Category: SHOWS

Who Needs Pins When You’ve Got Spikes? GBH at the Observatory

Janky Smooth Central Command May 31, 2018

It’s 8pm in Southern California, the night before Punk Rock Bowling kicks off in Las Vegas: do you know where the local punks are? You might assume they’re all somewhere between another vegan straight-edge food stop and pure Barstow bat country; in reality, a number of them are sticking close to home and swimming in the perks of perfect proximity. related content: Against Me! Stuns At The Observatory Before Punk Rock Bowling It’s this crowd I thoroughly appreciated sharing time with on a just right Friday night at Santa Ana’s OC Observatory. I haven’t nailed down my theory on why they stayed: maybe some got a late start and headed out after, maybe this is where the class lines are drawn (PRB ain’t cheap), maybe they just don’t fucking care about the festival. Either way, staying home didn’t mean losing out, as this lineup brought out a healthy and hyped crowd, ready to catch some PRB acts without having to dive into Las Vegas decadence, depravity, and possible debt. Unfortunately for the opener, Spain’s CRIM, who deserved a bigger audience, the crowd came out in a slow trickle. CRIM has a compelling, if confusing, take on Oi!—the influence is so

Against Me! Stuns at The Observatory Before Punk Rock Bowling

Jessica Moncrief May 30, 2018

One of the great things about being a Punk living in Southern California, is Punk Rock Bowling season. A slew of legendary punk bands tend to make LA/OC area their official stop to kick off their weekend of debauchery and 2018 has proven to be no different than in past years. The copious amount of stellar line-ups that pop up all over SoCal the week leading up to Memorial Day Weekend each year often cause those of us who experience extreme cases of FOMO severe anxiety when deciding which shows to pick. Performances by Against Me! along with tour mates Chris Farren and Sharp Shock last Monday at The Observatory were the prefect way for many to kick off PRB season. related content: Punk Rock Bowling 2017: You Can’t Be What You Were Words and Photos by: Jessica Moncrief

What’s Left To Ponders: Pond At Zebulon

Robert Cohen May 29, 2018

One of the best things my Dad ever taught me was to learn the rules laid down by any system before deciding which ones deserve to be broken. After all, any rebellion set off without having done the necessary research can be painted at best as laziness and at worst as unbridled ignorance (i.e. the Occupy movement and/or the Tea Party). And Tuesday night at Zebulon, nothing was more evident than the fact that while Pond and their protégé Lord Fascinator have learned what it takes to make “successful” music, they’ve discarded any rules which have gotten in the way of their respective visions, much to the benefit of all who are willing to give them a chance. related content: Stayin’ Alive: Giorgio Moroder’s 78th Birthday At The Globe Theater Arriving at the beginning of the night was New York based DJ/performer Lord Fascinator. While I had never heard his music before, he managed to make an impression from the moment he and his band walked on stage; however, anyone who looks like dealer to a Heaven’s Gate offshoot out of the East Village likely would. Once the initial novelty of his appearance wore off though, he kicked off a

Get Off Your Phone and Into the Crowd: Unknown Mortal Orchestra at The Wiltern

Travis Beck May 28, 2018

There are times in my life when I don’t listen to new music. Those are often dark times where I do nothing but binge all my old favorite artists – which span about 50 years – from jazz legends to the Beatles to “Crash Into Me” by Dave Matthews Band. The ladder often facilitates sobbing in my car similar to a scene in the Oscar-winning film Lady Bird. related content: Super Tight Rides Into The Sunset At Final Show But new music. New music is magical. New music captures the vibe of the times – if done correctly. My favorite artists have always been those who evolve with the changing cultural landscape. Artists like Beck, Prince and David Bowie. Every time I “discover” a new artist, I learn they’ve existed for years. This makes me feel one of two ways: either taken aback – like I’ve been living under a rock, or excited, like you just met your new best friend. Even though they tour around the globe, Unknown Mortal Orchestra is still, well, unknown to most music fans out there. At least in my experience. But they shouldn’t be, because they rock the fuck out and have been putting

