November 2004 Live Reviews (scroll down to read all of them)

ALL ELSE FAILED RECORD-RELEASE SHOW:
ALL ELSE FAILED
HEIDNIK
PASSION
FOREVER I BURN
September 7, 2004
@ the First Unitarian Church (Philadelphia)
Text by Adam Barone

It?s pretty unbelievable that this was my first time seeing Philadelphia natives All Else Failed, considering that I am also from Philadelphia. All Else Failed seem to be a band that has removed themselves from the stereotypical metalcore trappings and took an uncanny approach to the genre. As you can imagine, this band was the key ingredient of the night.

Forever I Burn kicked things off with an admirable spark of energy. The first thing that I noticed about Forever I Burn was the undeniable musical similarity to Converge. The vocals were a blatant imitation that quickly began to irritate my ears. Where would a metalcore bands be these days without breakdowns? Well, unfortunately, Forever I Burn seemed to obsess over this distinct technique and chose to put an uncreative breakdown in almost every song. By the end of their set, I was fully bored and unimpressed. To add to their stylistic mediocrity, none of the drums or guitar amps were amplified. I doubt that I?ll be searching long and hard for this band?s record after seeing this painfully mediocre display.

Following the disappointing opener came the mighty Passion. People have really placed tons of emphasis on this band in the Philadelphia scene. Even after seeing them live several times, I don?t think I quite understand why Passion is such a commodity. Anyway, the crowd was more than appreciative toward Passion during their entire set. Their set was a myriad of blast beats, hectic guitar work, and unbridled intensity. I do give this band credit for putting all of their heart into their music?and that?s something that speaks volumes in the hardcore genre.

Barely giving the crowd a chance to breathe, Heidnik was ready to give their hometown its money?s worth. In my humble opinion, I find Heidnik to be a little too abrasive at times when it comes to technical songwriting. Their style of metal often meshes with certain grind elements, and that?s where I think I?m lost. There is no doubt about the talent that this band possesses, but the way the band present their songs leaves me scratching my head. Nevertheless, the sweaty Philadelphia crowd showed Heidnik ample love and appreciation as they played. Towards the end of their set, however, my attention began to shift, as the anticipation for All Else Failed grew. I missed the last few songs of Heidnik?s set and wandered outside.

From the top of the basement stairs, I heard All Else Failed vocalist Luke Muir start doing microphone checks. Along with the rest of the intrigued crowd, I rushed down the stairs. By the time All Else Failed started playing, I had completely forgotten that I was doing a show review. The true fan in me had completely abducted my body, as I was assaulted with the burly sound that All Else Failed totes with them. They played all the songs I was hoping for, including ?At Twenty-Seven?, ?Waterlogged?, and ?In Our Defense?.

UNDERMINDED
THE MATCHES
THE VANDALS
September 11, 2004
@ the House of Blues (Anaheim, CA)
Text by Todd Markel

Sometimes attending a punk show at the House of Blues in Anaheim can be a slightly surreal experience. If you?ve never been there, it?s in a shopping area called Downtown Disney, which is located right next to Disneyland and California Adventure. After you park in a massive parking lot, you have to make your way through thousands of tired, fat tourists who are at the end of a long day of having fun. They are completely oblivious to what is going on here tonight. They may look and stare at all the strange-looking kids hanging out and attribute it to being in ?wacky? California, not knowing that a legendary Orange County punk band is holding court. I had to wind my way through the masses twice?once to the club to find out that I did not have a photo pass, then back to the car with my camera, back through the crowd of Mickey Mouse ears, and into to the club. Unfortunately, by this time, I?ve missed Undermined?s set.

This actually gave me the chance to get a beer and get well situated before the next band started. The Matches (from Oakland) played a well-received set. My first impression was that they were just another one of those cute boy band with messy hair all decked out in their punk outfits playing poppy, catchy songs, but after a few songs I realized that they were a little deeper and that I was enjoying their show?as was most of the crowd. They played a number of songs off of their Epitaph-released CD E. VON DAHL KILLED THE LOCALS. Lead guitarist Jon Devoto has a striking, large blonde afro, as well as some radical high kicks that that keep you watching him to see what he?ll do next. Among the songs played, the one that stands out in my mind the most was one called ?The Restless?, which had a lot of their mostly female fans singing along, ?These are the moments we?ll remember for the rest of our restless lives.? Lead singer Shawn Harris stayed in the photo pit, signing autographs for quite a while after their set, much to the delight of the front row. You can look The Matches up on the Web at www.thematches.com.

