THIS CHARMING MAN, JOHNNY MARR, HOUSE OF BLUES, ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA
The people of Orange County, California showed up to see This Charming Man, Johnny Marr and his band play and the Anaheim House of Blues. The show did not start without a hitch, unfortunately the House Of Blues had audio issues and the show started about thirty minutes late. The crowd stayed cool and calm only chatting Johnny's name every now and then. Once things were cleared Marr and his band came out focused and determined to give the fans what they wanted. Johnny. Fuckin. Marr.
The people of Orange County, California showed up to see This Charming Man, Johnny Marr and his band play and the Anaheim House of Blues. The show did not start without a hitch, unfortunately the House Of Blues had audio issues and the show started about thirty minutes late. The crowd stayed cool and calm only chatting Johnny's name every now and then. Once things were cleared Marr and his band came out focused and determined to give the fans what they wanted. Johnny. Fuckin. Marr.
Marr and his band played music spanning his career from his early days with super group of the 80s-90s, Electronic. The band originally included Bernard Sumnor of New Order and Joy Division along with Neil Tennet and Chris Lowe of The Pet Shop Boys. Marr covered songs like "Getting Away with it" and "Get the Message" which got the crowd dancing and singing along. He of course played his most beloved music of the Smiths with gems like " Big Mouth Strikes Again", "The Headmaster Ritual", "Last Night I Dreamt Somebody Loved Me" and he closed his first set with "How Soon is Now" which got a loud roar of excitement from the crowd.
This show, however, was not to showcase the old, but to accentuate the new. Last year Marr released a new album, "Call the Comet". He opened the show with "The Tracers" and continued on with "Hi Hello" and "New Dominions". He also played tracks from his previous album Playland like "Easy Money".
The show ended with a four song encore that included a cover of "I Feel You" by Depeche Mode. Marr had the house singing loudly along while performing his last two songs of the night, "There is a Light that Never Goes Out" and "You Just Haven't Earned it Yet, Baby", covers from The Smiths. It roused the crowd so much that multiple people decided to rush the stage just to touch the former Smiths guitarist.
Marr and his band have another show at the John Anson Ford Theater in Los Angeles on May 21, 2019, be sure to check it out.
ST. VINCENT CHARMS LOS ANGELES WITH SENSATIONAL PERFORMANCE AT HOLLYWOOD PALLADIUM
There is a method to the madness for the opening half of St. Vincent’s set. Like many shows on the Fear the Future tour, Annie Clark, known as St. Vincent, began her sold-out show stage right with her signature guitar in hand playing “Marry Me” from her first album of the same name. The curtain barely open, revealed roughly fifteen percent of the stage. The song ends, the lights go out, the curtain opens a bit wider revealing St. Vincent a tad further upstage, further to her left, and holding a differently colored signature guitar. This pattern repeated for six songs as she worked through the songs chronologically in the order they were written from the albums Marry Me, Actor, and Strange Mercy.
There is a method to the madness for the opening half of St. Vincent’s set. Like many shows on the Fear the Future tour, Annie Clark, known as St. Vincent, began her sold-out show stage right with her signature guitar in hand playing “Marry Me” from her first album of the same name. The curtain barely open, revealed roughly fifteen percent of the stage. The song ends, the lights go out, the curtain opens a bit wider revealing St. Vincent a tad further upstage, further to her left, and holding a differently colored signature guitar. This pattern repeated for six songs as she worked through the songs chronologically in the order they were written from the albums Marry Me, Actor, and Strange Mercy.
The seventh song of the evening finally found the stage curtains completely open as Ms. Clark laid down center stage singing “Strange Mercy.” As she crooned “And oh little one I ain’t been around for a little while, but when you see me, wait,” the stark grey curtain that served as he backdrop opened to display another curtain with a face with brown eyes, surrounded by lashes that impressionistically looked like a cross between Siouxsie Sioux and a Rorschach test, red lips with vampire teeth, and hair that conjured an image of flames more than anything else. With the song over, Annie stood center stage confidently as she played three songs from the 2014 self titled St. Vincent album, finishing the set with “Birth in Reverse.” Whether the opening set was meant to be symbolic of St. Vincent’s growth as an artist, of her audience’s evolving understanding of St. Vincent and her art, or of something else entirely, can only be answered Annie Clark or left to the imagination of the people in attendance.
For the tenth time of the evening the Hollywood Palladium stage went dark but for much longer than before, and following the intermission, the last curtain opened to reveal a large digital screen with the image of Anne Clark’s face. Slowly the image tightened into a close up as St. Vincent reappeared, her wardrobe changed from pink to silver. She adjusted her earpiece, gripped her orange guitar, and began playing “Hang on Me.” As the large video screen featured videos of St. Vincent doing a variety of strange things with printers and televisions, she played MASSEDUCTION in its entirety, from beginning to end. “Los Angeles” and “New York” seemed to be the favorites of the night, but the melancholy “Smoking Section” seemed perfect bookend to the evening as she sang, “It’s not the end, it’s not the end, it’s not the end…” Ironically, the screen went pink, and large white letters appeared spelling, literally, “The End.” St. Vincent raised her right arm high into the air waving goodbye, thanked the audience, and said goodnight.
Words: Jon Bostick
Photography: Wes Marsala
Written for Grimy Goods, January 26, 2018
IN THE NAME OF LOVE — U2 BRING TOGETHER LOS ANGELES FANS FOR INSPIRING PERFORMANCE AT ROSE BOWL
U2 came out to Los Angeles and rocked the Rose Bowl, playing their 1987 album Joshua Tree in full. From the moment you walked into the venue you knew you were going to be in for something spectacular, You were greeted by a huge 8K resolution, 200 ft x 45 ft cinematic screen made up of 1,040 led light panels. The thing was insanely massive and displayed some of the most clear images of Dutch photographer Anton Corbijn, the original photographer of the Joshua Tree album, with imagery of the Joshua Tree valley.
U2 came out to Los Angeles and rocked the Rose Bowl, playing their 1987 album Joshua Tree in full. From the moment you walked into the venue you knew you were going to be in for something spectacular, You were greeted by a huge 8K resolution, 200 ft x 45 ft cinematic screen made up of 1,040 led light panels. The thing was insanely massive and displayed some of the most clear images of Dutch photographer Anton Corbijn, the original photographer of the Joshua Tree album, with imagery of the Joshua Tree valley.
Everyone in general admission crowded around together and in the middle was a second stage. The lights dimmed and Larry Mullen walked out on his own and to a small drum set that was set up on the secondary stage. He sat down and started to pound the drums to a familiar beat, “Sunday Bloody Sunday.” Soon bassist, Adam Clayton and guitarist The Edge joined Mullen. And finally, Bono walked down the catwalk to the stage started with “I Can’t believe the news today.” The crowd looked as though they were in awe, their hands waved high and the band started the show off with high intensity. U2 played two more songs on the secondary stage with “New Years Day” and “Pride (In The Name of Love).”
Next, U2 walked back to the main stage. The backdrop turned a beautiful vivid red, silhouetted with a giant Joshua Tree, while U2 stood together at the base of the tree and waved to the crowd. They walked to their instruments and The Edge started his iconic guitar riff and started Joshua Tree’s, “Where the Streets Have no Name.” They played each song on Joshua Tree in order and when they got to “One Tree Hill” they made a dedication to the late Chris Cornell. It was a sweet and heartfelt moment, Bono said that it’s hard to see Chris come so close to having such a beautiful life but then to fall. It was an emotional tribute to say the least.
After Joshua Tree concluded, U2 were not done. Instead, itt was time for the band to get a little political. They played a snippet of an old show about a man named Trump trying to sell a wall to the people, then they played a clip from Miss Sarajevo by French Artist, J.R. that was shot at the Zaatari refugee camp which housed 80,000 displaced Syrians. During the song “Passengers,” U2 had a banner showing an image of a Syrian woman that floated across the crowd. They then did a tribute to women during “Ultra Violet (Light My way).” They wanted to pay tribute to their wives, daughters, the women in the stadium. U2 then displayed portraits of heroic women throughout history including: Sojourner Truth, Angela Davis, Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou, Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Pussy Riot, Patti Smith and Malala Yousafzai. And that’s just naming a few.
U2 ended the night with a new song “The Little Things that Give You Away.” It was a fantastic performances, and I’m glad that for my first U2 show I was fortunate enough to hear my favorite album of theirs in all its entirety.
