Category: SHOWS

Burgerama 4: Burger Food Poisoning

Danny Baraz April 2, 2015

Almost every place in the world now breeds the type of angsty teens that pick up guitars to butcher some out of tune power chords. What is it about Orange County, California that continuously, for the last three generations in a row, forms and re forms these amazing scenes that surround dozens of good local bands? Many bands that eventually rise to international fame or at least, notoriety. Decade after decade the youth of Orange County reject the status quo, vandalize their strip malls, piss in their pools and rock the fuck out. Once the music industry crashed and burned, you would think that those kick-pedal-carrying kids would remain in anonymity in the solitude of their own bedrooms, never to move out of their parents homes. Rising from the smoke and the ash of a music industry unwilling to adapt to the digital age comes Burger Records bearing, of all things, cassette tapes. They are here to service this generations’ insatiable thirst for angst, sex and adolescence. Burger Records was formed in 2007 by Sean Bohrman and Lee Rickard. They allowed all their artists to retain complete control of their works and primarily, all of their releases have been on cassette.

Panache Spring Fling at The Echo: Jacco Gardner, Ultimate Painting, The Entrance Band and more…

Lawrence Rengert April 2, 2015

Two nights ago I was at one of the most unglamorous dive bars in Ventura, a show organized for label mates of Jacco Gardner, The Miseries. The place was dark and smelly with dartboards and bikers, prostitutes (I may have only imagined them), a guy even took off his pants going full frontal and a bartendress showed up late, but just in time to direct security around the bar as girlfriends threw Q balls at boyfriends heads. Los Angeles garage sensations The Cigarette Bums were opening up but there was something special about that night and the willingness of the bands to play a show there, in that semi-dangerous and remote spot. There was something special about it because nothing was being handed to anyone and each band would have to work the crowd (most of whom knew nothing about these bands or the musical styles they played), fight to be heard, deal with the worst sound equipment imaginable, everything was running late and it was still an unknown if the last band of the evening would even have enough time to play. There was something tragic, yet beautiful and romantic about it, it was a great show. Today I

Depth Test for Broncho, Girl Band and Blair at The Echo

Danny Baraz April 2, 2015

I made my way over to The Echo on Thursday night to check out a sold out show with headliner, Broncho. Irish noise rock group, Girl Band were my real motivation for attending this gig but I certainly was intrigued by seeing what the Broncho buzz was all about. Just a few hours earlier I got to cross an item off my bucket list after a marathon interview with Jello Biafra. I mention this only because it was relevant to the affect it had on my perception of all the bands’ performances that night- an affect, which reinforced the gut feeling I had about Girl Band and completely undermined the way I reacted to Wyatt Blair, also on the bill. So here it goes. The venue was dead silent as Girl Band took the stage. I could tell what type of audience this was going to be right away- beautiful and boring. The type of audience that attends a sold out show for a one hit wonder band although, that’s not fair to Broncho- I’m rather sure they’ll be around for a long time after Thursday night’s show. I’m referring to the fact that Broncho’s latest single, “Class Historian” seems to be amplifying out of a lot of people’s speakers

Palma Violets and No Parents: Clear Your Head With Chaos at The Echo

Savannah Peykani March 27, 2015

Time was not necessarily on the crowd’s side last night at The Echo but that didn’t stop anyone from having a rocking, raucous, even ridiculous time as UK rising stars Palma Violets headlined the night, with LA’s No Parents opening. People lined up outside the Echo well before the 8:30 door time, as fans itched to get their hump-day music fix via Palma Violets. Leading up to No Parents’ set, the Echo was restless, peppered with well-dressed, effortlessly hip punks and rockers alike. We all were ready for the show to start but No Parents and Palma Violets, of course, had other plans- since there’s nothing cool about being on time. With Palma Violets playing at Burgerama this weekend, last night’s show was their introduction to California’s “Burger World” and who better to facilitate that than No Parents? Front man Zoe Reign literally had a stripped down performance, taking off his clothes by the second song and only wearing some very flattering gray boxers for the remainder of the night. Immediately everyone understood just what kind of guy he is and what kind of set they would play. No Parents play short, fast, no-nonsense punk music, with track highlights being “Die Hippie Die”

