Jessica Moncrief, Author at Jankysmooth

Jessica Moncrief

Memoirs Of My First Acid Bath Show…

Jessica Moncrief April 28, 2025

After a 28-year hiatus, legendary sludge metal band Acid Bath returned to the stage this past weekend with their first show on April 25, 2025, at The Fillmore in New Orleans. The performance was a seismic event for fans, blending raw energy and haunting melodies that captivated the audience. Acid Bath’s return not only rekindled the fire of their loyal fanbase but also showcased their enduring influence in the metal scene. This milestone event marked a powerful chapter in the band’s storied legacy. A story that is part of my story, as well. The year was 1995. I was 15 years old. My mom had just gotten clean and decided to move us from San Diego to Panama City Beach, Florida. In her heart, I think she believed that putting distance between us and our delinquent friends would somehow make it easier to manage my sister and me while she got her shit together. Boy, was she wrong. Finding new friends to get in trouble with was super easy—and one thing was for sure: Floridian delinquents in the ’90s were a whole different level of crazy compared to San Diego kids. It felt like a dream. We lived at the

Photo Recap: The Church at Pappy and Harriet’s

Jessica Moncrief May 22, 2022

Last weekend, the Cruel World Festival at The Rose Bowl was a great example of what concert season looks like in Los Angeles. One great thing about living near LA is that it’s a prime spot for music festivals of epic proportions and if you’re paying attention to tour dates of your favorite bands on the line ups, sometimes you’re lucky enough to snag a ticket to a club show before it sells out or better yet, you get to be media. That was the case for myself last week when I, in fact, saw The Church perform “Destination” and “Under The Milky Way” at THE quintessential destination to see the milky way during the summer months in North America. The desert sunsets and starscapes of Joshua Tree are some of the most beautiful in the world, the land has forever inspired creativity and cosmic wonder, last Thursday was no exception. It seemed only fitting that Pappy and Harriet’s would host a night of musical desert magic from Aussie legends The Church, and what a spectacular night it turned out to be. The weather and clear skies were perfect for an outdoor evening, so rather than being crammed into a

I Love You, Laura Jane Grace: Against Me! at the Fonda

Jessica Moncrief October 24, 2019

Can you love someone without actually knowing them personally? Last week, Against Me! celebrated their 10 year anniversary of the album “White Crosses.” There was a pit in my stomach and a quiet resistance to hear this album performed live that was matched equally with excitement. 2009 was an extremely tough year for me. I remember exactly when “White Crosses” was released because I was lucky enough to hear it two weeks before the general public did and it quickly became a soundtrack to keep me sane in the shit-storm I was experiencing at the time. I love this album, however, I rarely listen to it these days because I do my best to push the memories from that time deep in the back of my mind. So when Laura Jane Grace mentioned that she hated nostalgia before sharing with the audience the pain that she had been experiencing at the time Against Me! recorded “White Crosses”, it resonated to the core. related content: Against Me! Stuns At The Observatory Before Punk Rock Bowling Early in the show, a fan yelled out “I love you, Laura Jane Grace” and she mockingly responded “You don’t even know me!” I thought in my mind

Uprising: An Afro Future Her-Story at Ford Theatre

Jessica Moncrief August 27, 2019

Jazz is alive and well and it’s not just for the old folks! The Nonsemble – Jazz/Not Jazz at Left and Center (a collective group of music addicts) are fueling a movement of Jazz related art, music and lifestyle and have been doing their part to keep the scene thriving by providing Angelenos with quality events such as their most recent homage to South Africa’s National Woman’s Day, “Uprising: An Afro Future Her-Story” featuring Siya Makuzeni and Thandi Ntuli, two of South Africa’s top women in Jazz. Pro tip: If you have not attended a show at the historical Ford Theatre, I highly recommend that you do so as soon as possible. The lights, sound and ambiance are on point and the size of the amphitheatre is perfect for a great view even from the very back. A better venue could not have been chosen for this celebration, specifically considering nearly 100 years ago 2 women were the original visionaries behind what is now known as The Ford Theatre. In 1920, author and philanthropist, Christine Wetherill Stevenon and Mrs. Chauncey D. Clark joined forces to purchase the plots of land where both The Ford and The Hollywood Bowl sit today. Often