Words & Photography: Wes Marsala
Written for Grimy Goods, May 23, 2017
NEW LA ACTS KOLARS AND HOLY WARS DELIVER MOST IMPRESSIVE SETS AT ECHOPLEX
Last week at The Echoplex and presented by Play Like A Girl, Smoke Season headlined an evening of music that was supported by two sizzling acts. While we’ve covered Smoke Season’s compelling performance in the past, this was our first time catching newbies Kolars and Holy Wars. They fully impressed to say the least.
Smoke Season, Kolars and Holy Wars give A+ performances at Echoplex
Last week at The Echoplex and presented by Play Like A Girl, Smoke Season headlined an evening of music that was supported by two sizzling acts. While we’ve covered Smoke Season’s compelling performance in the past, this was our first time catching newbies Kolars and Holy Wars. They fully impressed to say the least.
Holy Wars started the night off with their debut performance. Kat Leon and Nick Perez formally of Sad Robot have put the robot to bed and come up with a darker sound. Their new project is Holy Wars and it is quite good. Leon displays a bit of cat-like ferocity on stage and Perez shreds on the guitar. They have a new look too. Perez was usually pretty casual during the Sad Robot days, but at Holy Wars’ Echoplex gig, he came our dressed to impress in a black three-piece suit, while Leon donned a black cape and dark makeup. It was an enticing debut performance full of emotion and a lively mystique.
Kolars played in between the two bands. The husband / wife duo featuring Rob Kolar on the guitar and Lauren Brown on the drums are formerly of the glam-folk band He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister. They are without a doubt a rock ‘n’ roll band and it sounds a bit like you were taken back to the 50s, however there is a little twist; Brown brings some dope originality to the drums. She set up two floor toms, a snare, a single symbol, and she stood on a bass drum and wore tap shoes. Yes, she taps while drumming. She is creating beats from every limb! Her whole body moves but her head for the most part stays in one spot with an intense focus. It was really awesome to see. Kolar is fantastic on the guitar; his vocals and looks really bring that rock ‘n’ roll feel home.
If you see any of these bands on a bill, you need to jump on the opportunity to see them live.
Holy Wars perform at The Hi Hat on March 7 as support for Night Talks March residency. Also on the bill, Lauren Ruth Ward! This is an exceptional lineup of fierce female leads, AND this show’s free!
Words & Photography: Wes Marsala
Written for Grimy Goods, February 15, 2017
PET SHOP BOYS RING IN HALLOWEEN WITH FESTIVE PERFORMANCE AT MICROSOFT THEATER, LOS ANGELES
It was Halloween weekend and some of the freaks and ghouls came out to see the Pet Shop Boys at the Microsoft Theater, Saturday night. I ran into Jareth (aka David Bowie from Labyrinth), a man dressed in a green suit from head to toe, and when asked what he was he just said: “I am myself.” Unfortunately, Microsoft Theater would not let him in the venue as himself because his face was covered by a green suit, but he fixed it and he was let in, along with every other cosplayer.
It was Halloween weekend and some of the freaks and ghouls came out to see the Pet Shop Boys at the Microsoft Theater, Saturday night. I ran into Jareth (aka David Bowie from Labyrinth), a man dressed in a green suit from head to toe, and when asked what he was he just said: “I am myself.” Unfortunately, Microsoft Theater would not let him in the venue as himself because his face was covered by a green suit, but he fixed it and he was let in, along with every other cosplayer.
The show was supposed to go on at 9 p.m. but they held out for a bit because the seats were not quite full yet; actually they were far from full. I think people expected an opening act so fans took their time coming in. Finally, the lights dimmed and the crowd roared. Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe appeared on these platforms with circular backgrounds behind them, they started the show off with “Inner Sanctum” the seventh song on their new album Super. Song two was shockingly “West End Girls” off their debut album Please. Talk about sparking the nostalgia; I wore this cassette out when I was a kid, that’s for sure.
The Pet Shop Boys took us all on a time warp into the future. They are not the type of performers to get on stage and run around and get crazy; instead they focus on art and ambiance with a state-of-the-art laser light show. It was very impressive with beams of light going in every direction throughout the theater. Fans were amazed; you could here the “wow” and “whoas” in the crowd as they watched in awe. It was quite spectacular.
Tennant is not a man of many words, as he said himself on stage, but he did mention that Los Angeles has been very good for The Pet Shop Boys ever since Richard Blade (KROQ DJ, and Host of Video One) played them for the first time in 1984. That was a pretty special moment for those of us who remember Blade from back in the day, and the crowd cheered upon hearing his name.
The Pet Shop Boys ended the night with a few classics like ‘It’s a Sin,” “Left to my Own Devices,” “Domino Dancing,” and finally “Always on my Mind (Brenda Lee cover).”
Photography & Words: Wes Marsala
Written for Grimy Goods, November 1, 2016
THE BEST AND WORST OF DESERT TRIP 2016
With Desert Trip steaming its way to Indio for yet another weekend of bucket-list performances, it’s time we share with you the best and worst from Desert Trip 2016. If you’re headed to Desert Trip this weekend, check out our pro tips below, as well as our favorite performances in order from most favorite to least favorite. All in all, Desert Trip was an experience of a lifetime. I’d say it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but it’s happening again this weekend!
With Desert Trip steaming its way to Indio for yet another weekend of bucket-list performances, it’s time we share with you the best and worst from Desert Trip 2016. If you’re headed to Desert Trip this weekend, check out our pro tips below, as well as our favorite performances in order from most favorite to least favorite. All in all, Desert Trip was an experience of a lifetime. I’d say it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but it’s happening again this weekend!
~ THE BEST OF DESERT TRIP ~
The Roger Waters Experience (“Fuck Trump”)
Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Desert Trip
Mind-blowing. Roger Waters played select songs from the entire Pink Floyd catalog from Meddle to The Wall; and they served it to us with a new quadraphonic sound system. It almost had a three dimensional feel that made you feel every sound through your whole body. At the start of their show, I thought a train was ripping through the Polo Field!
On top of the enormous life-like sounds, The Roger Waters Experience also pleasured us with a great use of visuals. No surprise there, that’s like a must when it comes to Pink Floyd. The graphics for each song were stunning, it was like watching a film-to-orchestra. The first part of their set had animation similar to that of The Wall. Later in the evening the artwork would change. During “Wish You Were Here” there was a planned interruption of sound with brash sirens and helicopters. The stage would again morph into something new with a smoke stack rising far above the stage, while the LCD screens projected the industrial building seen on the cover of Animals. Eventually the screens would transform into brick walls.
Waters’ set was the most political of the weekend. By the time he got to his Animals set he took the opportunity to deface and defile Donald Trump, regardless of how many Trump supporters were in the audience. The screens now displayed images of Trump with the words “charade” and “joker” written all over his pink face. It didn’t stop there; the screens projected Trump in a KKK hood, naked with a small penis, while sucking a dildo… Eventually during the song “Dogs,” Waters brought out one of his inflatable pigs with an image of Trump morphing into a skull that read “Ignorant, Lying, Racist, Sexist, Fuck Trump and his Wall, Trump is a Pig.” The opposite side of the pig said “Divided We Fall.” Then the screen flashed multiple controversial quotes said by Donald Trump (such as “Mexicans are rapists.”).
During “Another Brick in the Wall Part 2” Waters had a group of children come on to stage to do the second verse, they wore black t-shirts reading, “Derriba el muro” — Spanish for “Take down the wall.” In my opinion, it was one of the most powerful statements he made all night.
At the end of the night, Waters seemed to have questioned himself mentally and suddenly said out loud, “Ah Fuck it.” He then read a poem he wrote in 2004 titled “Why the Good Can’t Prevail (watch video here). With emotions running high, Waters and company then moved on to play “Vera” and “Bring the Boys Home,” with Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig of Lucius harmonizing on the backing vocals.
The Roger Waters Experience did not hold back at all, and just like the title of the last song they performed, we were all left “Comfortably Numb.”
