Category: SHOWS

House of Ho99o9 Halloween at The Roxy

Rob Shepyer November 2, 2016

Angelinos spent the Sunday before Halloween under an overcast sky, bracing against the trashing rain. 9.9.9: The dead could feel the day’s coming haunt, seeping in through the soil. Oh the Ho99o9… Not your typical Sunday, the city’s thirst to party had not be quenched by Friday or Saturday’s pre-Halloween escapades and so creepers poured onto the Sunset Strip looking for a fix. The chic elite WeHo-llowieners past The Roxy and just kept on walking while the punks checked right in, dressed in costumes that depicted such characters as: low life’s, whores, pimps, derelicts, 22nd century anal nuns, cross-dressing goo gobblers, and a hesher or two. Like a horde of roaches skittering into a crack, we all gathered to see Ho99o9 and The Shrine, two buzz bands and the cream of today’s crop. It was Ho99o9’s first Los Angeles show since dropping two new songs: The Dope Dealerz and Double Barrel. One track is heavy rap, the other is heavy punk. Yin and Yang… or actually, Yin and Yin. I had seen half of Ho99o9’s set opening for Faith No More last year at the Wiltern and wasn’t able to get sucked into it. So I wasn’t sure if they’d

Patti Smith at The Teragram: The Influence of a Cultural Icon

Vanessa Burgundy October 25, 2016

As I entered the Teragram Ballroom last Thursday night, I thought to myself, “how do I review the performance of a prophetic artist like Patti Smith?” There is little pressure in attempting to capture the essence of buzz-worthy bands releasing their first material but when using your words to capture the abstract and literal influence of an American cultural icon, it’s important to “get it right”. Wish me luck. I walked in as she was halfway through Arthur Rimabaud’s “Drunken Boat”, an author whose works she has directly ingested and spit out into her own countercultural treatise. I squeezed to the front, the crowd silent and mesmerized; Hot and inspired, turned on with poetic verses of despair. “…I have wept too much! Dawns are heartbreaking. Every moon is atrocious; every sun is bitter.” (Rimbaud) There is power in the words but life when she speaks them. She built the energy and the swarm of desperate faces exhaled in applause. The band started and opened with “Dancing Barefoot”. Patti was serving Joey Ramone realness in a striped t-shirt and black jacket, reminding us that poetry and punk are indeed euphonic duo. She somehow keeps the mood light amidst heavy material and

2 Nights of The Julie Ruin at The Roxy: All Girls To… The Back Bar

Vanessa Burgundy October 18, 2016

The mood was light and the crowd was heavy on Friday night for the first of the two sold-out the Julie Ruin shows at the Roxy. Gender-bending, NYC comedian Murray Hill intro’d the band with his silly, old-school showbiz banter (as he has for Le Tigre, the Gossip, and the Beastie Boys…) and the band bounced out onto the stage. Kathleen Hanna was a showgrrrl after my own heart, dressed fully in sequins. Another sign that this band is more about fun, as their latest jolting dance-pop release Hit Reset will prove, albeit emotionally heavy. related content: The Julie Ruin at The Troubadour- Vagina’s and Surprises My 14 year old me can’t mask my disappointment about the lack of angst and anger that translates into raw power on stage- that the show was missing on Friday night. During the first song, the band got off on a false start and in between starting again, a man in the back yelled “Take it off!!!”. I looked at my girlfriend and we both were wondering where we were for a second. I mean, the Julie Ruin even have a song titled “Mr. So and So” about an asshole dude that loves girl bands. We

Echo and the Bunnymen shot by Jessica Moncrief

Echo and the Bunnymen Mesmerize Suburbia at The Observatory

Jessica Moncrief October 3, 2016

September 30, 2016 not only marked a rare black moon, but a “Killing Moon” as well for the fans that had the honor to see new romantic icons Echo and the Bunnymen grace the stage that evening at The Observatory in Orange County. From my experience, sometimes seeing older bands that you love ends up leaving you feeling burned, disillusioned and wishing that you still maintained the unblemished vision of what you imagined them to be in their prime. I wanted to know what I was in for, so the weeks leading up to the show I found myself browsing YouTube for Echo and The Bunnymen concerts, new and old. With each video … starting from early 80s to present day, there may have been changes in line-ups and set lists but one thing that has remained a constant over the decades is the solid musicianship and mind blowing performances. By the day of the show, my anticipation was at its peak and I was fully ready to mark another one of the greats off my bucket list. Ian McCulloch made his way to the front of the stage with his shades and impeccable fashion. His sultry presence commanded all