Crushed at Communion: Cough and Grime at Union

Dillon Vaughn May 25, 2018

Union is a weird venue (and I say that entirely with love.) The range of genres and performers you can see there within any given three day period is unparalleled; multiple rooms and the willingness to take risks and work with promoters and musicians from vastly different scenes gives many acts a proper home beyond DIYs and dives – often juxtaposing seemingly alien niches on a single patio on the busiest nights. This lack of pretension has allowed some of the most intimate and (truly) stacked metal lineups to flourish here over the month of May – all beginning with Cough and Grime. related content: Satyricon’s Final Los Angeles Show At The Regent: A Night Too Blackened To Forget A quick glance at Midnite Collective’s past events reveals a finely curated selection of some of the most forward thinking and refined artists in doom and sludge – bands more than capable of exceeding the expectations set by the buzz and hype surrounding them: Cough and Grime being no exception to the standard. The night began with support from Midnight Collective favorites Trapped Within Burning Machinery and -(16)-, each delivering charged performances that set the tone perfectly. -(16)- has grown on

It Ain’t a Cult, it’s a Trap: Tyla Yaweh and SAINt JHN at The Roxy

Rob Shepyer May 23, 2018

Hip hop shows in 2018 are the most purely fun concerts of any genre causing a ruckus in LA. With rowdy DJs, blunt smoke, wild dance, and beautiful women everywhere, anyone that talks down about this form of music surely hasn’t experienced it live. related content: Nature World Night Out At The Regent: Building Bridges Between Hardcore And Hip Hop The night’s artists, vocalizing under the Not A Cult tour’s banner, were Tyla Yaweh and SAINt JHN. Tyla, a new acquisition of London Entertainment, is an artist ready to make everyone his biggest fan in 2018. How on Earth can he do this? Well, he demonstrated every behavior he would need to capture your adoration and imagination at this Roxy performance. First: Charisma. Tyla’s charisma is perhaps his most noticeable attribute, with a big smile and the ability to use dance and body language to to tell the story. Tyla moves with the lucidity and confidence of someone that risked it all for a dream and succeeded. During one song that featured the lyrics “she told me she really good at dancin’ like Michael Jackson“, Tyla busted out moves that dazzled the audience, dance moves people rarely see from hip

Soulfly And Nile: From The Amazon to The Whiskey

Rob Shepyer May 22, 2018

When I was thirteen years old, strewn above my bed, watching over me as I slept, was none other than Max Cavalera. His silhouette standing over the ocean, arms a-stretched like Rio De Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer, was on the cover of Soulfly‘s 1998 debut album, the poster flag of which hung upon my wall. This was Max’s new band and new approach, where Sepultura was a landmark fusion of world music and metal and inspired bands from thrash to death metal to hardcore to nu-metal alike, Soulfly was a spiritual reinvention. related content: Satyricon’s Final Los Angeles Show At The Regent: A Night Too Blackened To Forget It had taken me forever to see Max Cavalera live, either because I’m a poser or because I got so into punk that I forgot Soulfly, but with this Whiskey show popping my cherry, I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed the music like I was still thirteen. The first band I saw take the stage was Not My Master from El Paso, Texas. Texas produces a very sonically visceral strain of metal and Not My Master are no exception. They’re powerful but but don’t veer too far into noise, so fans of

Satyricon’s Final Los Angeles Show At The Regent: A Night Too Blackened To Forget

Rob Shepyer May 21, 2018

How do music writer’s typically describe the black metal sound? Frigid riffs? blast-beat drums? Cold shriek vocals? Epic? Medieval? Symphonic? These keywords are standard diction in black metal analysis but when talking about Satyricon one must introduce words like groove, experimental, and rock and fucking roll. That’s how the band set themselves apart from the rest of their contemporaries in the second wave of black metal (of the True Norwegian variety). They started with that typical winter blitzkrieg assault then evolved by slowing down the rhythm section for groove and making more chorus-heavy, kick-ass song structures while still fitting in the black metal mold. Satyricon should be credited for inspiring bands to blacken up their sound. related content: Slayer’s Final So-Cal Show At Five Point Amphitheater: The Most Insane Review I’ll Ever Write I remember first hearing Satyricon on the soundtrack for the cult movie Spun, directed by former Bathory drummer Jonas Akerlund and written by Will De Los Santos. The song “Mother North” off Nemesis Divina was featured prominently in the film and immediately made me take notice of their thrilling riffage and arrangements. Then once I saw the music video for “Fuel For Hatred” on MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball,