The Rolling Stones (and Paul McCartney’s Reaction)
Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Desert Trip
The Rolling Stones, as always, brought the fun rock show home. Jagger was skipping up and down the catwalk, while Keith Richards laid his signature grin on the crowd with a cigarette cliff-hanging from his mouth. While I was watching the Rolling Stones on stage, having a blast as though they were still in their prime, there was also another show going on behind me. I looked back and about four rows behind me in one of the luxury suites was Sir Paul McCartney and his posse sitting and watching the performance. More importantly, Jagger introduced the next song saying, “We don’t usually do this, but we are going to do someone else’s song,” and the next thing was the bassline to The Beatles’ “Come Together.” Immediately everyone turned their heads to see McCartney’s reaction. Without a stop — legend watching legend — McCartney’s face lit up as a huge smile took over his face. He clapped just like the rest of us. The moment was priceless, and I kind of got the chills from the experience. It was real, and in the moment; it did not get much better than that for me.
The Stones wrapped up their set with classics such as “Gimme Shelter,” “Sympathy for the Devil,” “Brown Sugar,” Can’t Always get What You Want, (which they employed the USC choir to kick off the beginning chorus), and finally, “Satisfaction.”
Paul McCartney and Neil Young Performing (for the first time ever) “Why Don’t We Do it in the Road”
The highlight of McCartney’s show was when he brought out his special guest, Neil Young. They played a rendition of “A Day in the Life” and the second verse after the dream sequence turned into the chorus of “Give Peace a Chance.” After that song and for the first time ever, McCartney and Young performed “Why Don’t We Do it in the Road” — a bluesy White Album classic. Everyone was completely into it and he ended the set with “Back in the USSR.”
Other Beatles highlights were: “Hard Day’s Night,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “Helter Skelter,” “I’ve Got a Feeling” and a bunch of other nostalgic classics that kept the crowd singing-along. McCartney even threw a bit of Wings in the mix with “Band on the Run” and “Jet.”
Once he came out for his encore, McCartney acknowledged that the Rolling Stones played a Beatles song and returned the favor by playing a Rolling Stones song. However, the song was “I Wanna Be Your Man” which Lennon and McCartney wrote and also recorded for the Hard Days Night album.
The Who (“The Adele and Lady Gaga of 1967”)
Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Desert Trip
The sun was setting and the sky was a shade of magenta that blended into blue. You could see the silhouettes of the mountains in the desert background. Peter Townsend and Roger Daltry took the stage: “Well here the fuck we are, you all come to watch old people dance,” shouted Townsend. The crowd laughed and The Who bolted into “I Can’t Explain” followed by “The Seeker.” These songs are pretty heavy songs, and the crowd did not seem to be into it as much because they were all in their seats. However, as soon as the sun set and the sky went black, the old people came out to dance (as Townsend would put it).
Townsend was pretty funny most of the night, upon introducing “The Kids Are Alright” he shared: “Many years ago back in 1967, before most of you were born (the crowd laughed), well there are a couple of old cunts out there too, we came to California to the Monterey Pop Festival with Jimi Hendrix, it was down the hill for me so I traded in my guitar for a Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster.” Townsend garnering many laughs and smiles, then said, “we love you for coming out to see us and here is a song for all the young ones” … The Kids Are Alright.
Townsend, full of comedic wit, at one point announced that they were “the Adele, Lady Gaga or even the Justin Beiber of 1967.” The Who also shared how they were “just fat fat fat” (as in massively popular) and that their first number one hit was “I Can See for Miles.” Before we knew it, they were playing the #1 hit. Daltry was having a great time on stage throwing his mic around and it was awesome to see Townsend do his signature guitar strumming. The Who closed their set with “Baba O’Riley” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” I was wondering if Daltry was still going to be able to hit that high scream in the middle of the song, and just like yesteryear, he fucking nailed it.
Neil Young (“…Make Mexico Great Again”)
Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Desert Trip
I enjoy Neil Young, but I went into Desert Trip least excited about his performance. Young’s stage was lined with Teepees and his band’s banner hung in the backbround. At the start of show he had people on stage who appeared to be gardeners; they came out and planted seeds as Young began to play “After the Gold Rush” followed by “Heart of Gold.” After a couple mellow songs it went into full rock ‘n’ roll mode, and Neil Young blew my mind. There was so much energy on stage and his band The Promise of the Real was exceptional. Obviously, Young has been outspoken about politics, especially when it comes to the environment. About mid way through his set he had another group of people come on stage in Hazmat garb spraying (faux) chemicals where the seeds had been planted. He also came out and said, “Come back tomorrow, Roger is going to build a wall and make Mexico great again” — obviously a clever slam at Trump.
To the pleasure of many fans, Young closed out with “Rockin in the Free World.” It seemed his set ran a little long since he said we had to play it in forty seconds (which was not the case).
Bob Dylan (Not Opening with “Must Be Santa”)
I’ve heard so many mixed reviews about Bob Dylan’s shows. They are usually disappointing (because fans want to hear his old hits), and although I was excited to watch a legend do his thing on stage, I knew I probably wouldn’t hear what I wanted to hear, but who cares, it’s Dylan. He has been known to do full shows of Christmas music, but to my surprise Dylan did not open with “Must Be Santa” — instead he opened with “Rainy Day Woman.” You know, that one song about how everyone should get stoned… Well, from then on I knew we were going to have a good show. He played music from classic albums such as Highway 61 Revisited, Bringing it All Back Home, Blood on the Tracks and also a few songs from his newer album Tempest.
From where I was sitting it was hard to see Dylan play. The cameras feeding the Jumbotrons filmed him for the first five songs and then the cameras were set in odd angles leaving fans in the cheap $200 seat (yes, I know that is not cheap at all, but it was for Desert Trip) with no views whatsoever (except for maybe his back). Dylan played a few popular songs like ‘Highway 61,” “Tangled up in Blue,” “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” before closing his set with “Masters of War” from The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan Album. At times it was hard to tell what song he was playing because I never heard some of these songs other than when it was just him with a harmonica and acoustic guitar. He played these with a full band so at times I could not make them out.
I’m on the fence when well-known artists who have a plethora of hits don’t play those songs at a show, let alone a music festival where fans shelled out an equivalent to a month’s rent (if not more) to enjoy the entire Desert Trip experience. Needless to say, I also feel like an artist should play whatever the hell they want. However, at something as ridiculously expensive as Desert Trip (and I’m not just talking about ticket prices), artists should consider their fans a bit more and aim for a 50/50 ratio of hits to obscurities. But who am I to complain, I got to see Bob Dylan for free (full disclosure: approved media get complimentary press passes for their published coverage).
Global Unity
It wasn’t just the young and old present at Desert Trip — unlike its big sister Coachella, where teens and 20-somethings fill the majority of the polo field — it was much more than that. There was a global presence at Desert Trip, a unity of classic rock lovers from all over the map. It din’t matter if you were a liberal or a conservative, everyone was here for the music. I heard too many different languages to name, and all sorts of accents. It was beautifully overwhelming. From a thick Southern drawl, to a playful Spanish lisp, and a cheeky British voice, all the flavors of the world were present at Desert Trip – and that is something I don’t think any music festival has ever honed so deeply.
Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Desert Trip
Culinary Experience (Insane Amounts of Great Food)
Although it came at a hefty price (an additional $180 per day), the all-you-can-eat (and drink) Culinary Experience at Desert Trip housed the best food and beverage selections I had ever seen at a music festival. The food was on the higher end of things featuring sushi, artisan pizzas, gourmet sandwiches, gourmet coffee & espresso, craft beers and cocktails galore. Running from 2 p.m. until 6:30 p.m., the Culinary Experience was an awesome option, but whether or not it was worth the near $200 all depends on how much food and drinks you plan on consuming.
Desert Photography Experience
The Desert Photography Experience at Desert Trips was something definitely to be seen. It was a 36,000 square-foot photo exhibit displaying the photographs of all the performing artists throughout the years. On display was the prolific work of photographers such as Terry O’Neil, Lynn Goldsmith, Henry Diltz, Bob Gruen and about ten others. It was a pretty amazing exhibit that allowed you to see old concert photography, full prints of album covers, outtakes and rare photos. It was also a great spot to get some air conditioning and a cocktail.
Pro Tip: Check the exhibit on the first or second day of Desert Trip. I think all the procrastinators decided to finally take a look on Sunday. The line basically wrapped around the building.
~ THE WORST OF DESERT TRIP ~
1. The ticket prices, the food and drink prices… Let’s be real here, Desert Trip was a music festival for the rich and famous. Although there were many broke college kids there, the vast majority was well-off white people. Desert Trip: stuff rich old white people like.
