Category: SHOWS

Going Hard for 2019: Mickey Avalon at Gallagher’s Pub

Janky Smooth Central Command December 24, 2018

Words and Photos by: Maggie St. Thomas Rap star Yeshe Pearl better known around the globe as Mickey Avalon was made famous for lyrical themes about drug abuse, overdoses, glamorized bulimia, prostitution, suicide, and his dick on the notorious track “My Dick”. Mickey Avalon is half of pure Hollywood debauchery and half artistic genius. While one might try dismissing Mickey as a novelty act, his live shows are legendary, never predictable, and he always keeps it real. There is no in-between with Mickey, either you love him or you hate him, he speaks his mind with unflinching lyrical content and keeps his songs disturbingly poetic with catchy samples and beats. related content: Fullerton Vice City: A Flock Of Seagulls At Totally 80’s At Gallagher’s Pub on the coast of Surf City, USA, Mickey Avalon packed ’em in like sardines. Keeping with tradition, the evening’s set began with Toni Basil’s 1980’s hit “Hey Mickey” to start the show. Tapping into that deviant energy, Mickey Avalon strutted on stage with attitude, wearing tight blue jeans and a black t-shirt that read “I’m Mickey Blow Me”. His back up dancer Jillian Schmitz provided provocative and sultry moves with multiple costume changes including pom-poms for

Sensory Interference: Thom Yorke at the Orpheum Theatre

Janky Smooth Central Command December 24, 2018

Words by: Jacob Van Orden Photos by: Jessica Moncrief On a cool December night out in Los Angeles, I visited the Orpheum theatre to check out Thom Yorke on his second sold out night of a back to back. The show opened with Oliver Coates, whom of which I hadn’t heard of prior. Oliver had worked with the London Contemporary Orchestra on Radiohead’s most recent album A Moon Shaped Pool and after listening to the 90’s deep house sound and synth touches accompanying his classically trained cello mastery on his newest solo album it seems fitting he would be opening for Thom through this tour. related content: The Grandiosity Of Spiritualized At The Orpheum Theatre Oliver opened with a minimalistic choppy drum from a pedal that was carried with deep bass and took to his cello straight away, layering his strings over themselves while only lit by a dim blue light. Each of the first three tracks he played felt they were birthing the next with more vibrant energy and technicality. He paused for a moment after to explain the name of his newest album Shelley’s on Zenn-la. Somewhat jokingly, he explained Shelley’s was the name of an underground rave

Fullerton Vice City: A Flock of Seagulls at Totally 80’s

Janky Smooth Central Command December 20, 2018

Words and Photos by: Maggie St. Thomas Like something from another world, the space age transcendental fusion of A Flock Of Seagulls began to take shape at the Totally 80’s dance club which was packed with a full crowd swarming the stage. Sci-fi and synth focused, they got straight to work leaving the chatter behind. The new wave pop/rock duo delivered all their 80’s classics just as a full band would and their audience loved it. The dramatic sweep of “Automatic” began the nights set. Mike Score’s voice carried the songs brilliance along with synth pop perfection entwined by guitar. My personal favorite “Wishing, Photograph of You”, twinkled perfectly. One fan delivered a white rose to Mike Score in-between songs along with a chant of song requests. “Thank you everyone for coming out tonight,” Mike Score said on the microphone and then finished the set with their classic hit that was a staple in the 80’s “I RAN”. A Flock of Seagulls had a great influence in 80’s pop culture and are still hugely impressive in their own delight and deliver a rush whenever I hear them.

Children of the Night: Doyle at the Whisky

Rob Shepyer December 18, 2018

I love The Misfits, so naturally I feel inclined to support every member in whatever endeavor they do but it would be a mistake to relegate Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein’s band, DOYLE, to the status of a side-project. They stand alone with their amazing songs and performance. And as amazing as it is to see Doyle, the vegan beast, storming a stage, the real story here is Alex. Alex Story is one of the most visceral, intense frontmen anyone could ever see. I feel like it’s a shame he’s not more of an icon, actually. Nicknamed the Wolf Man, Alex Story summons up lycanthrope ferocity when he performs. His body, neck, ribs, and legs contort to some wolfly design, he prowls off the balls of his feet, really feeling the monster within. It’s like seeing the transformation scene from An American Werewolf in London play out before your very eyes. The set always ends with Alex drenched in sweat and leaving everything behind on the stage. related content: All I Want For Christmas Is “Blood And Tears”: Danzig Halloween Hell Bash At FivePoint Amphitheatre This night at the Whisky was filled with bands inspired by horror, darkness, and evil. I arrived to see

