Category: SHOWS

Radkey Play The Echo and Make Me a Believer

Taylor Wong September 23, 2015

It has been about a month since I have been out to cover any thing and I was jonesin’ for a good show. FYF was my last assignment and that is entirely too long. I was sent out to The Echo, one of my most frequented and favorite venues to check out the brothers, Radkey. I got there right when the doors opened like a freshman at Junior Prom. The month away from shows had me acting like a newbie. Since I got there early, I grabbed a beer and sat down as I took in my surroundings. As I sat there I took a deep breath of the musty venue air. The venue was quite empty, “but that’s ok since it’s still early”, I thought to myself. Gentle Pony took the stage first. This duo had a sound that I would describe as a grown up Cherry Glazerr. This band was the perfect start to the evening as Steve and Lena both thrashed around the stage from start to end of their set. The odd thing was that this was probably the largest the crowd ever got during the course of the entire show. The next band up was Prettiest Eyes. A 3-piece band that had its own horny cowboy. This

Iggy Pop at Riot Fest Chicago 2015 by Dwayne Roberts

Janky Smooth at Riot Fest Chicago 2015: A Drunk History

Vanessa Burgundy September 22, 2015

By Vanessa Burgundy This was my Riot Fest hat trick and they do always say that “third time’s a charm”. Let it be known, Riot Fest, you have always been positively charming, however; this year, you were downright enchanted. Day One: I had a bit of a late start, missing favorites like Mariachi el Bronx, Fishbone, and garage-girl-group The Coathangers. Danny caught up with them in our Riot Fest Video Recap but got there just in time to catch classic New York, rock band Living Colour. This years Riot Fest was already off to a better start than the previous year, with a smooth, no-wait, check-in and entry but also a gorgeous day. I actually didn’t even know that the entirety of field at Douglas Park resembled a bowl of pudding until I got kicked off the stage later that night during No Doubt’s set. Thanks Gwen. I got to my perch on the side of stage during Living Colour’s set. Once the god awful sound issues were worked out, Living Colour were amazing and I couldn’t find any difference between now and 88 except a few scattered greys in the dreads and fro’s. Impressive. Conveniently, our buddies, Eagles of

Veronica Bianqui performs at "It's My Party" at Human Resources

Liberation vs Romance: Le Butcherettes and “It’s My Party” Last Thursday in LA

Danny Baraz September 21, 2015

By Danny Baraz The impact of women in music is not only starting to reveal itself but the term “the gentler sex” is going to have to be retired. This past Thursday night out on the town in Los Angeles proved two things- Artistic women like Teri Gender Bender of Le Butcherettes can decimate the stereotypical image of the role of women in society and that we can still celebrate the art and the emotions that originated from one of the most classic eras of American Sexism. That dreamy, swept off your feet part of the classic patriarchy. At 6pm on September 17, 2015 at Amoeba Records on Sunset Blvd, a lead singer of a band that originated in Guadalajara Mexico in 2007 left an indelible mark on passengers traveling east on the number 2 metro line bus during rush hour and in my psyche. Well, at least my psyche. The passengers of the bus didn’t seem too thrilled. I found out, last minute, that Le Butcherettes were playing an in store performance at Amoeba and I rushed down there immediately. When I arrived I saw lead singer Teri Gender Bender, her guitar sized ukulele and drummer Chris Common in

Destruction Unit at The Teragram Ballroom

Destruction Unit Record Release at The Teragram Ballroom

Brent Smith September 17, 2015

Arriving at the Teragram Ballroom on 7th Street, dodging traffic, skate rats, and the regular stream of Monty Bar freaks, I dipped under the sleek, neon blue marquee, through the main doors, and into the archway of the foyer where Destruction Unit release party event collaborators Critical Resistance had a table amongst all the merch. I was just in time to see the opening acts spew death metal and summon the Devil in guttural tongues. It was the record release party for Destruction Unit’s long-awaited album of concussive rhythm and psychedelic overdrive Negative Feedback Resistor (Sacred Bones Records). In a word? Shit was lit. There were lots of freaks and aliens, but not as many as I expected. Or maybe it was just a perception thing, since the Teragram is deceptively big for only having a capacity of 600. There always seems to be tons of room whenever I’m there, while being intimate at the same time. The Teragram is little sister to New York key players The Mercury Lounge and Bowery Ballroom, and got its name from owner Michael Swier’s late wife “Margaret” spelled backward. It’s hardly a planted flag for New York, rather it’s among the few venues