2. The lines in the culinary experience were absurdly long. At times I had to wait a ridiculous amount of time to get food. At $180 a day you should be able to move right through those lines and at least try and get your money’s worth.
3. Parking sucked! Especially lot 1 where it took us one hour just to get out of the parking lot. We literally sat in one spot for 15 minutes at a time. It was worse than Los Angeles traffic.
4. On site staff weren’t very helpful. Some staff did not seem knowledgeable about what was going on and where certain things were. Walkign out of the venue was brutal. I felt like a zombie from the Walking Dead trying to get out of the venue; people bottlenecking as though they seen Oprah! Do yourself a favor, grab a map, get aquainted with the area, know your stealth moves.
5. The idiot who yelled out Trump during The Who’s performance, when Pete Townsend said “Good luck with the election people.” Yeah, that guy was a douche.
All in all, Desert Trip was a mind-blowing experience. Had I not received a press pass through Grimy Goods and the folks at Goldenvoice, I would not have had this experience. So yeah, I’m feeling beyond thankful and fortunate to have been a part of Desert Trip. With that said and in the words of Neil Young, “keep on rockin’ in the free world.”
Words: Wes Marsala
Written for Grimy Goods, October 13, 2016
ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN ENVELOP FANS AT THE OBSERVATORY WITH DAZZLING POST-PUNK NOSTALGIA
The stage at the Observatory in Orange County was dark and the backdrop displayed a distorted bunny(man) as the iconic Echo and the Bunnymen made their entrance. As Ian McCulloch and Will Sergeant walked on stage, the crowd roared with excitemet. Echo and the Bunnymen were just now kicking off their North American tour, and they made their appearance cooler than ever.
The stage at the Observatory in Orange County was dark and the backdrop displayed a distorted bunny(man) as the iconic Echo and the Bunnymen made their entrance. As Ian McCulloch and Will Sergeant walked on stage, the crowd roared with excitemet. Echo and the Bunnymen were just now kicking off their North American tour, and they made their appearance cooler than ever.
McCulloch came out in his usual form. He was calm, cool and collected, donning black sunglasses and a stylishly messy ‘do. He played a couple songs and took a moment to walk back and light himself a smoke. He did another song with cigarette in hand. Given that he is a smoker you’d think McCulloch’s vocals would sound a bit weathered, lacking that smooth 80s sheen — but that was not the case. McCulloch’s voice was immaculate, and he seamlessly hit every note from songs written over 30 years ago.
The set was unfortunately a bit short. Echo and the Bunnymen came on stage at about 9:40 p.m. and ended just before 11 p.m.; however, they played all the songs you wanted to hear. From the brooding “Killing Moon,” to “The Cutter” and “Bring on the Dancing Horse” — Echo and the Bunnymen pleasured with all the hits. They ended their set (obviously) with their 1987 classic “Lips Like Sugar.” McCulloch did an extended version which was mind blowing. Judging by the looks and feels of the crowd, they did not want the show to end (and neither did I).
To add some extra spark to the show they played a couple medleys which included songs by David Bowie (“Gene Jeanie”), Lou Reed (“Walk on the Wild Side”), and The Doors (“Roadhouse Blues” and “LA Woman”). Sadly, Echo and The Bunnymen they did not play their rendition of The Doors’ “People are Strange” — needless to say, it was an impeccable performance through and through, however, a two-hour set would have been much more satisfying.
Words & Photography: Wes Marsala
Written for Grimy Goods, October 5, 2016
PETER HOOK AND THE LIGHT DELIVER OVER THREE HOURS OF JOY DIVISION AND NEW ORDER AT FONDA THEATRE
On Saturday night, Peter Hook, the former bassist of two iconic bands (Joy Division and New Order) came out to Los Angeles with his band The Light to perform tracks off both Joy Division’s and New Order’s versions of the album Substance in its entirety. The show was packed with thirty-one amazing songs that spanned about four decades worth of music.
On Saturday night, Peter Hook, the former bassist of two iconic bands (Joy Division and New Order) came out to Los Angeles with his band The Light to perform tracks off both Joy Division’s and New Order’s versions of the album Substance in its entirety. The show was packed with thirty-one amazing songs that spanned about four decades worth of music.
The first set was New Order’s version. The set contained songs such as “Ceremony,” “Blue Monday,” “The Perfect Kiss” and “Temptation.” Joy Division’s set was next and we got to hear
“Warsaw” and “Digital” which is always amazing to see live. Without a hitch, Peter Hook and The Light closed out the night with “Atmosphere” and “Love Will Tear us Apart.” While both songs moved fans, a great moment for me was when he played “Dead Souls” which I’ve never heard live.
As a special guest, Moby came out toward the beginning of the show and did vocals for “Ceremony.” Peter Hook graciously introduced Moby out once again when he dedicated “Transmission” to the one-and-only Ian Curtis.
It was an incredible night of music that lasted about three and half hours. Fans of Joy Division and New Order definitely got their money’s worth, and then some.
Words & Photography: Wes Marsala
Written for Grimy Goods, Sept 27, 2016
MOVING UNITS CHANNEL THE SONGS OF JOY DIVISION AT THE ECHOPLEX WITH PASSION AND ENERGY
It was a bit of a debacle. Performing the songs of Joy Division, Moving Units were supposed to perform two sets at The Echo this past Sunday night at Part Time Punks. But with such a high demand, the shows were merged into one performance at the Echoplex, a much bigger venue than the intimate Echo. Doors were supposed to open at 9 p.m. but did not open till past 9:30 p.m. Many people in line were confused about what was going on and kept asking if this show was going to be for both sets.
It was a bit of a debacle. Performing the songs of Joy Division, Moving Units were supposed to perform two sets at The Echo this past Sunday night at Part Time Punks. But with such a high demand, the shows were merged into one performance at the Echoplex, a much bigger venue than the intimate Echo. Doors were supposed to open at 9 p.m. but did not open till past 9:30 p.m. Many people in line were confused about what was going on and kept asking if this show was going to be for both sets.
We were finally let in and opening act Second Still came on at about 10 p.m.. They gave a pretty haunting performance. Second Still front-woman, Suki, had a voice similar to Siouxsie Sioux. Through the crowd, you could hear fans making their own comparison to Siouxsie. One fan even rushed to the stage just to tell her. Second Still had a great sound, but it would have been a far more engaging performance (especially if you’re sounding like Siouxsie Sioux) with a bolder stage presence, perhaps more feeling and movement in the performances. And that goes for Second Still as a whole.
Viktor Fiktion came out next and put on a stellar performance. Fronted by Dave Trumfio, he came out in all black with thick rimmed glasses. Upon first look, we had no idea what to expect form their performance. Once it all started, we were pleasantly surprised. Trumfio’s voice and lyrics had a great edge to them that everyone seems to be into, including myself. After his performance, Trumfio would go on to assist Moving Units on guitar and keys with their Joy Division set.
As the evening’s main event, Moving Units started off with some technical issues. They could not get through the first song before needing to reboot their computer. It was unfortunate, but they quickly got things sorted out it and it was non-stop energy from there on.
Moving Units started off with their own originals and then they ripped right into the songs of Joy Division kicking things off with “Disorder” and ending their set with the iconic “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” Moving Untis played roughly nine Joy Division songs in a row. I am a huge Joy Division fan and I often get leary of bands covering Joy Division’s work; however, Moving Units did the influential band well. The show was packed with excitement and Blake Miller most definitely channeled Ian Curtis. It wasn’t just the vocals, it was Miller’s entire presence, state of mind and passion. He truly gave it his all.
It was amazing to see all members of Moving Units on stage just completely into the music. Miller, was very appreciative for all the Joy Division fans that came out so they could hear (and see) Moving Units perform their songs. The crowd happily received their performances with fist in the air, mosh pits and sing-alongs.
Moving Units ended the night playing a few selects from their own catalog. You could tell that they had some loyal fans in the room that didn’t just come for the Joy Division songs.
Photography & Words: Wes Marsala
Written for Grimy Goods, August 10, 2016
JULIETTE LEWIS BECOMES A ROCK ‘N’ ROLL TORNADO AT FONDA THEATRE
Juliette Lewis came out and rocked the Fonda Theatre last Thursday night. Clad in skin tight black leggings, white stiletto boots, and a funky white top with shoulder pads made of feathers — Lewis made her flavorful presence known. No longer touring with The Licks, Lewis was now rolling solo as “Juliette Lewis” (and a backing band).
