November 2005 Live Reviews

(scroll down to read all of them)

THE ADICTS
BANG SUGAR BANG
October 7, 2005 @ the House of Blues (Hollywood, CA)
By Ian Wilkins

(Since I am writing about only two bands in this article and the law of SKRATCH states I must write a minimum of 750 words. I will waste at least 250 of them solely on the mood of the night. In fact, don't even read the last paragraph: it will more than likely just be some type of gibberish.)

A soft Southern Californian breeze is barely ruffling my long, flowing blonde locks as I make my way into the House of Blues. The Seven jeans I threw on in my haste to make it to the show on time sets me apart from the hundreds of young juveniles all wearing the customary black outfits adorned with their colorful punk patches. After entering the famed HOB, I decide to jump-start my evening, and so I ask the distraught bartenderess for my usual two Bud Lights, which costs me a mere 12 bucks. This leads me to believe that the HOB doesn't really give a shit about us poor alcoholics.

48 George Washingtons (that's 10 minutes of drinking for me) is how much it cost me to see one of my favorite bands of all time take the stage, Bang Sugar Bang. They are an L.A. band who has recently signed to the famous SOS record label. They are a three-piece group that has more talent than your local philharmonic. I have been lucky enough to have had the chance to view them a handful of times-but nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to witness on this fine evening. Bang Sugar Bang are just a great rock band. In this day and age, that sounds a little clichéd, so I will break it down for you. Their stage show is complete attitude, and attitude + energy = punk. This was the first time I have seen BSB play a big stage. They have convinced this reporter that they play for the fans/music and not for their egos. You can't fake the smiles the three kids have when they hit that first note. After that first chord is smacked, you get some plain ol' funtastic tuneage for your dome. Every song that BSB have could easily be played on your local radio station. Nothing crude or rude and easily sing-alongable. It is definitely rare to come across a band as true and good as they are. Support the Detroit Red Wings and find a way to pick up the new BSB album, THWAK THWAK GO CRAZY. You will be happy you did.

Adicts

The Adicts have been playing music together for more than a few fortnights; it has been a couple of decades now. Their set starts with a little movie consisting of the A CLOCKWORK ORANGE guy thrown up on a white screen. The crowd starts to cheer, which turns into pure chaos as all but one of the bandmembers take the stage. You would expect a band of this caliber to start with a BOOM, but that's not their style. You get a solo violin playing something like Beethoven, which only makes the folks watching go more crazy. They are the true fans who know that this is how The Adicts start all of their shows. Soft and sweet turns into over an hour-and-a-half of straight-up, in-your-face, old-school punk. When you cant take it anymore, the famed leader of the group, Monkey, comes out in his full regalia: a full makeup job, his tight-as-fuck black sequined jacket and slacks. He leads the group with a song that started it all, "Steamroller", while shooting confetti all over us. Nothing can be better in life than a show by The Adicts. Playing non-stop for the next hour can keep someone usually on life support going without it for a day or two. My only complaint is that the volume levels in the back sucked. That didn't make too much of a difference to me, since I knew every word, but to the less fortunate it could have been a bitch. Other than that, the show was absolutely perfect. Their stage show can only be compared to...hmmmmm...let's say, Neil Diamond on crack. They only played one encore song (which lasted 15 minutes), but that was good enough for me. This was a great night for me-and for music.

(Last paragraph deleted due to gibberish.)

DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL:
THE KILLERS
MODEST MOUSE
THE ARCADE FIRE
DOVES
BRITISH SEA POWER
October 8, 2005 @ Shoreline Amphitheatre (Mountain View, CA)
By Jeff Lambert

The beautifully entertaining part of all-day festivals is the eclectic group of concertgoers who are drawn the same place for different reasons. Today we have the teenage girls sporting their newly bought KILLERS T-shirts (isn't there a rule about not wearing the shirt of the band you are seeing?), the scene kids trying their best NOT to fit in, the college guys drinking their brains out, and the oddly out-of-place old man who came by himself. Needless to say, people watching at events like these can keep me occupied for hours.

Making our way to the seats, I notice an unusual setup on stage: a mini-jungle, complete with tree branches, bamboo chutes, and stuffed birds. Before we know what to make of this remarkable assortment, the relatively unknown British Sea Power neatly files on stage. Looking straight out of a Wes Anderson flick, the ensemble (clad in maritime garb) grab their instruments and break into action. With their appealing brand of guitar pop, British Sea Power touches on Joy Division, Bowie, and The Pixies in creating their own musical manifestation. The performance itself sounds great and-although the amphitheater is still filling up-those in attendance are treated to a likable show. After standing almost perfectly still for the first 25 minutes, things take a turn for the absurd: the keyboardist puts a tree branch from the stage design down the back of his shirt, grabs a tom-tom, and marches his way offstage and into the crowd. After taking a sip of one spectator's soda, he makes his way up and down several aisles before marching to the lawn. Meanwhile, in a failed attempt to stuff his own guitar down his shirt, the guitarist has his instrument caught in his collar and is swinging it around in circles. The guitar eventually comes crashing to the ground before he manages to pull off a headstand at center stage-yes, a headstand. Feeling left out, the lead singer drops his guitar, steps on it a few times, then grabs one of the stuffed birds from the set and ritualistically offers it to the crowd. All the while, the bassist and drummer maintain some sense of order by keeping the song going. A once-subdued performance went from zero to wacky in a blink of an eye. As bizarre as it seems, it was an interesting punctuation on an already solid performance.

