Category: SHOWS

High on Fire: Metal Madness at The Echoplex

Danny Baraz August 4, 2015

With a massive swell of approval around the release of their 7th studio album, Luminiferous in June, High on Fire was booked by FYF Presents at The Echoplex this past Friday. It was the second stop on a headlining tour that stretches through to the end of August- Pallbearer, Lucifer and Venomous Maximus joined them. I was torn between this show and Stiff Little Fingers playing the last ever punk show at The House of Blues on the Sunset Strip. Ultimately, I never really liked the House of Blues and it’s corporate vibes and bad parking. Since I saw Stiff Little Fingers a couple times at the end of 2014, I decided I would go see a sick Metal lineup at an independent venue that has it’s finger on the pulse of music. Bye Bye, House of Blues. Don’t let the door hit you on your way out. I made it into the Echoplex with enough time to order a drink before Pallbearer took the stage. The venue was completely sold out. There were metal heads as far as the eye could see. I cruised by the merch booth, which was moved to a space in the back of the

The Kills Come to Los Angeles and Burn It To The Ground

Danny Baraz July 29, 2015

The duo of Allison Mosshart and Jamie Hince, aka, The Kills, played back to back, sold out L.A. shows at the El Rey and Glasshouse this week and it was my first time seeing them live, along with Baby in Vain. I am a HUGE fan of Mosshart with the Dead Weather and my love of that band rolled into a deep appreciation for The Kills. I’ve heard many people comparing The Kills to The White Stripes, over the years. That is one of the laziest and uninventive comparisons to pigeon hole a unique and creative collaboration such as The Kills, that I’ve heard in quite a long time. The Kills don’t sound like anyone else and rarely can one find the type of talent, sex appeal and presence that Allison Mosshart displays on stage. The Kills took the stage to a packed and exuberant house in Pomona. They wasted no time drawing the audience in by kicking the show off with “U.R.A. Fever” and instantly, it was on. With a battery of accompanying musicians in the background triggering samples and beating on drum modules, Mosshart and Hince stayed up front and were free from the past multi-tasking performances in which

Ty Segall Performs as Henry Rollins Observes

Ty Segall and The Birth Defects Play a Gig In a Tiny Room

Janky Smooth Central Command July 29, 2015

It was a real treat to attend a secret Ty Segall show this past Monday- you feel privileged to have stepped into some well-guarded party. The show was at The Griffin and I wondered how these other people knew about it? Are they personal friends of the bands? I could not find any information about the show on social media and I couldn’t help but wonder how long these Mondays at the Griffin are gonna stay a secret. Last night, The Birth Defects and Ty Segall performed in front of a few happy people. The last time Segall did a show at The Satellite, I was not fast enough to get a ticket. However, I managed to see him with his band, Fuzz at the Troubadour two weeks ago and now, this show at the Griffin! It was completely unexpected and a lot of fun. Birth Defects started the show a bit after 10 pm and, as they did when they opened for Fuzz at the Troubadour. They slaughtered the place, raising a monster at each song with their propulsive, raw and very loud sound. Their album ‘First 8 Mistakes’ was produced by Ty Segall, which explains the connection, and whatever they put

Meatbodies Lay Waste to The Echo With Spectacular Theatrics

Jai Chebaia July 25, 2015

Around five minutes before the Meatbodies took the stage, I realized it was all about to go down. There was a mysterious Ty Segall in the corner, suiting up in god knows what, who seemed to be reading lines off his phone. Chad Ubovich, head honcho at the Meatbodies, wearing an epic red cape and face paint to match, gave Ty a pat on the back as he walked onstage to put his guitar down. Onstage, there were two drum kits. Which was weird, because as far as I knew, the Meatbodies only had one drummer. The Echo started to fill out as the crowd slowly came to the realization that they were about to witness something different, and hopefully, something memorable. The Meatbodies, who released their debut album earlier this year to critical acclaim, had obviously been planning this tour kick off for a little bit. Like any band that faces rampant success, the pressure to step up their game is always on, as the audience expects a little something more each time. As always, the Meatbodies seemed up to the challenge, and likewise, the crowd was roaring to go, laying waste to each other before the band even