Finally, what the crowd was waiting for. The Vandals started their show with a little pre-recorded ?Vandals introduction music? that slowly built to a crescendo just before the curtain went up. Then, the familiar bass line from ?Summer Loving? started, and soon the crowd was singing back ?Tell me more, tell me more?did you get in her pants.? Ever-smiling singer Dave Quakenbush showed the crowd that they had a cell phone on stage, and he then gave out the phone number for the crowd to call or text message in their requests. What a great idea, totally brilliant. Very soon the phone rang, and the first request was for ?Oi to the World?, which they immediately played. Dave showed the crowd a Vandals lyrics book that he said he acquired on eBay, so he was ready for anything the request line might throw his way. Among the songs played were ?Join Me for Pong?, ?That?s a Fact?, ?Pizza Tran?, and ?Anarchy Burger?. One of my favorites was ?All the People that Go to Hell? from the FEAR OF A PUNK PLANET SHOW. And for all the old people in the crowd, they played ?My Neck, My Back? off of their latest CD, HOLLYWOOD POTATO CHIP. The encore consisted of the hilarious classic ?My Girlfriend?s Dead?, and then ?The Clown Prince of Punk?.

Warren Fitzgerald posed this question to the crowd: ?What?s the most important thing in life? Your family? No, your health? No. The most important thing in life is to have a good time.? With that said, they kicked into their cover of the Queen song ?Don?t Stop Me Now?, during the middle of which Warren brought out a large ladder and decided to get over his fear of heights. (If you?ve seen previous Vandals shows, you know he has no fear of heights?and that he?s not afraid to take a fall for the team.) With a microphone between his legs while standing on top of a large folding ladder and playing a mini-guitar, Warren did a blistering guitar solo. It was incredible. He tossed down his guitar to a roadie and took a short tumble. Wow, big ending! The request line was great, the new CD kicks ass. The Vandals are always amazing and never predictable. I can?t wait for this year?s annual Christmas show. (A funny footnote, as we were filing out, a ?Disney? announcement comes over the PA: ?Disneyland is now closed?and this tram is heading for the Mickey and Donald lots only.?)

HANZEL UND GRETYL
MY LIFE WITH
THRILL KILL KULT
MINISTRY
September 25, 2004
@ House of Blues (Anaheim, CA)
Text by Melissa Manrique

As I entered the venue ? realizing that because of a ticket mishap I missed all of Hanzel und Getyl and most of My Life with Thrill Kill Kult ? one of the Bomb Gang Girlz?s was chanting the chorus ?Christian, zombie, vampire...?. My plan to go down to the floor was unsuccessful because it was so packed. A majority of the people looked so old school Hot Topic; they had the dyed dreads going and leather boots complete with the buckles that increased their height by five inches. So instead, I made my way through them and stood in front of the bar, in an attempt to see the band over the top of all the heads in the room. The skinny and shirtless lead singer of My Life with Thrill Kill Kult looked so rock ?n? roll wearing his tight leather pants and shades. Bassist Charles Levi stood behind his band members, working his bass wearing sunglasses. I enjoyed their sleazy industrial style, which sounded as if it should be featured in horror films. Girls in the audience held their drinks high in the air and danced along to songs such as ?The Days of Swine & Roses.? Sadly, I didn?t see much of the band.