Bringing a solid fan base and a homemade background banner, the epic rock trio Doves takes the stage as the sun fades into the horizon. These British rockers have popped up in TV and movie soundtracks from time to time in the past few years and recently released their second full-length album, THE LAST BROADCAST (Capitol). Much more upbeat than their debut, THE LAST BROADCAST neatly makes the transfer from the recording studio to the stage. Strong songwriting and a cool confidence give the band a solid foundation, and they prove more than capable of capturing the attention of the suddenly-growing crowd. Highlighted by a rousing rendition of "Pounding", Doves have no trouble keeping the crowd interested during their 40-minute set-not an easy task for a band stretching some songs over a seven- or eight-minute span.

I apologize in advance for adding to the already monumental hype surrounding this next band, but The Arcade Fire once again stole the show. If you've been living under a rock for the past year, a group of quirky Canadians calling themselves The Arcade Fire have lit up stages from L.A. to Toronto with their flawless musical precision, contagious energy, and larger-than-life stage presence. Tonight, they simply put on a musical clinic, a 45-minute lesson on how to put on a rock concert. Opening with their usual favorite, "Wake Up", the gang of seven sing the chorus in perfect synchronization and hit every note in stride. Their collective energy is captivating and sets a tone for the audience to follow. From the get-go, the crowd is on their feet and the outdoor theatre is jumping and dancing with every soaring note. Between songs, the bandmates all switch instruments, seemingly taking turns showing off their individual musical talents. More humble than most, their individual skills are overshadowed by their ability to perform as one cohesive unit. Bringing their typically wacky antics with them, some members of the band start a wrestling match onstage before spilling into the crowd for more raucousness-but somehow they manage to make it back on stage right when the rest of the band needs them to perform. They fly through their set with ease before breaking into "Neighborhood #3 (Lights Out)" and segue into "Rebellion (Lies)" for their finale. I've seen them perform several times in the last year or so, and the set list stays pretty much the same; but each performance is unique and superior to its predecessor. The Arcade Fire continue to impress audiences across the continent with their refreshing sound and creative performance.

How do you follow a performance like the one The Arcade Fire just put on? Well, if you're Modest Mouse, you just get fucking wasted and hope the audience cares about your performance as little as you do. Don't get me wrong: I am a longtime fan of the grungy rockers from the Northwest and have seen them play on several occasions, but the show they put on tonight was disappointing, at best. After opening with three or four tracks off their 2004 release, Isaac and the boys treated the crowd to "Cowboy Dan", "Dramamine", and "3rd Planet". Usually this is a good thing, but tonight Isaac's guitar work on "3rd Planet" was sloppy and he seemed to have trouble singing directly into the microphone-which essentially ruined one of their better songs. The entire show seemed disjointed, with too much downtime between songs and no cohesiveness within the group. Maybe the long day of partying got the best of them, or maybe they just weren't prepared, but for the sake of their fans, I hope this type of a performance is more of an accident than a growing trend.

About now I ask myself why every movable object on the stage is suddenly covered in tin foil. Silly me-it's for the killer light show we are sure to see (quite the transformation from the plain setting Modest Mouse and The Arcade Fire called home earlier in the evening). The Shoreline stage has transformed into a giant metallic reflector just waiting impress the audience with a light show almost as bombastic as the headlining band itself. A shiny silver backdrop is grandly adorned with the name "The Killers" as quartet take the stage. I can't help but cringe when they are greeted by thousands of high-pitched screams from the many teenage girls in attendance. "Yeah, I know," says guitarist David Keuning (to think I had the nerve to call them bombastic). Led by frontman Brandon Flowers, they dive right into their synth/pop/new-wave dance-a-thon with a style I call "New Order meets The Strokes." Playing to the audience without missing a beat, The Killers quickly prove they are worth the price of admission. They pull out all the stops and make good on playing everything they got. Their obvious arrogance is a slight turn-off, but nonetheless, they provide the crowd with an impressive light show-and a pretty good rock show. Needless to say, many youngsters went home happy, as The Killers put on a spectacle for their loud and loyal fans.

DARKBUSTER
LOST CITY ANGELS
GANG GREEN
DROPKICK MURPHYS
October 13, 2005 @ the House of Blues (Hollywood, CA)
Text and photos by Audiophile

Oops, I missed Darkbuster. I was REALLY looking forward to them, too. My friend has seen them a few times and has told me they're a great band to see live. Be sure to check out Darkbuster on-line at WWW.Darkbuster.Net.

After a pause long enough to fool me into thinking I didn't miss Darkbuster, Lost City Angels took the stage. LCA rocked my world. This is only my second time seeing them live, but that's enough to come to the realization that these guys are going to be remembered as one kick-ass punk band. They played tunes such as their hauntingly beautiful "Broken World"; their political anthem, "Liberation"; and "Pretty War", a very great song to mosh to. Singer Ronnie took a small pause during their set to give shout-outs to all the other bands on this Boston Invasion Tour. And yes, it really was a Boston invasion. I've never heard so many sexy Boston accents onstage at once in my life. It was a very good thing. Be sure to give these guys-one of my top-five favorite bands I discovered this year-a listen at WWW.Lostcityangels.Com and look for when they'll be in your city. Whatever it costs, it's worth it.

To be honest, before this show, I'd never heard of Gang Green (not the band, anyway). Don't get angry, Boston natives-I'm a Californian. I don't KNOW Boston hardcore. I'm not even a real big fan of hardcore. But I did like these guys, so don't hate me. Something did seem rather strange about the band though: the singer was in his late 40s (I believe that's being generous, too), while the rest of the band were in their 30s, maybe. So I did a little sneaking and a little asking around up in the VIP section and found that the only original member of Gang Green there that night was the singer Chris Doherty-the rest were Dropkick Murphys' crew (with the exception of the drummer, who was with Dropkick Murphys (and he's actually NOT the drummer in DKM, either)). After the show, I did a bit of research for the band and was NOT surprised to see Gang Green is best-known as a warp-speed, three-chord, beer-loving band. That pretty much sums them up. That might sound simplistic to you, but remember, these guys are a CLASSIC; they came BEFORE everything else that sounds just like everything I described. Therefore, they are better. Right? Right.