Photo Recap: Echo and the Bunnymen at Immanuel Church

Janky Smooth Central Command December 12, 2018

Legendary post punk band, Echo and the Bunnymen, played a two night stint at Immanuel Church in Los Angeles. Echo and the Bunnymen have to be one of the most iconic and successful post punk bands of all time, their music is almost spiritual to some, so a church was a perfect setting to act as a conduit and electrify the music just that much more. Photos by: Lindsay Arth

I Saw Loop Daddy Kissing Mrs. Claus: Marc Rebillet at Los Globos

Robert Cohen December 11, 2018

As the year comes to a close, there’s one thing that all people can agree on: 2018 has been fucking weird. Not weird in the sense of “funny ha ha,” but more along the lines of we’ve all been transported en masse to an alternate version of Earth where anything is possible and strange things happen due to what can only be assumed to be a cosmic sense of humor so complex that we’ve yet to wrap our heads around it. And while the negative weird of this brave new world grabs most of the headlines, the positive side effects of the chaos we now call home were on full display Friday night at Marc Rebillet’s (aka Loop Daddy’s) debut LA show at Los Globos, presented by L’Affaire Musicale & Orlove Entertainment. related content: Your Vagina May Catch Fire By The End Of This Song: Death From Above At Teragram Although I had only learned of his music a few weeks beforehand, it made an immediate impression. His music, while using familiar tools and techniques, utilizes these tools in such a way that each song feels incredibly fresh in a way that few performers can manage these days. While dissenters

Decibel Metal & Beer Fest After Party: Ghoul at El Cid

Rob Shepyer December 10, 2018

Night 1 of Decibel Magazine‘s Metal and Beer Festival polished off The Wiltern with a diabolically thrash set by Testament. Bodies were broken, souls lost, but the night didn’t end there, the metal heads needed more, they needed blood. The die hards swarmed eastward to El Cid after the show where Church of the 8th Day brought Ghoul and Gost out of their cages to play the after show. I hadn’t seen Ghoul live up until this show and prior to it, they seemed to be getting hyped up to me from all directions. I distinctly remember being unsatisfied with Gwar and the lacking metal-feel of their show. It felt like metal for kids that weren’t passionate about the genre. Nothing more than a break from bands that no one would ever call heavy so that they could feel extreme for the duration of a single set and go back to safer sounds. Ghoul, on the other hand, represents a true alternative in the world of comedic theatrical metal performance. The music was brutal and more death metal inspired. The comedy was blacker and against the grain of all politically correct standards. I fucking loved it. related content: The Growlers

Decibel Metal & Beer Fest Pre-Party: Armored Saint at the Troubadour

Rob Shepyer December 10, 2018

Decibel Magazine brought out a slew of amazing bands for their wild Metal and Beer Festival weekend which featured Testament, Power Trip, Godflesh, and culminated with legendary proto-black metal front man, Tom G. Warrior’s Triptykon, playing a set of Celtic Frost classics. My Metal & Beer Festival weekend began the Friday night before the festival with a pre-party at The Troubadour which featured big bands on a small stage, headlined by Metal Blade records’ legendary Armored Saint. related content: Photo Recap: Toxic Holocaust At Resident Armored Saint is a bit of an anomaly in heavy metal history. They brought a hard rock traditional sound to 80’s metal and combined that with European power metal aesthetics and medieval imagery. Their iconic album, Symbol of Salvation, gave the band their biggest hits with bangers from start to finish. The band toured earlier in the year, playing the album from start to finish but on this show, the band was loose and wanted to make this intimate show feel like a hang, where they could play the songs they wanted to from all over their catalogue. The entire bill was stacked with UADA beginning my evening. American black metal never sounded so fierce and haunting as