Subtle Like A T-Rex: The Murder City Devils in So-Cal

Jessica Moncrief August 26, 2019

Almost every time I have seen The Murder City Devils in the past, it has been with some indie or experimental band opening that is not even close to the same vibe as theirs. On one hand, they are opening up their fans to a broader perspective of music they enjoy. On the other hand, many of their supporting bands, in my opinion, have missed the mark in building up the energy before the headlining set. Those who were fortunate enough to make it to Vegas this year for Punk Rock Bowling had the chance to see MCD with fully punk line-up including Le Butcherettes and The Flytraps. While I was sad I couldn’t make it for such a glorious event, I was please to find that punk/indie alumni, The Intelligence, would be joining them for their 2 night stint in Southern California. The mic-deep throating started at The Observatory in Santa Ana the first night and the insanity continued at The Teragram Ballroom in DLTA the following evening. As much as I enjoyed the presence and energy, I wouldn’t be reporting accurately if I didn’t mention that the sound mix was off during MCD’s sets both nights. Spencer’s vocals were

Amyl and the Sniffers shot by Anthony Mehlhaff

Amyl and the Sniffers at the Teragram Ballroom

Jessica Moncrief July 15, 2019

Opening a show for a band like Amyl and The Sniffers seems like it could be somewhat intimidating, but adding a legend like Alice Bag to the bill seems like it could make it downright terrifying, however that didn’t seem to be the case with Moss! The quartet of young musicians made their way to the stage first. There was an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes before their set started and the smaller crowd of obvious fans and curious early birds that had trickled in, stood staring blankly at the stage waiting for Moss! to start performing. It wasn’t long before these guys would prove the reason why they were added to this insane bill. related content: Surf & Sniff: Amyl & The Sniffers At Soda Bar Moss! is no 3 chord act. While they embody everything that we all love energetically and stylistically about Punk, their arrangements are much more intricate varying from bluesy and surfy to punchy and aggressive and even melodic at times. It wasn’t long before the room filled up and bodies were moving. Their set served as a great reminder of why it’s important “get there early” to catch opening bands. Next up was

Flowers and Oysters: Yasiin Bey at the Observatory

Jessica Moncrief January 9, 2019

I missed Yasiin Bey‘s set at Smokin’ Grooves over the summer and deeply regretted it, so when the opportunity arose to see him perform in an intimate setting like The Observatory, I was elated to redeem myself for one of my biggest FOMO moments of 2018. related content: Black Is Beautiful: Smokin’ Grooves Festival At The Queen Mary Before Yasiin made his way out, his DJ spun iconic songs that have since been sampled in modern day hip hop, Joe Simons “Before The Night Is Over”, which you may remember was sampled in Outkast’s “So Fresh So Clean”, was one of many. Perhaps to signify love and his soul’s active presence in creation, Yasiin prepared the stage by sprinkling rose petals all around it, he then spray painted the word “Oysters” on a white sheet as he began his set. During his first song, Yasiin Bey took one look at the two of us in the photo pit and requested for the house to dim the lights. The photo journalist in me accepted the challenge to “get the story” regardless of the lighting situation, however the human part of me struggled with the inherently dirty feeling of photographing someone who

Noche de las Luchas: Lucha Vavoom at the Mayan

Jessica Moncrief November 6, 2018

October 25th, wrestling and burlesque enthusiasts alike gathered at The Mayan to kick off the first of two nights inside America’s most outrageous show, Lucha Vavoom! related content: Pussy Bang Bang Grindhouse Burlesque Show Grinds on Harvelle’s Long Beach The wildly popular production, Lucha Vavoom has been a staple show in LA at The Mayan for years and always sells out for a reason. The producers have combined comedy, Mexican Lucha-Libre wrestling, music, and burlesque to create an over the top spectacular that keeps your senses tantalized from beginning to end. Before the show officially kicked off Peaches delivered the house rules to a rowdy crowd of inebriated wrestling fans via an instructional video. The most important rule, aside from watching out for flying luchadoras, was “No Puking!” The first act of the night featured trans sensation, Neon Music. She made a grand entrance on a bat swing that descended from the ceiling as she sang a delightfully dark rendition of “Bela Lugosi’s Dead”. It was a fitting way to start of the “Circo De Vampiros” Halloween edition of Lucha Vavoom and seriously warmed my little black heart. related content: Fierce Fiesta: Scum’s 2 Year Anniversary W/Limp Wrist At The