Dropkick Murphys

I'll tell you one thing about DKM: they sure know how to fill up a stage. I'd never seen a stage so full before-and these amazing boys still found room to run around and have fun while putting on a great show. They were loud, they were from Boston, and one dude was wearing a kilt and playing the bagpipes. What else do you need to make a show great? But, being the wonderful band they are, they went above and beyond. Lead singer Al Barr jumped down onto a specially-placed box and sang into the audience for what seemed to be every other song, while bass player/vocalist Ken Casey ran from mic to mic on stage, wherever his heart would lead him. They played a few songs off of their newest album, THE WARRIOR'S CODE, and a few of the classics. The only thing I didn't hear was "Walk Away"...but honestly, toward the end, I REALLY had to go to the bathroom, so it's possible I missed it. Be sure to check out Dropkick Murphys at WWW.Dropkickmurphys.Com, and see them sometime on this Boston Invasion Tour, 'cause you'll hate yourself if you miss any of these great bands when they're in your area.

THE EXPLOITED
CHANNEL 3
FUNERAL DRESS
THE S.C.A.B.S.
SIMON SAYS DIE
October 8, 2005 @ the Galaxy Concert Theater (Santa Ana, CA)
Photos and text by Matt Logan

On the surface, Saturday, October 8, may have seemed like an ordinary night in the safe little town of Santa Ana, CA. Possibly a few cars broken into, random vandalism, drugs, theft, assault, police violence...But there was something special about that Saturday: punk veterans The Exploited stopped in town to play some old-style punk for their new and diehard fans. The good, the bad, and the ugly punks came out to see The Exploited...Actually, just the bad and ugly fans were there.

The show was supposedly going to start with a band called BeerZone, according to one of the Galaxy's show organizers. Apparently, BeerZone was getting serious beat-downs by a few unknown assailants for two nights prior to the show and were threatened to get handed an ass-kicking if they showed up. They supposedly called in two hours before the doors opened and said they were unable to attend due to threats. What happened to the days when punks were unafraid to give or receive a beating? I'm not going to waste any more time on these bitches, so let's move on to the bands that actually played.

Opening the show was the unimpressive, unsatisfactory, and unsavory Simon Says Die. They got all the cookie-cutter "punk" commentary out of the way early on in the show, which is helpful. At one point, the lead singer was making a reference to people who pass out due to alcohol consumption and said, "What do you do to them then? Yeah, that's right: you jerk off on 'em! YEAH!" Their music was choked out into the hazy air of the Galaxy with moderate talent. I caught myself enjoying a fraction of their last song.

Scabs

When The S.C.A.B.S. (Social Critics Against Bullshit Systems) took the stage is when the show really got started. Frontman Johnny Didatz got the crowd screaming when he said, "Fuck the security here tonight, fuck 'em. Fuck my boss and fuck my job. We are here for you guys tonight." The S.C.A.B.S. played to a swarming pit, while Didatz drank, threw, and spit beer as he yelled into the dimly-lit theater. This self-proclaimed "drunk rock" band played with all the passion of bona fide punks, as they flooded the venue with hard-hitting sounds that proved they are a force to be recognized. Check 'em out at www.thescabs.com.

Funeral Dress

Funeral Dress plays a streetpunk or street rock 'n' roll style like English bands did it in the mid '80s. Fists shook in the air and sweat covered every riotous body in the pit and on stage. "Free Beer for the Punx" was a crowd-favorite, and the lead singer actually gave away half a bottle to some guy. They capped off a thrilling performance with a cover of "Down Under" by Men at Work.

Born from the asphalt rubble of Cerritos, CA, Channel 3 is all about ripping the hell out of a stage with their tried and true style of rugged punk rock. They played an amazing set so full of power and heat that it felt like steam was pouring out of the speakers. Perhaps feeling his age during the show (as I often do because of the young faces in the crowd), Mike Magrann (lead vocals, guitar) raised his hand above his eyes to shield it from the spotlights and peered over the crowd like a sailor searching for land and said, "Whoa, did your moms drop you guys off tonight?" Some random kid immediately shouted back, "Your mom dropped me off!" Magrann simply replied, "Oh, okay," and tore into their last few songs.

Exploited

Leading his band The Exploited, vocalist Wattie Buchan marched onstage with his ex-military swagger. Adorning a red dreadlock/braided mohawk and a shirt that read "Anarchy Terror Crew" on the back, he looked at the audience with fire in his eyes as he smacked the mic against his head. The Exploited raged into their set playing songs like "Alternative", "Beat the Bastards", "Punks Not Dead", and "Fuck the System". Nearing the middle of their set, a random crowd-surfer made his way up onstage, ran to where Buchan's beer was sitting, grabbed it, took a quick chug, and jumped back into the pit, beer in hand. When the next punk tried to make it onstage, Buchan kicked him back down into the pit. During "Fuck the System", a couple of skinheads started fighting in the pit. Violent fists were flying, as a fight that began between two idiots soon turned into a brawl of 10 or more before security broke it up. The Exploited left the stage when their set was finished, but screams from the crowd for "one more song" called them back. They started their encore by saying, "Let's see some violence, let's see some sex," then roared into "Sex and Violence". They played two more after that and walked offstage leaving the crowd with ringing in their ears, a few bruises, and the memory of one hell of a punk show.