As My Life with Thrill Kill Kult began to clear off the stage, I took that as an opportunity to make my way to the front. About 20 minutes later, Ministry?s set kicked off with the intro to ?No W.? A man with a suit wearing a George Bush mask walked onstage and began to wave, salute, flashed two thumbs up, and even held up the peace sign. Everyone booed, cheered, held up a thumbs-down, or flipped the bird. When the band appeared, the crowd went into a frenzy. Al Jourgensen looked like a bad ass onstage, wearing his rocker dude gear as George Bush started rocking out with the band ? a plethora of people just nodding their heads to the beat. Charles Levi appeared onstage with his hand clutched into tight fists then attacked George Bush and proceeded to beat him. Awesome staged act. I thought it was pretty neat. Their old school fans, no younger than 40, sang along with Al Jourgensen?s gravelly vocals as they danced sporting band shirts such as KMFDM and Skinny Puppy. The scent of the heinous guy with shaggy hair who stood in front of me motivated me to move, because I couldn?t take it anymore. Next to the pit, I could see the whole stage. When I stood next to the speakers, I realized they had someone on keyboards that I didn?t even notice. The solid drumming was impressive, because actual fast punk beats were tucked into their songs; all performed with a single bass pedal. Most of the material presented was from Ministry?s latest album, HOUSES OF THE MOL?. I had a good time overall because I was fortunate enough to listen to bands I couldn?t wait to hear again. I wish I would?ve taken a camera... eh, maybe not.

NEW YORK DOLLS
CHELSEA SQUIRES
RIVER CITY REBELS
October 1, 2004
@ House of Blues (Anaheim, CA)
Text by Marcia Taylor
Photos by Brian Perez

When I got a call from SKRATCH asking me to review this show, I was ecstatic. I never saw New York Dolls back in the day, although I was aware of their existence and have long considered vocalist David Johanson to be one of the greatest frontmen of all time?whichever of his projects (David Johanson Band, Buster Poindexter, etc.) he was doing. He has a great voice, tremendous energy, and he can really dance. I wasn?t entirely sure which other original members would be performing, because I knew that drummer Jerry Nolan and guitarist Johnny Thunders were long dead. But I?m getting ahead of myself.

The opening band that night was Chelsea Squires, and they rocked! I?m serious. As soon as I got home, I went on the Internet to look these guys up; but I couldn?t find anything. The five-piece featured two guitar players/vocalists who totally shredded, as well as bass, drums, and a guy who did back-up vocals and played harmonica. Their music was garage with punk and ?60s-British-invasion influences; while their look was definitely the latter, with haircuts that would have suited Ray and Dave Davies at the height of Kinks fever. There was also a heavy R&B influence in the group?s music?which made them a perfect opening act for the Dolls, whose music features heavy, booty-shaking beats with a lot of dirty blues guitar. The set was so strong that I couldn?t even say which of the songs I liked best; all I can say is that the way those two guitarists handled their instruments brought me back to the ?70s and made me shiver in a good way.

A little background on New York Dolls. The group formed in the early ?70s, released two records, and broke new ground not so much musically, but in attitude and appearance. Dressed in shabby, trashy women?s clothing and with hair teased to the sky and faces made up, the guys took their androgynous sexuality farther than anyone had before, also making it affordable with their thrift-shop clothes, setting the stage for both the shabby chic of The Sex Pistols, as well as the ?80s pouty, hair/glam metal boys. Musically, the group always reminded me of a cross between ?50s soul groups and The Rolling Stones, with Johanson?s onstage moves and vocals very much influenced by Mick Jagger. In fact, the Stones considered signing the Dolls to their record label at one point.

River City Rebels

On this night, the audience (which was made up of people ranging from pre-teens to 50-somethings) went wild when the curtains parted to reveal the Dolls, who launched into ?Looking for a Kiss?, which got everyone stirred up with its churning rhythms and infectious chorus. The group?s two remaining original members?who were looking and sounding damn good?are David Johanson and Sylvain Sylvain (guitar). Original bassist Arthur ?Killer? Kane passed away this past summer, and the group dedicated the show to his memory. New bandmembers were Brian Delaney on drums, Sam Yaffa (from Hanoi Rocks) on bass, Steve Conte on guitar (looking very Johnny Thunders-like), and Brian Koonin on keyboards. The Dolls played a 20-song set that included most of their original material (such as ?Puss ?N? Boots?, ?Stranded in the Jungle?, ?Babylon?, ?Trash?, ?Pills?, ?Jet Boy?, and ?Personality Crisis?), as well as a couple of covers: Janis Joplin?s ?Piece of My Heart? and Memphis Minnie?s dirty blues ?In My Girlish Days??both excellent. At one point, Johanson took some time to talk shit on President Bush and the war in Iraq, as well as on Governor Schwarzenegger and Republicans in general. This was quite amusing, as some of the older audience members (including a very affluent, 50-something blonde dancing by me) took umbrage and screamed a lot of pro-Republican remarks. It was SO Orange County at that moment! Johanson dedicated the group?s ?Frankenstein? to Bush. How appropriate.