Juliette Lewis came out and rocked the Fonda Theatre last Thursday night. Clad in skin tight black leggings, white stiletto boots, and a funky white top with shoulder pads made of feathers — Lewis made her flavorful presence known. No longer touring with The Licks, Lewis was now rolling solo as “Juliette Lewis” (and a backing band).
Lewis kicked off her performance with “Hot Kiss.” By the second song, I was standing right in front of her; she looked deep into my lens and then she decided to use my camera lens as a foot rest. Normally I would call this a jerk move, but it was actually pretty damn rock ‘n’ roll. It’s not the first time my camera has been toyed with by an artist. Marilyn Manson once grabbed my camera, and Mike “Gabby” Gaborno (Cadilac Tramps) actually took my camera out of my hand one night when they were playing with Reverend Horton Heat. It happens…
As the night grew hot and sweaty with Lewis’ explosive performance, the fiery rock woman went on to do a rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary.” Lewis started off nice and slow with Tina’s bit, then finished the iconic number nice and hard. She did a spectacular cover that really got the crowd moving. Also to note, Lewis rocked the hell out of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love.”
Ending the night with “You’re Speaking My Language, ” Lewis took a swift dive into the crowd for an exciting crowd surf. At one point she was completely inverted! Thank goodness the crowd did not drop her on her head (it got a little gnarly).
Overall it was a thrilling show. Juliette Lewis is an artist that really brings the energy to the stage and also gets the crowd moving. It’s impossible to see her live and not feel the thick energy and excitement in the room.
Opening up for Juliette Lewis was San Diego’s The New Regime. These guys were put on the bill kinda last minute and flew over directly from another show in Colorado to be there Thursday night. Check out photos of them, along with Juliette Lewis below.
Words and Photography: Wes Marsala
Written for Grimy Goods, August 1, 2016
THE ART OF RAP FESTIVAL GOES DOWN WITH PEACE, UNITY AND A WHOLE LOTTA FRESH HIP HOP
Promoting peace and togetherness, The Art of Rap Festival streamed through the Hollywood Palladium for a night fresh beats, rhymes and unity.
Promoting peace and togetherness, The Art of Rap Festival streamed through the Hollywood Palladium for a night fresh beats, rhymes and unity.
Old school hip hop’s artist, Busy Bee came out and got the crowd fired up. He had a simple obbessage that rang throughout the night: “peace love and unity is the culture of hip hop.” He even went on to share that “there are no bitches and hos in hip hop, there are only women— single mothers, nurses, wives, girlfriends, etc.” His warm words received a hearty applause, especially when he laid down the all-time truth: “rap is something we do, hip hop is something we live”. Throughout the night Busy Bee kept things light and positive and told some stories about the old school days of hip hop. It was quite inspiring.
Headlining The Art of Rap Festival was none other than Public Enemy. The influential rap group started their set with a sweet tribute to prince by guitarist Khari Wynn playing a piece of “Purple Rain” then Chuck D came out and got the show going.
Flavor Flav busted out all decked in red, with his shirt sporting a Warner Brothers logo that read: “If you see da police, warn a brotha.” It was a clever and very fitting statement considering all the injustices that have been plaguing African Americans of the late.
Whipping out that extra Flavor Flav flavor, the eccentric rapper also slapped the bass a bit and he was actually quite good. I have never seen Flavor Flav play an instrument, so that was pretty refreshing to see. Flavor Flav tore it up with style and flair. He even shared a new song that he performed on his own with DJ Lord backing him up on the ones and twos. It was fresh!
They played everything that you would have wanted to hear which was awesome, “911 is a Joke,” “Welcome to the Terrordome,” “Brothas Gonna Work it out,” and of course, Public Enemy ended the night with the iconic rap song, “Fight the Power.” And like clockwork, Ice-T showed up on stage while they performed the classic Public Enemy number.
Towards the end of their set, Flavor Fav closed with a very positive message. He said there was only two things that he hated and that was racism and separatism.
“All this shit has gotta stop, no matter what race we come from, no matter what religion we study, no matter what part of the world we live in, at the end of the day we are all god’s children and we should all stick together and build a wall of unity.”
Then he asked for everyone to raise their fists in the air and yell; “Fuck Racism, fuck Separatism!” Flavor Flav then asked the crowd to put this sign up in the air (peace sign) as he shared, “I want this for everyone.” The crowd yelled back, “Peace! Peace and togetherness!”
Other notable performance included EPMD, who rocked the Palladium just before Public Enemy took the stage. It seemed as though this was an act that the fans were waiting for. The crowd just lit up as EPMD took to stage. They gave a pretty remarkable performance, and their DJ was straight off the hook.
Ice-T’s performance started off rocky. His DJ was having a hard time supplying the beat, but eventually got the sounds going. Ice-T came out and Coco was standing side stage mouthing all the lyrics. At one point, Ice said to the crowd, “you are all my niggaz, it doesn’t matter who you are, black, white, brown, everyone is a nigga to a nigga.” The famed rapper-turned-actor was laying down a powerful set that unfortunately lost its thunder once the audio cut out during “Colors.” At this point, Ice-T was over it and threw the mic down and walked off stage. I could not blame him for that considering the sound issues throughout the night.
Also laying down the fierce performances was Mobb Deep and classic old school rapper Kurtis Blow. Blow put on a show that came right off the streets of New York. With breakdancers and all, it was quite the thrilling set.
The Art of Rap Festival was a great night that expressed unity in a time where racial divisions are on the rise. However, this show brought out black, white, brown and Asian fans. They all came together to listen to the music they love, all with fists in the air to “fight the powers that be.”
Words & Photography: Wes Marsala
Written for Grimy Goods, July 25, 2016
BUZZCOCKS, KICKING ARSE FOR 40 YEARS, SHOW NO SIGNS OF STOPPING AT THE OBSERVATORY
The young and old punk rockers of Orange County came out to The Observatory this past weekend to celebrate end enjoy forty years of Buzzcocks music. The Buzzcocks rolled out an amazing performance playing some of their iconic punk anthems such as “What do I Get”, “Ever Fallen in Love”, and “Orgasm Addict” — along with some of their newer songs.
The young and old punk rockers of Orange County came out to The Observatory this past weekend to celebrate end enjoy forty years of Buzzcocks music. The Buzzcocks rolled out an amazing performance playing some of their iconic punk anthems such as “What do I Get”, “Ever Fallen in Love”, and “Orgasm Addict” — along with some of their newer songs. Pete Shelley’s signature voice along with Steve Diggle’s unstoppable guitar energy had the young punks moving. The pit never seemed to stop moving as waves of punk rock ferocity boiled in and out of the circle. While the young mashed and floated, many of the older punks stood and watched from the edge. Needless to say, the salt and peppered dudes didn’t totally stray from the madness ensuing in the pit. A few of them joined in, reveling in nostalgia, and showed the young how it’s done.
Before Buzzcocks took us through a memorial evening of music, the night kicked off with Philly rock ‘n’ rollers, The Residuels. I think the band shocked the crowd a bit. Their first song started off at medium tempo; the crowd watched, there was some chatter in the background, and then guitarist/vocalist, Justin Pittney laid it all out there and let the emotion flow strong with a scream into the chorus. Suddenly, the crowd was engaged and it did not take long for the pit to start making its circle of rage. I may be getting old, but some of the people in the pit were doing some very strange moves. There were a couple of guys that were just bobbing there entire upper torso back-and-fourth with either their hands in their pockets, or holding their hands behind their back? What the fuck is that all about, it looked a bit ridiculous. Regardless, The Residuels kept things tight and moving with their heavy dose of rock ‘n’ roll.
Check out photos of Buzzcocks with The Residels at the Observatory below!
Words & Photography: Wes Marsala
Written for GrimyGoods.com, June 2, 2016
X ROCK THE ROXY AT NIGHT ONE OF 4-DAY BANGER, FANS OF ALL WALKS CUT LOOSE
X rocked the Roxy on Thursday with their first of four X-mas shows at the Hollywood venue. Mike Watt and the Secondmen opened with a set list fit more for a co-headliner than an opening act. After over an hour of Watt’s driving bass and high energy songs, the crowd was warmed up and ready for X.