FROM AUTUMN TO ASHES
ARMOR FOR SLEEP
EMMANUEL
October 1, 2005 @ SOMA (San Diego, CA)
By Thomas Murray

Sometimes SOMA has an attractive, tattooed female doing the pat-downs, but not tonight: some goateed guy rubbed me over and nervously inquired as to whether or not the hardness in my pocket was a pen. (SOMA doesn't let you bring pens in, for some goddamn reason.) I fessed up and handed over my out-of-ink decoy, and the doofus was all proud of himself. He was unaware, however, that I had a fully functional pen in each one of my shoes, I am hip to SOMA's games-and once again, I outwitted them.

Unfortunately, I missed the first band, Science, which turned out to be Francis and Mark's (from FATA) side project. Damn. So, Emmanuel kicked off my night of music. Ugh. Typical, so very typical and annoying-and I just wasn't in any kind of mood. I suffered through two songs and sulked my way out to the entrance room so that I could stare at wristbands and inhale the scent of 13-year-olds who all wore the same exact outfits as the guys onstage.

Days prior to this show, I was in Hot Topic assuaging my addiction to belt buckles. I asked the kid behind the counter if he was going to the FATA show-and, sure enough, he was. He informed me that he was actually quite excited to see Armor for Sleep, so naturally I looked forward to them a little more than I would have if I had never heard anything about them. Well, I got all excited, only to get viciously blue-balled by a truly bad performance. I found myself thinking "Wow, I really don't care about any of this." Song after whiny, annoying song, I thought about leaving. I couldn't figure it out. Just what the hell gave these people the idea that they had any business up on that stage? I stuck around hoping for a distraction from the music, like a spidery teen fight or some wild topless blonde with full sleeves running around bleeding from the armpits. Nothing, though. "FATA better rock this place, man," I thought.

Ask, and you shall receive. From Autumn to Ashes rips right into "Milligram Smile", and all the Scriptos in the place suddenly had a stronger sense of community. It seems like I blinked and SOMA was packed, like they were giving out free shit. Intelligent people must have timed their arrival on in order to see FATA's performance only and to avoid the opening bands. I swore that somewhere I heard that Hot Topic kid is laughing his ass off at me-for I had fallen for his heartless ruse. The third song, "Inapprope", is off the new album, ABANDON YOUR FRIENDS. Something interesting occurred when lead singer Ben Perri handed the lead microphone over to Francis, who normally just drums and sings the melodic choruses: some guy named Cornbread took over on drums, and Francis geeked himself all over stage with that beautiful voice and newly-swelling arrogance. I dug his awkward sway; however, I couldn't let go of the idea that he reminded me of the psychic mutant in the wheelchair from X-2 (not Xavier, but the other one, the illusionist). For the fourth song, Ben returns to take the mic, but he is swilling deeply on a bottle of vitamin water. Apparently, he is sick and has perhaps been hitting the bottle a bit hard. I heard one kid call him husky, but I wouldn't say that, because it is mean. The next few songs were "Eulogy for an Angel", "Lilacs and Lolita" (which went out to the sound crew), "Where You Draw the Line" (which went out to the guys in Emmanuel-ew) "Take Her to the Music Store", and "Alive Out of Habit". And, of course, the kids were doing their bizarre dances. I watched some kid in a Winger T-shirt laying out people left and right. I think I saw several shirtless men with similar tattoos drag him behind a pile of speakers and do god knows what to him. Cornbread came back out so that Francis could sing "Kansas City 90210". For the thinkers in the audience, Francis promised to explain the meaning after the show, because (according to him) the majority of the audience just wants to punch each other in the face. Sorry, Francis, but some people aren't rock stars and don't have their lives figured out yet. That doesn't mean that they don't like to think. FATA finished a solid show with what appeared, at first, to be a cover of Foghat's "Slow Ride". This was amusing but shifted into a convincing finale of "The After Dinner Payback". "Bravo," I screamed, and obediently returned to my perch on a creaky bar stool.

THE NETWORK
GREEN DAY
October 11, 2005 @ the Wiltern LG, (Los Angeles, CA)
By Todd Markel

I had just seen Green Day three days previously at the Home Depot Center in Carson, and here I was anxiously waiting in line to see them once again, this time for a "secret" show at the Wiltern that was being broadcast to a worldwide audience on the Internet by AOL MUSIC. I felt extremely lucky to score these tickets, as the show sold out in seconds and scalpers were getting up to $250 a ticket on eBay. Doors were scheduled to open at 6:30 p.m., but it was almost 7:45 before the line started to move. A number of devoted fans had been in line since noon to ensure they got access to the exclusive pit area, which was limited to the first 150 people on the floor.

The opening act for this special show was a band called The Network, which knowledgeable Green Day fans know is actually comprised of the members of Green Day plus two keyboard players. All the band members are incognito, their faces obscured by ski masks, bandages, or "lucha libre"-type wrestling masks. Fink-presumed to be Billie Joe-is the leader of the group. The bass player's name is Van Gough, and he does most of their singing (and resembles Mike Dirnt). They rarely play live shows and profess a deep hatred for Green Day. Their sound is retro synth-pop, reminding me a lot of Devo and current bands like The Epoxies and The Phenomenauts. They have a new-wave, space-age sound with a blazing light show that features an inflatable spaceship with blinking lights hovering over the stage. The Network has one studio CD out on Adeline Records called MONEY, MONEY 2020, and they played most of the songs on the album. They kicked off with "Transistors Gone Wild", then went right into a catchy little number called "Joe Robot". A crowd-favorite was "Spike", with its telephone-call intro and rambling lyrics. They finished their energetic, exciting set with a song called "X-Ray Hamburger"...but the best was yet to come.