Rubblebucket & Vacationer join the circus at The Echoplex

Taylor Wong March 25, 2015

It’s a Tuesday night and I found myself waiting for the doors of the Echoplex to open. I’m a bit out of it from working non-stop all week and packing as I am in the midst of moving. All of a sudden I hear a loud thud and some one scream. Someone just hit a person with their car under the bridge right next to the Echoplex. I walk over to the scene where the driver had stopped to call 911. I looked for a while and walked back to the line a little shaken up but knowing that some one had already taken the responsibility of calling for an ambulance. There was nothing in my power that I could do to help this person at this point. No one else in line even knew what had just happened. I didn’t lose my appetite. I walked in and ordered a couple of slices of pizza and a Red Bull. I was unable to drink to drink due to antibiotics, so you know I am not making any of this up. The bill for the night was a co-headlined show by Vacationer and Rubblebucket, with opening band SWIMM. SWIMM took the stage around 20

Don’t Think, Just Drive: Deap Vally Always Worth The Trip

Danny Baraz March 25, 2015

For the past few weeks, Moon Block Monday’s has been a recurring event at the Continental Room in Fullerton. Week after week, the lineups have intrigued me but I have been unable to muster the energy for the drive from LA to Orange County at the end of a weekend of covering shows. Luckily, Moon Block’s last show at The Continental Room fell on a Sunday. Even luckier than that, Deap Vally was the headliner. The show also featured L.A. Witch and Summer Twins. I didn’t make it in time to see Globelamp. After interviewing Julie, Lindsey and Phil Pirrone of Moon Block/Desert Daze a couple of weekends ago, I realized that not only are these people talented musicians and relatable song writers but I found out that they are also genuinely nice and hospitable people. It makes it easy to be a loyal fan. There is nothing worse than meeting artists you respect and finding out they are douchebags. I made my way down to Fullerton California on Sunday evening. I got to the venue and ordered a beverage. The trio of women that call themselves L.A. Witch took the stage quietly but that quiet didn’t last long. The battery of

Tijuana Panthers Rock Teens and Their Parents at The Echo

Danny Baraz March 23, 2015

Teens and parents alike congregated to see Tijuana Panthers at The Echo for a pseudo-matinee show courtesy of KXLU 88.9. With the sun still shining outside, I nestled into the cave-like venue around 6:30 PM, which felt a little strange. The bar tenders were drinking coffee, the patio atmosphere seemed abnormally void of booze, and my pizza order was, for the first time, a sober and conscious decision. The vibes were surely a bit off but a promise to see Tijuana Panthers for my first time kept my spirits high. I arrived just in time to see openers Wounded Lion. While it was merely 7 PM, Wound Lion seemed to pay it no mind and ripped right through their quick set, which the lead singer boasted/cautioned would only last 27 minutes. After each song, the band members would rotate instruments, while their resident hype man screamed along and persisted the white man can’t dance theory. Taking the stage at 8 PM was Tijuana Panthers. Before I even heard their music I loved them strictly because of their name. Tijuana is a bat shit crazy place I frequented as a teenager where morals are extremely low and the price of a

Trash Talk, Ratking and Pangea: Slam Dance 101 at The Echoplex

Danny Baraz March 23, 2015

“Everyone say Fuck You to my friends on the side of the stage here”. The Echoplex crowd was eager to oblige the demands made by Lee Spielman of Trash Talk on Friday night. “You ain’t special just because we drink beers together, and shit. Get your ass out there.” Friday night at the Echoplex brought us another installment of Check Yo Ponytail and the conclusion of a month on the road for Trash Talk, Ratking and junglist, Lee Bannon. Spielman and Wiki from Ratking seemed exhausted as they both mentioned separately during their sets how long the last 30 days of their life seemed. In between songs, Wiki seemed tilted like a half chopped down tree. I was ready to hear someone shout “Timber!” at any moment but every time a new song started, Wiki was in full control, crushing all verses without so much as a slur. Lee Spielman has become a master at putting together non-obvious, genre bending shows. He connects the best bands, MC’s and DJ’s and let’s the chips fall where they may. Even though Trash Talk is one of the only REAL thrash bands around right now, I’ve hardly ever seen them play with any