X rocked the Roxy on Thursday with their first of four X-mas shows at the Hollywood venue. Mike Watt and the Secondmen opened with a set list fit more for a co-headliner than an opening act. After over an hour of Watt’s driving bass and high energy songs, the crowd was warmed up and ready for X.
‘Tis the season for X to mount a west coast tour. As John Doe explained, “This is our 44th annual X-mas tour.” Exene Cervenka quickly squashed this notion with a laugh, “No it isn’t.” (X was formed in 1977.) The banter continued as Doe offered with a grin, “Well, we’re not doing any Christmas songs.” “Well, now I kinda want to,” Cervenka replied.
While they didn’t end up playing any Christmas tunes, the tone for the show was set by the two singers’ exchange. The audience was treated to a spirited performance of X classics, and the band was clearly having a good time playing them. Before, during, and between songs, the band members could be seen sharing a quick laugh or smile.
Speaking of smiling, guitarist Billy Zoom returned to the band after a several month hiatus due to his cancer treatment. The band’s official website dubbed his return an “Xmas miracle,” and the audience was clearly delighted to see him onstage again. Zoom was a bit thinner and understandably appeared a little fatigued, but he played flawlessly and rarely could be seen without the grin on his face that X fans have come to know so well.
As the band played into the night, the audience that watched, sang, and danced along featured an interesting group of people. There was a one-woman-dance-party sporting a Courtney Love style black baby doll dress with white collar that weaved through the crowd, passing a young guy wearing a 1980’s era jean jacket with buttons of bands pinned all over the front of it. Behind him was a businessman that had come from the office, stripped off his tie and blazer, and was singing all the words to every song the band played. A lady standing next to me had flown in from Colorado with tickets for all four nights. The fifty year old guy next to her was enjoying the show and had admitted earlier that his wife wouldn’t be happy that he was going to be out two nights in a row (he was going to the Together Pangea show at the Echoplex the following evening).
This crowd, unified in their love for X, danced as DJ Bonebreak pounded the drums through “Motel Room in my Bed.” They bobbed as Zoom’s guitar riffs drove “Your Phone’s Off the Hook, But You’re Not.” And they sang loudly as Cervenka and Doe belted out “Los Angeles.” Eventually, all good things must end, and as the show drew to a close, I overheard several people say that they were going to buy tickets to see another night of X at the Roxy. It appears that maybe some people figured out a way to make the good times last a little longer.
Words: Jon Bostick
Photography: Wes Marsala
Written for GrimyGoods.com, December 5, 2015
GOGOL BORDELLO EXPLODE WITH BRILLIANT COLORS AND SOUNDS AT WILTERN (THIS IS HOW TO PARTY)
Gogol Bordello rolled into the Wiltern on Friday night to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of their album, Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike. Gogol Bordello concerts aren’t just concerts usually. They tend to be more like live music parties, and Friday was no exception.
Gogol Bordello rolled into the Wiltern on Friday night to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of their album, Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike. Gogol Bordello concerts aren’t just concerts usually. They tend to be more like live music parties, and Friday was no exception.
I’ve attended my share of Gogol shows and have always felt badly for the opening acts. It is hard to come close to the energy that the band brings. Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas opened and did a commendable job. Jessica Hernandez has the energy and presence to command a stage, and the rest of the Deltas are as solid as they come. They really had the crowd bouncing with their song, “Sorry I Stole Your Man.”
When Gogol Bordello front man, Eugene Hutz, meandered onto stage playing his guitar, the Wiltern crowd was ecstatic. The rest of the band quickly followed in, and the crowd in the pit surged forward like a tsunami as the rapid drum beats beckoned everyone to come dance as wildly as they may. Within the first few moments of the first song, I had ridden the wave from the middle of the pit to the front of the stage. When I looked behind me, all I saw was a whirling dervish of bouncing, happy Gogol Bordello fans.
The band probably made their way through all of the songs on Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike, as promised but did not play them in order like a lot of bands do in concerts like these. Personally, I’d like to see a setlist of the show, because I’m not sure that they played every song on the album. Regardless, there were quite a few songs played that haven’t been on many of Gogol Bordello’s setlists since the band’s first few tours.
As the band partied their way through their songs, we all danced and sang. Alternately, members of the band rushed forward to dance or play a solo on the edge of the stage. The colors of their costumes dazzled, their energy was frenetic, their talent undeniable. Gogol Bordello was a feast for the eyes and ears.
After the ninth or tenth song, I worked my way back through the crowd during a slow song so that I could get a different experience from the show. The dancing, bouncing, and crushing weight of the front of the stage is an amazing way to experience a show but certainly not the only way. Had I waited a little longer, I could have worn the red wine that Hutz had begun waving around. Alas, with my clothes unstained from wine but sweaty from the dancing, I found myself a good vantage point a bit further back where I could get a good look at the revelers and still see the band between to ridiculously tall persons’ heads.
As the crowd began to reach fever pitch during “Start Wearing Purple,” I saw something that would slowly begin to command my attention. One of the abnormally tall guys had a girlfriend. At first, they just seemed like that couple that you encounter at most concerts that are primarily concerned with making out to the point of nausea for all witnesses not in the grip of new, passionate love. Upon further inspection, however, it became clear that the giant was in a desperate situation. He wanted to enjoy the show; she wanted his absolute attention. It was a power struggle not often seen outside of corporate takeovers, mixed martial arts bouts, and cheetahs chasing down gazelles. The sad longing in her eyes as he pulled away to watch thirty more seconds of the show and the contrast of his look of a man overwhelmed by was entertaining to quite a few of us that witnessed the interaction. I continued to watch the show and didn’t notice when he made his getaway, but he did seem to escape. Hopefully, he found a safe place to watch the rest of the show.
Soon, the band began playing songs from other albums, and excited the crowd with their love song to alcohol aptly entitled,”Alcohol.” Next, Hutz brought Jessica Hernandez back on stage, and the two did an outstanding cover of “The Ship Song” by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. I’ve yet to check to see if someone posted a video of the performance, but for me, this was the highlight of the concert.
When the band played “Undestructable,” the crowd began to dance ferociously again and let out a collective delighted roar when percussionist Elizabeth Sun threw her giant bass drum into the crowd. Within seconds, Sun steadied herself on the drum and rode it atop the crowd as Hutz attempted to mount the drum with her as he sang. Once back on stage, the band closed the show with “Pala Tute.”
The clock struck midnight, and the crowd wanted more. It was clear that Gogol wanted to give them more. Hutz said, “I want to play three more songs.” But alas, the crew at the Wiltern couldn’t allow it. The band lined up, rushed to the front of the stage with arms interlocked, bowed before the cheering crowd, and hung out for several minutes to hug each other and interact with people in the crowd. Had the Wiltern staff not intervened, I’m not sure when Gogol Bordello would have stopped playing. They are genuinely a band that enjoys their fans as much as their fans enjoy them.
Words: Jon Bostick
Photography: Wes Marsala
Written for GrimyGoods.com, November 30, 2015
DEAP VALLY UNLEASH A PSYCHEDELIC INFUSED “FEVER DREAM” AT ROYAL JELLY” VIDEO RELEASE PARTY
Upon walking into Deap Vally’s “Royal Jelly” video release party, it was immediately evident that Basic Flowers wasn’t a typical venue but more a quirky art gallery. Two rooms with walls covered in book pages and cloth were surrounded by ephemera, books, and obsolete electronics that lead to a larger room with the microphones and instruments expected at a rock show. After a bit of mingling in the antechambers, the majority of the crowd wisely followed their ears to the driving beat and ethereal voice and guitars of opening act, Liphemra.
Upon walking into Deap Vally’s “Royal Jelly” video release party, it was immediately evident that Basic Flowers wasn’t a typical venue but more a quirky art gallery. Two rooms with walls covered in book pages and cloth were surrounded by ephemera, books, and obsolete electronics that lead to a larger room with the microphones and instruments expected at a rock show. After a bit of mingling in the antechambers, the majority of the crowd wisely followed their ears to the driving beat and ethereal voice and guitars of opening act, Liphemra.
When Deap Vally took the floor, guitarist Lindsey Troy lit into the first few chords of “Gonna Make My Own Money” only to realize her guitar was missing an E string. Technical difficulties be damned, Lindsey and crew feverishly worked on rectifying the guitar and subsequent microphone issue while Deap Vally drummer, Julie Edwards, entertained the crowd with some lighthearted banter. It should be noted here that Julie is eight months pregnant and had a fetus design on her clothes that glowed purple in the black light.