Green Day

The Webcast was supposed to start at 9 p.m. sharp, but it was almost 9:30 by the time the lights went down and the theme to 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY came on. To thunderous applause, Billie Joe, Mike, and Tre make their way on stage and immediately bust into the song "American Idiot", and the crowd goes wild. Billie states that he needs about a hundred more people to come down into the pit and convinces security that it's okay to let them come down. Next up is the nine-minute epic "Jesus of Suburbia", with its five separate segments. It's almost a rock opera unto itself. It finishes with a blast of amazing pyrotechnics. "This song is a big 'fuck you' to George W. Bush" is how Billie introduced "Holiday", which begins with more explosions. He went on to say, "This song can't be anti-American-it's anti-war!" At one point, Billie Joe calls for "lights out" and shined a spotlight through a cloud of smoke into the audience, to great effect. He then recited the "Pledge of Allegiance" before finishing the song. After the big sing-along "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", Billie announced, "If you haven't figured it out yet, we're playing AMERICAN IDIOT from front-to-back," which was greeted with large cheers from the crowd. "This song is basically about a little walk in New York City" was how "Are We the Waiting" was introduced. As they started "Give Me Novacaine", Billie Joe noted that his wife Adrienne had urged him to include this song on the record. Song after song was meet with a fanatical response from the crowd, who show their love by singing every word. "Letterbomb" started with Billy singing a cappella, and the crowd immediately joined in: "Nobody likes you / Everyone left you / They're all out without you / Having fun." Billie announced that "Homecoming" was their last song, and he then went on to say that, "This whole experience for the last year-and-a-half has been the best time of my life. Thank you." "Homecoming" is another five-part masterpiece, with traversing melodies, storylines, and genres. Mike has his own part to sing -"Nobody likes you"-and Tre sang "Rock and Roll Girlfriend" while canons shot tons of red and white confetti into the audience. They leave the stage, but it's obvious there is at least one more song coming. They are soon back onstage to play the final song of AMERICAN IDIOT, the haunting "Whatsername", which is almost an epilogue to the album. Without missing a beat, Tre starts the familiar drumbeat to "Longview", which is followed by Mike's famous bass line-and pandemonium breaks loose. They followed that with an extended version of "Minority" from 2000's WARNING CD. With the smell of black powder still thick in the air and a tear in my eye, I realize that I had just witnessed a great show. Screw any discussions of Green Day's punkness or lack thereof; they are far beyond that. AMERICAN IDIOT puts them in another league. One can only wonder: How in the hell are they going to follow it up?

VICTORY SEASON
ORANGE
AMERICAN EYES
HOME GROWN
October 27, 2005 @ the Key Club (Hollywood, CA)
Photos and text by Todd Markel

Over the years, there has been one Orange County band that has consistently been there with great albums and extraordinary stage shows. While overcoming many obstacles and personal changes, for many Home Grown has come to typify the Orange County sound. This past year has seen yet another challenge for this band, with the departure of founding member Adam Lohrbach, who, as one of the principal singer/songwriters, was responsible for a number of their most popular songs.

Victory Season

As I walked in to the club I was surprised to see Victory Season on stage. I have seen them once before and recalled how much I enjoyed their show. Their singer is Stephanie Esparza, a petite woman with a big and powerful voice that really shines through in their songs. They have a polished sound that might seem a little out of place playing with tonight's punk bands. From Anaheim, this talented power-pop band could easily give the Ashleys and Lindsays a run for their money. The song "Venice" shows just how versatile Stephanie voice is, ranging from soft and sweet to sultry and rocking. They closed their set with their best song, the country-rock-sounding "Pills" with its hook of "Take one to remember / Take one to forget it all". Look for their first CD, VICTORY SEASON, to be released on November 10th.

Orange

The next band to grace the stage has seemed to make it a habit of playing the Key Club. Orange is their name. Don't let the wacky punk outfits fool you: they play authentic old-school Brit-punk (think Buzzcocks meet The Matches). Its no wonder Tim Armstrong liked them enough to sign them to his Hellcat Records label and release their debut CD, WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF ORANGE. Their 17-year-old frontman Joe Dexter Denman, who was decked out in a Union Jack suit, mohawk, nerd glasses, and a gutter-punk snarl, puts on quite the show. A highlight of their set was the ultra catchy tune "Hollywood" and its tale of living in the hills of Hollywood. With a number of local fans cheering them on, they finished up with "No Rest for the Weekend".

American Eyes

One of the latest groups to join the SideOneDummy roaster is American Eyes. Hailing from Agoura Hills, these longtime friends describe their sound as being neo-goth dance-punk. Lead singer David Henry has a gothic AFI sort of look, a great voice, and a radio-friendly sound. They have been building a reputation for wild and exciting live shows. Check out the poppy "Carry on for Keepsake" or the sing-along anthem "Radio". Their latest CD is NEVER TRUST ANYTHING THAT BLEEDS, and it features a number of rocking songs that will keep you pumping your fist in the air.
Catch them at Bloc Jam 4 in Lancaster on November 19th with Eudora, National Product, and many more. For more info: www.blockalternatives.com/BMX/BLOCKjam4.html.

