HR from Bad Brains – at B Ryder’s – Bakersfield, CA

Tim Gardea Productions has been on a roll for booking great bands in Bakersfield this month. Last Sunday, B Ryder's dance floor was the site of a pit for the second time in one week! The one and only HR from Bad Brains came to Bakersfield to spread a little Rasta Love amongst the patrons that made it out, despite the fact that most of them had a dreaded work day ahead. If you couldn't make it.... Don't fear Big Wheel Magazine was amongst  those who partook in Sunday's festivities. Check out some pics and a cool video to see what you missed.

While HR played mostly reggae tunes, there was no mistaking that this man was (and still is) the voice for Punk Rock! Many Bad Brains fans made it out as well as hippied out Rasta dudes wearing flip flops and hemp necklaces.  Never the less. Style didn't seem to matter as the crowd danced together to the sweet melodies that HR and his band projected out on the people gathered around the stage.

The set was great! While the music was mellow at times, his band put a raw edge to it  with bad ass solos here and there. Before you could get bored they would switch up the pace, giving a great happy medium. As everyone expected, HR performed a few Bad Brains tunes, including "Re-Ignition" and "Pay to Cum" , that incited some decent pit activity.

Some video from the show

 

After making it through a brutal workweek and a busy weekend, I can't think of a better way to have spent  my Sunday night, what an awesome show!

-J.Moncrief-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter

 

 

 

                   More photos of the show can be seen HERE

Go HERE to see all the latest show reviews

 

Send your comments to the editor HERE

 

Stench Radio music play list for the week of July 17, 2011

Top 25  - In no particular order -

Sloppy Seconds - Let`s Kill the Trendy
Victoria De Mare - Let Me Touch You
Sloppy Seconds - (I`m Gonna) Runaway (by Joan Jett)
Kill Radio - Los Angeles Free Radio
Demented Are Go - House of Blood
Brian Eno - Taking Tiger Mountain
Mercury Rev - Chasing A Bee
Bauhaus - All We Ever Wanted Was Everything
The Lucky Devils - Paint It Black
Rezurex - Dance Of The Dead
The Cramps - Can your pussy do the dog
Sin 34 - New Wave Slut
Poison 13 - Hellbound Train
Flesh Eaters - See You In The Boneyard
Crass - Banned From The Roxy
Cryptic Slaughter - Money Talks
Piñata Protest - Love Taco
Flower Leoperds - Worship the Reich
Toxic Reasons - Rally ’round the Flag
OFF! - Peace In Hermosa
Hillbilly Moon Explosion – Chick Habit
SNFU - Victims of the Womanizer
Chemical People - Ask The Angels (Patti Smith cover)
ATWAR (English Dogs) - Shoot Your Own Head Off
Didjits - Killboy Powerhead

The above list are some of the top played songs on Stench Radio.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Shows and events calendar for Los Angeles, Orange County, Ventura, San Diego, San Bernardino, California and states all over the United States and the world. Complete and extended listing covering Punk, Indie, Rock, Psychobilly and more.

Adler’s Appetite – at the Key Club – West Hollywood, CA

Steven Adler’s Appetite nowadays excludes drugs though involves equal parts rock and equal parts roll with Saturday nights concert at the Key Club a full on buffet of both. Saturday nights concert was a homecoming as the band were finally back in Hollywood after a 2 month North American tour covering every corner of the huge continent bringing their appetite to the masses. Walking out to the ACDC classic “For those about to rock, we salute you” Adler’s Appetite kept the rock and roll momentum chugging along with a number of original cuts from the bands debut ep. Soon after the party induced audience were treated to Guns N’ Roses classics which were capable of blowing the roof off the Key Club a number of times, though thankfully the club stood on its foundation long enough for the band to continue rocking.