Passion Of The Weiss 10 Year Anniversary at The Echo

Paige Vreede September 13, 2015

The Echo was transformed on Sunday when prolific music writer, Jeff Weiss, held a ten-year anniversary party for his blog, Passion Of The Weiss. The event was far different from the indie shows that are typically hosted at The Echo. From 4pm to 2am, rappers from all over the country came almost as quickly as they went off The Echo stage, spitting lines over fat beats. The lineup included both already established and up-and-coming artists, as well as three “secret guests”. Gone were the beards and tattoos normally associated with The Echo and in came the overuse of cologne and the term “pimp.” I am not a hip hop head but I have big respect for Jeff Weiss. I walked into The Echo and felt like I walked into a scene out of 8-Mile. People were swaying and head bobbing slowly to the beats that were pumping through the sound system. The atmosphere was intimate and full of energy. Jeff Weiss, who is editor of Passion Of The Weiss, a columnist for Pitchfork and LA Weekly, and co-host of hip-hop podcast Shots Fired, organized a lineup full of stupendous talent. Dr. Millionaire, Red Ferguson, Kweku Collins, Jordan Raf, The Outfit

Veronica Bianqui and Friends Live Up to The Hype at Harvard and Stone

Brent Smith September 11, 2015

The second night of Veronica Bianqui’s September residency at Harvard & Stone, presented by Grimy Goods, was a dancy, boozy trip through space and time—like lounging on the beach and soaking it up with Coppertone on the edge of the Milky Way galaxy. Featuring brain melting sets by Vox Waves and Rudy De Anda, Tuesday night’s show attested why people are showing up in droves to see the new L.A. indie rock it-girl. “I wanted all the bands to be friends of mine who I know are badass performers,” Bianqui said of the residency when interviewed. “That’s basically it.” I like seeing shows in the middle of the week, when all the decent folk are tucking themselves into bed and there’s no line stretched down Hollywood Boulevard in Thai Town. Harvard & Stone (despite all the bitching you read about on YELP) is the best small stage venue in Hollywood, and, other than making some of the best drinks in town (Baby’s First Bourbon is a new classic), it has played humble host to a crazy amount of L.A.’s bourgeoning talent like Dead Sara, L.A. Witch, Death Valley Girls, Tashaki Miyaki, Cherry Glazerr, and a billion others. It’s the WWII

Mystic Braves Headline the Teragram Ballroom shot by Johnny Ramos

Mystic Braves Bring Good Vibes To The Teragram Ballroom

Johann A. Ramos September 8, 2015

Ryan of No Parents illuminated at The Teragram Mystic Braves, Creation Factory, The Abigails and No Parents shared the stage on the first Friday of September at the Teragram Ballroom in Downtown Los Angeles. But one of these things is not like the others and it had me scratchin my head. Creation Factory, The Abigails, and Mystic Braves have a complimentary sound (and even common band members) with a 60’s psychedelic rock influence. This left No Parents a little out of place with their straightforward punk style. It’s not the first time No Parents’ name on a bill looked like a red headed step child in an African village. We’ve been noticing that a lot with this band but I think it’s just because every band in L.A. wants to play shows with them. It made for an interesting night. Johnny 2 Bags and The Abigails at The Echo: Two Generations of Heartbreak Music I’ve never been to the Teragram Ballroom before, and I was quite surprised with the venue’s sound and lighting. I’ve seen Mystic Braves many times in their rise through the L.A. DIY indie music scene so I’m intimately familiar with their sound. So many shows in dingy clubs

Way Strange Fest: Teenage Promoters In Way Over Their Head

Jai Chebaia September 2, 2015

Way Strange Fest was the brainchild of two teenagers from the Inland Empire, Esmeralda and Nora, who managed to gather over 50 bands from Los Angeles and beyond for one exhilarating day. It had been a while since I’d seen this many bands crammed into one tight space in an even tighter day, so I was curious to say the least. There had been growing speculation about the legitimacy of the festival for some time, with some bands dropping off the festival last minute, leaving others who had made the trek out wondering how the two teens were going to pull everything off. Located in Upland, CA, Way Strange was hosted at an aptly named venue called Imagine That; in true D.I.Y. fashion the venue was most notable for its quinceaneras, as I read on a company truck nearby, which made the whole layout of the festival make a whole lot more sense. There were three stages, in three separate rooms, directly adjacent to each other. You could walk from one end of the venue to the other in probably 30 seconds. Each room was bigger than the last, housing bigger acts as they went throughout the night. The stages

