Category: SHOWS

Witch’s Brew: We Intend To Cause Havoc at Brouwerij West

Rob Shepyer July 1, 2022

When the right band comes to play Brouwerij West, there is absolutely no question whether i’ll be attending or not, it’s a definite yes. The drive through beautiful San Pedro is only the first of many gifts one is given upon venturing to this sacred brewery. The beer is the second, with an incredible selection of in-house brews from my favorite, the blackberry saison, to all sorts of unfiltered hoppy IPAs to gorgeous and rich pilsners and alcoholic slushees that can’t be touched. More than any other brewery in Southern California, Brouwerij West is the destination for art, youth, music, and beer all in one. Their Pop Fuji music series always has a few treasures on the lineup, like the one year Sleep performed an unforgettable set, even summoning a guy in full astronaut costume to crowd surf. Shows at this place are one of the most hidden gems in all underground music in Los Angeles. related content: Silver Lake Perris: Desert Daze 2019 WITCH (We Intend to Cause Havoc) are one of those must-see bands that came through Brouwerij West, since I missed their performance at Huichica, a winery based festival, I thought seeing them at a brewery was

Photo Recap: Bright Eyes at SOMA San Diego

Janky Smooth Central Command June 29, 2022

Our day of celebrating the music of Bright Eyes and Conor Oberst continues with this wonderful photo recap of their show at SOMA San Diego. Photos by: Rebecca DiGiglio Bright Eyes

The (Drama Club) Kids Are Alright: Bright Eyes and Cate Le Bon at the Greek Theatre

Taylor Wong June 29, 2022

Words by: Hunter Hall Photos by: Taylor Wong In the early 2000s, Connor Oberst tapped into the sadcore, indie rock zeitgeist that would define Bright Eyes and become cornerstone soundtracks for sensitive teens in their most formative years. Twenty years later, these now 30-40 somethings packed the Greek Theatre for Bright Eyes’ first concert in Los Angeles in a decade. With a perfectly curated set list of songs from each era, Bright Eyes delivered exactly what fans hoped they could expect — Dylan-esque lyrics sung in a quivery voice that would take them back to their high school days. What was not expected, at least by myself, was how a show to tour a 2 year old album and some fan-favorite hits really became a night at the theater. related content: Community Outreach: Better Oblivion Community Center at the Observatory Opening for Bright Eyes was Cate Le Bon, who served as the perfect prologue for the play to come. The band was costumed in a potluck of delicious 70s suites, suede fringe, and thick bangs; a variety of artsy looks not much different than the crowd before them. At the center of the stage, Le Bon herself was cloaked in

Feeling Supernatural: Turnover at the Regent

Janky Smooth Central Command June 24, 2022

Words by: Alfredo Luna Photos by: Dave Unbuckled On the back of two brand new singles, Turnover took to the stage on the first night of their sold out 2 show run at The Regent. The band has always felt like it had a kaleidoscope of sound with their music revolving and hopping from genre to genre. This varied assortment of sound brought a diverse mix of fans out. With the release of their newer stuff and the limited West Coast run they had announced, it was hard to guess how they were going to sound or what they were going to play, the hype in the line and in the venue turned into full on speculation of what we thought was going to be played as well as the classic debate of old stuff versus new. Regardless of what was in store for us, we were all ready to experience one of the more unique discographies on display that night. related content: For Every Season Turn, Turn, Turn: Turnover and Turnstile at El Rey Kicking off the night we were treated to the NorCal based Healing Potpourri which brought an easy listening lounge vibe to the stage. The band

Every Maggot Learns to Fly: Knotfest Roadshow at North Island Credit Union Amphitheater

Rob Shepyer June 24, 2022

I have to admit, Slipknot was my very first concert. It was the 2004 Jagermeister tour featuring support from one of my favorite bands, Fear Factory. Even back then, Slipknot put on an unforgettable show where the theatrics, pyro, visuals and stage antics were just as impressive and psychotic as the instrumentation. Almost twenty years later, the band has only grown in size and spectacle and having sold out North Island Credit Union Amphitheater, it goes to show that you can never underestimate the power of this fanbase. More than any other band, Slipknot have cemented themselves as the band for the outsiders. There are people accepted by the mainstream culture, then there are Maggots. To be a maggot you must feel music differently than most, then maybe, the meatgrinder of metal that is Slipknot’s sound can touch your black, tender heart. I remember one interview with Clown where he summarized the band in very simple terms. The reason they wear masks is because their art is full of so much pain, they can’t even bear to show their faces while they express themselves. This furious howling, shredding, chugging and blast-beat drumming comes from a very vulnerable place, one that