Vocalist Patrick Stone did his best to hit the nearly impossible to reach notes that made Axl Rose the esteemed front man of the band back in their hey day, however, distracting from everyone else was lead guitarist Michael Thomas who stage antics seem to beg for attention when totally unnecessary. Fortunately for the band Steve Adler is at the top of his game and hitting the drums harder than ever which made Rocket Queen sound like a bomb detonating on stage! When not destroying his drums, Steven made a quick shout out to his mother who was among many in the crowd rocking along with the band. A cover of the Bob Dylan classic Knocking’ on Heavens Door brought out a number of lighters in time for the nights first real sing along, while Mr. Brownstone, a song about drug dealers was declared as a song about the devil which seemed to rub everyone the right away. Songs like Sweet Child of Mine and other GNR chart toppers were the real treat though as they seemed to be everyone’s favorite songs of the night.

Overall the concert was full of classic songs that made Steven Adler a world famous drummer 24 years ago and a current headline with his bands rock and roll appetite. The trek to West Hollywood was like a trip down rock and roll memory lane where the 80’s are never going to end. We want to send big thanks to Steven Adler’s camp for having Bigwheel cover Saturday night’s grand hometown show.

-Louie Bones-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter

 

 

 

                   More photos of the show can be seen HERE

Go HERE to see all the latest show reviews

 

Send your comments to the editor HERE

 

Reel Big Fish – Streetlight Manifesto – The Maxies – at Club Nokia – Los Angeles, CA

Right before the madness of "Carmaggedon" and the frenzy of all the Harry Potter fans rushing to the theatre for the last of the film series, many eager fans came out to Club Nokia on Thursday night to experience one of the most anticipated mainstream Ska shows of the summer- the combination of Streetlight Manifesto and Reel Big Fish.Right before the madness of "Carmaggedon" and the frenzy of all the Harry Potter fans rushing to the theatre for the last of the film series, many eager fans came out to Club Nokia on Thursday night to experience one of the most anticipated mainstream Ska shows of the summer- the combination of Streetlight Manifesto and Reel Big Fish. Although the show did not appear to be a sell out, the level of excitement could be felt from all areas of the large venue. Opening up for the dynamic duo were Rodeo Ruby Love (who I unfortunately missed) and The Maxies.

Coming all the way from Greenland, the Maxies came out on stage sporting all red-and-white attire, including their masks. They displayed tons of hometown pride by singing the songs "Greenland is Melting" and "Back Home in Greenland". The Maxies performed pop-Punk music with a brass edge to it;lead vocalist Maximum Maxie poked fun at the crowd and the bands that were to perform later that night, and even called out a fan who compared them to the Aquabats. During their set, a giant polar bear came out and danced around stage for a few songs; the bear turned out to be Reel Big Fish's Aaron Barrett, who the band also poked fun at. The Maxies proved to be a perfect fit to open for Reel Big Fish, due to their humor and upbeat music.

One of the main acts, Streetlight Manifesto emerged to a full, welcoming crowd. They performed their usual set; opened with "Watch it Crash" and played "Down, Down, Down to Mephisto Cafe", "A Moment of Silence/Violence", "We Will Fall Together", "A Better Place, A Better Time", "Failing, Flailing", and a cover of Paul Simon's  "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" among other Streetlight classics; although they performed a typical set, they included their version of "Such Great Heights". One of the best things about seeing Streetlight Manifesto, no matter when, where, or how many times you've seen them, they will still perform with a ton of energy and zeal. They closed with "The Big Sleep", and cleared the way for Reel Big Fish.

The lights dimmed and the Superman theme began to blare from the loudspeaker, and everyone knew it was time for Reel Big Fish. Though they needed no introduction, they announced who they were and played their hit song, "Trendy". A large pit immediately broke out, and although it wasn't full of much gusto, Reel Big Fish made up for the lack of vitality in the pit. The ska-Punk group had a great mixture of songs, performed rarely-played tracks such as "Cannibal" and "Why Do All Girls Think Their Fat?", as well as the favorites "She Has a Girlfriend Now", "Thank You for Not Moshing", "Brown Eyed Girl" (which had everyone in the crowd singing), "The Set Up" and "Ban the Tube Top". Lead singer Aaron Barrett maintained excellent crowd communication, making jokes and mocking a variety of topics (one running joke throughout the night was clapping for Streetlight Manifesto a numerous amount of times).

