts into eccentric metaphors are what attract a following of abstract artists and creatives. This mixed with their ominous industrial rock sounds make all of their music sound intensely deep and intimate. A common theme throughout any Yves Tumor piece is the connection between religious subtext and everyday life. In their latest album, “Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot between Worlds)” we hear a lot of key phrases and buzzwords in the titles

Nitzer Ebb and Flow: A Night of Dance and Darkness at The Music Box

Danny Baraz November 3, 2023

Star date Saturday, Sept. 2nd, 2023… San Diego, California. Nitzer Ebb is the band. Modern.wav and Lethal Amounts are the pilots and The Music Box became the vessel for the only U.S. show scheduled this year for the British EBM/Industrial pioneers. It was perfect timing for Venus to come out of retrograde as the stars aligned to bring lost loves back into our lives. Last time I saw Nitzer Ebb was at Substance 2021 and as fun as that set was, it was missing front man Douglas McCarthey with composer and energizer bunny Bon Harris insuring the show went on. This show was a collaboration between Lethal Amounts and San Diego goth scene impresarios, Modern.wav, whose line-ups, clubs and vibes have been drawing me down to San Diego on a more regular basis over the last year. As one might imagine, Nitzer Ebb drew Angelenos down to the southern most part of California so the crowd was filled with familiar and friendly faces. related: Nitzer Front- Cold Waves 2022 at The Mayan The lineup was stacked with quality, dark music acts, bondage exhibitions and DJ’s between bands. Opening the show was synth pop group, Normal Bias. Normal Bias have a

The Erections at Moroccan Lounge shot by Corina Cline

Erect Tricks and Loose Rails: The Erections and Hat Trickers at Moroccan Lounge

Rob Shepyer October 5, 2023

From either end of the Pacific Ocean, Nacho Corrupted is known as a punk icon, flying the flag of East Los all the way to the far east by bringing Japan’s wildest punk bands to Los Angeles for this year’s C.Y. Fest. Catching The Erections and Hat Trickers at the Moroccan Lounge is a rare treat, so street punk faithful dug through their crates to excavate that precious punk rock imported vinyl to offer up to the bands like sacrifices to be signed for the 2nd to last C.Y. Fest side show of 2023 related: Manic Japan: Death Side At The Regent The last time Hat Trickers came to Los Angeles was for a one-off side show after Manic Relapse 2019. A whole pandemic later and that band returned to even more fanfare and excitement than the previous show. The air was buzzing with punks awaiting this set, making everyone anticipate a show that would imprint itself on your memory, for better or for worse, but unquestionably for good. It was a night jam packed with punk rock and mine began seeing local punks, The Rails, wreck the stage with blasting, unhinged guitars and true to street percussive rhythms, boots

Scowl At 1720 Sell Out The Venue But Not Their Souls

Danny Ryan September 22, 2023

One of the biggest Catch 22’s of being a punk rock fan is wanting the artists you love to succeed and reach a larger audience, while also wanting them to avoid selling out and the inevitable softening of their edge that comes with popularity. While bands that maintain a consistent sound are often doomed to become dull and uninteresting after a couple of releases, there’s always a lingering fear of bringing in new audiences that don’t “get it” when an artist experiments with new aesthetics or explores other genres. Scowl and Militarie Gun have both had some of the most talked about punk releases of the year, and their recent show at 1720 proved that neither artist has sacrificed their unruly hardcore spirits in the evolution of their sounds. While tough-guy hardcore purists may be complaining online about the alternative direction that these artists have been taking, it’s clear that they haven’t witnessed the chaotic party that Scowl creates up close in-person for themselves yet and it’s only a matter of time before everybody starts to embrace the “Psychic Dance Routine”. related: Scowl Interview- Talking Limp Bizkit, Kevin Smith and Hardcore 1720 has established itself as one of the best

Sound and Fury Fest 2023: The Stage Dive Will Never Die

Danny Ryan August 30, 2023

Sound and Fury is easily my favorite music festival, and consistently takes the spot as the best weekend of the year for me without fail. Returning again to Exposition Park for the second year in a row, the controversial choice to move the festival outdoors has proven again to succeed as a hardcore experience exclusive to Sound and Fury. The overwhelming heat and dust clouds were absolutely brutal this year compared to 2022, but passionate fans were not going to let anything stop them from hardcore dancing all weekend long. This was also the second year with involvement from art collective and fashion brand Brain Dead, and their influence could be seen everywhere from the stage backdrops to exclusive merch designs. Sound and Fury is absolutely unmatched when it comes to finding the best collaborators and vendors to help with making their vision come alive, something that more music festivals should take note of in the goal of creating an unforgettable experience that everybody in attendance feels a need to come back to. related: Risks Make Better Memories than Nostalgia – Sound and Fury 2022 One of the biggest draws to Sound and Fury’s 2023 lineup for me was the

Spike Hellis Come Home to Das Bunker After 40 Date Headlining Tour

Danny Baraz August 11, 2023

A year and a half ago, I saw Spike Hellis for the first time at Das Bunker. I was there to see Pixel Grip but I had been hearing a buzz about this transcendental ebm outfit that had been playing a bunch of gigs that I kept missing. I went into Catch One with some expectations and Spike Hellis lived up to them all. Two prodigious partners dancing in a dystopian wasteland to a soundtrack they orchestrated. Hard ass beats laced with round synths and compelling vocals. They were mesmerizing and hypnotic and that was just my first taste. Flash forward to June 30th, 2023. Spike Hellis have played 701,432 shows since then and have just returned from a 40 date tour, their first. Their 2022 self titled album was number 1 on my list of best albums for the year. I’ve seen them open for Twin Tribes and be the first band on a Sound and Fury side show lineup, of all things and may other gigs. Spike Hellis have delivered every time. They might be the hardest working band in independent music, right now. related: Pixel Grip, Spike Hellis and Black Light Odyssey Find Refuge at Das Bunker