It was mere moments before the band relaunched into an explosion of pure sonic triumph. Gone was the panic of electronic complications. They electrified the intimate crowd with songs from Sistrionix, as well as many new songs like “Fever Dream” and “Grunge Bond.” The live oil projection recalled a 1970’s garage band and was really a nice touch. It only takes a casual listen to know that Deap Vally is a band that straddles genres, but to see them live is to witness firsthand how they shift between and meld musical categories like blues and punk.
Deap Vally brought up several friends to help them out their songs throughout the evening. Musical guests included people from White Lung and Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ guitarist Nick Zinner. But truly, Deap Vally shined brightest when they were on their own. They closed the show with the song that they were celebrating, “Royal Jelly.” If there was anyone not dancing or at least swaying to the last song, I didn’t see them. Deap Vally left everyone wanting more, but as Julie Edwards conceded, it may be a little while until the next show.
Words: Jon Bostick
Photography: Wes Marsala
Written for GrimyGoods.com, November 18, 2015
FUTURE GETS PARTY STARTED AT HARRY HOUDINI’S MANSION FOR EXCLUSIVE BACARDÍ’S UNTAMEABLE ARTIST SERIES
The traffic this past Friday night did not help BACARDÍ’s Untameable Artist Series, where there was going to be a special performance by hip hop artist, Future. The 101 was closed off and the streets were jammed, it took me nearly an hour to get to the shuttle stop where I would be then taken to the famed Harry Houdini mansion. The moment I found out that I would be shooting this show I was wondering just what it would be like to go into the estate of Harry Houdini.
The traffic this past Friday night did not help BACARDÍ’s Untameable Artist Series, where there was going to be a special performance by hip hop artist, Future. The 101 was closed off and the streets were jammed, it took me nearly an hour to get to the shuttle stop where I would be then taken to the famed Harry Houdini mansion. The moment I found out that I would be shooting this show I was wondering just what it would be like to go into the estate of Harry Houdini. It was kind of how you’d expect it to be. We pulled up in the party bus and they dropped you off at the bottom of the hill, you look up the hill and see a beautifully landscaped garden with fountains, statues and Ivy going all the way up the walls. Then you see a staircase that you had to climb to get to the top where the mansion resided. The house was very nice, fairly large and nicely decorated. The Noisey team did a fantastic job of decorating the place and Bacardi set up two bars, one near the stage where Future would be performing and one on the outdoor patio upstairs, free drinks were served all night long. My Favorite drink being the “Back to Black”.
People anxiously went down to the front lawn where the stage was setup staking their perfect spot for when Future would take the stage. He went on a couple minutes late, but gave a tight performance. Playing songs from his latest release, What a Time to be Alive, a collaborative mixtape between him and Drake, Future had the crowd hyped on Bacardi and has slick rhymes. Unfortunately, the performance lasted about thirty minutes, and of course when it ended the people wanted more. Fans thought maybe there would have been an encore of some sort, but that was it. Considering this was a VIP, invite-only industry event, I wasn’t too surprised by the short set. That’s the way the cookie crumbles at these types of events … The crowd then went back upstairs to get more free drinks and listen to the DJ’s that were scheduled to play, Them Jeans and Rodney Hazard. The drinks were flowing and people began to dance to the music, all of sudden they forgot that Future only played 30 minutes. In the end, it didn’t matter. After all, partying at Houdini’s mansion alone, is enough to give anyone a thrilling experience. And if you think that is tight, you should see where Bacardi flew our editor our to last year. Now, how about Bacardi brings that back?!
Recap & Photos: Wes Marsala
Written for GrimyGoods.com, Oct 20, 2015
PENNYWISE, BAD RELIGION, NOFX AND MORE PUNK BANDS WEATHER THE HEAT AT IT’S NOT DEAD FEST
Punk’s not dead! That is a true statement because there were about 22,000 of them standing, walking, moshing, and surfing crowds in the sweltering, heat this past Saturday at San Manuel Amphitheater for It’s Not Dead Fest.
Punk’s not dead! That is a true statement because there were about 22,000 of them standing, walking, moshing, and surfing crowds in the sweltering, heat this past Saturday at San Manuel Amphitheater for It’s Not Dead Fest.
I had planned on getting to the festival a little later, once the heat died down a bit, but since I was quite excited for the show and I ended up getting to the venue at about noon, smack in the middle of the dead heat. I got my press pass and they said I had to wait in this insanely long line to get in. It took about forty-five minutes to finally get into the venue. As we all waited in line, I was looking at people and also monitoring myself, beads of sweat were developing on everyone’s head and people’s faces looked as if they were melting. Shit, it was fucking hot. If it was 100 in my home of Los Angeles, it was 120 hear in the armpit of California (San Bernardino).
It was a show that brought older punk, ska and newer bands together in the same place. The festival’s headliners were Pennywise, Bad Religion, NOFX and The Descendents. Also on the bill were Lagwagon, The Vandals, TSOL, Anti-Flag, Swingin’ Utters, CJ Ramone, Agent Orange, Fishbone and The Adolescents and many many others. It was pretty much a 90s Southern California punk gumbo.
Each stage had a constant cloud of dust hovering over the crowd as fans ran in circles creating massive pits. At one point during Bad Religion’s set, Greg Graffin jokingly said “can you guys refrain from slam dancing for a while?” but as you know, you tell a punk to not do something, the more likely they are to do it, and they did.
From what I can recall, there was only one unfortunate hiccup that occurred. After Bad Religion played, Pennywise was set to close out the show. The stage was set up on a turntable and the turntable stopped working. Thankfully, by the amazing efforts of the stage crew they were able tear down both the Bad Religion and Pennywise equipment and reset Pennywise’s equipment in about fifteen minutes or so. It was pretty remarkable and super professional. The stage crew were fucking rock stars that night. Unfortunately, Pennywise did not have a ton of time to do a proper soundcheck and during their first song you could barely hear Jim Lindberg. His mic levels were way too low. He then grabbed, bassist, Randy Bradbury’s mic and did what he needed to do. At the end of the song, the crew gave Lindberg another mic, and it was almost like a cartoon, the mic cord was broken, Bradbury grabbed the end, and they all looked at each other in amazement of how silly the scenario was. After all the technology fails, everything was good and the band went on and played hard as always.
I really have to give it up to the fans at It’s Not Dead Fest because they muscled through a horrific day of dry heat and tons of dust. But if you’re a real punk, you won’t let that shit stop you.
Naturally, people were getting their drinking on at It’s Not Dead Fest. Maybe a little too much considering the heat. One guy came out of the pit and then puked in three different spots in front of me. Then I saw another guy come out of the pit nearly passed out, and then laid in that other guys vomit. He then went on to dump a rock star energy drink all over his face. It was pretty comical to say the least. Medics came to check him out and he was all good. Just a little exhausted and intoxicated. It’s like we tell all those Coachella kids, If you’re gonna drink hard in triple digit heat, be sure to hydrate with plenty of water. Don’t be “that guy” or “that girl” — shit’s amateur.
Despite the face-melting heat, It’s Not Dead Fest was a great event. If the festival comes back around next year, I would hope it’s during a much more cool month. I am sure the organizers wanted to do this in October to maybe have some cooler weather, but the gods were against them and slammed a heat wave down on us. But all in all, it pretty much went off without a hitch.
Words & Photography: Wes Marsala
Written for GrimyGoods.com, October 13, 2015
TITUS ANDRONICUS AND SPIDER BAGS AT THE ROXY: A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH
Last Saturday the curtain raised at The Roxy in West Hollywood and there stood Patrick Stickles of Titus Andronicus strumming his guitar to a slow rhythm, wearing a Titus Andronicus logo-ed shirt that consisted of an anarchy symbol. He spoke to the crowd and wanted everyone to have a good time and not ruin anyone else’s time by getting violent in a mosh pit, he said: “punk is about having an autonomous space for all to have a good time, keep it respectful and peaceful.”