One of the highlights of their set was a huge conga line that Barrett demanded during "Sayonara Senorita", which made people make loosen up, laugh, and make new friends. Reel Big Fish then told the crowd that they were running out of time and could only play a few more songs, so they cut to the chase and did their classics- the multiple versions of "S.R." (the original, the fast version, country version-Barrett had us square dance, and the metal version- Barrett had us headbang), and "Another F.U. Song". They decided they had time for one more song and did "Sell Out", then decided to play one more ("Beer"), and "seriously, only one more song", which was a cover of a-Ha's "Take on Me". Unfortunately, it really was the last song for Reel Big Fish, and the party was officially over. Whether you came to skank to the sounds of Streetlight Manifesto, or to dance around during Reel Big Fish, no one can deny that both bands gave great performances that complemented each other perfectly.
 

-Sarah K.-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter

 

 

 

                   More photos of the show can be seen HERE

Go HERE to see all the latest show reviews

 

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VANS Warped Tour 2011 – at Seaside Park – Ventura, CA

The greater Los Angeles area was full of great music over the holiday weekend - Friday brought Dropkick Murphys to Pomona and Saturday twanged away at Hootenanny. Sunday, though, I found myself in Ventura at the 2011 Vans Warped Tour. After waiting an hour to park, we arrived to overcast skies and muggy weather.I was really looking forward to seeing Demerit play, but alas - the punk band from China wasn't set to appear on this leg of the tour.

The doors opened at 11am with the first bands taking the stage around 11:30am. The crowds at the stages were a bit sparse, since many of the fans were still wandering around looking at the various merchandise booths, band booths, food stops or (like me) searching for the coffee truck. The genre of music and bands on Warped Tour are wide and varied - at one stage you'll hear hip-hop, while just a few hundred feet away you will find hardcore punk. With caffeine securely in hand and no real band or destination in mind, I wound my way through the event and found myself at Tilly's AP Stage where The Aggrolites were just starting. The LA-based band opened their set with "Firecracker" with "Mr. Misery" and, of course, "Dirty Reggae" also included. Their ska and reggae style lends itself to a more subdued crowd (read: you didn't find a crazy pit at this show), but the fans show their love in muted ways: singing along to every song, with some skanking outbreaks throughout the crowd.

Over at the Kia Kevin Says stage Good Guys in Black were up. The Hollywood-based band started their short set with very high energy and never let up. Typically I'm not a fan of the punk/hip hop/rap blend, but these guys put on such a raw and engaging performance that they won me over. The next time they have a show in the LA area, I'm definitely going (you should too).

Abutting the Tilly's stage is the Nintendo 3DS stage, which is where I found Every Avenue. The sound from these Michigan guys could not be more different from Good Guys in Black - theirs borders along the pop line, more like what you would hear on KROQ rather than Stench Radio. Every Avenue seems to have a loyal following, with one girl holding up a hand-written sign with "Pump Jump" on it. They were fun to watch, and very talented, but they didn't punch me in the gut. Along the same lines of "fun, I'd totally buy a ticket to see them again, but no gut-punch" were Relient K, Simple Plan, Passafire, Hellogoodbye, and Blacklist Royals.

Following Every Avenue, on the next stage over, was Lucero. Hailing from Memphis, this band brought some Hootenanny feel to the tour. Throughout their set the lead, Ben Nichols, sang his heart out with a mischievous twinkle in his eye the entire time. As with The Aggrolites, the overall mood was a touch subdued, but the audience who were there? They were *there* - the attention and focus they gave the band was given back to them ten-fold by the band. This is a band I would love to see in a smaller club setting, and with a longer set.