Honestly, the set was so tight, the guitar duos between Sylvain and Conte so intense, and the onstage energy between bandmembers so high that I?d have to say this is one of the best shows I?ve seen in my many years of writing for SKRATCH. Hopefully, the group sticks together and does more shows, maybe even makes a new record. If you missed the show, pick up Mercury?s 20th CENTURY MASTERS THE MILLENIUM COLLECTION: THE BEST OF NEW YORK DOLLS.

SUPERCADE MUSIC FESTIVAL
October 2, 2004
@ NOS Events Center, Orange Pavilion (San Bernardino, CA)
Text by Marcus Solomon
Photos by Jimbo

This event has tremendous potential for greater success, provided those in charge make some very necessary changes. The Supercade Music Festival is a brilliant idea, with lots of bands reflecting the very diverse spectrum of alternative music and row after row of classic video games?all set for free play. Imagine dozens of bands?such as Strung Out, The Aquabats, A Static Lullaby, Throw Rag, Rufio, Ten Foot Pole, and Death by Stereo?all playing your favorite tunes while you crank away on Pac Man, Joust, Tron, Mortal Kombat, and dozens of others. A relatively modest $25.00 investment bought entrance to this playground for the duration of the experience, which lasted approximately eight hours. However, the Orange Pavilion has terrible acoustics and an overall lack of ambiance. Another problem was the petty, tyrannical security personnel making entrance to the event a nightmare. Even so, I look forward to future Supercade events; and it was evident that everyone in attendance was having a good time.

Despite my promise to arrive early, I arrived late, due to circumstances within my control. My two guests and I approached the entrance gate, and the somewhat-effeminate young man with a pronounced lisp told me to take everything out of my pockets, turn around, and put my hands over my head. I humorously asked if I was being arrested and informed him that it was not necessary for me to turn around. He then proceeded to conduct the mandatory search in order to insure the safety of those in attendance. As he did this, he ran his hand up my leg into my groin area, quickly turning his hand over and gave my balls a quick squeeze. I reflexively stepped back and loudly proclaimed that it was not necessary to touch my testicles. Several other security personnel quickly confronted me, repeatedly telling me the cockeyed (pun intended) young man did not do what he just did. After futile attempts to diffuse the intimidation I was being subjected to, I insisted that someone else conduct the search. An angry young female security employee came forward, and I sardonically said, ?I would love for YOU to touch my balls.? She was not amused, telling me that I had 9/11 to thank for this. I am surprised I got into the concert at all. As we walked toward the games and music, my two guests informed me that security had confiscated some lip balm (lip bomb?) and dental floss?two obvious weapons of mass destruction.

Supercade Music Festival

We entered the airplane-like hangar of an arena to the sounds of Rufio rocking out with all their charming might. At first I liked it. We pushed forward into the crowd. I stood for awhile nodding my head in accordance with the feel-good, crunchy power-pop emanating from the speakers. I admired the band members? talent and enthusiasm, but I was quickly becoming bored with what I soon realized was standard, run-of-the-mill mallcore. We shouldered our way back through the dancing teenage girls and headed for the games.

Wow! Row after row of classic video games?all set for free. Even though there were no new games (contrary to what had been advertised), who could complain about playing round after round of free Galaga, Centipede, and pinball? I ran into Joey Bondage of the world-famous Narcoleptic Youth and asked him how his band?s performance had gone. ?It was terrible! The sound sucks. But the kids were into it.? Above him was his brand-new, huge Narcoleptic Youth banner that was later stolen when he turned away for a brief moment.