Finding the Funk: Birocratic at Union

Dillon Vaughn May 20, 2018

I’d like to begin by getting one very important thing out of the way: I’m a transplant here, as I’m sure a solid 95% of those reading this are too. I’m not as far from my home (Arizona) or my home before that (New Mexico – fuck it, I’m a child of the southwest after all) as most of you are, but I’m sure one thing is common among all of us: moving to Los Angeles represented a pivotal moment in which we were all allowed to explore and pursue every desire and interest we’d ever had, regardless of the cultural taboos and expectations placed upon us by those who raised us and sent us out into this mess (often unwillingly.) I was brought up in a very “metal” family; my parents owned a record store in New Mexico throughout my childhood called The Dragon’s Lair and our family road trips (which were almost exclusively planned around concerts) were soundtracked by the big four or Iron Maiden with sprinkles of what would become a growing obsession of mine: funk. Those deep, catchy grooves encouraged me to dig through every soul section I came across in a record store by the

Erika Wennerstrom Brings the Bootleg Theater Closer to Nature

Grace Dunn May 17, 2018

Questioning your existence is necessary for spiritual expansion. Growth through self-exploration in solitude is Erika Wennerstrom‘s debut of her solo album Sweet Unknown. The Bootleg Theater witnessed Erika’s soul on fire approach to song writing and those whom have never crossed paths with her were in for a treat. related content: In The City Of Sad Angels: Loma And Jess Williamson At The Bootleg Theater Jaime Wyatt opened the night for Erika and gave a courageous musical exchanging of vulnerable tales. She was bold and brave enough to mention her time spent in jail. Her confident charisma comes across best in her song ‘Wasco’. Performing without her band, her accompanying guitarist was a solid match to Jaime’s raw, powerful country voice. Erika was equipped with a brand new Gretsch Duo Jet that had such a clean tone that it cut through the crowd with great range. Immediately, the audience reacted in supportive awe with plenty of whoops and hollers all in agreement that Erika’s vocalizing song paths feel as refreshing as water through the Grand Canyon. Erika’s sensitive songwriting combines the great American spirit of freedom with a deep sense of humility and alignment of purpose with soil. Then haunting howls

Slayer’s Final So-Cal Show at Five Point Amphitheater: The Most Insane Review I’ll Ever Write

Rob Shepyer May 15, 2018

Seeing Slayer from the front of the crowd is the most violent live music experience you can gamble your life on. And I’m not exaggerating, the risk is real, tangible. Most music bloggers covering this show didn’t choose to stand where I stood, inching forward with the crowd with some kind of unconscious death wish; probably because most music bloggers have more to lose. To sum up what a Slayer show that close to the band is like, I’ll make a World War II reference like the band does on the song “Angel of Death”, their closer of the night. The front row of a Slayer concert feels like being crammed into a train on its way to a death camp, only a band is playing. Everyone is squeezed so tightly into each other that they can’t move. There’s no step you can take back, forward, to the right or left, that could give your body any relief. You’re lucky if you can move your arms. Then suddenly, you’re violently pushed in every direction, colliding with the bodies beside you and falling into them but not falling over, if you’re lucky and God forbid you do, because those that fell

Morbid Angel at The Regent: A Lesson in Death

Rob Shepyer May 13, 2018

Morbid Angel is one of the longest reigning, pioneering, OG Flordia death metal bands still touring. If one were to make a list of the “Big 4” of death metal, one would have to place them in the the number 2 slot, only after Death. Having titled their records alphabetically, the band has already gotten to K with Kingdoms Disdained an album that scrapped their former lead singer and bassist David Vincent to reunite with Steve Tucker. Under the master guidance of guitarist and band leader Trey Azagthoth, this latest 2017 release is one of the most crushing and riveting albums in the entire universe of extreme music and for a first generation death metal band to have released it among all these young kids trying to reinvent the wheel of metal, is truly significant of Morbid Angel’s greatness and right to reign. related content: The Battle of The Bays: Obituary & Exodus Clash At Teragram Ballroom Church of the 8th Day hosted Morbid Angel at the Regent with three openers, each contributing to a night of ear-splitting insanity. The first of which was Voices of Ruin, strapped with spiked leather and growls of Herculean magnitude, the band’s sound was

Category: SHOWS

Subscribe to the Janky Newsletter

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