Back to ska / reggae / soul: Big D and the Kids Table were just all-out fun. (The fact that front-man David McWane was wearing a shirt that said "Republicans Are Insane" may, or may not, have a bearing on my opinion - but either way, the band won me over.) Their set was lamentably short, but they packed it with so much audience interaction, horn lines, and music that it actually felt like a full-blown show. Bravo! Along similar lines were Bad Rabbits. Where Big D is more ska, Bad Rabbits falls along the soul, and funk, border. If The Temptations were new, and around today, and in the ska/punk scene, they would be comparable to Bad Rabbits. This Boston band has amazing musicality, stage presence, and intensity.

Attack Attack! 3OH3! Against Me! (good god, what is it with all! the! exclamation points! ?), Street Dogs and The Devil Wears Prada brought out more of the hardcore punk crowd. The pits, and fan rabidity, were apparent with each band. I hate to lump all of them into one group, and not give each their due, but I find myself saying the same thing for each band - AH-MAZE-ING! (I guess the use of exclamation points is well deserved.) 3OH3!'s fans started chanting, and showing the 3OH3!

hands well before the band took the stage, and once the band started, the uproar became cacophonous, ala "Beatles-mania". Shortly after their set, and also during Devil Wears Prada, security had to rescue some overzealous fans from the front lines. Street Dogs lead, Mike McColgan, met the fans face (and stomach) first, standing against the barricade and sharing the mic with the audience.

As I left the venue, I caught one song from Foxy Shazam - they seemed fun live. But they aren't a band whose CD that I'd want to have in my collection. I kinda wish I was able to go direct from Devil Wears Prada's show to my car.

At the end of a long weekend, the 2011 Vans Warped Tour was a musical buffet - a bit of this (Aggrolites), a bit of that (Lucero), and yes please, more of THAT (Street Dogs).

-Anni Thyme.-
Big Wheel music scene contributor

 

 

 

                   More photos of the show can be seen HERE

Go HERE to see all the latest show reviews

 

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The Swinging Utters with The Reverend Horton Heat – at B-Ryder’s – Bakersfield,CA

The Reverend Horton Heat has taken to the road once more. Their current tour is to celebrate 25 years of kickin' ass! The Rev was the first one to coin the term "Psychobilly". He was bringing Punk Rock to Country before it was even the cool thing to do. That's one of the reasons The Reverend Horton Heat has developed a predominately Punk following. 
So, it seems like natural choice to bring Punk Rock veterans The Swinging Utters along for the ride, which just happens to be perfect timing to promote their new album, "Here, Under Protest" 

The Swing Utters killed it with an energetic set. As always Johnny Bonnel, flailed, jerked, and jumped around the stage. There was a small pit accompanied by many Utters fans shouting request for their favorite songs. By the time their set was finished the crowd's blood circulation was flowing and properly warmed up for a sermon from the good ol' Rev!


The Reverend Horton Heat made it to the stage, instantly, the once full beer garden and patio cleared as people secured their spot in front of the stage. The Rev made an announcement that "In celebration of their 25th anniversary, they would be playing songs from all of their albums in chronological order.


The Boys started their set  with a song from, Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em,  and moved on down the list playing songs from each of their albums. Some of the songs they played included, Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison Blues and Baby I'm Drunk,(just to name a couple off the top of my head). As the set moved along, the crowd got to moving around more as well, forming a vivacious pit that continued for the duration of the show. Girls were joining in the pitting festivities, some in heels and other's were completely barefooted.

Reverend Jimbo preached a wonderful sermon that will leave an imprint on all drunk souls that made it out that evening!

 

Once again Tim Gardea and B Ryder's teamed up to produce a stellar night of entertainment for a packed house!

 

 

-J.Moncrief-
Big Wheel Music Staff Reporter

   More photos from the show can be seen HERE

Go HERE to see all the latest show reviews

 

Send your comments to the editor HERE

 

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