Tonight was Johnee Tran's 30th birthday, and it was evident that he had been partying for most of the night. By the time he got on stage, he was feeling no pain. He announced that he had just thrown up backstage and that if any girls wanted to make out with him, his breath was kickin'. No takers. They surprised a number of people (including myself) by kicking the show off with "Give It Up" from 2002's KINGS OF POP CD. This is an Adam Lohrbach song, so I wrongly assumed they wouldn't be playing it. Johnee then went right into one of his signature songs from ACT YOUR AGE, "Bad News Blair". Some of his cousins came on stage with a small birthday cake, and we all sang "Happy Birthday to You". He blew out the candles, and they smeared the cake all over his face. Johnee took this with good humor, but the cake made the guitar sticky and a little hard to play. Despite my pleas for them to play "Face in the Crowd" from 1995's THAT'S BUSINESS, they played the equally good "Impotency" from the same album. Johnee once again showed that he had no fear and played another Lohrbach song, "Tomorrow". "Keep Your Distance" (from last year's EP) sounded great, as did both "Sixteen" and "Barbie Girl" from 1999's PHONE HOME EP. Then they played "You're Not Alone", during which Johnee had a lot trouble hitting the right notes. He was all over the place and visibly upset. Guitarist Dan Hammond called for some emergency Bud Lights to be delivered to the stage, stat. After a round of shots of Jack Daniels, they started "Kiss Me, Diss Me" but stopped mid-song to bring a fan named Tyler on stage to play guitar for their headbanging ode to the mullet, "SFLB"("Short in the front / Long in the back"). They then came back to "Kiss Me, Diss Me" for a big finish.

Homegrown

Tonight's show had the feel of a small intimate gathering of family, friends, and fans who were here to wish Johnee a happy birthday and all the best.

SELECT MEDIA FESTIVAL:
THE MATHEMATICIANS
October 22, 2005 @ Texas Ballroom (Chicago, IL)
By J. Wallace

Robot punk! The Mathematicians invaded Chicago's Texas Ballroom during the opening weekend of the month-long Select Media Festival, complete with nerd glasses, lab coats, and volumes almost at the pain threshold. Once the opening strains of "Binary Girl" began, it was clear this ain't your typical NY art-attack group. For a start, in this hyperactive trio there's only a bass guitar, computer gear, keyboards, and a drum kit (expertly battered nearly to death by Albert Gorithm. Yes, the whole band has math gimmick names: Pete Pythagoras on bass and vocals, and Dewi Decimal screaming, rapping, and handling keyboard duties). On stage it looks like too much to keep track of, but somehow the band pulls it off. And this bunch likes to whip out a rhyme or six. Sample lyric from the album LEVEL ONE: "It's 4 then 4 on the XY axis / Free your mind and wipe your eyeglasses." The group gets crazy with the algebra, alright. Standouts from their set included "Weapons of Mass Instruction" and "Child of Satan". The Mathematicians appeared completely tireless, going from one high-energy electro-assault to the next with hardly a breather in between. The equation also includes the right balance of high-end synth noises and thick, rock-bottom bass, giving the group a full sound-far better than if they had relied on a metallic guitar sound to fill up sonic space. Because of this, the band is louder than god but easier on the ears. Who needs a six-string when you have a stage full of circuitry? By the time "Malfunction", "Harpsicode", and "LCD" were over, the band had gotten as much mileage as possible from the math-geek gimmick; but the performances change texture so much that it's not really a one-note joke. This is a group that could easily wear out their welcome with high-concept obsessiveness. Knowing that is half the battle-and The Mathematicians won it fair and square at the Texas Ballroom.

THE NIPPLES
GRAVE FOR THE FIREFLIES
DEADBEAT SINATRA
MOTHER NATURES REVENGE
BULLET TREATMENT
WALK PROUD
November 5, 2005 @ the Anarchy Library (Downey, CA)
Text and photos by Audiophile

The Nipples

It's been YEARS since I've heard anything about, by, or related to The Nipples. Then, the other night on Myspace, Bullet Treatment sends me an invite to a show in which they are playing. How the hell could I say no? When I was a kid in high school, I happened to pick up a compilation CD with the song "We Love Sluts" and enjoyed it very much. I was fortunate enough to get to hear them play that song live, which surprised me greatly, since that song is about six years old now. I guess they stick with the classics. They also played some newer songs, such as "Cock Fest" and quiet possibly my favorite (if only for the name), "Nippleitis". It's safe to say that everyone thoroughly enjoyed The Nipples this night, except possibly the person who shouted, "You suck! Get off the stage"-to which the singer replied, "Yo momma sucks!" He told him! Later on in the evening I was able to talk to bass player Whitey (at least that's what he told me his name is), who commented that he believes The Nipples will probably never be signed to a label-and that it doesn't really matter to any of them. They're just in it for the fun. That's what I think makes them a great band. Be sure to check them out at WWW.Thenipples.Com.

Grave for the Fireflies

Grave for the Fireflies was another kick-ass band that I was fortunate enough to watch grace the stage tonight. These boys (and the one girl who kinda hid in the back and didn't look at the crowd) went straight to business, blasting out trash-punk song after song, barely stopping to speak in-between. They didn't even say who they were, let alone the name of any of their songs. Someone (it could have been the same guy who said that The Nipples sucked) shouted to guitarist Richey, "I want to have your baby...so I can eat it!" which brought about nothing but smiles from Richey. The crowd at the bar seemed to be a lot of longtime friends and fans of the bands, which gave this whole night the feel of fun. For more fun, check out Grave for the Fireflies online at WWW.Graveforthefireflies.Com.