Photo Recap: Nasty Savage at the Regent

Janky Smooth Central Command June 22, 2022

Thrash metal’s most hardcore band, Nasty Savage returned to the Regent to decimate the stage with their heavy metal, extremely violent and outrageous antics. We had to be there to capture the insanity and beyond the amazing performances from Hirax, Witchaven, Saintbreaker and EvilDead, Nasty Savage tore shit up as brutally as you’d expect. Nasty Ronnie was on the ground after his TV stunt, leaving debris everywhere. It’s a shocking scene that requires documentation and we caught all the nasty evidence on film. Photos by: Jason Murillo Nasty Savage Hirax Witchaven Saintbreaker EvilDead

Ringleaders of the Underground: Teenage Wrist at the Echo

Danny Ryan June 22, 2022

Words and Photos by: Danny Ryan Teenage Wrist’s range of influence is incredibly wide with their embrace of grunge-era angst seamlessly blending into moments of blissful shoegaze breakdowns. With how large and atmospheric the band’s sound is, the modest stage presence rooted in their DIY background complimented the small venue atmosphere of The Echo amazingly. Their newest album “Earth is a Black Hole” signifies a drastic shift in the band’s sound, with a new vocalist and a much more punk-influenced sound than the emo roots of their previous works. Teenage Wrist has consistently been dedicated to their evolution with exploration of incorporating new genres throughout their career, which was clearly represented with the contrasting musical styles of each opener. The exciting feeling of seeing promising up-and-coming bands that could eventually take over the world was felt throughout The Echo that night, and Teenage Wrist came across as ringleaders of the underground with how much unique charisma that could be felt in each performance. Equally important to the blend of genres in Teenage Wrist’s headlining set at The Echo, the band curated an excellent lineup of diverse sounds from different underground backgrounds with the 90’s college rock influence of Soft Blue

Icon on the Ivories: Tori Amos at the Orpheum Theatre

Rob Shepyer June 21, 2022

When rock and roll finds its vehicle in a piano player, often the label put on these artists is “Piano Man’, thanks to one certain ‘big shot’. The names that come to mind are the likes of Billy Joel, Ben Folds, Tom Waits, and a few more. After seeing Tori Amos live at the Orpheum though, it’s very clear to me, none of these men are able to rock as hard on the piano as she is. She has her songwriting to thank for that just as much as her fingers, Tori just knows how to craft anthems of personal rebellion through lyrics and song structures that are often outside the box but deeply meaningful and able to carry just as much quiet love as they are overwhelming rage. related content: Sensory Interference: Thom Yorke at the Orpheum Theatre I wanted to catch this show to get a bigger picture and deeper understanding of Tori and her space in the cultural landscape. She is after all, one of the iconic feminist voices in the history of music. This concert took her out of the feminist sphere for me and placed her right at the helm of rock and roll Valhalla’s

Photo Recap: Tears for Fears at North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre

Janky Smooth Central Command June 21, 2022

The legendary Tears for Fears embarked on a special American tour that brought their iconic and timeless music to North Island Credit Union for an unforgettable night for all in attendance. Complete with a visual journey that brought their classic 80’s songs to life, this concert was one for the history books. Tears were shed by many eyes and fears were relieved for all involved as their songs brought peace and understanding in chaotic times. It’s a “Mad World” out there but the band never fails to make sense of it all. We sent our photographer Pedro Carrera out to catch one of his favorite bands and capture the experience for you all to see. Sonically, the band sounded as powerful and crisp as they always have, as if not a day had gone by since these songs were recorded. Founding members Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith gave their whole selves to every performance on this tour and this Southern California stop was no exception. They were giddy being able to play for fans again after a long lockdown and time away from playing in this country since their last American tour in 2017, and the fans were equally excited

Bacchanal or Bust: Huichica Festival at Gundlach-Bundschu Winery

Rob Shepyer June 20, 2022

I love wine. If I have to choose from wine and beer at a bar, I’ll usually choose that delicious and timeless grape alcohol. There was a time I was so obsessed, I wanted to learn as many details as I could and read the World Atlas of Wine. What I learned from that book is every wine and grape tells a story through its flavors. Flavor tells you details about the length and brutality of a season or drought or specific information about the soil from which the grapes grew and in that soil lies a region’s history. The history of Gundlach-Bundschu is as the oldest family owned winery in Sonoma, and always on the leading edge of wine society, they’ve taken wine-drinking and combined it with rock and roll for many years now, culminating in Huichica festival, a Bacchanal only adding to the family’s rich history in Sonoma. This year, Huichica was the place to be. Why? Simple. Tamaryn was performing. Each wine I tasted from Gundlach-Bundschu winery while at Huichica was extremely delicious and delightfully different. I could imagine myself drinking any of them from a bottle taking impolite rock and roll swigs on a holiday saunter. Part