Stellastarr – Wild Light – Mason Proper – at The Troubadour – Los Angeles, CA

With the release of Stellastarr’s new album “Civilized” on July 7th the band embarked of a tour to play a little over a dozen cities around the country. 5 of those dates were here on the west coast with California being graced with 3 of those dates in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco. Every year they play LA, they come back to a venue that they always sell out, the world famous Troubadour which recently won an award for the best live music venue in LA.

One thing you can expect at the Troubadour is that they stick very close to the set time and in fine fashion at 8:30pm sharp opener band from Michigan, Mason Proper took the stage and began their set. Now we know that people generally discount opening bands, which may be the point of why we make an effort to get to the show a bit early to not miss the opener not only as a courtesy as well as to be able to report on the entire show. Sure, many time the openers are just ok, yet every time we show up early we are just hoping that this will be the time we are surprised. Well this was one of those times that we were super impressed with the opener.

This band is all about the heavy beat, with a bit of a dance club ingredient to it while still keeping it real. We were situated around some other people who had never heard this band before either and by the 2nd song in everyone was saying what a great band. The frontman Jonathan Visger has some great pipes that really deliver while he also operates some sort of synth key(board) type thing. The band is also a great visual to watch on stage, not so much that there is a bunch of jumping around, it was more like a lot of little things that each member of the band was doing on stage. The band has a very balanced stage presence and music that really brings it. The 30 minute set was short and sweet, leaving the audience wanting more.You ever get concert goer’s remorse…that remorse you get that you left the show without buying their CD so you could listen to it, well that was the case with this band, guess we will listen to their stuff on their website till we can get their CD. Again, one of the best openers we had seen in a long time.

Next up was another band we had never seen before, Wild Light There set started with an acoustic guitar and vocal that were, just ok, and it felt that the high energy that the previous band had created went down a few notches. Then when the guy that was playing bass during the opening song came up to center stage to sing the vocals on the 2nd song the show seemed to come back alive, this guy had a great voice that the vocal range filled the entire venue. Then right after that song they switched back with the opening singer. If you are confused reading this, we along with many of the people around us were confused as well.

See, this is one of those bands that contains so much talent with in it where every member can essentially play everything, they just kept switching back and fourth throughout the set with different instruments and different singers. It was like watching musical chairs gone weird on stage which made it a real challenge to get a baseline on this band and develop some rapport with the band during their performance. An analogy we heard from a gal who was ordering at the bar talking to her friend said that it was kinda like dating for 1 song, then breaking up and then dating someone else by the next song, then breaking up again and then dating someone new. This 4 piece is a very good band, no question about it, just the live show seemed to be a disconnect with all the changes.

Staying true to the Troubadour time clock after a brief reset of the stage, Stellastarr took the stage at 10:25 as the audience welcomed the band to the stage with clapping and out of control yelling. They opened the hour and 20 minute set with the third song off their new album, “Tokyo Sky” followed by the eighth track off that album “People”. The crowd was fully packing out the floor as the people from all around the venue poured into the mix. Then they took the energy in another direction from the previous 2 songs by performing “No Weather” from their debut release. The sweet backing harmony vocals of bassist Amanda Tannen on this track just melt you… actually her backing vocals on all of their songs will melt you… some songs will just melt you a little faster.

During a break in between songs, vocalist Shawn Christiansen said to the crowd that he was thrilled to see so many people singing along to the new songs considering that that the record had only been out for 2 weeks. With a long drum intro from Arthur Kremer signaled that “A Million Reasons” was next on the set list. The songs were being executed with such precision that the audience was truly getting an exact replication of the studio recordings being performed LIVE in front of them which is a testament to this band over delivering live consistently. Then the set bounced back to “Graffiti Eyes” from the current album.

This performance had one of the best sequenced set lists. Why praise is due here is that a lot of bands make the mistake of touring on a new album by only playing the songs of a new album 90% of the set which tends to alienate the crowd, since they were fans of the previous recordings long before the new ones. This set had a great mix of the new with the previous songs which helped introduce the new songs in a very effective way.

Next up was Sweet Troubled Soul, Freak Out, then as the opening notes of “Stay Entertained” began the crowd was going nuts! During this song every person that was there was singing along. The singing of the audience was so loud that you could barely hear Shawn sing the lyrics and the entire place was vibrating. As the crowd simmered down a little after that song, they went right into “In The Walls”. The set came to an end with “Jenny” where Shawn was rolling around the stage floor playing guitar to the leads. Then the band left the stage with Michael Jurin’s guitar left feeding back.

After some jeering from the main man at the front door motioning to the audience if they wanted to hear more, that the audience may need to get a little louder, no problem, the crowd cheered till the band made their way back to the stage for a 3 song encore that began with “Moongirl” to “Numbers” off the current album and ending the show with “My Coco”. With the show now over the clapping and cheering was just as loud as when the set started. The entire band went to front to take a band and thank everyone for coming and supporting them. Out front of The Troubadour a lot of people stayed milling around, talking about the great show that had just went down. This show was flawless!

