Category: Concerts

The Scandals | Mayan Theater | Red Bull Sound Select’s “30 Days In LA” | 11/9/14 [Review, Photos & Videos]

To Check Out Other Bands We Caught During Red Bull Sound Selects “30 Days In LA” CLICK HERE

THE ACT: The Scandals |  Facebook | Twitter

SOUNDS LIKE: 

THOUGHTS: (Excerpted from M. Sloves full article which you can read by clicking HERE)

“[…] In a landscape that demands you either innovate or execute, they execute extremely well. Their cover of  Tom Petty’s “American Girl” played well to the audience and their pop-punk brand is a testament to the lasting influence of bands like Unwritten Law and Face to Face that helped define the sound for Southern California in the early 90s and (for better or for worse) took punk in a slightly more mainstream and accessible direction.

[…]

[…] In a genre where a lot of bands sound the same, quality becomes lyric-driven and hinges as much on the band’s rapport with the crowd as any musical innovation or craftsmanship. My point is: these are Jersey guys. Their peeps are a continent away. Nonetheless, the punk educated crowd at The Mayan seemed to approve. Nobody was really moving much but hell, it’s LA, we’re talking about a world where a quiet bro-nod is tantamount to a public erection. And they earned a good number of those.

[…]

Good guys too. The break between The Scandal and Bad Religion was pretty hefty. During that time they manned their merch table and warmly welcomed every fan, groupie, geek, cool guy, and music head that came by to chat them up. I’d roll the dice and see them again I just hope that as The Scandal grows musically, they move beyond their well-crafted homage to their precursors and find a somewhat more distinctive voice.”

PHOTOS:

VIDEO CLIPS:

To Check Out Other Bands We Caught During Red Bull Sound Selects “30 Days In LA” CLICK HERE

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Baby Baby | Mayan Theater | Red Bull Sound Select’s “30 Days In LA” | 11/9/14 [Review, Photos & Videos]

To Check Out Other Bands We Caught During Red Bull Sound Selects “30 Days In LA” CLICK HERE

THE ACT: Baby Baby | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

SOUNDS LIKE: 

THOUGHTS: (Excerpted from M. Sloves full article which you can read by clicking HERE)

“A little punk, a little party band, a lot of fun. That’s how they describe themselves – “fun rock”. Mission accomplished.

[… ] Baby Baby (I do NOT get the name) opened strong with a heavy arena rock intro. Thick drums and guitar rhythmically smacking you in the face for no apparent reason other than to let you know they’re there. Super high energy. Drums and percussion laying down thick beats counterbalanced by an overlay of more psychedelic riffs from the keyboards. Head banging apery with the chaotic coherence of an H.B. Halicki car chase.

The music stands more or less on its own merits but I think it’s fair to say that Baby Baby as a live experience is all about front man Fontez Brooks. The brash young turk has some stones and a solid knack for pageantry. Whether it’s ego, talent, raw enthusiasm, not giving a fuck, or a healthy combination of all of the above, his commitment to engaging the crowd is unimpeachable  – even if it means ripping them a new a-hole.

[…]

The real obstacle for Baby Baby is that the crowd in attendance on this particular night wasn’t at the Mayan for Baby Baby. A couple of “Bro Hymn”-esque choruses played well to the many Pennywise fans, and in the end I think they managed to win over the haters but nobody seemed all that amped on them. That’s LA though. A dance floor full of music aficionados keeping vigil with a subtle head nod and arms folded in a self-embracing bro-cross. […] Can’t blame that on Baby Baby though. The dudes brought it hard and I’d love to see them on their home turf and playing to their own crowd. They throw a lot of good energy out there and any audience that gives a little more back would be sure to go home hot and bothered, in a good way.”

PHOTOS:

VIDEO CLIPS:

To Check Out Other Bands We Caught During Red Bull Sound Selects “30 Days In LA” CLICK HERE

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Reignwolf | The Mint | Red Bull Sound Select’s “30 Days In LA” | 11/12/14 [Review, Photos & Videos]

To Check Out Other Bands We Caught During Red Bull Sound Selects “30 Days In LA” CLICK HERE

THE ACT:  Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

SOUNDS LIKE: 

THOUGHTS:

The anticipation for Reignwolf at The Mint was palpable. After giving early comers army jackets emblazoned with Reignwolf logos, looking around the small venue it looked, with what seemed like a majority of the fans in attendance wearing the matching jackets, like there was some kind of cultural, or revivalist, movement happening.

