Category: SHOWS

Jonny 2 Bags and The Abigails at The Echo: Two Generations of Heartbreak Music

Danny Baraz December 4, 2014

If you compare musical styles, the pairing of The Abigails opening for Jonny 2 Bags seems like a perfect match. Twangy 6 strings, pedal steel and gut wrenching lyrics serve to set the tone of the night. I’m almost positive that bookers at The Echo put this bill together with great care and intuition. But even with complimentary styles, the fans did not mix. Age, styles and dispositions were varied and most of The Abigails fans didn’t stick around for Jonny “2 Bags” Wickersham. Somehow, the room was still packed when he took the stage. I guess that means that fans of Jonny 2 Bags weren’t too interested in The Abigail’s, either. I can hear the insults in my imagination with one side calling the other “hipsters” in an accusatory tone and the other remarking on the age of those I’ve heard described as “chain danglers”. But really, who gives a shit? I enjoyed both bands immensely. The last time I saw The Abigails, lead singer, Warren Thomas was conspicuously absent and lead guitarist, Kyle Mullarky was filling in for him. We later found out that Thomas was drying out in rehab and he made mention of that during last

ASAP Mob Show in Hollywood Comes Close to Riot in the Streets

Danny Baraz December 2, 2014

This was the 30th and final day of Red Bull Sound Select’s, 30 Days in L.A. It marks the end of November and the start of the holiday season. Day 1 seemed like it was yesterday and much of the month was a blur as I covered 17 shows and the rest of the Janky Smooth crew covered the other nights. Red Bull really bit off a lot but they delivered a great bill on almost every night of the month. Walking up to the Hollywood Palladium, I witnessed a line of people trying to get into the ASAP Mob show that stretched from Argyle, onto sunset and around El Centro. Sunset was closed to traffic due to an earlier Xmas parade. There was something in the air and it wasn’t Xmas cheer. Things feel different. I don’t feel that unity that happens this time of year that makes us all forget our differences for this short period of time. There is a struggle going on in this country right now between the Norman Rockwell painting that projects an image of this country that doesn’t exist anymore and the reality of a decaying infrastructure, disappearing middle class, militarization of police

OFF! transform The Echo from a peaceful, Indie venue into a house of raw aggression

Danny Baraz November 30, 2014

Keith Morris stopped the band from playing. As The Echo went from bedlam to a virtual hush, Morris pointed to the right of the stage and asked, “What was that I heard? I heard someone say, ‘Over the hill’”. He deferred to guitarist and ex Burning Brides front man, Dimitri Coats who exclaimed, “Over the hill like you assholes from the Valley”. What separates veterans punkers like OFF! from everyone else is not only a vast ocean of experience and a belt that has more notches than holes but it’s also an intuitive set of reflexes that cannot be taught. Whether you are a punk, a composer, a visual artist or a chef, you are either born with “it” or you aren’t. At 60 years old, Keith Morris still commands the stage like a grizzled sea captain. He navigates the hurled projectiles and ambitious stage divers like a treacherous ocean whose waters he has crossed on many a voyage. I didn’t know quite what to expect as I entered The Echo early in the evening. I’ve never seen a real circle pit at The Echo. I’ve seen “mosh pits” made up of all ages crowds that were more affectionate than

Obliterations Annihilate Jewels Catch One and Leave No Left Overs After Thanksgiving

Danny Baraz November 29, 2014

Sometimes, the soul needs to be bathed in blood to wash away the afterbirth of the current indie music scene. While I am a fan of the current psych/surf revival, I do find myself asking often- “where is the rage?” The band, Obliterations are sand paper in a sea of soft toilet tissue. The first time I heard their album, Poison Everything, I was completely blown away by the fury and raw rage that was channeled into that release. Last night, the Friday after Thanksgiving, Obliterations brought their lack of gratitude to the newly reformatted Jewels Catch One in Mid City Los Angeles, along with openers Arctic and Creative Adult. I got to the venue just in time to catch Arctic. Arctic is a sludgy, psychedelic, 3 piece instrumental metal band made up of pro skaters Justin “Figgy” Figueroa, Don “The Nuge” Nguyen and drummer, Frex. I had been hearing some buzz about Arctic but this was my first time seeing them live. It’s good to see that skaters are still finding new lines in music. Straight punk rock was the status quo for skateboarders who popped out of the bowl to pick up instruments. Bands like The Faction, McRad

