Category: SHOWS

Photo Recap: Clutch, Quicksand, and Helmet at the Regent

Janky Smooth Central Command October 11, 2022

Sometimes a tour comes around town that is so stacked it’s hard to believe when you first see the marquee. Such was the case when The Regent hosted Clutch, Quicksand, and Helmet. Each of these bands could headline a show and gather a crowd but all together, this has got to be one of the best alternative metal hardcore tours of the year. All three bands dabble in all three sounds and their audiences aren’t too far apart if you ask me. Although it’s a lineup that’s hard to believe this lineup makes a lot of damn sense. These bands come from different places and scenes, they all got different histories but it’s all rock and roll. We’ve got pics from the show that you gotta see. Photos by: Albert Licano Clutch Quicksand Helmet

Emo Never Dies: My Chemical Romance at T-Mobile Arena

Janky Smooth Central Command October 10, 2022

Las Vegas is normally known for its bright, flashy lights and vibrant colors, but on Friday night it was a little different. 20,000 fans dressed in black and red, representing the many stylings spanning My Chemical Romance’s career, took over the strip. Camped out from the early morning, it’s no surprise fans were anxious as ever. From the first announcement of MCR’s reunion tour after their 2013 breakup, the excitement quickly came to a halt after the band announced its postponement due the COVID-19 pandemic. But two years later, that excitement returned with even greater power. As the lights dimmed and red and white lights flashed throughout the arena, the sold-out crowd roared in anticipation with chants of “MCR, MCR!” The band finally took the stage and dove into their latest single, ‘The Foundations of Decay.’ From there, My Chemical Romance tore through some of their biggest hits from their extensive catalog. The crowd never stopped screaming and singing along. As the night drew to an end, the band closed out their set with ‘Helena’ before coming back out to perform the final two songs of the night, ‘Welcome to the Black Parade’ and ‘Cancer.’ The night ended just as

Perfection Does Exist: Porcupine Tree at the Greek Theatre

Rob Shepyer October 7, 2022

Prog rock is a guilty pleasure for me. When no one is around on a lonely drive, speeding down a highway late at night through the desert, I roll the windows down and blast prog. Something about the perfection of the sound rings through the night and motivates my ride with a more epic quality. If there were someone else in the car though, I’m not so sure the music would hit right. These are personal anthems I keep somewhere close inside. Times I’ve tried to share prog music with others, most people seem not to get it. They don’t see what I see. Which is that prog musicians are some of the most courageous artists around, not just for pushing the boundaries of craftsmanship but for their songwriting and lyrical content which touches upon subjects rock and roll usually strays from, more heady, authentic themes like psychology and philosophy find a home in prog rock. Straight forward rock and roll thinks its too cool for these themes which feel on the surface a bit “bookwormish”. Porcupine Tree‘s absence may not have been felt by the punks, or even most of the metalheads, but to the prog rockers, there was

The Golden Coast: Portola Festival 2022

Danny Ryan October 6, 2022

Electronic dance music festivals have been controversial amongst live music enthusiasts for quite some time. It’s clear to see why due to the emphasis on drug use, tendency to attract rowdy youth that are more focused on partying than the love for the music, massive and potentially dangerous crowds, and lack of genre diversity in the lineups. The Portola Festival at Pier 80 in San Francisco was Goldenvoice and Non Plus Ultra’s answer to these criticisms, returning the pure love for different forms of electronic music and visual art to the raving experience. Portola hosted a massive lineup of DJs and artists ranging from the 90’s rave roots of Fatboy Slim and The Chemical Brothers, to modern DJ legends Jamie XX and Flume, and even to electronic-influenced pop stars with Charli XCX and Caroline Polachek. No matter what your flavor of raving is, Portola Festival had you covered with all forms of non-stop dancing the entire weekend. Portola Festival’s setting was incredibly industrial to match the energy of the warehouse shows that electronic dance music is rooted in, with the Pier 80 location being in a parking lot surrounded by enormous ships on the dock and a tranquil view of