With the fog machines pumping out a heavy mist, and the band emerging from back-stage, the crowd erupted with a cultish zeal. We were waiting all night for some rock-and-roll nirvana. We were waiting for Reignwolf to take us there.

I had seen Reignwolf at the Troubadour earlier this year and was a bit surprised that this Red Bull show was at The Mint. With a capacity of only 200, this show had sold out (just like his concert at The Troubadour) early. I thought for sure that Reignwolf could have easily sold out a 500 capacity venue. I wasn’t complaining though. Trust me … you want to see Reignwolf in an intimate venue. It got really intimate at The Mint.

Jordan Cook (a/k/a Reginwolf) was in the zone from the start. His eyes were glazed over with a wild-man’s look, only breaking out of its trance when technical issues with microphones arose or when he directly addressed the audience. His performance at The Mint was as raw and unhinged as it was at the Troubadour.

Moving his performance into the audience, literally dragging his drum kit from the stage into the crowd, and standing up on top of his kick drum, his energy was relentless, and it was a performance that I’m sure kept everybody up at night because of how much adrenaline it stirred up.

The performance aside (which was incredible), I’m more in awe about the fact that Reignwolf has developed such a loyal following without having a full studio album up for sale or a label backing his image. His reputation, to this point, has been, for the most part, organic and based on his live performance. I had a buddy swear to me that I HAD to see Reignwolf live. I listened to his recommendation, and now I can’t get enough. Am I satisfied? Not yet. I need more music.

SETLIST:

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PHOTOS: This show was one of the toughest gigs for me to shoot. Wasn’t happy with most of what I shot. I’m not even that happy with the photos that I posted here. Still one or two real quality shots in here, but it was all timing matching my shot with someone elses flash.

VIDEO CLIPS:

To Check Out Other Bands We Caught During Red Bull Sound Selects “30 Days In LA” CLICK HERE

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The Tontons | The Mint | Red Bull Sound Select’s “30 Days In LA” | 11/12/14 [Review, Photos & Videos]

To Check Out Other Bands We Caught During Red Bull Sound Selects “30 Days In LA” CLICK HERE

THE ACT: The Tontons | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

SOUNDS LIKE: 

THOUGHTS: I was excited to see The Tontons perform live. Based out of Houston, Texas, I had read a lot of good buzz about this band. Plus, how can you not at least be partially interested in a band that names itself after a creature in Star Wars? To be upfront about it, even though I had read some rave reviews about the band, I decided to hold off on listening to them until this performance. I was hoping that my virgin ears could hear what reviews had stated. Frankly speaking, though, their performance left me confused. Now, I’m not the kind of person who needs an artist to hold fast to a particular genre or musical styling, but I couldn’t tell what they, or their music, were about. I couldn’t tell you who THEY were. Thankfully, they handed out free copies of their latest album after their performance. When I played the CD, and listened to it from start to finish, I realized that their performance at The Mint really didn’t do them justice. Their album, “Make Out King and Other Stories” is a sultry and seductive alt rock record that I thoroughly enjoyed. None of that vibe, however, came across in their live performance at The Mint … but I’m stilling to give them another chance.

PHOTOS:

VIDEO CLIPS:

To Check Out Other Bands We Caught During Red Bull Sound Selects “30 Days In LA” CLICK HERE

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The Grizzled Mighty | The Mint | Red Bull Sound Select’s “30 Days In LA” | 11/12/14 [Review, Photos & Videos]

To Check Out Other Bands We Caught During Red Bull Sound Selects “30 Days In LA” CLICK HERE

THE ACT: The Grizzled Mighty | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

SOUNDS LIKE: 

THOUGHTS: The Grizzled Mighty is a blues/garage rock duo from Seattle. With a female (Lupe Flores) on drums, and a male (Ryan Granger) on guitar and vocals, obvious comparisons to The White Stripes comes to mind, but I think it’d be a bit of a stretch to make that comparison really stick. Their performance was energetic and you could tell that they were happy to be opening for Reignwolf, but the music sounded both derivative and unpolished. Jack and Meg White set the bar relatively high, so bands trying emulate the formula should bring a little something extra to set themselves apart. Don’t get me wrong … I enjoyed watching their performance (I was particularly enamored with Lupe on the drums, simultaneously smiling and growling while pounding the drums) and their music isn’t bad, but I was expecting a little something extra.