Deadbeat Sinatra

Oh yes, another wannabe Social Distortion band. Deadbeat Sinatra has the potential to be something more than what they currently choose to be. I liked a lot of their songs (like "Oh No Baby" and "Bleeding Heart"), and they did do a great cover of a Social Distortion song-but come on! Be a little more original. From the second they took the stage, I couldn't get images of Mike Ness out of my head. All the way-too-made-up rockabilly girls pushed their way to the front of the stage during their set. I happened to lay eyes upon the most frighteningly vamped-out woman I have ever seen. They called her Precious, and she frightens me. You can listen and judge Deadbeat Sinatra for yourself at WWW.Deadbeatsinatra.Com.

Mother Natures Revenge

I enjoyed Mother Natures Revenge more than I should have, but I couldn't help it: they were just insanely amazing. The whole room was screaming for them and cheering them on while they tore apart the stage with their brand of thrash-core punk rock. A few people in the crowd were screaming for the band to play "Fireball", which the band did. Then the crowd screamed "Fireball again!" and the band actually consented. That's how you know a band loves its fans: by the band's willingness to do what the drunken crowd screams. Other songs they played included "Dancing in the Trash" and "Off to the Glue Factory". Someone said something about the singer LEAVING for Japan in a few days, but no one said whether he'd be returning or not. I hope he doesn't leave to never come back. I just discovered Mother Natures Revenge, and they are way too killer to stop now. I look forward to checking them out in the future-as should you-at WWW.Mother-Natures-Revenge.Com.

I'm very sorry and disappointed in myself when I say that I MISSED Bullet Treatment and Walk Proud, two very kick-ass punk bands. Bullet Treatment have been around for quiet a while, starting out as a cover band, then naming itself after the two songs they first covered: Misfits' "Bullet" and The Ramones' "Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment". Sadly, Bullet Treatment rarely play these days (this was just their second show of 2005). Be sure to check them out at WWW.Bullettreatment.Com. Walk Proud are an older punk band, reminiscent of such acts as G.B.H, Circle Jerks, Bad Religion, and Minor Threat. Their first album was released in 1988, three years after the band first formed in 1985. Don't dis them because they're older-they're still a great act. Be sure to check them out at WWW.Myspace.Com/Walkproud.

PAPER MODELS
DUSTY RHODES AND THE RIVER BAND
HOUSE OF FOOLS
STEEL TRAIN
November 4, 2005 @ Chain Reaction (Anaheim, CA)
Text and Photos by: Audiophile

Paper Models didn't really seem to fit in with the bill tonight. They weren't bad-they just seemed rather mellow in comparison to the rest of the bands. They had some decent tunes (none of which I was able to catch the name of), and they drew a decent-sized crowd. If they're ever playing in your area, be sure to check them out; and look them up online at WWW.Papermodelsmusic.Com.

Dusty Rhodes and the River Band

Paper Models sure are tall. Dusty Rhodes and the River Band had to drop the mics about a foot while setting up. I found that very amusing. Dusty Rhodes and the River Band are an amazing thing to witness live. How many of you have seen a synth, accordion, and a violin all on the same stage? It's not just the arrangement of this band that makes them astonishing, it's also their songwriting skills (both the music and the lyrics). The sound is simple and very beautiful at times, but it can become so overwhelming and intense that it just simply amazes you. Check them out at WWW.Dusty-Rhodes.Net.

House of Fools had way too many guitar pedals. I don't know what you could possibly DO with so many. I swear, one of the guitar players alone had 20. The bass player had an insane amount, too. (I didn't know they made so many pedals for the bass.) Anyway, this band's intensity and combination of completely different sounds caught me off guard. They went straight from an intensely progressive-rock style into a more poppy, indie, bouncy, hook-laden style from chorus to verse or vise versa (depending on the song). And their breakdowns were complex and captivating, to say the least. Hear it for yourself at http://WWW.Myspace.Com/Houseoffools.

Steel Train

This was my first time seeing Steel Train live, and I must say that they are not something I'd normally expect from Drive-Thru. This jam/indie/progressive band soared well above my expectations. They are one INTENSIVE jam band, putting forth great amounts of passion and energy that passed into the crowd and got the whole venue dancing. Lead guitarist/backup singer Matthew Goldman (I believe) went off on his guitar, giving a Hendrix-esque performance (minus the whole playing-with-his-teeth and setting-his-guitar-on-fire thing). Another thing that surprised me was the lack of vocals. There were some, but it was mainly about the instrumentation-which was very enjoyable. I'd much rather hear a guitar solo than "We're going downtown" or whatever horrid songs are being played on the radio today. Be sure to visit Steel Train online at WWW.Steeltrainrock.Com.

THRICE
UNDEROATH
THE BLED
VEDA
October 7, 2005 @ UCI Bren Center (Irvine, CA)
By Luke Skywalker

Upon arrival, you couldn't help but notice the onslaught of young concertgoers wearing T-shirts of the night's lineup. Hours before arriving, Underoath completed an in-store signing of the re-release of THEY'RE ONLY CHASING SAFETY (with new album art and a special-edition DVD). Outside, I spoke with drummer Aaron Gillespie, who mentioned that outside "it's like someone turned a camera on and watched us for a week-and-a-half" regarding the DVD. And before I left to go inside, Gillespie informed me that Veda is "pretty legit"." Lead singer Kristen May has the "most gorgeous voice."

Veda was completing their set as I entered the monstrous venue. Lead singer Kristen May blew everyone away with her gorgeous, melodic vocal range. With a unique and repetitive sound, Veda seemed out of place amongst the heavy rock bands of the evening. Surprisingly, the crowd responded to the group with appreciative applause and took time to offer their admiration during set changes at the merch tables.