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

Gorillaz, the Most Human Band, at Youtube Theatre

Rob Shepyer September 30, 2022

The events of Sunday September 25th at Youtube Theatre were moments I had dreamed of and wished for the last decade of my life, and finally, after loving Demon Days for so long, I finally got to see Gorillaz live at the Youtube Theatre. To me, there is no more beautiful music than this record and the live version released afterward. Not only do I think Gorillaz is beautiful, I consider it the most ‘human’ sounding music. By that I mean their range of songs carry the nuance and complexity hidden inside a full human life–the highs and lows, the bliss and calamity, every bit of turbulence the human race is steeped in and every shred of joy humans are blessed with, all have a place on Demons Days. 2001’s self titled album is incredible too, it’s the OG of Gorillaz’ catalogue, featuring “Clint Eastwood”, the song that made the band a household name. 2010’s Plastic Beach had a plenty of bangers, anthems and serenades featured in epic, dream-team collabs, while 2017’s Humanz may be their most slept-on album of the last five years, it’s just full of great songs from start to finish (speaking of the most ‘human’ music).

Glitz and Glamour: Roxy Music’s 50th Anniversary at The Kia Forum

Rob Shepyer September 30, 2022

The lasting legacy of Roxy Music is one of soul, style, and groundbreaking experimentation. You can hear the roots of so many different genres just by listening to Roxy Music. They weren’t necessarily setting out to produce so many artistic offspring when they began, they were trying to make music that was close to the heart—timeless tunes to make people dance and fall in love. They certainly achieved this at their 50th anniversary tour stop in Los Angeles at the Kia Forum because there, LA fell in love with the band all over again. It was a tour-de-force performance that saw every piece of the band at their best, slaying on their instruments and having the audience swaying their hips and singing along. Even though we’re far removed from the 70’s and 80’s, this show gave a modern audience a slice of a different time when people have much more style. Roxy Music alone could reinvigorate fashion and coolness for this generation, if we could just tap into Bryan Ferry’s vision more often. The more Bryan Ferry the world gets, the more things will improve, that I can guarantee you. This 50th Anniversary tour was so epic and monumental that

Photo Recap: Moderat at the Wiltern

Janky Smooth Central Command September 29, 2022

Berlin’s most powerful electronic trio, Moderat are the supergroup on the lips of everyone that loves deep electronic beats, whether they love to dance or just vibe to the overwhelming music they create. Their 2022 release More D4ta saw the band tour through the United States and stop at The Wiltern for their Los Angeles date. We got pictures from the night to give you a sense of the audio/visual splendor that went down and sent the audience into awe. Sascha Ring, Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary are proving that when it comes to Moderat, there is no such thing as moderation, it’s best to have as much as humanely possible. Photos by: Chris Molina Moderat

German Love Machines: Rammstein at LA Memorial Coliseum

Rob Shepyer September 28, 2022

Rammstein in-concert more closely resembles Mad Max’s Thunderome or Rollerball than your typical rock and roll show. The atmosphere is reminiscent of the best kind of 80’s dystopian cinema, life or death battles that pits man against machine as fire and music blast a rabid crowd salivating for more rock, sex, and violence. It gives new meaning to the words “Arena Rock”. Just like this author, Rammstein prefers a maximalist approach to performing. In fact, I struggle to think of any greater spectacle in all of music. No other marquee act, be they rock or rap, has the production value of Rammstein. These days the kings of rock and roll are the likes of Metallica, Tool, My Chemical Romance, Nine Inch Nails, and Iron Maiden, and still, none of them compare to a Rammstein show. Iron Maiden comes close, but when you behold Rammstein’s stage, you feel like you’ve entered an actual urban hellscape from the year 3000 as you stand before this industrial structure that houses the band for the next two hours. You wonder as you stand in awe of the A and B stage, how large is the crew that built this and how long did it

Photo Recap: Bad Bunny at Petco Park

Janky Smooth Central Command September 28, 2022

The people of Southern California have all got to admit and admire the phenomenon of Bad Bunny. He’s somehow beyond the mainstream, still an outsider in some respects, yet at the same time, he’s larger than life, perhaps larger than the music industry itself. It certainly feels this way when you go to a Bad Bunny concert. You can sense in the audience, their hearts are on fire for this artist and their music. If you struggle to understand the why, then I would suggest going to a Bad Bunny concert because then all the answers will come to you. These pictures from his show at Petco Park give only a small glimpse of how hard San Diego goes for Bad Bunny, with his upcoming show at Sofi Stadium, there’s plenty more Southern California love we have to give him. Opening the show was masterful DJ, Alesso, who only intensified the party atmosphere to make for an unforgettable one-two punch combo for the evening of dancing and fun. Photos by: Rebecca DiGiglio Bad Bunny Alesso