The Aquabats most likely put on the best show of the event. This band was made for skillful silliness, thus being the perfect complement for this happening. After a hilariously sappy countdown on a giant screen, The Aquabats bounded onto the stage and owned the place with its Dickies-inspired version of cartoon-minded ska-punk. Dressed in their trademark stupid cartoon-hero garb and armed with a state-of-the-art Squire lead guitar, all five members joked, rocked, and used pseudo-pomp and self-mockery to inspire everyone to laugh, pogo, and smile?unless you didn?t want to. The band even hooked up the game Dance Dance Revolution to be displayed on the giant screen and challenged someone from the audience to play against Robot, the saxophonist/keyboardist. Robot lost the contest to a lithe Asian girl who was born to play the game. She then made the impressive leap across the unnecessary barricade and onto the heads of the many Aquacadets.

Nothing personal, I am just not a fan of Strung Out, so I went and played Centipede. After a few games, I took the time to observe the Strung Out fans (pun intended) and felt kind of bad that only about 300 people remained to enjoy the headliner. Then I left. Outside, Jay Sin of Narcoleptic Youth told me that the security also hassled him by rudely searching his car and used mirrors to look under the vehicle for bombs. Ah, yes, the obvious al-Quidda/Narcoleptic Youth connection. Osama bin-Ladin wants to blow up Ms. Pac Man. It was good to know The Aquabats were there to save the day.

PIXIES
October 4, 2004
@ Veterans Memorial Auditorium (Columbus, OH)
Text by Chip Midnight

Let?s face it, many of us missed Pixies the first time around and didn?t really discover the band until Nirvana hit it big and cited Pixies as a major influence. By that time, the relationship of the members of Pixies had mostly dissolved, and a last-ditch effort to keep things together?while serving as the opening act on U2?s 1992 ZOO TV tour?proved ultimately to be the final nail in the band?s coffin. Shortly after wrapping up that tour (the legend goes), lead singer Black Francis (a.k.a. Frank Black, Charles Thompson) fired the band via fax. 12 years later, due to popular demand (and the chance to pad some bank accounts), Pixies put aside their differences and announced a reunion tour, despite the fact that they aren?t signed to a label and currently have no plans to go back into the studio and write new material. But by all accounts, things have been going swimmingly for this legendary college-rock band from Boston. Shows in major markets such as New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles have been selling out almost immediately after tickets go on sale; and even in a smaller market like Columbus, OH, tickets were in high demand. Though the show didn?t sell out, the venue?the 3,500 seat Veterans Memorial Auditorium?was packed to the rafters with aging hipsters in vintage T-shirts and members of Generation X who were just a bit too young to embrace Pixies in the early ?90s. And while the venue wasn?t ideal?theater-style seating, no beer or smoking allowed in the auditorium?the band didn?t disappoint.

In just over an hour, the band hurried through a collection of two dozen or so greatest hits, leaning heavily on material from 1988?s SURFER ROSA, stopping very briefly after every two or three songs to thank the crowd (which, as you might expect, caused the Pixies-starved audience to erupt with the type of response normally reserved for arena-rock acts). Singer Black Francis, bassist Kim Deal, guitarist Joey Santiago, and drummer David Lovering took it all in stride. You just know that they?ve been getting this sort of response on every date of this tour. Despite all the reported bad blood between Black Francis and Kim Deal back in the late days of the band?s first go-round, the two seemed to have settled some differences, and they interacted with each other on stage in a friendly manner. Perhaps it had something to do with the non-alcoholic beer that they were drinking. The sonic blasts of songs like ?Velouria?, ?Tame?, and ?Bone Machine? had as much intense impact in 2004 as they did 12 or 13 years ago. But it was the classics??Debaser?, ?Where Is My Mind?? and ?Monkey Gone to Heaven??that really riled up the crowd and got heads a-bobbin. While I?ve known this all along, the fact that 75% of the bands I listen to were directly influenced by the Pixies? caustic sound became crystal clear as I watched the aging rockers play as if they were all 21 again. The always charming Kim Deal handled lead vocals on ?Gigantic?, which led to perhaps the best crowd response of the night.

Other than a somewhat interesting stage set-up?metallic trees held stage lights that spotlighted band members?this was really a no-frills, ?give the kids what they paid for? type of show. The band members were, for the most part, dressed in T-shirts and jeans (Deal was wearing a zip-up hoodie), and they didn?t bog down the set with between-song banter. Even as they ended their set, rather than retreat to a backstage area only to be called back for an encore, they formed a circle on the side of the stage, huddled together to catch their breaths, and then returned for one final song, a jarring version of The Jesus and Mary Chain?s ?Head On?. For those of us who never had a chance to witness Pixies in their heyday, this nostalgic walk through the Pixies museum was the next best thing?even though the sterile setting for the show seriously threatened to quash the mood of the festivities.