PHOTOS:

VIDEO CLIPS:

To Check Out Other Bands We Caught During Red Bull Sound Selects “30 Days In LA” CLICK HERE

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Alabama Shakes | Mercedes-Benz Evolution Tour | Barker Hangar | 11/6/14 [Photos & Review]

I don’t often “win” prizes, but when I do, I love it when those prizes are music related. I’m not sure when I registered for it, but apparently I had registered to win tickets for a Mercedes-Benz sponsored concert event featuring Young the Giant and Alabama Shakes. I guess it goes without saying … I won tickets.

The concert was held in Santa Monica Airport’s Barker Hangar, and free food and drinks were available. As an added treat, renowned street artist Mr. Brainwash “live-painted” a Mercedes-Benz. I’m wondering what Mercedes will be doing with that car. Would you drive it?

THOUGHTS: I love the Alabama  Shakes. I love Brittany Howard. I love the Alabama Shakes because I love Brittany Howard. Ever since I saw the Alabama Shakes perform at the Palladium, I’ve been waiting for more music. They’ve released/performed a few new songs here and there, and anticipation is high for their sophomore album. I’m know that I’m anxious.

You’d expect the band to be familiar with large audiences clamoring for their music, so it seemed a little odd to me when Brittany observed, “[t]his is a real big audience. Thank y’all,” before jumping into a new song titled “Gimme All Your Love.” So good. It’s a soulful song that uses the entire range for Brittany’s powerful voice.

Even with the free booze flowing, and audience members seriously inebriated (I had a girl, to the amusement of my female guest, fully acknowledge that she was grinding on me during “Hold On” … trust me, I didn’t mind), when Brittany asked the crowd to bring it down for a song, the audience respected her request to the point where you could hear a pin drop.

She then introduced another new song about a man who couldn’t stay out of jail. At that point, I was salivating to know what other gems would be on the new album.

The set was a mix of old songs and new, and all I knew was that I can’t wait for the new album to be released.

PHOTOS: I didn’t bother to ask for a photo pass for the event, so I went to the concert with my trusty point-and-shoot.

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Young The Giant | Mercedes-Benz Evolution Tour | Barker Hangar | 11/6/14 [Photos & Setlist]

I don’t often “win” prizes, but when I do, I love it when those prizes are music related. I’m not sure when I registered for it, but apparently I had registered to win tickets for a Mercedes-Benz sponsored concert event featuring Young the Giant and Alabama Shakes. I guess it goes without saying … I won tickets.

The concert was held in Santa Monica Airport’s Barker Hangar, and free food and drinks were available. As an added treat, renowned street artist Mr. Brainwash “live-painted” a Mercedes-Benz. I’m wondering what Mercedes will be doing with that car. Would you drive it?

THOUGHTS: Young the Giant hails from southern California (Orange County), and their fans were out in force, leaned up against the photo pit barricade. From the first song, their fans were singing along, word for word.

Frankly speaking, I am not too familiar with the band. I knew that they had just released their sophomore album this year, and had been touring with the Kings of Leon, but if you had asked me to name my favorite Young the Giant song, I would have drawn a blank.

I could totally understand why there were touring with the Kings of Leon. Their music is big and rocking … anthemic … and was performed with a level of confidence only emboldened by their loyal fans.

I enjoyed their performance, but I’m still not sure whether their music is something that I could really fall in love with. Speaking with my guest, she stated that the show, “[f]eels like one really long song”. A good song … but a song that really didn’t have any truly memorable moments.

Maybe I still need to get more familiar with the band and their music. Maybe I should reserve my judgement until I’ve actually purchased one of their albums and had a serious listen to their tunes. But, if you had asked me right after their set to hum or sing parts of any one of their songs that I particularly liked, I would have drawn a blank.