A Place to Bury Strangers Makes Eardrums Bleed at The Echoplex

JustinThomas March 16, 2015

Last night The Echoplex played host to a union of reverberate noise courtesy of A Place To Bury Strangers, Creepoid, and Tennis System. I arrived around 10pm, just in time to catch the Los Angeles transplanted three-piece, Tennis System. Like the other bands billed, Tennis System produced no shortage of noise, setting the stage perfectly with their stony jams for the rest of the acts to follow. Next up were the Philadelphia bred four-piece, Creepoid. Lead by guitarist Sean Miller and bassist Anna Troxell, Creepoid had a dark, shoegazey sound that translated extremely well live. Much like A Place To Bury Strangers, their songs seemed to deviate from their recorded structure, instead, leading into reverb filled bridges and bass driven breakdowns. Last night was their last stop on the tour supporting APTBS, and they made it known. Before Anna Troxell led into “Tired Eyes”, she dedicated the melancholy track to ABTBS letting them know how much she would miss them. To wake the sleepy Sunday night crowd at 11:30 PM was A Place To Bury Strangers and wake them they did. Never in my life have I experienced a band that produces the amount of noise that A Place to

No Barrier Between Thee Oh Sees and Audience at Human Resources

JustinThomas March 13, 2015

Last night I found myself on a mission on the streets of Chinatown, iPhone GPS in hand, searching for Human Resources. I love Chinatown, it’s an eccentric place to wander around and explore. Last night however, was not one of those nights. I was on a mission to find Human Resources because it was there that Thee Oh Sees were billed to melt faces. Tucked away on a little side street, I saw a bunch of grimy kids smoking cigarettes, huddling around 32 racks of beer on the street; I had found the spot. Human Resources is a DIY-style venue, with bare white walls, lofty vaulted ceilings, and no stage. Looking around, I couldn’t help but notice that everybody was getting fucked up drinking beers and smoking weed. With a five-dollar cover, no security in sight, and a room full of rowdy kids, the evening was sure to be mayhem. Taking the stage around 9 PM was the Los Angeles duo, Caldwell/Tester. To put it bluntly, Caldwell/Tester made a shit-load of noise. With their ominous, and sometimes even celestial, beaming sounds, the duo played what I thought was a total of two songs over the course of their 45-minute set.

Retox at Los Globos are in a League of Their Own

Danny Baraz March 12, 2015

A lot of good thrash and speed metal bands played Tuesday night at Los Globos but when you see a band like Retox play, the distance between them and everyone else becomes monumentally apparent. Retox are just one of those bands that stand out from the rest of the lineup of any bill they are playing on. They have that “thing” that transcends being labeled. That being said, you won’t be seeing Retox play any psych fests anytime soon. They are most definitely a hardcore thrash/noise band. Last night was the last date of a month long tour supporting their latest album, Beneath California, released by Epitaph. Retox’s third full length album is a powerful statement of the band’s commitment to it’s overall sound. While other bands at the middle tiers of popularity seem to change course after a couple of releases, Retox has assured their base of fans that any added popularity they might experience in the future will solely be based on the merits of what attracted fans to them in the first place. At 11pm, Retox took the stage and jumped right into their set with their distinct sound. The purposely raw sounding but finely tuned guitar

Mike Watt and Secondmen at Harvard and Stone

Mike Watt and The Lesbians wearing New Wigs

Taylor Wong March 7, 2015

Thursday nights in LA are like nowhere else in the world. I knew my Thursday night was on the right track when at 8pm, I drove by a couch that had caught fire along with the car next to it. Nothing like a good ol’ hood bonfire to kick off the evening. After all the excitement I made my way over to Havard & Stone for Dirty Laundry TV’s monthly residency. The lineup was Mike Watt And The Secondmen, Kera And The Lesbians, and Small Wigs. I couldn’t have asked for a better show, not only because of the line up but also because Harvard & Stone is one of my top 3 favorite bars in LA. Small Wigs kicked off the night at around 10:15. The band is made up of Elvis and Max Kuehn of FIDLAR, Matt Zuk of Isaac Rother and the Phantoms, and Mikki Itzigsohn now, formerly of Isaac Rother and the Phantoms. I jokingly told Elvis that I feel like I have become an unintentional stalker of the Kuehn brothers, going all the way back to the days they did white boy rap in a group called The Headhunters. These siblings are some seriously talented musicians. Every