If your city was not one that they stopped in this go around, Stellastarr said in a recent interview with us that they would be coming back to many other cities later this year that they missed.



Big Wheel Online Magazine

 

More photos of the show can be seen HERE

 
                                          Go HERE to see all the latest show reviews
 

 

 

 

Ill Repute – Social Unrest – Sin 34 – The Voids – Battle Flask – at Alex’s Bar – Long Beach, CA

Arriving at Alex's as Battle Flask were finishing up their set, it looked like it was going to be a fairly mellow night. At this point it was still a pretty intimate environment with friends chatting and Battle Flask doing their best to keep the energy up. Alex's is always a cool place to go to and there's rarely any drama or trouble there, which is why a lot of older bands like to play shows there.

When the Voids went on the venue still wasn't too crowded. The band played a set of melodic but edgy Punk rock and while there wasn't too much of a response from the audience their performance was impressive. After their set I went outside to the smoking area to catch some "fresh air."

By the time I went back inside Alex's Bar was completely packed to the back of the room. I was lucky that I didn't have to use the restroom as even getting that far would have been a bit of a project. Not wanting to deal with the hassle and discomfort of being inside a room that crowded on a hot summer night in Southern California, I spent the rest of Sin 34 and Social Unrest's set outside.

It had been a while since I had last seen Ill Repute and I was pretty stoked to catch them again. What is cool about Ill Repute is that they play small shows and it's obvious that when they play it is for the fun and for a love of Punk rock. There's no sketchy ulterior motives involved and their sets are always energetic and entertaining. They played every song that you would want to hear, including "Clean Cut American Kid," "Oxnard," "Sleepwalking," "President," and their famous cover of Paul Revere and the Raiders' "Cherokee Nation." They also played a new song called "I've Got a Problem" which is on the new "Nardcore: 30 Years Later" compilation and the song fit in well with all of the classics.

About half way through the band's set vocalist, John Phaneuf addressed the audience commenting about how it was cool to see a lot of older Punk rockers at the show and said "A lot of people here remember Fender's." This is a pretty common comment for older bands to make when playing in Long Beach and as one might expect there was one overzealous older guy who looked like he was going to have a heart attack screaming "Fuck yeah! Fender's!" while the veins popped out of his neck. However to group Ill Repute with their peers from the same age group would be selling them short as they always manage to blow away every other band that they play with, regardless of how old or young they are.
 

 

-Ditch-
Big Wheel Asst. Editor

 

More photos of the show can be seen HERE

 
                                          Go HERE to see all the latest show reviews
 

 

 

 

The Vermin – Self Abuse – Urchin – at The Bonanza Theater – Las Vegas, NV

The first thing I noticed about this venue was that is a almost vacant bakery. Very cool little club. As soon as it catches on it will be a hot spot. It only has a capacity of 120 people. Up Close and Personal - enter The Bonanza Theater.

The first band to play was a local band from East Las Vegas, Urchin. From the start of their set to the end, it was non stop energy!! The lead singer was all over the place jumping and moving, their music was a cross between skate, thrash and Metal/Punk. A bit of everything all in one. They played around 30 minutes and I enjoyed every bit of it. These kids have a bright future.

The Vermin hit the stage about 15 minutes later, and for anybody who has ever seen them should know they just kick ASS!!  with their hardcore drummer Turbo just hammering on his drum kit, to Rob Ruckus playing his bass like John Entwistle of The Who, And we can't forget the awesome vocals and hardcore guitar licks from Dirk Vermin. These guys not only know how to entertain the audience but to keep them totally into their music/ with their in between song banter. Then Rob had his nephew come up and he put his bass on him and that kid did a darn good job of playing bass for a bit. They kept playing because the lead singer of Self Abuse was in jail for the evening. If you ever get a chance to see these guys live I reccomend them highly.
 
Self Abuse came onto play, without their lead singer as stated before he was in jail. Rob Ruckus from The Vermin is also in Self Abuse, so they played as a trio and really played hard and fast. From the start of their set which opened with a song by The specials which totally ROCKED, they kept it going on throughout the entitre set. with Dirk Vermin lending his vocal talents on a few songs. Outstanding band,  another highly recommended group to see.
 
All in all  it was a very entertaining evening of Hard Ass Rock and Roll. All 3 bands kicked it HARD!!!!

 

 

Bob Mandoki
Big Wheel Music Scene Reporter

 

More photos of the show can be seen HERE

 
                                          Go HERE to see all the latest show reviews
 

 

 

Big D and the Kids Table – Fluent in Stroll – Record Review

"Fluent in Stroll" is a title that rings true to Big D and the Kids Table's newest sound, in the sense that it comes so naturally and flawlessly to the group. When I first took a listen to "Fluent in Stroll" I was shocked like every other Big D fan about the style change. However, after listening to their previous album, "How it Goes", you can hear the similarities between the two albums (example: "Been Wishing On" sounds like "The One") and one could perceive that "How it Goes" was actually a transition from their older stuff (namely "Strictly Rude") to "Fluent in Stroll".
 
