Category: SHOWS

Noche de las Luchas: Lucha Vavoom at the Mayan

Jessica Moncrief November 6, 2018

October 25th, wrestling and burlesque enthusiasts alike gathered at The Mayan to kick off the first of two nights inside America’s most outrageous show, Lucha Vavoom! related content: Pussy Bang Bang Grindhouse Burlesque Show Grinds on Harvelle’s Long Beach The wildly popular production, Lucha Vavoom has been a staple show in LA at The Mayan for years and always sells out for a reason. The producers have combined comedy, Mexican Lucha-Libre wrestling, music, and burlesque to create an over the top spectacular that keeps your senses tantalized from beginning to end. Before the show officially kicked off Peaches delivered the house rules to a rowdy crowd of inebriated wrestling fans via an instructional video. The most important rule, aside from watching out for flying luchadoras, was “No Puking!” The first act of the night featured trans sensation, Neon Music. She made a grand entrance on a bat swing that descended from the ceiling as she sang a delightfully dark rendition of “Bela Lugosi’s Dead”. It was a fitting way to start of the “Circo De Vampiros” Halloween edition of Lucha Vavoom and seriously warmed my little black heart. related content: Fierce Fiesta: Scum’s 2 Year Anniversary W/Limp Wrist At The

POC OC: Tropicalia Music and Taco Fest at the Queen Mary

Dave Unbuckled November 6, 2018

If the crowd of over 10,000 mostly white attendees at Surf City Blitz in Huntington Beach was anyone’s attempt to portray the demographic of Orange County’s aging local hero music scene, Long Beach’s Tropicalia Festival certainly flipped that turtle on its back. Tropicalia, now in it’s second year, has usurped the beach goth crowd from its predecessors, and has established itself as Southern California’s premier Latino influenced music festival, with one of the most diverse lineups I’ve ever seen. The mostly early twenty-something Latino-American crowd sold out the two-day weekend fest’s $200+ ticket capacity and brought an energy with them that recent Southern California festivals have been lacking. related content: The Growlers Reclaim Castle Beach Goth And All Is Right With The World Again With a lineup that boasted Morrissey and Mazzy Star, in addition to The Strokes’ Albert Hammond Jr. and Kali Uchis, Tropicalia presented a full day’s worth of entertainment for its attendees. Younger crowds showed up early to watch local favorites Tropa Magica, The Hurricanes, and Jurassic Shark play on much larger stages than the bands usually get the opportunity to perform on, and each enjoyed a well-received set. related content: Janky Meets Marty: The Dwarves At

Photo Recap: The Damned and Radkey at the Fonda

Janky Smooth Central Command November 5, 2018

The Damned sold out the Fonda Theatre last week for their Evil Spirits tour. Just in time to catch the back end of the Halloween season, people were dressed up and ready to party like ghouls and devils. Supporting The Damned were young up and coming rockers, Radkey. Hailing from Missouri, this trio plays with a metallic sound that is unquestionably heavy, punky, and American. related content: Dab Hits And The Damned on 420 At The Glass House Photos by: Lindsay Arth The Damned Radkey

Photo Recap: Generation Sex at the Roxy

Janky Smooth Central Command November 5, 2018

Fans of 70’s British punk were given a real treat last week when Billy Idol decided to return to his original punk rock outfit, Generation X, only with the addition of Sex Pistols guitarist and radio God Steve Jones. I fondly recall loads of punks near and far expressing how much they wish they could’ve seen Generation X and this show seemed to answer all those prayers. With Billy Idol on vocals, Tony James on bass, and Paul Cook on drums rounding out the original members of the band, Generation Sex marked yet another iconic performance to grace the Roxy Theatre stage. Photos by : Jessica Moncrief

