Category: SHOWS

Corn Dogs, Fashion, Puke, and Rap: Camp Flog Gnaw 2018

Rob Shepyer November 13, 2018

Los Angeles’ fashionable youth came out in full force to see the hip hop lineup of the year at Dodger Stadium for Tyler, The Creator’s annual Camp Flog Gnaw. Call it a camp but it’s more of a concert carnival with every sort of fanfare and confection you’d find at a state fair. Slushees, corn dogs, donuts, topsy-turvy rides, every kind of fatty fair food, games, and even post-mates bicyclists to fetch you whatever your lazy ass desires. related content: Camp Flog Gnaw 2015: Beats, Beefs, And Building Your Brand Camp Flog Gnaw 2018 sold out in less than an hour and afterward, ticket prices skyrocketed into the thousands. With numerous millennials paying for their tickets off their rich parents’ dollar, there was something undeniably youthful and nihilistic about the crowd and how hard they’d party. On my way there, plenty of Ubers and Lyfts had to stop off the side of Vin Scully Avenue to let their passengers puke out the window. The puke didn’t end there, the various coasters people launched their bodies on only dispelled more wet, looney lung butter out their vulnerable gutty-wuts. Would the hype live up to the music, though? Was Camp Flog Gnaw

Photo Recap: Kruder and Dorfmeister at the Fonda

Janky Smooth Central Command November 10, 2018

Legendary Austrian down-tempo DJ duo Kruder and Dorfmeister came to play the Fonda Theatre on their brief American tour. Featuring some of the coolest mixing I’ve heard heard and most beautiful and deliciously disorienting visuals I’ve ever seen, this show was one for the books. The audience was also my favorite of 2018 featuring Europeans from every region and 90’s club kids that danced like they were still in their 20’s and on ecstacy. Photos by: Dillon Vaughn

Photo Recap: Public Image Ltd. at the OC Observatory

Janky Smooth Central Command November 9, 2018

John Lydon, also known as Johnny Rotten, brought his communication company, also known as his band, Public Image Ltd. to the Orange County Observatory for an epic show that featured just as much music as poetry. Lydon’s lyrics are sometimes a curiosity and other times a call to action, either way it’s impossible not to take away a lasting memory from a Public Image Ltd show. Photos by: Jessica Moncrief

The Heavy Sound of Nature: Alcest Plays “Kodama” at Catch One

Rob Shepyer November 8, 2018

The first show I attended at Catch One since their recent rebranding was French metal-gaze innovators, Alcest‘s performance of their seminal album, “Kodama”. You can sense new life in the walls at Catch One, something feels different and fresh. Paying homage to the club’s original incarnation as a safe haven for the black LGBTQ community, the club is now just as safe and just as much of a haven for all. This show featured a powerhouse lineup with King Woman and Glaare supporting Alcest. The last time I saw Glaare, they were mashed between two goth bands that made their unique sound stick out like a sore thumb. I found it too cool in the context of a sad boy goth show but on this night I had different feelings. The sound system at Union captured their element better than the Echoplex and having been the show’s opener, there was no other sound for me to compare them to. related content: Who’s The Better Brother? Jay Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel The band’s singer, Rachael, has her on-stage charisma down. She knows how to play with stage banter and move to make for a dramatic performance. Sonically, the band makes a disorienting

Windhand Worship at El Rey Theatre

Dillon Vaughn November 8, 2018

Windhand and Satan’s Satyrs recently played at the El Rey in support of their recently released albums as well as the shared split produced earlier this year. related content: The Protomen: Mega Men On A Mission At The Echoplex Satan’s Satyrs lost some of my attention as they strayed from their most aggressive qualities after releasing Wild Beyond Belief but I found it impossible not to enjoy their performance that night. On display was a more experienced assemblage of the wild hunger they once had: this wasn’t a band trying to prove anything, they were here to shred. It was easy to find appreciation for the new material while witnessing a group that seemed lost (and discovered) somewhere in time between T. Rex and a Hammer horror induced freakout. Clayton Burgess, the group’s leader and bassist, has obviously learned a lot and found a perfect level of comfort on stage after landing the role of the bassist of Electric Wizard. That being said, his bandmates never seem secondary to the balanced performance and their staying power lies in their ability to truly have a sound of their own. related content: Virtually No Dust: Desert Daze 2018 Windhand’s appeal is unique amongst their

Your Vagina May Catch Fire by the End of This Song: Death From Above at the Teragram

Robert Cohen November 8, 2018

In her 1972 book Survival: A Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature, Margaret Atwood wrote that the Canadian way of death is death by accident. And while this perspective has been analyzed, discussed, and otherwise relentlessly picked apart in the years since the book’s initial publication, it’s important to note that while DFA may stand for many things, “Death From Accident” was certainly not one of them at Toronto’s own DFA’s Sunday show at The Teragram, despite the temptation at times to think of it that way. related content: Finally Admitting It’s Real: Portugal The Man At The Shrine There were times during the entire show I found myself contemplating if all the slip-ups in their career were somehow intentionally made so that the show could be as perfectly tailored as it was. This was a show that might as well have been planned by a Swiss watchmaker based on how effective it was in escalating the mood of the crowd with each consecutive action. From the size of the venue, to the makeup of the crowd, the swagger of the openers and headliners alike, even extending into the music that played before, in between, and after each set, this was

All I Want for Christmas is “Blood and Tears”: Danzig’s Halloween Hell Bash at Fivepoint Amphitheatre

Rob Shepyer November 7, 2018

I attend every Danzig show I can, no matter the incarnation. Glenn’s music is a church of sorts for me, I unapologetically worship the man. For Misfits, I’ll travel across state-lines. For Danzig, I’ll stay in traffic for hours and end up home the next morning. For Samhain, fuck it, I’ll sell an organ to get through the door. For all Glenn Danzig’s done for punk, metal, and dark aesthetics in general, if it wasn’t for him, I would be on a completely different course in life. related content: The Misfits At Riot Fest Chicago 2016: Bats In The Press Tent Danzig I was the first record I ever bought. For months before buying it, I would just stare at the Crystal Skull on the cover until my curiosity and fear got the best of me and I bought it almost to test myself and see if I could handle this dark, evil force. Lately, Danzig has been playing shows to celebrate what might be his most iconic album Danzig III: How the Gods Kill. It’s an album any true fan has to love but it’s Danzig II: Lucifuge that I find is often underrepresented but features a few of my

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

Category: SHOWS

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