But Big D fans, old and new, need not to worry because sometimes change is good, and in this case change is excellent. The band goes back to the traditional roots of first wave and two-tone ska, adding even more of a sweet melody with the female background vocal group the "Doped Up Dollies". This only adds to the ingenuity of David McWane, Sean Rogan, Steve Foote, Derek Davis, Ryan O'Connor, Dan Stoppelman, and Paul Cuttler, the large body who makes up Big D and the Kids Table.
 
It also seems that "Fluent in Stroll" tells a romantic story, showing the ups and downs of relationships (mainly the downs). In the first track, "Doped Up Dollies on a One Way Ticket to Blood", we are introduced to a woman named "Ms. Mary Mack", and a man's infatuation with her ("My major impressionate is known to dance with sleepy, feline eyes/ 'Cause she's a long cat/ A sly cat/ She's quite a little ninja, my tough little ninja). The romanticism only expands from there, with lyrics like "I'm forever your partner/Yeah I can hold you above them for days" from the second track "Describing the Sky". A good amount of the songs on this album deal with a man trying to prove his love for a woman he desires, namely "A Kiss A Week", " Been Wishing On", "Down Around Here", and "Where Did All the Women Go?". "Known to be Blue" and "Chin Up, Boy!" deals with the pain of heartbreak that seems to happen to the man in the story.
 
Even though the album is filled with heart-wrenching lyrics and unfortunate relatable situations, Big D always pulls through for a happy ending. The last track on the disc, "We Can Live Anywhere!" illustrates that hope, if nothing else, always wins in the end. Luckily, I have more than hope for what amazing things Big D and the Kids Table has in store for the future.

Band MySpace: www.myspace.com/bigdandthekidstable
Record Label: www.myspace.com/sideonedummy

 

-Sarah K.-
Music scene reporter
Big Wheel Online Magazine

 

 

 

 

The Scarred – At Half Mast

The name "The Scarred" seems to fit this band very appropriately. Through their lyrics, you can tell the members has been through hell and back, capturing an audience with their energetic and powerful sound. "The Scarred" consists of Isha Rose, who rocks on the drums, Justin Willits, who does guitar and vox, and "Monkey" Hatcher, who plays bass.
 
One of the first things I noticed about "The Scarred" that left an impact on me was their devotion to connecting with their fans, shown in songs such as "Medicate Me" (which demonstrates a true punk ideology) and "Mr. Hollywood". Upon listening to this band, I found myself tapping my foot and bobbing my head. "The Scarred" shares a resemblance to other punk bands like Time Again and the Bouncing Souls, with a distinguished twist. However, one of my favorite songs on "At Half Mast", "Lowlife", separated itself with fast, compelling instrumentals and edgy vocals, showing the variation of "The Scarred"'s talent.
 
Overall, "The Scarred"'s third album "At Half Mast" consists of dynamic, catchy tunes that gives me the feeling that at their shows, everyone is smiling, arm-in-arm in the pit singing along to the lyrics. "The Scarred" is a band that seems to care about their fans by presenting it through their music, as well as caring for other musicians, by dedicating "At Half Mast" to late Nekromantix drummer Andy Martinez. In their album thanks, Justin and the rest leave us with these words: "Keep believing, keep hoping, keep looking for truth, and keep the dream alive."

Band MySpace: www.myspace.com/scarred

Basement Records: www.myspace.com/basementrec

 

-Sarah K.-
Music scene reporter
Big Wheel Online Magazine

 

 

 

 

Spiritual Bat – Through The Shadows

The Spiritual Bat has a name that suits its music and content very well and gives you a pretty clear idea of what type of music this band will deliver. It's album "Through The Shadows", which is released independently, contains music that will probably remind you of a spiritual quest, or a mellow "medieval times" trip out of a sort.
 
Composed of only two members, Rosetta Garri handles the vocals and drum arrangements, while Dario Passamonti takes care of the guitar, bass, and synths. Both members collaborate to produce music that at times is like a dark combination of Enya with hints of Moby. Their songs possess a lot of soul, and what's music really without soul?
 
The Spiritual Bat's "Through The Shadows" is an embodiment of a mystical journey embarked on only through your CD player. "Through The Shadows" is an enigma that at first glance may appear to be nothing relevant, but in actuality is rather complex in it's own way. "Through The Shadows" is a recommended album to try, and an optional trip out to take part in.
 
Band's Myspace: www.myspace.com/thespiritualbat

 

-Stephanie M.-
Senior staff reporter
Big Wheel Online Magazine

 

 

 

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