Juicy J Smokes Out The Fonda With a Little Help From His Friends

Taylor Wong November 27, 2014

It was the first night after the decision in Ferguson and tensions were high in LA. So what better way to blow off some steam than at a Juicy J show. We are on the final stretch of the Red Bull Sound Select 30 day’s in LA with number 25 last night. The event was hosted at The Fonda in Hollywood with openers Tree and Two-Nine. Of course being a rap show in LA, the crowd was made up of mostly 18 year old white kids. The first Rap group, Tree took the stage with a half full crowd. These guys were fantastic. A bit of a mellow vibe to these dudes. They kinda had a flow like A$AP Ferg. These guys had a short set which only lasted about 30 minutes which led to a 30 minute intermission. These Red Bull events are starting to feel deja vu like with the people I see in attendance. Last night I ran into Daniel from the LA Riots for about the 5th time this month, during the intermission. The next group Two-Nine started out with a moment of silence for Michael Brown, the unarmed 18 year old boy that was gunned

Phosphorescent at the Park Plaza Hotel for Day 23 of 30 Days in LA

Danny Baraz November 25, 2014

Janky Smooth chose to cover Red Bull Sound Select’s, 30 Days in LA in conjunction with our launch because we totally respect what Red Bull is doing in music. It’s a departure for me, personally, because I have always railed against corporate music. What Red Bull is doing is a bit different, though. They are not looking for the next Justin Bieber or Beyonce. They are looking for an army of independent minded bands who are most concerned with art, not business. Make the best music possible and they’ll run the numbers and think about the bottom line. With all the love and respect we’ve shown Red Bull and they’ve shown us, I am starting to get fatigued after 23 days. Anyone would be physically tired after working day and night but not that kind of tired. The later we get into these 30 days, the more these shows start to resemble “pay to play”. In defense of Red Bull, they are the ones picking up the tab but the way some of these bands are being put together is baffling. Electro pop bands with country rock groups like Shy Girls opening for Phosphorescent reminds me of the Whiskey A

The Head and The Heart Draw a Dedicated Following at The Ace Hotel

Justin Cornwall November 23, 2014

The line wrapped down Broadway in DTLA in front of the Ace Hotel for the sold out The Head And The Heart concert. Many young and eager fans made way into the restored 1920’s theater – the headliners had a dedicated fan base. Much of the crowd seemed unaware and unimpressed by the #30DaysInLA program, but happily accepted the free flower crowns and pizza provided by the Red Bull team. Los Colognes of Nashville were the openers for the night. The six piece was reminiscent of a Disney produced incarnation of The Beach Boys. Their twangy sound was remarkably generic and very jammy. The songs seemed to wander where the band wanted them to, but surely they had some basic structure. The crowd was late for this set, distracting from the sound as people filed in all throughout the opening hour. The Head and The Heart proceeded to play to an enticed crowd. Each song was driven by a different key player – from vocals, to violin, to rancorous guitar. The captive audience kept time by tapping along and supported vocally with a hushed sing-a-long the entire set. The band did a good job of giving each member their time

Friday Night In LA: A secret show with Ariel Pink at OP and Kurt Vile at First Unitarian Church

Danny Baraz November 22, 2014

Los Angeles is the best place in the world to have a love affair with music. Aside from the occasional, low energy, scenester transplants that fill up some of our venues, it is the perfect city to go see shows. There was so much going on this past Friday night that it made the head spin with possibilities. Janky Smooth attended two events: Kurt Vile and the Violators headlining the First Unitarian Church and a surprise and semi secret Ariel Pink show at Over***, L.A.’s seediest, most exciting rock and roll speak easy/after hours. It is L.A.’s worst kept secret and is surprisingly celebrating it’s 3 year anniversary. Amazing it hasn’t been shut down yet. The night started at The First Unitarian Church for another amazing Red Bull Sound Select installment of 30 Days in L.A. Kurt Vile on stage in a religious sanctuary was draw enough to worship at this opulent altar of Rock and Roll. Red Bull brought in some extra sound and some elaborate lighting to fill up the palatial sized ceilings with more audio and visual. The night featured two more solid Red Bull Sound Select artists, Air Review and Little Tybee. Air Review gave a