Savages Ravage the Roxy Theater

Brent Smith August 29, 2015

On a muggy L.A. summer night, Savages fans crammed into an even muggier sold-out Roxy Theatre to bear witness to yet another phenomenal west coast performance by the all-female postpunk band from across the pond. Just last weekend, Savages took over Exposition Park at FYF, and gave Angelenos something to remember them by. Last night’s performance at The Roxy sealed the deal, and at the same time, got us excited about the promises of their new album. It’s true, kids. Despite Beverly Hills’ attempt at annexing West Hollywood, awesome shows are still going off in WeHo. I entered and the floor, VIP area, and bar were already packed. Crowded and hot—the smell of B.O. and spilt beer growing exponentially by the minute—an army of black shirts and neon drink bracelets waited in hushed elation under the smoky blue lights of the famed venue on the even more famed Sunset Blvd. (Which only seems real after being so uncannily rendered in GTA V). Needless to say, the smell of ganja in the bathroom (and whoever shared it with me) was a godsend. As we heard the instruments being tested in the pitch dark of the stage, the guest DJ spun some

Savages at FYF 2015 by Taylor Wong-Top 10 Concerts of 2015

FYF 2015: Surviving Their Own Legacy

Danny Baraz August 26, 2015

When people refer to FYF Fest as the “Urban Coachella”, it’s not a compliment. After last years move to Exposition Park from LA Historic Park, I was inclined to agree with them. There were some SERIOUS growing pains in the move to Expo Park. The main problem was that FYF 2013 was one of the best festivals I had ever been to. There was a stretch that year where Thee Oh Sees, Black Flag and Death Grips played consecutively, on the same stage, with a metro train passing every 15 minutes that was so surreal and incredible, that no amount of drugs, liquor or sexual release could ever compare to it. Flash forward to 2014- It took some people 2 hours to get into the festival on the first day. It was almost impossible to get into the Sports Arena. There was quite a sizeable new amount of land to get from the “Lawn Stage” to the “Main Stage”. It was quite the comedown from the year before. Would FYF Fest 2015 be able to recover from greatness of it’s own legacy and the logistical nightmares that plagued FYF 2014 with it’s move to Exposition Park? Even with all

Metz at destroying ear drums at The Echo

Melee at The Echo with Metz, Retox and Obliterations

Danny Baraz August 22, 2015

Metz, Retox and Obliterations on the same bill at The Echo is a hardcore lovers dream. It’s a testament to Metz and the confidence they have in their material and live show. Both of the opening bands are capable of headlining their own gigs and potentially shaming headliners into reevaluating their life’s purpose. But the latest Sub Pop Records anti heroes delivered a high energy set which sent fans into an unstoppable frenzy. Their sophomore album, Metz II is a progressive step that delivers more chaos and aggression along with a BIT more commercial appeal- a difficult task, to say the least. It’s been almost a year since I’ve seen Obliterations. Poison Everything was one of my favorite albums of 2014. They’ve been touring almost non stop since that time but there was no fatigue apparent. Frontman, Sam James Velde has the look of madness and ill intent in his eyes when performing. It appeared he took the low energy, opening act audience as a challenge. He continuously leaned over the threshold of the stage, hovering over people and screaming in their face, particularly the audience members who weren’t completely engaged. By the time a pit finally exploded on the

The Jesus and Mary Chain, Psychocandy and the Art of Noise at The Fonda

Johann A. Ramos August 21, 2015

The Jesus And Mary Chain and A Place To Bury Strangers (APTBS) shared the stage Wednesday night at The Fonda Theater in Hollyweird. The influencers of the first wave of the shoegaze movement made a wise choice picking APTBS as their support to mark the significance of this seminal album in rock history. When I arrived to the venue, I was delighted to be greeted by up and coming solo acoustic singer and songwriter Willow Robinson. Although I was a little late to his set, I enjoyed the songs I did manage to catch and recognize. While I do believe that the acoustic genre is saturated and that it is almost impossible to stand out, Willow Robinson is one of the few exceptions in the scene. Although the crowd was a little bare, the few spectators were having a good time. It was apparent in the way their eyes were glued to the stage. Willow Robinson closed his set by letting us know that he was very grateful to be sharing the stage with Jesus and The Mary Chain and A Place To Bury Strangers, a very humble move on his part. I was intrigued but not surprised by the