Photo Recap: Necro’s Night of the Living Dead at Catch One

Janky Smooth Central Command November 2, 2018

Words and Photos by: Pedro Carrera An underground hip hop Goliath, Necro, took the stage at Catch One with his right hand man, Mr. Hyde to perform to a crazed crowed of demons. This was Necro’s Night of the Living Dead and for all the insanity that took place in that club, it’s better to describe this as a circus than a show. Topless woman, mosh pitting minions and thick clouds of smoke for days only touches the surface of what we witnessed. related content: Black Baptism: Prayers At The Fonda Then you had MCs from every school of rap like 2 Mex, Pawz one, Johnny Slash, Dannyboy, P. Dogg, and One Be lo dropping bars that were all too real for the radio. For all the visual stimulation this night offered, what it really had an abundance of was free thought. Necro Mr. Hyde 2Mex Pawz one P. Dogg One Be Lo Johnny Slash Dannyboy

Black Baptism: Prayers at the Fonda

Rob Shepyer November 1, 2018

When I think deeply about the music and impact of Cholo goth duo Prayers, I come up with great memories of enjoying their music and many questions regarding the band’s place in music. 2018 seemed to be a pause in the band’s momentum, a break after 2017’s Baptism of Thieves. With Rafael Reyes getting married to Kat Von D and becoming a father for the second time, an outsider would think the band was stepping back from the spotlight to pursue their lives. This would be an error though, Prayers has multiple albums just waiting to be released but still, lets take this introspective moment in the Prayers’ career at face-value. related content: Rafael Reyes of Prayers Interview: On Fatherhood When the duo first released SD Killwave in 2013 and then their LP Gothic Summer in 2014, they burst onto the scene with such a powerful splash that not only did their sound take-off but they created a new genre of two seemingly clashing aesthetics, Cholo and Goth. These two records were filled with bangers and genuine underground hits. They captured the punks, the goths, and even the hip hop heads. Enter Travis Barker, who produced their next full length, Young Gods,

The Protomen: Mega Men on a Mission at the Echoplex

Dillon Vaughn October 31, 2018

There are so many opportunities to see new acts pushing the limits of their respective genres and niches I find it hard to believe anyone can say they’ve actually “heard it all,” especially when the person saying that is living in a major city. Even looking past the one-off performances unique to LA it’s easy to get a glimpse of the countless acts touring across the US to play for fans extremely passionate about their shared interests. There’s a call for music beyond the played out gates of psych and shoegaze that surround Echo Park (and the east-side as a whole.) A call thankfully answered by The Protomen, Makeup and Vanity Set, and Bit Brigade. related content: Chiptune Leveling Up At Freq. Fest: 8bitLA 6.0 At The Smell Upon walking into the Echoplex that evening I was immediately introduced to something I’ve never seen at a show before: the use of Mega Man II as an instrument. Well, not quite an instrument, but a visual guide for the instrumental renditions of the themes present in the game as a member of the Athens, GA based Bit Brigade performed a (nearly flawless) speed-run of the game on a projected screen alongside his bandmates.

Dirty Reggae, Smooth Ska: Hepcat and the Aggrolites at House of Blues Anaheim

Janky Smooth Central Command October 29, 2018

Words and Photos by: Maggie St. Thomas On a late October’s evening at the Anaheim House of Blues, generations gathered to witness a high energy night packed with great ska classics by The Aggrolites and Hepcat, with Jessie Wagner killing it on guitar and vocals during both sets and sustaining the momentum for the entire night. The dirty reggae style of The Aggrolites began as they opened their set with a mixture of songs led by organ player Roger Rivas (also a member of Long Beach Dub All Stars). They played “Pound for Pound,” a new song off their upcoming album, ‘“Right on Time’’, “Countryman Fiddle,” and ‘Don’t Let Me Down,” and delivered plenty of hits with precision and beats to a jam-packed house. related content: Make America Green Again: The Great American Smokeout Hepcat performed a full 90 minute set sharing the same energy onstage with Alex Désert and Greg Lee singing and dancing the night away, looking sharp and sounding as good as ever. Hepcat’s sound was warm and lively as they kept their live show refreshing, much to the delight of the actively engaged crowd. During songs, Greg Lee began, “We’ve lost some brothers. We’ve lost some family