THE DWARVES
BLOOD JUNKIES
TOYS THAT KILL
ARIGMA
October 7, 2004
@ the Troubadour (West Hollywood, CA)
Text by Jennifer Moncayo

Although it was a Thursday night, the Troubadour was filled to capacity. I walked in during the middle of Toys That Kill?s set. Toys That Kill (from San Pedro) consist of former members of the band F.Y.P. and the Recess Records label-owner. Toys That Kill are Casey on bass, Todd on guitar and vocals, Sean on guitar and vocals, and Jimmy on drums. At first glance, these guys look like a bunch of grungy hippies, due to their long hair and unkempt attire. However, their music is fast, with punchy punk riffs, traces of indie rock, and high-pitched vocals. Throughout their performance, the bassist devoured the stage, as he furiously played with his long hair waving in front of his face. Their songs had the crowd bobbing their heads in amusement. After awhile, I could not help but tap along to their songs.

Before Blood Junkies took the stage they played ?This Is Halloween? from the film THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. I do not know which band started this movie theme, but in my opinion it?s really getting old, and it makes me immediately associate any band that does it with AFI (which is not my favorite band). However, Blood Junkies seem to be going for the Halloween/ghoulish theme, which they achieve with their attire, stage decor, and music. Blood Junkies are a sextet from L.A. started as a side project of Damnation. Blood Junkies are Shaun Kama (acoustic guitar and vocals), Al G (bass), Robert (drums), Omar (keyboards), Leo (percussion), and Nick (lead guitar). Their music is a cross between rockabilly, country, rock, and Halloween. Nick looked like a werewolf with his big sideburns, truly resembling Eddie Munster. The keyboardist resembled a ghost out of the Disneyland ride Haunted Mansion. He was wearing a top hat with dreadlocked hair, and he had a pale face and small frame. The bongo player also resembled a Disneyland ghost, with his bowler cap. Throughout their set, the band called out a group of about five or six women dressed in lingerie-type clothing to come out and dance while they played. This made several men in the audience instant fans before even hearing the music. The crowd went crazy screaming for the women. The band also played a song in dedication to Johnny Cash, which was quite country, consisting of vocals and acoustic guitar. Overall, they had an entertaining set, and the crowd seemed to enjoy their highly Halloween-influenced look, lyrics, and sound.

Before The Dwarves took the stage, I was very excited, because they are infamous for having crazy live shows, which include fighting, nakedness, and (at times) really short sets. Formed in Chicago in 1983, The Dwarves play their own brand of angry, raunchy, punk-rock/garage-rock music. The Dwarves enjoy fucking with people, as they once sent out a fake press release saying that their guitar player, He Who Can Not Be Named, died, fooling and pissing off lots of people?including their label. When The Dwarves took the stage, the crowd was intense and ready to burst, as everyone was pushing and shoving to the front. Lead singer Blag Dahlia was wearing an Astro man shirt and his usual black gloves, accompanied by a yuppie/tennis player-looking bassist in white dolphin shorts and a Polo shirt; and a guitar player who looked like an angry metalhead. He Who Can Not Be Named came out wearing a black Jockey thong and big black boots. In normal fashion, he was wearing a mask to cover his face. His mask resembled a Mexican wrestling mask, with lots of sparkle. (On a random note, I noticed his glasses under his mask.)

HWCNBN showed off his pale skin and hairy regions as he played and kicked people. The crowd went crazy as Blag wandered across the stage singing and thrusting his pelvis at them. The crowd reception was amazing, as people were singing along and throwing their hands up, rocking out while Blag gave the microphone to people to sing along. He also jumped out into the crowd a couple of times, which led to people jumping from the banisters onto the stage. One guy kept jumping on stage and trying to grab the microphone from Blag, and Blag had to hold HWCNBN back from kicking him. Later, the same guy kept being an ass on stage, and HWCNBN and the tennis-playing bassist literally kicked him off the stage. Their show was incredible, as they played a plethora of their songs, including, ?Deadly Eye?, ?Over You?, ?Act Like You Know?, ?Everybodies Girl? [sic], and ?I Will Deny?. They also played a new song that was very Ramones-esque, as well as ?You Gotta Burn?, which had intense crowd participation. When they finished their set, they just walked off the stage and did not come back for an encore.