Subhumans At The Observatory: Old Songs, New Decade, Same Problems

Jessica Moncrief September 20, 2016

If you think punk’s dead, then you don’t know Dick! From Wiltshire pubs in 1980 to present day Southern California clubs, Subhumans have been consistent with inciting anarchy and pushing their non-conformist ideals for over 36 years. Friday night’s packed Subhumans show at The Observatory was a great representation of this, with a multi generational crowd ranging from 2 to 70 years of age. Seeing the varying age groups really put the Subhuman’s history into perspective. The elders of the punk scene seemed to be rehashing teenage nostalgia while newcomers simultaneously were experiencing this punk rock rite of passage for the first time. Subhumans were also joined by Kicker and Raukuous on this tour. related content: OG’s, Toddlers and Whiskey for The Weirdos and Adolescents With all the perils of the world and an exceptionally ridiculous election season, so many feel like the world is more fucked now than it ever has been. Truth is, it’s always been fucked! As Dick Lucas segways his songs through short political rants covering everything from wage inequality, animal rights, racism, and of course the evil two party system governing America, I couldn’t help but think how his shows were probably very much the

Pussy Bang Bang at Harvelle's Long Beach

Pussy Bang Bang Grindhouse Burlesque Show Grinds On Harvelle’s Long Beach

Jessica Moncrief September 8, 2016

The first night of a 3 part residency at Harvelle’s in Long Beach went off with a BANG! A Pussy Bang Bang that is! The Pussy Bang Bang Grindhouse Burlesque Show is the brainchild of performer/model/actress/producer Olivia Bellafontaine. She has incorporated cult classic grindhouse movies, punk rock, sin and beautiful women to create a tantalizing and visually stimulating experience. Each sexy act throughout the night was inspired by movies such as Planet Terror, Death Proof, Jackie Brown and more. Clips from classic and more recent grindhouse films were projected on screen in the background while the performers danced to The Misfits, The Stooges and other bad ass punk bands. One stand out performance was “nunsploitation” inspired, where the performer brilliantly executes the story of a nun who succumbs to the temptations of sin. During a brief intermission, audience members were blown away by a guest appearance by Heather Henderson, as she belted out a stellar rendition of “96 Tears” by Question Mark and the Mysterians. And then it was back to the gyrations, gesticulations and anatomical manipulations. I wouldn’t call this feminism but then again, it seemed quite empowering for the women on the stage. Harvelle’s is a speakeasy style

The Sonics Teach Garage Rock History 101 at The Observatory

Jessica Moncrief August 22, 2016

In 1960, a band of kids heavily inspired by 50’s R&B, formed The Sonics with no clue that more than 50 years later, they would actually be the inspiration for modern day rock n roll power houses and music enthusiasts around the world. In 1964, The Sonics were signed by Etiquette Records and released their first (and wildly popular) single, “The Witch”. Even though its radio airplay was restricted, “The Witch” went on to become the biggest selling local single in the history of the Northwest. Between ’65 and ’67, The Sonics released three studio albums: “Here Are The Sonics”, “Boom”, and “Introducing the Sonics”. Their covers of songs by artists such as Little Richard, Chuck Berry, The Fabulous Wailers and Richard Berry gained the boys national attention, however, the real standout tracks were their original hits such as “The Witch”, “Boss Hoss”, “Psycho”, “Cinderella”, “Shot Down” & “Strychnine,” which gained them a true cult following. The 60’s were a great era for music, but no one did it quite like The Sonics. They screamed louder and played faster and harder than anyone else at that time. Their recording style, performance, and lyrics would usher in a new age of

Berserktown 3: The Craziest Festival on Earth

Rob Shepyer August 18, 2016

2016 is the year everyone decided to step it up. Sound and Fury rolled out to the Regent, Beach Goth bounced to Oaks Canyon Park, Desert Daze doubled down to the Institute of Mental Physics, and the fest that I attended this past weekend, Berserktown 3 raided and shut down the Teragram Ballroom. Berserktown 2: Music Fringe Binge at the Observatory Beach Goth 4: The Party of the Year Desert Daze 2015: The Festival for the 21st Century I see every festival like it’s a good friend trying to impose their music on you with a mixtape of a bunch of bands you’ve never heard of but Berserktown is the best one of those friends that knows all the right bands to show any punk with (dis)tasteful sensibility. The lineup is handpicked with acts that are hard to see anywhere in the world, all of completely different genres. Where else can I see Parisian Oi, Mexican darkwave, death rock from Nuke York, experimental noise out of England, punk rock legends from Belgium, and Sweden’s Brainbombs all in one weekend? With so much range, creativity and originality spewing out of Berserktown, I couldn’t help but wonder if some future genius was