Long Live The Funk: George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic at the Observatory

Jessica Moncrief September 6, 2018

George Clinton has come a long way since forming The Parliaments as a teenager in a barbershop in Plainfield. Since the beginning of his career, the legendary godfather of funk has been making music and inspiring young creatives for more than 6 generations. In April of this year, he announced that he would be bidding farewell to the stage with a world wide tour in 2018. While the news is saddening, hanging up his hat in style with around 50 golden years of touring seems more than appropriate. While walking up to The Observatory I heard a group of teenage girls chatting when one exclaimed, “This is the best ever, my heart is so full right now!” I’m sure it was the molly talking, but I couldn’t help but reminisce about my own first time seeing Parliament in 1998. Some shows change the course of your history much like Parliament has for the modern face of music, seeing George Clinton had a huge impact on my personal passion for live music as well and happened to actually be my very first show to be guest-listed. related content: Summertime In The LBC: Love Letter To A City That Doesn’t Always

Ahead of his Timelessness: David Byrne at The Shrine Auditorium

Jessica Moncrief August 29, 2018

A lone brain sits on a fold out table complete with a wooden chair directly under a spotlight. This abstract scene of living art set the stage perfectly for a journey into the psyche and imagination of the legendary David Byrne. With bare feet, white disheveled hair, and a cool gray retro suit to boot, Byrne looked like a mad scientist or guru to a new age religious cult, the church of Byrne. He walked out onto the stage, sat in the chair and picked up the brain. While solemnly singing into his headpiece, a glittery beaded curtain raised from the floor. From there, the production went full psychedelic with a marching band of smiling, dancing, barefoot instrumentalists and back up singers, all uniformly dressed in the same retro grey suits. They gracefully emerged from the curtain in what would be the beginning of a fully choreographed spectacular production that was completely wireless. No amps on stage, no cords dangling from instruments to step over, the drums were attached to their player’s bodies instead of fixed on a kit. related content: Finally Admitting It’s Real: Portugal. The Man At The Shrine This had to be the most avant-garde concert tour

Rebel Armz in the House: Immortal Technique at Marty’s on Newport

Jessica Moncrief July 31, 2018

Last weekend Hip Hop lovers rejoiced at the chance to catch Immortal Technique spit knowledge two nights in a row along alongside legends Mr.Choc and Chino XL at the ever so intimate setting of Marty’s On Newport . For those of us trying to make sense of the direction new “rap” is heading, catching the lyrical geniuses that made us fall in love with the genre is an essential role in keeping us from being jaded beyond repair. I’d like to think that trap is a fad for the kids and when it fades into obscurity (like so many other fads have over the decades) acts such as Immortal Technique, Beat Junkies, Pharcyde, KRS One will be the ones left standing the test of time. Maybe that is a fallacy, but I still maintain hope for the future of our youth. related content: Summertime In The LBC: This Is Your Dad’s Hip Hop Line-Ups like this are the defibrillation to the heartbeat that is keeping the true voice of hip hop alive. Immortal Technique and Chino XL speak with spiritual intelligence on unity, human intuition, brotherhood, respect for women and community without compromising their hard as fuck stature that has commanded

OC’s Alright if you Like Saxophones: Psychedelic Furs and X at the Pacific Amphitheatre

Jessica Moncrief July 26, 2018

The Psychedelic Furs satisfied everyone’s nostalgia fix at The Pacific Amphitheater in Costa Mesa last Thursday with support from The Fixx and X. What may have seemed like an odd bill melded together perfectly, reminding us that in the 80’s New Wave kids and Punks were cut from the same cloth. Some concert goers that I spoke with throughout the evening held the opinion that The Fixx played the best set of the night and that is saying a lot considering the energy and talent that X and The Psychedelic Furs played with. Exene Cervenka, John Doe, Billy Zoom and D.J. Bonebrake were all in X-cellent form and garnered a reaction from the crowd that was fit for hometown heroes. related content: Burger Boogaloo 2017: The Ballad of John and Iggy They played all the hits like “Your Phones Off The Hook, But You’re Not”, “Los Angeles” and “Johnny Hit and Run Paulene”. Craig Packham of The Palominos joined in for a few songs playing acoustic guitar during “Dancing With Tears In My Eyes” and hopped on the drums while D.J. played the vibraphone for “Come Back To Me” and “I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts.” You don’t realize how familiar you are with The