Future Islands at The Wiltern: Torn Shirts, Gargled Roars and Bouncy Blue Orbs

Amir Kashani November 22, 2014

On the 20th night, Red Bull’s 30 Days in LA gave us Future Islands to continue the trend of one great show after another. It was obvious everyone was driven to The Wiltern to see Future Islands and their lead man, Samuel T. Herring aka Hemlock Ernst. However, two upstarts with a very similar vibe took the stage first. The first band, Speak from Austin, took the stage to an almost empty room. They opened with just a drum machine and synth. The young, black clad upstarts are interesting but the two gentlemen on strings sort of reminded me of a younger Skolnick and Gilbert from the Lambda Lambda Lambda fraternity. The lead’s voice is high and reminiscent of a younger Ezra Koenig, at times. It took him and his crew about five or six songs to be adopted by the crowd but for the most part this crowd was saving up for the next course on the menu tonight. I went out for a popcorn and came back to a much fuller room of jihadi hipster beards and the stronger scent of quickly smoked, fermented barley. I hurried back to my spot and noticed 4 guys take the stage

The Sexy People Came Out to Funk at Red Bull’s, Not Your Mama’s Roller Disco

Janky Smooth Central Command November 20, 2014

Not Your Mama’s Roller Disco at Moonlight Rollerway in Glendale was a complete home-run for #30DaysInLA. Navid Izadi, Lonely C of Soul Clap and Baby Prince of Wolf + Lamb brought DJ sets that would make John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever break a sweat. Midnight Magic filled a roller disco live act void perfectly. The Red Bull vodka drinks were flowing and the crowd was swimming in circles on the rink. It was an amazing night. The entire evening seemed to be quite industry studded – a priority over the General Admission RSVP list, which was okay, because the people who should be in the room were in the room. It was an unsaid nod that we were all in the home stretch of the #30DaysInLA and the energy was ablaze in everyone. I tried to get out on the rink, but after falling more than once, left the Janky Smooth skating to our flawless photographer Dani Meigel. Each DJ played a set of upbeat house, disco edits and crowd-pleasing 80’s anthems. They all danced along to their sets and almost knew how high in demand they were, as the security ended all admission to the packed roller disco.

Real Estate at The Belasco with special guest, Rivers Cuomo

Justin Cornwall November 20, 2014

Oh, Red Bull – you’re running us ragged with this month of shows. Luckily, last night provided a bit of a necessary lull in the energy of the month. Beach Party, Pure Bathing Culture and Real Estate brought their talents to The Belasco in Downtown Los Angeles, to a crowd of eager fans. Personally, I was very much looking forward to another set from LA locals Beach Party. I’ve gotten to know this band as friends over the last year and I’ve never had to fake being into their music. These guys always put forward a wave of high-energy surf/punk/rock that is exactly what you’d expect from a band called Beach Party. Their stage presence is as strong as their drinks and they didn’t skip a beat flowing through their set. They played a few newer tracks and teased they are currently wrapping up their full-length album. Their lyrics lament of bad decisions and debauchery, I believe the smart choruses played a big part in winning the crowd over. This was their last show of 2014 and they were well received by the mellower Real Estate crowd. Red Bull Sound Select has mismatched sounds on some of these lineups this

PPL MVR surprise performance at Red Bull’s screening of Spinal Tap

Danny Baraz November 19, 2014

Who the hell are PPL MVR and where did they come from? All gimmickry and showmanship aside, their music is pretty fucking awesome. They are a metal version of one of my favorite, new bands, Fartbarf and the first time I saw them at the Sunset Strip Music Festival I was skeptical but intrigued. No one knows who they are or why Atlantic Records signed them to a record deal with no established presence or fan base to speak of. One thing is clear- Someone is banking on them and sinking a lot of money into making sure that people are exposed to this band of yeti like creatures with metal guitars and vocoder vocals. PPL MVR were the “surprise guest” at The Electric Dusk Drive In Theater for a screening of one of my favorite movies, This is Spinal Tap. This was yet another interesting special interest event that was a part of the diverse, 30 Days in LA by Red Bull. It was a beautiful night and setting in Downtown L.A. I set up a beach chair on the astro turf in front of the movie screen. Red Bull promised a special performance at an intermission and part