Alfredo Luna
Pixies and Modest Mouse: Clash of the Indie Titans at Hollywood Bowl
Alfredo Luna
December 20, 2023
Sunday night, Sept 17th at the Hollywood Bowl was a clash of the titans, with powerhouse artists in Modest Mouse and Pixies gracing the stage and concluding their joint North American run together. The lineup had prompted many in the lots and the shuttles playing the guessing game of figuring out who each person was there to see. There was almost an even split of fans there for either Modest Mouse or Pixies, but despite the split each fan was still excited to see the other. Overheard were fans recanting the first time they ever saw either band. Stories ranging from old university lounges to small clubs across the country and down to the couple who first met at a Modest Mouse show and are now seeing them for the 20th time since then. Cat Power also played but unfortunately, I didn’t make it to the venue in time. It was my second time seeing Modest Mouse, with the last time being at the smallest venue in Riverside about 7 years ago where they ripped through a banger of a set and came back for multiple encores. So I was more or less prepared for what the Modest Mouse who would
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Vaporwave Halloween Party with George Clanton at The Lodge Room
Alfredo Luna
November 12, 2022
The pioneer of vaporwave, George Clanton, was back in the Lodge Room for a very special and intimate Halloween celebration as part of the Lodge Room’s 5-year-anniversary concert series. Stringing together a two-show night with performances from Clanton and his ESPRIT moniker, as well as death’s dynamic shroud and Neggy Gemmy (Negative Gemini) for a night of 100% Electronica. With the vaporwave cult fanbase jamming in droves from the show’s very beginning to check out George Clanton’s ESPRIT performance, there was a powerful energy in the air. Coming out with an inflatable alien that would steal cthe show, this set was one of those rare and special performances that you just have to see at least once. With ESPRIT being many people’s introduction to vaporwave the music and the visuals crafted an ethereal experience. In a change of pace, death’s dynamic shroud brought a blend of experimental music that was more aggressive and in your face. Despite numerous technical difficulties that caused the audio to go out, this didn’t stop the duo from putting on a memorable performance. Masked by ghastly skeletal face-paint, the group emanated a harsh sound that was equally as dark as it was heavy. What really
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Freak Parade: Halloween Freakout at Lodge Room
Alfredo Luna
November 10, 2022
Seattle based Freakout Records brought down the house with an eclectic lineup to help kick off the holiday festivities with the carefully curated Halloween Freakout that featured LA noise duo No Age and the legendary Melvins. Night 1 brought an eccentric mix of artists that ranged from old fashioned punk and rock and roll, an interstellar lounge act and an all out pysch-inspired meltdown to end the night. This felt like a can’t miss lineup from it’s inception, personally just seeing No Age on the bill made this a must-go event for me. With the crowd roaring in dressed in their best costumes and the bands matching the energy, all the keys were there to make this a great night. Leading off the night were The Pistols who I feel are the living embodiment of old school rock n roll that aren’t afraid to show this off in spirit. With guitarist Mickey paying homage to Mick Jagger’s 1969 performance at Madison Square Garden and the rest of the band looking like they were plucked straight out of a venue from the same era, the look really set the stage for the energy they gave off from their performance. With a
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A Cathedral of Hardcore: Ceremony at Echoplex
Alfredo Luna
October 25, 2022
Ceremony has been a band that is ever-changing and in many cases prompts their fanbase to become very opinionated on their sound. Despite their evolution, and whatever people say they are or have become, the band has continually crafted a live set that is as raw and filled with emotion as it can get. After touring with Citizen and Turnstile, Ceremony harnessed the energy from that experience to power their “Vanity Spawned by Fear” tour. With support from Bay Area Hardcore Punk rising stars SPY and shoegaze bedroom pop laden Suzanne Kraft, Ceremony curated a perfect end to thee first leg of their tour. The night kicked off with Suzanne Kraft swooning the crowd with a set filled with jangly guitars and drowned out vocals to ease into the night. The ability to set a smooth tone and give a calmness to the crowd before the impending chaos worked extremely well. As they continued their set you could see a juxtaposed crowd of people swaying and feeling every hook as well as the pit taking shape and carving itself for the rest of the night. Forming itself like a drawback before a tsunami, the open space became ominous and as
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Welcome to Hell, Black Country, New Road and Black Midi at The Wiltern
Alfredo Luna
October 3, 2022
This was definitely a night of two emerging heavyweights, in Black Country, New Road and Black Midi. Both bands have similarly exploded into the scene and have been at the forefront of the Post-Brexit New Wave movement, representing two sides of that same coin. Each has a unique and dynamic sound that’s amassed a cult-like following and together they packed in every square inch of The Wiltern. With this being the first time BCNR have played LA after a last minute cancellation of their US tour earlier this year due to the departure of Isaac Wood from the band, this felt like it was a must see show just to see them make their LA debut. Add into the mix that Black Midi would be headlining this leg of the tour after their release of the latest album, Hellfire and you just knew this would be a gig for the ages. Getting to the gig, you could see the excitement and restlessness of everyone that showed up, with people lining the street, anxious to get in so they didn’t miss opener BCNR. Seeing people run in the theater as soon as they stepped in was indicative of how sought after
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A Night at the Pantheon With Of Montreal at The Regent
Alfredo Luna
September 27, 2022
With the recent release of their new album Freewave Lucifer f<ck f^ck f>ck, Of Montreal was ready to unleash their immersive sound onto the stage and illustrate the stories found here and within their deep and illusive discography. Teetering the line between a performance art and a live music can be tough to accomplish but what Of Montreal have done not only shatters expectations but also blurs the line between the two to take each to a different level. Joined by a supporting cast of characters, the Athens based indie art-pop group was able to put on a spectacle that captured the essence of why they have maintained somewhat of a cult following. Locate S,1 brought a funk-fueled electro-disco inspired set that had the crowd groovin’. The band, fronted by Christina Schneider, was the perfect bridging the gap into the main act, providing a space to let loose and feel the grooves. As the time grew near and in the most theater inspired fashion, the band came out with an emcee wearing a lucha mask, giving a rousing introduction and lay out of the criteria for the night. What stood out was their proclamation for everyone to challenge all norms
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Loud, Sad and Weird: Telefon Tel Aviv at the Lodge Room
Alfredo Luna
August 12, 2022
Words by: Alfredo Luna Photos by: Chris Molina After various rescheduled dates from the last two years, Telefon Tel Aviv was finally able to bring the “Dreams” era to a haunting close in Highland Park. An IDM icon in his own right, Joshua Eustis of Telefon Tel Aviv has made a name for himself as a touring member of legends Nine Inch Nails and Puscifer, but really put his stamp on the genre with TTA. Promising a loud, sad and weird experience, Eustis made the show worth the 2 year wait to see. related content: Rabbit Holes And Glaciers: Anika at Lodge Room Playing a gloomy and ambient inspired set from the latest release Dreams Are Not Enough, the atmosphere became an immersive world crafted by the sights and sounds thrown at you. From the second the sound projections began to illuminate the room the crowd was immersed within the realm that Eustis has crafted. More an audio-sensory experience, with the bass running up your spine, the visuals hypnotizing you with each flash transporting in and out of consciousness. Playing highlights such as “a younger version of myself” which feels like an endless loop of thoughts rushing through your head,
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