SETLIST:

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PHOTOS: I didn’t bother to ask for a photo pass for the event, so I went to the concert with my trusty point-and-shoot.

 

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Snoop Dogg aka DJ Snoopadelic | “The Art of Inspiration” | #HappySocksXSnoopDogg | 11/3/14 [Photos]

From hip-hop royalty, to technology venture capitalist, there doesn’t seem to be anything that Snoop Dogg (nee Calvin Broadus) can’t do. Earlier this month, Snoop dipped his feet into the sock game (pun intended).

On November 1st, at Austere, in conjunction with Happy Socks, Snoop held a pop-up event to celebrate his latest business/creative venture: a limited edition sock collection titled “The Art of Inspiration”. Inspired by his recent artistic pastime, painting, Snoop designed each pair of socks in the limited edition collection

The pop-up event was attended by a plethora of entertainment industry tastemakers. Each person in attendance was given a set of Happy Socks, and while imbibing beverages from the open bar, had a chance to peruse some of Snoop’s original paintings.

Later in the evening, DJ Snoopadelic took control of the music for the evening giving those who had picked up some Happy Socks, some happy feet.

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Dead Sara | The Viper Room | 11/1/14 [Photos & Video]

THE ACT: Dead Sara | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

THOUGHTS:

The Viper Room. It’s a storied venue that’s had everyone from Tom Petty and the Hearbreakers, Bruce Springteen and Johnny Cash to Stone Temple Pilots, the Go-Go’s and Oasis. Christina Applegate once tended bar one night.

With a capacity of only 250, when certain shows get announced, it’s often times only the hard core fans, or fans in the know, who get tickets. The Eagles of Death Metal Valentines’ Day gig this year. As soon as I found out that tickets were available, I logged on. The same day tickets were announced, within no more than 30 minutes, tickets were already sold out.

I subscribe to a lot of social media outlets that give me a heads up about tickets that go on sale, but when tickets were released (and not announced) for Dead Sara’s show at The Viper Room, my friend who takes guitar lessons from Dead Sara’s bassist gave me the heads up. Talk about knowing the right people … right?

When I arrived at the venue (early to make sure that I could get a spot up front), there was already a line. TheDEADicated were already there in full force, one of whom drove all the way from Denver to catch the show. Luckily, the line wasn’t too long such that I couldn’t get a spot up front. Perhaps not the best angle, but at least I didn’t have to worry about getting other fan’s heads in the shots.

Dead Sara rocked it solid. Rocked it hard. Rocked it furious. Their live shows are what it’s all about. I love their music, but I love watching them breath life into their music even more.

After the last song of their set (check out the photos below to see the autographed setlist I was able to procure), my veins were pumping with adrenaline. They have a new album that is ready to see the light of day. If all goes according to plan, Dead Sara should be lining up more gigs next year.  I’m a Dead Sara junkie. I need my fix, and I can’t wait.

PHOTOS:

VIDEO CLIPS:

A member of theDEADicated shot and edited some video and I’ve posted links below. If you are a fan of Dead Sara you should probably follow him on Youtube and Twitter.

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The Filthy Souls | The Viper Room | 11/1/14 [Photos & Video]

THE ACT: The Filthy Souls | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

SOUNDS LIKE: 

THOUGHTS:

Brit indie-rockers, The Filthy Souls are in indie-rock band whose released a self-titled debut EP this year. It’s a solid, 7 song set of pulsating music that straddles the pop and hard rock lines with a delicate balance.

Their performance at The Viper Room, opening for Dead Sara, was a rocking affair that I’m sure made believers of some of the Dead Sara faithful, myself included. It certainly didn’t hurt that they were giving out free music and t-shirts to those who wanted them.

I’m definitely going to keep an ear out on this band. I’m excited to hear more from them, and hopefully catch them live again.

PHOTOS:

VIDEO CLIPS:

A member of theDEADicated is also a big fan of The Filthy Souls. He shot some video and I’ve posted links below. If you are a fan of Dead Sara, or a new fan of The Filthy Souls, you should probably follow him on Youtube and Twitter.

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