Last Saturday the curtain raised at The Roxy in West Hollywood and there stood Patrick Stickles of Titus Andronicus strumming his guitar to a slow rhythm, wearing a Titus Andronicus logo-ed shirt that consisted of an anarchy symbol. He spoke to the crowd and wanted everyone to have a good time and not ruin anyone else’s time by getting violent in a mosh pit, he said: “punk is about having an autonomous space for all to have a good time, keep it respectful and peaceful.” He went on with a slow song and then at the end, he came back on the mic and said, “Hopefully you will find this both satisfying and intriguing, let’s fuckin’ rock” and then came the hard stuff that continued all through he night,
The crowd was pretty amped, and consisted mostly of younger people in their mid 20s. Fans respected Stickles’ wishes and did not get too crazy. It did, however, erupt into a pit a couple times but it was brief. The crowd mostly stood, and proudly sang every word with the band. I did at one time see probably the best crowd surf I have ever seen, well maybe it wasn’t exactly a surf: this guy was being held up in the air by multiple people and they held him quite steady in one place for quite a good amount of time. Is was more of a crowd levitation rather than a surf. I think that was able to happen because people were not crashing into one another in a pit. Definitely a different type of punk show than what I am used to seeing.
The band played fucking great, and Patrick Stickles has some amazing energy on stage. His robust beard and wild hair definitely added to his powerful presence. Titus Andronicus ended the show with Weezer’s “Say it Ain’t So,” which was pretty awesome.
Spider Bags took the stage before Titus Andronicus. These Chapel Hill spitfires perfectly primed the energy for the evening. Frontman Dan McGee is a ferocious musician. He put everything he had into his vocals and guitar playing. The guy was literally dripping sweat all over the stage. With a captivating energy, Spider Bags could have equally been the headliner of the show. Members of Titus Andronicus also joined them to do a song together.
Two solid acts, one epic night. Check out the photos below of Titus Andronicus with Spider Bags below.
Words & Photography: Wes Marsala
Written for GrimyGoods.com, September 29, 2015
SOCIAL DISTORTION DELIVER UNFORGETTABLE HOMETOWN HEROES SHOW AT OBSERVATORY SANTA ANA
Social Distortion came out Sunday night to do the first of three nights at the Observatory in Orange county. They were celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of their self-titled album. People of all ages showed up from eight-year-olds to sixty-something-year olds. Mike Ness hit the stage wearing a Jerome’s boxing t-shirt, bearded and obviously fully tatted.
Social Distortion came out Sunday night to do the first of three nights at the Observatory in Orange county. They were celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of their self-titled album. People of all ages showed up from eight-year-olds to sixty-something-year olds. Mike Ness hit the stage wearing a Jerome’s boxing t-shirt, bearded and obviously fully tatted. The Rolling Stones’ Gimme Shelter played on the speaker setting the mood of the show. The crowd screamed as Ness walked on stage and strapped a Gibson Les Paul to his body. He grabbed the mic and said “It’s so great to be back on the west coast, the best coast”, and the crowd roared. With Social Distortion getting its start in Fullerton, CA — the energy was unreal for these hometown heroes.
Social Distortion kicked off with the first song off their 1990 self-titled album, “So Far Away” and they would go on to play the entire record except for one song. In between songs he was reminiscent and told a few stories about him getting sober and writing the album. As most longtime fans already know, Social D went through changes musically. The band went from punk to a more rockabilly sound. With that came criticism, which Ness was open to discuss. He let the crowd know he didn’t like the rules people were trying to instill in him and that he does not take to rules to kindly.
When he finished their album there was one song missing. The band went on to play songs from 1992’s Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell. The band blasted through memorable tracks such as “Cold Feelings” and “This Time Darlin.” They also covered the Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses,” which was a nice touch.
Encore two happened and Social D had two more in them. The last two songs would be covers of Johnny Cash, the first one was “Folsom Prison Blues” and the next was, of course, “Ring of Fire” which closed out their 25th anniversary celebration (for their self-titled album).
The night was full of raw energy and the pit was going pretty hard. I even had someone hold my camera for a bit so that I could jump in. I don’t get to do that too often these days but I can’t miss a Social Distortion pit. The show was all-ages and definitely showed. From toddlers to senior citizens, it didn’t matter who was on the floor. Everyone was there for all the same reasons.
During “Ring of Fire”, Ness had some children come up on stage and he gave them a little lesson in life: to think for themselves. This little key piece of advice which surely build strong individuals out of them, and probably piss their parents and teachers off in the near future.
Superb performance.
Words & Photography: Wes Marsala
Written for GrimyGoods.com, September 15, 2015
INCUBUS, DEFTONES, AND DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979 GIVE THRILLING PERFORMANCES AT THE FORUM
This past Friday there was an amazing rock show happening at The Forum: Deftones, Death from Above 1979, and Incubus. Right off the bat, I did not understand Incubus’ placement with both Deftones and DFA 1979. It was an odd pairing. I thought that there was no way that Incubus could compare to the hard hitting Deftones or the badass duo of DFA 1979. But much to my surprise it worked.
This past Friday there was an amazing rock show happening at The Forum: Deftones, Death from Above 1979, and Incubus. Right off the bat, I did not understand Incubus’ placement with both Deftones and DFA 1979. It was an odd pairing. I thought that there was no way that Incubus could compare to the hard hitting Deftones or the badass duo of DFA 1979. But much to my surprise it worked.
Incubus’ sheen was kind of left behind during their prime in the early 2000’s. Now it’s just a bunch of housewives of Orange County—reliving that high school crush and wishing that lead singer Brandon Boyd would sing “Stellar” to them—that still put the band on a pedestal. For the rest of the general population that liked Incubus in their high school and early college days, they’ve moved on. It has somewhat become douchey to like Incubus. They almost carry that same stigma that haunted Nickelback, but not quite as bad. They unfortunately got shuffled in the deck of 90s bands that just aren’t “cool” anymore; but never say that to a MidWest transplant.
Incubus was the headlining act of the evening. Back in the day Morning View was the soundtrack of my forty-five minute drive to San Clemente to go surfing each weekend; it was literally on repeat for a good three months. I eventually saw Incubus live, and I was not super thrilled by their performance which led me to assume this current tour lineup would smash Incubus. However, Friday at The Forum, Incubus blew it out of the water.
Boyd was packed with so much energy and hitting every note perfectly. The band seemed to be having so much fun up there. At times you would see them look at one another and just smile. Bassist Ben Kenney and guitarist Mike Einziger would look at each another and make some hand gestures only they—I’m guessing—would know and start laughing from across the stage. Incubus played flawlessly. Except for when Boyd missed a beat a couple times while playing the drums. He seemed to laugh at his own mistakes which made it all the more better. I was pleasantly surprised by Incubus’ honest and high-octane set. They were relentless.
Deftones. What more can I say about how astounding these guys are live. Chino Moreno came out and didn’t stop. That guy was going so hard that he was sweating through his denim jeans! At one point he slowed things down a bit and played a guitar that was adorned with an image of Eazy-E on it. It was quite fitting for the current times of NWA being back in the headlines with “Straight Outta Compton.” The crowd was pretty nuts over Deftones. The only request that I would have of them is, and I hope they are reading because I am going to beg, can you please play “Bored”? I have seen them live multiple times and I have never heard this song performed live. I always go in with hope of hearing this song and I never get it. Okay, that’s enough complaining from me.
I have to be honest and say, that I have seen both Deftones and Incubus in the past, but I was most interested catching their opener, Death From Above 1979. Between their 2006 break-up, and then reforming again in 2011 where they played their first gig (which resulted in a riot) at SXSW, I somehow missed out on all of their reunion shows. I even missed out on their recent tour for their incredible 2014 release, The Physical World.
As you can imagine, I was more than thrilled to finally see DFA 1979 live. They surpassed all expectations I had of them. Unfortunately, there were a lot of people who just showed up to see Deftones and Incubus so the house was not packed. Those late-comers reliving the 90s definitely missed out. Drummer and vocalist Sebastian Grainger’s voice was impeccable. The guy has so much style and power behind that drum kit. I don’t know how he can play so ferociously while still maintaining his vocal range.
Equally stunning was bassist Jesse F. Keeler (who is also one half of MSTRKRFT) who never stopped moving and looked like a total rock star on stage. Keeler knows how to work the stage and deliver those riveting bass lines all the while holding a badass stance. Watching Death From Above 1979 tear it up on stage was chilling. These guys know ho to do it right, and they do it dam well.
I can honestly say it was an epic hat-trick of live music at The Forum. Fully engaged by all three performances, not one fan left disappointed.
Words: Wes Marsala / Sandra Burciaga
Photography: Wes Marsala
Written for GrimyGoods.com, August 31, 2015