The Bled entered the stage to an uproarious cheer from a crowd of fans, all of whom were educated about the band's songs and lyrics. This young group from Tucson, AZ, mesmerized the crowd into a fluid headbang with "Last American Cowboy" and kept the crowd singing with "My Assassin". Chock full of massive hardcore breakdowns, the quintet also included different instrumental effects, allowing for melodic anthems between furious metal riffs.

The electric mass of fans erupted as soon as the venue lights dimmed in anticipation of Underoath's triumphant return to Southern California. Shrill screams of pleasure rang out from young girls, as the East Coast group stormed the stage after raising the banner of their new album cover as an epic movie quote played through the house speakers to introduce the band. Quickly progressing through their usual 40-minute set of nine songs, lead singer Spencer Chamberlain introduced two nameless demos that sounded amazing. As is common during an Underoath set, guitarist Tim McTague and keyboardist Chris Dudley played their instruments with a ferocity that led to exhaustion, while Gillespie nursed injured knuckles after they had finished. Crowd-surfers floated across the stage barriers as the sextet played with their renowned fervor. In grand-finale fashion, Chamberlain promoted the love of Jesus Christ before delving into "A Boy Brushed Red Living in Black and White".

The night grew in intensity as the highly-charged audience impatiently waited for the emergence of hometown heroes Thrice. The youngsters in the crowd methodically chanted different mantras, while veterans watched on as the nostalgic DOOMBALL made an appearance. A new setup of instruments was lain out on the stage, and as the eerie sound of the Moog reverberated off the stadium walls, the new VHEISSU banner was raised, and the men of Thrice walked confidently and comfortably on to the stage to begin their grand return. In an all-too-familiar look of a Freddy Krueger/striped shirt, lead singer Dustin Kensrue uttered the words of their new single, "Image of the Invisible". In unison, the loyal Thrice Alliance echoed Kensrue's lyrics. Many new songs were to follow throughout the night, but a strong connection resonated with the listeners, as they pumped their fists in their air with every beat. Still, the energy in the place seemed to have peaked, as the group dedicated "Artist in the Ambulance" to their enthusiasts in the audience. As this flawless rendition of the song played on and as kids dissipated all their energy in the pit, no one could foresee what was to come. In a chilling moment of musical genius, Kensrue led the audience in an a cappella chorus of "Cold Cash, Colder Hearts". At this moment, I couldn't help but reminisce of my early Thrice concerts, when I would be screaming each word with passion as though they were meant for God himself. In a pseudo-final song, the group played the hugely popular single from THE ILLUSION OF SAFETY, "Deadbolt". The crowd had completely exhausted themselves and began to disperse, the stage lights re-lit. Kensrue returned with USC's string section for an acoustic rendition of "Stare at the Sun". For one final hardcore anthem, the entire band returned to play "To Awake and Avenge the Dead", Kensrue leaving the stage with microphone in hand to sing with the crowd.

Truly, Thrice's 20-song set reignited a passion for their live performances and inspired many to become avid Thrice loyalists.

THE CRASH CADILLACS
MATAMOSKA
KNOCKOUT
VOODOO GLOW SKULLS
October 7, 2005 @ the Alley (Fullerton, CA)
Text and photos by Audiophile

I missed maybe one song of The Crash Cadillacs, but hey, I was mostly on time-and that's what counts. Usually I don't enjoy opening bands-mostly because they suck; but that is not the case for The Crash Cadillacs. They were actually a very decent rockabilly band. (I'm not a very big rockabilly person, though so you might not want to take my word for it.) That dude on the stand-up bass sure slapped the hell out of that thing. His hand was a blur for most of their set. It reminded me of the episode of COPS where the trailer-trash husband is beating his wife (which is every episode, I guess). Yeah, his hand was moving that fast. For more on The Crash Cadillacs, go to WWW.Myspace.Com/Thecrashcadillacs.

Matamoska was original, to say the least. It's official: Orange County hardcore has gotten out of control. Although some of their songs and melodies were okay, the grunting/shouting/hardcore vocals were not. I admit that I HATE ORANGE COUNTY HARDCORE BANDS, but if you enjoy that kind of crap and you're also a ska fan, you'll enjoy Matamoska more than I. Look for them at WWW.Matamoska.Com.

Knockout's lead singer is a knockout indeed. Hello, Ewan McGregor look-alike-call me. Anyway, this ska/reggae/punk band sounds like The Police met Sublime one night while drunk, one thing led to another, and Knockout were born. They were pretty good-and I'm not just saying that because I want to tap the lead singer. I think they did a Sublime cover. I KNOW the singer sang the "nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah" part from "The Date Rape Song" during one of their "original" songs. Perhaps it was a small tribute? They also did a reggae/punk cover of Bad Religion's "Generator", which sucked. That was the worst song they played. Bad Religion are rolling around in their non-existent graves right now. But seriously, call me, lead singer, or shoot me an e-mail. I'd contact them myself, but I can't seem to find any sort of Website for the band.

Voodoo Glow Skulls

I love Voodoo Glow Skulls, I really do. I was surprised to find them at the Alley; but just because the venue was small didn't mean they didn't rock the joint. The lead singer in a Mexican wrestler mask was sexy. He removed it after the first song (much to my disappointment) and continued on in a hat and glasses. The ensemble's trumpet player was a little late, and the band teased him a bit about it. They blasted out some killer songs that night-as usual-including "Left Foot In", "Fat Randy", "Empty Bottles", and "Say Goodbye". This was a perfect performance. You absolutely MUST check Voodoo Glow Skulls out and see them when they come to your town. For more information on that and their upcoming tour with Flogging Molly, go to WWW.Voodooglowskulls.Com.

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