As they were walking off stage, the same obnoxious guy who was booted off jumped back on and pulled HWCNBN?s thong down. HWCNBN just grabbed his thong back, pushed the kid off, and walked off stage. The nimrod thong-snatcher then pulled out his dick for everyone to see (to their dismay) as he was standing center stage with the lights still on. Needless to say, it was a crazy, fun-filled set that did include a little bit of nudity, some mild fighting or kicking, and some good old-fashioned, in-your-face punk rock.

THE USED
ATREYU
HEAD AUTOMATICA
THE BRONX
October 14, 2004
@ the Wiltern LG (Los Angeles, CA)
Text by Michael Silver

The Used have embarked on their largest headlining tour across America this fall, bringing along a mix of hardcore and melodic rock groups in support. The one and only Southern California date was held at the beautiful Wiltern, which not only holds a boatload of people but also includes an upper terrace balcony for a unique look down on the stage, lots of standing room down below, and (most importantly) an alley for social activities.

With a full house and everyone waiting around, kids were giddy in excitement for The Used to start their set. Even with temporary warning signs taped to the entrance doors explaining that moshing and crowd-surfing were not allowed, you could just feel that no one gave a shit. On came the band with a ferocious opener, the new single ?Take It Away?, with lead singer Bert McCracken jumping around looking very lively and pumped up for this one. The set list was heavy on new material from IN LOVE AND DEATH, with a batch of old songs to keep everyone happy. At one point, Bert asked the crowd if they had shown up with their best friend?and if so, to give them a hug. I liked that. It was a unique moment at a rock show. He actually went on to kiss his best friend?guitarist Quinn Allman?to the delight of the ladies, and then played ?Blue and Yellow?. Other notable songs included fan favorites ?The Taste of Ink?, the ballad ?On My Own?, and new tracks ?Listening? and the tightly played ?I?m a Fake?. The stage went dark, and The Used vanished, but after a few minutes of cheering they came back and closed the night with the thunderous ?A Box Full of Sharp Objects?.

Earlier in the evening, hardcore rockers Atreyu from Orange County played to an increasingly large audience as the set went on. From the get-go, lead singer Alex Varkatzas ran feverishly on stage, twirling his mic around with rapid speed Mick Jagger-style. Starting with ?Bleeding Mascara?, you could hear the awesome timing and precision they brought to the table. Later on, in ?Someone?s Standing on My Chest?, the mix of screaming by Varkatzas with singer/drummer Brandon Saller?s melodic hooks worked marvelously. I enjoyed hearing the lead singer talk to the audience about the different styles each band presented. It was cool for someone to acknowledge a difference in musical tastes and have the ability to embrace it. More rocking ensued with bangers like ?Ain?t Love Grand? and the new single ?Right Side of the Bed? from THE CURSE. To finish their set, Atreyu rocked the crowd with ?Lip Gloss and Black?, while getting everyone to chant the chorus ?Live, love, burn, die.?

Unfortunately, due to the L.A. traffic (or maybe it was the slacker in me), I showed up late, just as The Bronx was finishing. I did hear good things about them from random concertgoers throughout the evening, so maybe next time I?ll get to check them out.

The first band I did get a change to see was Head Automatica, the new side project by Daryl Palumbo (also known as the howler from East Coast hardcore group Glassjaw). With stage props hanging from the rafters (such as neon lit dice and a martini shaker), it felt like this band was the main attraction. If your wondering how HA compares to the aforementioned band, it?s off the charts in difference. Palumbo was actually singing, in contrast to his angst-fueled screaming days in Long Island, NY. Jogging around the stage in a black blazer like a wise veteran, he led his new band through a diverse set from their debut album, DECANDENCE. ?Brooklyn Is Burning? got the place moving, with some funky bass lines and that familiar voice. It was odd to see the same guy on stage who in years past would scream ?til your ears bled. What stands out about this band is that Daryl and company appear to be having a great time from start to finish. With the keyboards rocking, songs like ?Please Please Please (Young Hollywood)? and ?The Razor? were crowd favorites. During ?Burning Heart Baby?, the girls were ecstatic for the high-pitched, lively singer. Best song of the night was their first one, ?At the Speed of a Yellow Bullet?, making everyone jump up and dance. For a guy who used to be depressed and scream about it, Palumbo now sings with clarity and passion?and has fun with it.