4AD Presents The Tune-Yards and U.S. Girls at the Mayan: A Zoo of Sound

Rob Shepyer October 26, 2018

Tune-Yards are something so unique I have an easier time describing their music using descriptors reserved for contemporary art and not music. On one hand, it’s this rhythmic tribal tapestry turned on its head into this random, chaotic, groovy, impassioned sound. Every note is like a brush stroke that conjures up auditory Keith Haring characters that dance together, in the air, over the stage. It’s a zoo of sound running wild. It makes me imagine various animals, giraffes, monkeys, kangaroos, geckos, everything under the sun, escaping their cages to dance in the wild. related content: Dreams Do Come True: Adult Swim Presents The Pillows At The Mayan With 4AD records presenting the event, label mates, U.S. Girls opened this show at the Mayan. Of all the songwriters and artists in this generation, I think that U.S. Girls’ leader, Meghan Remy, has one of the most powerful voices and minds with a soul that shines through her music to illuminate any stage she’s on. They incorporate numerous styles into what can only be described as avant-garde pop. You hear jazz, soul, and even disco during a U.S. Girls show, all the while Remy commands the audience and her band like a true

Forty Years of Youth: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds at the Forum

Audrey Kemp October 25, 2018

With forty years of innovation and grandeur, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds showed they can not only remain current, but pack the Forum with multiple generations of fans. related content: Photo Recap: The Smashing Pumpkins Oh So Shiny And Bright Tour At The Forum Sunday night’s special guests were the dream pop four-piece from New York, Cigarettes After Sex, who have garnered their own global fame in the past decade. The Forum’s emptiness provided exceptional acoustics and auditory echoes, yielding romantic slow dance music for the lucky few filing in. The people who arrived early enough to catch them were charmed to hear some old favorites off of their first EP, I., including “Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby” and “Dreaming of You”. The stadium was pitch black for the exception of some ambient lights, provoking a sensation of starlight — the perfect contexture for Cigarettes After Sex. Jacob Tomsky’s minimalist drumming complimented Greg Gonzalez’s aspirate vocal for “Apocalypse” while polka dot projections popped on and off of the scene. Their mellow performance would stand in stark contrast to the high energy live act yet to come. Nick Cave bounded on stage with his six Bad Seeds for a performance that can’t

Virtually No Dust: Desert Daze 2018

Dillon Vaughn October 23, 2018

It’s impossible to talk about Desert Daze 2018 without discussing the previous year at it’s former location in the high desert. My personal experience as a visitor to DD 17 is unmatched by any other festival I’ve ever attended. The lineup was insane, the installations were engaging, and the location truly felt like it held some kind of spectacular aura. I’ve never understood the appeal of the Joshua Tree getaways Angelenos fiend for and I’m absolutely disgusted by the false bohemian ideology perpetuated by burners (and Burning Man as a whole) but for a brief three days in the high desert it all clicked for me. related content: Desert Daze 2017 Headline Here: Some Variation’s Of Rock’s Not Dead The Institute of Mentalphysics was a challenging place for some because of the of its sporadic dust storms and painfully low temperatures at night, so it seemed like a great idea to find a location closer to the city that still maintained a sense of the desert – minus the harsh elements. Cue the announcement of DD 2018 staking its new home alongside the manmade reservoir Lake Perris: a location touted as an oasis with “virtually no dust” tucked quietly on

The Grandiosity of Spiritualized at the Orpheum Theatre

Jonathan Reyes October 22, 2018

I’ve never been inside a big church. I feel unwelcome by the grandiosity of the architecture. The people inside aren’t as divine as the room they occupy. Except it’s not a church, it’s the Orpheum Theatre, and the people on stage aren’t holy they’re Spiritualized. related content: Desert Daze 2017 Headline Here: Some Variation Of Rock’s Not Dead Spiritualized is listening to someone recounting their life on their deathbed. The Spaceman telling about the love he experienced on earth, the nearness to god he must have felt, and the loneliness of his silence. There’s a Nick Cave quality to them. A complicated history with love and god. I’ve always felt a connection to the idea that god wasn’t what you were told as a child but it wasn’t enough to remove you from the idea. You want a god but hate him for not existing. I was listening to a colleague talk about the importance of this band. Without them there’s nothing to inspire scores of British Men to gaze at their shoes. There’s no Blur, no Coldplay, no music to cry to when England boofs another World Cup. I’m very opposed to listening to music from a seated position.