HEALTH at The Echo: First L.A. Show in 3 Years Delivers

Danny Baraz July 23, 2015

By Danny Baraz HEALTH is the most original sounding bands in music today. Dissonant chords fed through filters and stomp box effects. Galloping tribal rhythms so succinct and steady that you could set a watch to them. Reverberated falsetto vocals that create a layer of tenderness through the violent rhythms. Piercing sound designs that wash over the listener in a rebirth of the senses. The dichotomy of sound that Los Angeles band HEALTH creates is extraordinary. It all amounts to a New Wave, Gothic, Punk stew of noise and melancholy melody that we have been deprived of for far too long. On Wednesday, July 22nd, the HEALTH hiatus in Los Angeles ended at The Echo with the first of three sold out shows, carefully crafted to promote their new album Death Magic. There has been a steady build up since April of this year to tease new songs from the new album. The video for the song “New Coke” was premiered on YouTube in April and has racked up over 180k views in the few months that it’s been live. Not bad for an indie band. Between the imagery of Alice Glass and Pictureplane partying in the first minute to

Jason Finazzo of The Birth Defects at The Troubadour

Birth Defects Unleash Debut Album at the Troubadour alongside Fuzz and Carletta Sue Kay

Brent Smith July 21, 2015

Sandwiched between killer sets by Carletta Sue Kay and Fuzz, The Birth Defects album release bash for “First 8 Mistakes” at the Troubadour was one for the books. Everyone who was in the sold-out, jam-packed, iconic venue got slapped with an array of musical talent many, or just I, wouldn’t expect from a West Hollywood show on another Thursday night. It’s an endangered time for relics of bygone eras like the Troubadour—an attic-like setting that incubated the legendary statuses of Jim Morrison and Axl Rose alike (even Cheech and Chong were discovered there by Lou Adler). Nudged between the border of Beverly Hills and where Ron Jeremy and Bret Easton Ellis were eating dinner next door at Dan Tana’s, the Troub stands like an old ruin among the gated anti-communities of WeHo; a stark juxtaposition to the Laurel Canyon days of magical hills, liquor corner store blues, and free-lovin’ gutter artists. If this were the 80s, I would’ve hated it for being such a glam rock establishment whore house (and I probably would’ve lived in New York anyway). But in 2015, I’m just happy the Troubadour is still around, and not yet in the hands of some ‘starchictect’ like Thom

L7 Shreds Final Night at The Fonda with Skating Polly

Vanessa Burgundy July 19, 2015

I stepped off the plane from Mexico, into an Uber, dropped my suitcases at home and drove directly to The Fonda Theatre in Hollywood to catch night 2 of L7 playing Los Angeles after their first European tour in almost 20 years. I have gone into countless tirades in the past about why I prefer any night but night 1 of multiple date stands by popular bands in Los Angeles but this time, my preference had everything to do with the opening band, Skating Polly. My love for L7 is well documented, so rather than go fanboy and write about them for the second time in a month and a half, I’ll focus on Skating Polly and let one of the baddest bitches in L.A. tell you about the baddest bitches in rock music, L7. The first time I saw Skating Polly play a show was in January of this year when they opened for legendary Los Angeles band, The Flesh Eaters. I know the real thing when I see it and since then, I have become mildly obsessed with their 3 records; and I’m not the only one. Every iconic punker that sees them live seems to want to

A Show and a Chat with Built To Spill at The Troubadour

Paige Vreede July 18, 2015

Very seldom do bands remain popular after 23 years of producing music, let alone go on tour and sell out shows. This however, has not been the case for Built to Spill – a band that has been releasing consistently impressive albums since 1993. Over the years, musical maestro, Doug Martsche (singer and guitarist) has experimented with various album concepts, sounds, and even band members, yet has remained undeniably relevant since day one. To this you might reply with something like, “Rolling Stones” but we are talking about an indie band, not a worldwide musical phenomenon that are a household name. After a six-year hiatus, Built to Spill released a new album “Untethered Moon” this past April. With their recent release, the Idaho natives announced a world tour. Yes, a band that premiered their first album when I was only three years old, has been selling out shows on a world tour; and I was fortunate enough to be among one of the attendees. Slam Dunk, who were partially responsible in inspiring “Untethered Moon,” graced us with their presence before Built To Spill took the stage. As I peered over the balcony above, I noticed a sea of bopping heads flood