JADE TREE SHOWCASE:
FROM ASHES RISE
THESE ARMS ARE SNAKES
PAINT IT BLACK
DEPSISTADO
BREATHER RESIST
October 17 2004
@ the First Unitarian Church (Philadelphia)
Text by Adam Barone

Even though I?m a pretty big fan of From Ashes Rise, the only reason I wanted to see this show was because Paint It Black was playing. However, on the current Jade Tree roster there is enough variety to satisfy just about anyone. Like I said, though, I was there for Paint It Black.

Despistado had the unenviable task of opening for the modest Sunday night crowd. I was not very familiar with these Canadian indie rockers...and after watching their set, I don?t think I was missing much. To me, they sounded a lot like a faster and more forced version of Braid. I?m sorry, but you just can?t mess with that. There was only one Braid, and there is no need for copycats. Despistado certainly isn?t a ?bad? band by any means, but the drumming is far to busy for the style that this band is trying to pull off. Overall, Despistado was the token opening band that is okay to miss.

I had heard good things about one of Jade Tree?s latest signing, Breather Resist, and was pretty excited to see what they had to offer. The band began their set with oodles of energy and drive that lasted throughout their set?which was admirable, considering how hot the church was. Breather Resist toil in a sound that is reminiscent of a more abrasive Hot Cross. The band included a pretty awesome instrumental that sounded pretty hypnotic. I?d definitely keep tabs on this band, as I?m sure they?ll be making some ripples in the water of the punk and hardcore scene(s).

Following Breather Resist was a band I had been unintentionally ignorant of, These Arms Are Snakes, who feature former members of a truly awesome band named Botch. (If you were not familiar with WE ARE THE ROMANS, it would be wise to pick up a copy and educate yourself a bit on the finer details of post-hardcore.) I think I have a hard time letting go of the ex-Botch mindset with These Arms Are Snakes. I don?t think I care about this band enough to actually go and buy one of their albums, but their live show was a lot more impressive than I had expected. Their set was teeming with dynamism and definitely exceeded the expectations I had built up about These Arms Are Snakes.

After These Arms Are Snakes finished up, I didn?t see anyone from Paint It Black setting up or even present in the venue. I even overheard someone say they cancelled. Of course, I was feeling pretty bitter about that and was not in the mood to see From Ashes Rise, because I?ve seen them before. I?m sure From Ashes Rise put on a highly rocking show, but I was just too disappointed about missing Paint It Black to stay and watch. However, I?m glad Jade Tree decided to put together a showcase like this, because their consistent level of quality in the independent scene is becoming quite a commodity.

JIMMY EAT WORLD
THE VELVET TEEN
October 19, 2004 @ Glass House (Pomona, CA)
Text by Tiffany Chow
Photos by Eric Lawson

The weather on the night of October the 19th was less than ideal for human beings. Despite the unfavorable conditions, hoards of Jimmy Eat World fans flocked to 2nd Street in Pomona to show their devotion. The show was sold out?which didn?t come as a surprise to anybody. What WAS surprising was the fact that mainstream radio station KROQ was sponsoring the show. This sketchy fact made me a little bit skeptical as I approached the doors, wondering what kind of crowd I would be mixing with. Luckily, the sponsorship did not seem to change anything other than what the tickets from Ticketmaster read. The crowd was 110% true blue JEW fans, from the days of CLARITY and even STATIC PREVAILS.

If you?re a band and Jimmy Eat World wants to take you out on tour, you know you?re awesome. This is the truth when it comes to The Velvet Teen. Although their mellow sound would initially make you wonder why they are opening for energetic Jimmy, the warmth that resonates from their songs, and their performance quickly changed your mind. Even though it didn?t make the most sense, it became blindingly clear why they had gained such a coveted tour spot.

Ska is Dead

» BACK TO TOP