Category: SHOWS

Action Bronson at The Observatory: A Gigantic Man with Unlimited Energy

Danny Baraz December 9, 2014

Monday night saw one hell of a mixed crowd at The Observatory for Action Bronson and his posse. The parking lot was riddled with tailgating thugs equipped with ski masks, 40’s, prescription drugs as well as punk teenagers skating curbs and drinking beers they stole out of their dad’s refrigerator. The latter were mostly there to catch together PANGEA and the unveiling of the Burgerama 4 lineup in the Constellation Room. However, upon entrance the crowd seemed to dissolve into each other and mingle between both shows. Bronson’s bill hadn’t posted any kind of opening acts so the crowd was ambiguous to what they’d be seeing. Turns out there were six opening acts before he even touched the stage. That’s right…I said six. The crowd was pissed. Not entirely because the music sucked but because they were just as excited and anxious to see Action Bronson as I was. The first few openers simply could not get the crowd moving. There were even a few cringeworthy moments where audience members began to drown out the music by chanting, “BRONSON, BRONSON, BRONSON” The entire show was plummeting downhill. I even saw a guy in the front row fall asleep on the

Clepto and Tartar Control Raise Hell and Money for Brain Injured Children

Danny Baraz December 8, 2014

Last night, at the 13th Frame Lounge in La Habra, a bunch of weirdos got together for the Punk n Bowl Benefit Show to raise money for HBIC (Help for Brain Injured Children). There is so much low hanging fruit in jokes I could make to draw parallels between the cause we were all supporting on this night and the seeming similarities it shares with the patrons of this shindig, that it almost isn’t fair to poor, brain injured children around the world. The bill was filled with punk and hardcore bands that use shtick, comedy and props as a part of their act. Between punk cover and clown costume clad band, The Yeastie Boys and comic book concept band, The Radioactive Chicken Heads, there were just enough twisted props and costumes to unravel and unspool the calmest of dispositions. I could tell you I was there for the cause but that would be a lie. I’d rather donate online or by mail rather than drive to La Habra. I was there for two reasons- To see the bands Clepto and Tartar Control play. Clepto have had quite a ride in 2014. The year started with an opening slot at

OG’s, Toddlers and Whiskey for The Weirdos and Adolescents at The Observatory

Taylor Wong December 7, 2014

When I got to the Observatory in Santa Ana, the first things I saw were teenagers drinking whiskey from water bottles, old timers drunkenly fighting in the parking lot and babes with mohawks bouncing around. The scene has been set for one of the gnarliest punk shows I’ve seen in a long time. Last night, The Observatory had the ultimate punk line up, The Widows, Channel 3, The Stitches, The Weirdos, and The Adolescents. This was an all ages show, and when I say all ages I mean all ages. There were what i call, with all due respect, “old timers” with canes, blue hair, and driver caps as well as toddlers in patched up denim vests with mohawks. I was loving every moment of it. Out of all the shows I’ve been to, punk shows seem to be the most family oriented and friendly shows, ironically. The only time I almost got knocked out over the course of the show was when I was pulling a girl through the crowd to get up closer and forgot to say sorry to the dick head i accidentally bumped into. The first band up were The Widows. I’ve never heard of them

Avi Buffalo Ends His Tour in Los Angeles and Makes a New Fan. Me.

Amir Kashani December 7, 2014

Fridays are usually a border town for complete disasters or an absolutely awesome night we draw tales from our entire lives. Tonight started out looking like the end of the world but I chose to run over to The Echo to see Avi Buffalo. Maybe he can work out some of my issues. I’m sure he has a sound therapy team that help him with these awesome, free flowing lyrics that more or less feel like streaming consciousness. I’ll get to that in a sec. Sadly, I didn’t get to check out the opening acts. Instead I opened with a slice of cheese pizza from Two Boots and mingled with this youthful bunch of PBR handlers. I have never seen Avi live or listened to a lot of his work but being that he is a local kid who has been at this for as long as he’s has, he automatically gets my attention. As soon as the other band is done, Avi creeps up onto stage and starts coordinating his pedals and chords. I like this kid already. He’s efficient and independent. The room is nearly packed and shouting to Avi….”Welcome Home!” and “Jessica!!!”. This crew has been on tour

Seahaven Headlines The Glass House, Plague Vendor Steals the Show

Taylor Wong December 6, 2014

It’s Friday night and teenage angst is in full effect. I made my way out to Pomona for what seemed like a high school reunion. The scene was The Glass House for an all ages show featuring Plague Vendor and Seahaven. I was mainly out there to see Plague Vendor, but because I was born and raised in the South Bay and Seahaven comes from Torrance, I was put in the awkward high school reunion scenario. I ran into multiple old buddies from high school who I lost touch with for multiple reasons, and they all seamed to be happier or doing better than me. Great. The first band, Warm Thoughts (formerly Dad Punchers), reminded me of just that. There isn’t a name for their genre but I gave it the name South Bay Punk which, according to the history of Taylor Wong, started in a backyard in Hawthorne, California where, bands such as Joyce Manor and Touche Amore would play before they became who they are now. These kids were legit because they gave me that warm nostalgic feeling which is rare to come by these days. The frontman, Eliot Babin thrashed around the stage singing out of tune

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

Category: SHOWS

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