Beach Party Kickoff Rager for July Residency at The Echo

Justin Cornwall July 9, 2015

Monday nights in Los Angeles are perfect for catching live music. Up and coming acts are often given monthly residencies at one of several venues after paying some dues and climbing the musical ladder in LA. After a year or so of consistent work since their initial (Ty Segall produced) singles “Can’t Surf/Fun”, Beach Party has earned their slot every Monday this month at The Echoplex – joined by friends of their choosing. I made it to the venue just in time to catch The Buttertones open. They reminded me of The Aquabats + Misfits + Talking Heads. Some of their tunes were right out of a Dick Dale fever dream. They were a great choice for an opener; they fit in as Beach Party’s squeaky clean younger cousins. The live saxophone, which wasn’t overdone, filled in the gaps in their surfy low-fi vibes perfectly. The crowd was into it and seemingly grew as soon as they finished their set.. in preparation for Beach Party. The Beach Party residency is tethered to the incoming release of their EP “Ripper”, recorded by Sonny Diperri (involved w/ Portugal The Man, Hanni El Khatib,STRFKR), and is available for early physical purchase at these

Barb Wire Dolls Kick Off 2 Month Residency at The Whisky a Go Go

Danny Baraz July 7, 2015

Last night, Taylor Wong and I met at The Whiskey A Go Go to check out Barb Wire Dolls, Clepto and Tartar Control. Really, I was interested in Clepto and Tartar Control but after all the years of buzz, great reviews, touring and an endless stream of sexy photos, I decided to finally check out Barb Wire Dolls– a band that hit the punk scene as hard and fast as a Japanese Bullet train. Up to this point, nothing I had heard from the band had really resonated with me but I decided to watch and listen with an open mind. As we approached the Whiskey, Taylor informed me that he had never seen a show there. I was blown away. It shows just how irrelevant The Whisky has become that this 24 year year old music fan and journalist was entering the Whisky for the first time in his life. This historic venue that has helped launch the careers of acts like The Doors, Van Halen, Sonny and Cher, Guns and Roses and thousands of other bands has sustained itself on the pay to play model for about 15 years now. Almost every show I’ve seen there over the

Television is Flawless at The Teragram Ballroom

Danny Baraz July 6, 2015

Tom Verlaine and Co. casually walked onto the stage as if they were walking into their practice space. They picked up their weapons, turned on their amplifiers and took a good 3 minutes, casually confirming that their instruments were indeed in tune, seemingly oblivious to the fact that there was a sold out crowd standing right in front of them at The Teragram Ballroom. We were there to see their band Television play, most of us for the first and most likely, the last time. This was a momentous occasion even though 99.999999 percent of the world doesn’t know about them or their band. Almost every self respecting music lover is aware of a place called CBGB and the art that erupted out of that tiny, urine soaked corner of the world. It’s one of the places that the word Punk was defined and it’s also the place that it first became misunderstood because by today’s standard, the band Television doesn’t fit the narrow definition. Blondie, Talking Heads, The Ramones, Patti Smith, The Dead Boys and The Cramps (just to name a few), all CBGB bands that had a different sound but a similar spirit of independence. They were given

Jacco Gardner at The Echo shot by Julien Kelly

Jacco Gardner at The Echo: Psychedelic Scientist

Lawrence Rengert July 3, 2015

I remember the first time I saw the band Sleep play in San Francisco. There they were in all their glory, long before the 2nd, 3rd or even 4th wave of psychedelic, heavy or stoner rock got a foot hold. What was amazing about them is I kept wanting to say “wow this band is just like Black Sabbath,” but then correcting myself I realized, “no this band IS Black Sabbath.” From their Green Amps made for Sleep (just like the Orange Amps made for Black Sabbath) every aspect of their music, appearance and presentation screamed Sabbath and they did not disappoint. In the exact same way, the first time someone put on the music video for ‘Clear the Air’, the first single by Jacco Gardner on Excelsior-Recordings, I was convinced it was the second coming of Pink Floyd. Not just as an influence, but as a reincarnation; conjured into existence from the UFO Club in London, 1966. In fact, Jacco Gardner looks a tiny bit like a smaller, younger and more attractive Roger Waters. From his spectacular colored light show to the Farfisa-esque harpsichord via modern day Korg synthesizer, Jacco takes you directly back to the earliest days of the

Category: SHOWS

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