Photo Recap: Toxic Holocaust at Resident

Janky Smooth Central Command December 9, 2018

Toxic Holocaust is a band that shines most as a headlining act. It’s still a treat catching them on tour with bigger bands or at fest, but the mixed crowd they bring on their own makes for a wild (and occasionally dangerous) time. Their recent performance at Resident is a perfect example of metalheads and punks losing their minds alongside each other to some of the most memorable thrash tracks released over the past decade. The night opened with SoCal crossover act Take Offense and LA heroes Scrapmetal and Parasite. Resident has earned it’s title as the (unofficial) home of metal and punk this year and I’m excited to see what acts they host in 2019. Photos by: Dillon Vaughn Toxic Holocaust Take Offense

Nowell Family Values: Bradley’s House Benefit at the Gaslamp

Janky Smooth Central Command December 8, 2018

Words and Photos by: Maggie St. Thomas An all ages benefit for Bradley’s House, the Nowell Family Foundation is helping artists in the industry overcome opioid addiction so they can get help and no more lives are lost to this horrific epidemic sweeping America. It was a reggae and punk filled line-up at the Gaslamp Restaurant & Bar including live performances by Long Beach Dub All Stars, LAW, Burritos, Corn Doggy Dog, Kyle Smith, Simbala, Back-Bone, and DJ Product. Vendors booths with merchandise available to those in attendance and whose proceeds went to the charitable Nowell Family Foundation. The venue was packed and full of love, and Jim Papa Nowell was seen in the back with his own booth enjoying the night with friends and family. related content: Dirty Reggae, Smooth Ska: Hepcat And The Aggrolites At House Of Blues Anaheim The night was coordinated by Kellie Nowell, sister of the late Bradley Nowell, and executive director of the Nowell Family Foundation. “We were overwhelmed by the love and support of everyone who came. Our goal with the foundation is to bring together fans and musicians to create a place of hope and healing. This event was a beautiful example of the

The Culture’s Collective: BROCKHAMPTON at the OC Observatory

Aria Silva-Espinosa December 6, 2018

It’s comforting to see that the evolution of the iconic American boy band has landed so gracefully at this spot in the natural trajectory. Brockhampton owes a portion of their success to the VICELAND show titles American Boyband, thus drawing the comparison between the modern-day hip hop collective and the saccharine sweet talkers of the 90’s like ‘NSYNC or Boyz II Men. Truthfully, it isn’t a fair comparison and Brockhampton has defined themselves as a unique tribe of diverse delivery styles. Their first album was good, the SATURATION album trilogy got better and better and then in 2018 Brockhampton brought us iridescence, a new classic to glitter your playlists and binge listen the same way I did with SATURATION III. I was definitely excited to see what kind of crowd they would draw from the depths of Orange County, a place riddled with teenaged discontent and disillusionment embedded safely in the comfort of the suburbs. related content: Corn Dogs, Fashion, Puke, And Rap: Camp Flog Gnaw 2018 Approaching The Observatory, the screen above the box office read ‘SOLD OUT’ in giant red letters. Inside the venue, the crowd was packed into the riser-style standing area with determination, the pit was

Industrial Avalanche: GODFLESH at Brick by Brick

Janky Smooth Central Command December 5, 2018

Words and Photos by: Rebecca DiGiglio When I was walking up to Brick by Brick to see GODFLESH, there was already a line formed and I heard INTRCPTR sound checking. I thought I would’ve arrived right at the sweet spot time slot to brazenly walk in and shoot the first band, so it seemed like things were running a little behind schedule. related content: Cold Waves LA: Heaven For Industrial Kids After talking to a friend in line, I came to find out that some key gear of GODFLESH’s didn’t arrive in time, and instead was flown into Los Angeles. Coming to the rescue was Travis Ryan and co. of Cattle Decapitation, who offered up his bass and guitar to the duo. The Brick crew worked their magic, and with a little help from some friends, the loaned gear arrived, and a makeshift laptop/projector setup was made on the floor of the stage to at least have some manner of dark and brutal imagery throughout the set. The show must go on, so they say, and go on it fucking did. related content: Different Shades Of Black: Adult. And Plack Blague At Soda Bar INTRCPTR (members of Pelican, Ancient Lights)

Category: SHOWS

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