Thee Oh Sees Slay Teragram Ballroom Night Before Album Drops/Tour

Danny Baraz August 16, 2016

Is there anyone in independent music that has more going for them than John Dwyer and his band, Thee Oh Sees? In an industry that has been turned upside down, Dwyer and others such as Ty Segall have been successfully proving out the new business model for musical acts that aren’t corporate concoctions of sterile art, ripened just right for commercial licensing. Indy bands have proven that there is a demand for raw and innovative rock and roll, even as it disappears almost completely from the mainstream. Indy bands have proven that there is still a dream to be chased that can sustain their lives and compulsion to create with hard work and an untiring proliferation and output. On Thursday night, Thee Oh Sees threw a party at The Teragram Ballroom the night before their new album, A Weird Exits dropped and the night before they left on an extended tour of Europe that includes a backend leg in the US. While many bands might be content in taking the night off before a three month tour, whether John Dwyer wanted to brush up on some of the new tracks or he just wanted another stack of chips to add

Radiohead shot by Johann Ramos at Outside Lands 2016

The Headliners Rule at Outside Lands 2016

Danny Baraz August 12, 2016

In the year of our lord, 2016, I attended my first Outside Lands inside the crunchy granola confines of Golden Gate Park. I have been experiencing much Bay Area festival envy in the preceding years so I rectified it by attending this year’s Burger Boogaloo in Oakland and I attended my very first Outside Lands last week . Even though this year’s Outside Lands lineup didn’t blow me away, I decided that I needed a change of scenery, a change from the jaded, L.A. crowds and… of course… RADIOHEAD! No Live Nation or Goldenvoice. No 100 degree weather. No rubber necking, celebrity duck sicking or friends plus 1 on the guest listing. No Native American Head Dressing anywhere to be seen. Don’t get me wrong; I have nothing but love for my birthplace in the mecca of entertainment but sometimes familiarity brings comfort and sometimes, it breeds contempt. Aside from the persistence of seeing San Francisco Giants apparel everywhere I looked, I’ve always loved the folks I’ve met and become fast friends with in San Fran and Oakland. Just wondering if it’s coincidence that the only real jerk offs I’ve met up there happen to be rocking VaGiants gear. Someone

Dirty Penni Fest: A Rock and Roll Romper Room For Young and Old

Paige Vreede July 27, 2016

Los Angeles is a mecca for DIY events, especially in the Summer and this past Saturday Penniback Records and Dirty Laundry TV teamed up to put on hybrid “Dirty Penni Fest”, at you guessed it, The a Echo and The Echoplex. Teenagers would get nine hours of freedom and independence with headlining acts such as Cherry Glazerr, No Parents, and Guantanamo Baywatch. But it wasn’t just the youths who were permitted to have a good time… Mike Watt and the Missing Men were also on the bill. Whaaaaaat?! When I was first asked to cover it, I honestly approached my editor with great hesitancy in agreeing to spend an entire day drenched in 18-year-old sweat. Most of the aversion I have with these type of events is a bi-product of me getting older, music festivals increasing popularity and my progressively shortened temper to be around nihilistic teens. Alas, I agreed to it anyhow, and holy shit I am glad I did. Though there were some incredible bands that kicked off the shenanigans at noon, I knew if I had arrived early, by the time the headlining acts were to go on I would be too exhausted to care or too drunk

Ghostface Killah and Raekwon at Low End Theory Fest

Annual Low End Theory Festival Spreads L.A. Wildfire Into Shrine Auditorium

Danny Baraz July 25, 2016

A radioactive, orange, spherical fiery orb in the sky hung just below a thick, impenetrable blanket of ash and dust from the sand fires burning the Angeles National Forrest, just 30 miles outside of Los Angeles. The distant wild fire choked my lungs and burned my eyes as I navigated the streets of South L.A. to enter the Shrine Auditorium for the third annual Low End Theory Festival in 2016. But even with the safety of distance from the flames, the most important beat collective in the world gets LIT af everytime they get together to dance and blaze and spark the imagination by pushing the envelope of sound, rhythm and rhyme. Whether you are a regular at Low End Theory’s home base on Wednesday’s at The Airliner in Lincoln Heights or you attended the festival because Wu-tang MC’s Ghostface Killah and Raekwon were at the top of the bill, you were a part of a movement that is shaping the future of music. It was clear, immediately, that attendance was down from the previous year’s sold out festival but it is no commentary on any type of waning influence. Last year, Low End Theory booked widely respected and beloved cross