Against Me! – Creepiod – Venus de Mars – at SLO Brew – San Luis Obispo, CA

Sunday the 17th of August Against Me! played an all ages show in San Luis Obispo at SLO brew, located in the heart of downtown. After attending their performance at Punk Rock Bowling this year, and loving it, I was stoked to see them play at a smaller and much more intimate venue like SLO brew.

The show opened with Venus De Mars and All the Pretty Horses, a Punk/Glam band out of Minnesota. Venus De Mars and her band all the pretty horses came dressed to kill, walking on stage in sequins, leather, glitter, fishnets, pasties. It was very clear they came to rock, quickly drawing in all the stragglers from the bar and outside. Venus, on the guitar, provided the melodic entrancing vocal sound with wild riffs that stirred up the crowd for a really fun opening act. Their grand finale gained a huge reaction with the crowd and at one point it even looked like Venus’ guitar shot out sparks! Even though their set was a short one it was very memorable.

Creepoid, an indie rock quartet out of Philadelphia, landed here on the central coast on their tour with Against Me!, and they DID NOT fail to live up to their name. Their creepy, ambient, yet fun sound was made much more enjoyable because of the bands intense energy. Creepoid is fronted by both male and female vocalists creating a unique and exciting melody for their music. The bass player's angelic vocal styling seduced the crowd and focused all eyes in the room on her while the band danced around an illuminated pot leaf on the bass drum, rocking out all the while. They finished their set by throwing their drum set and guitar on the ground and walking off stage. This bands eerie indie rock sound was well received by this San Luis crowd.

At about 10:30 Against Me walked onstage to an instrumental version of “banned from the Roxy”by crass and created a frenzy from the first note of the first song! The punk/folk quartet out of Gainesville Florida packed SLO brew full of excited and delighted fans. At one point the bass player put his guitar between his legs and preceded to hump the amp, revving up the crowd for the next song.

During their more popular songs like "I was a Teenage Anarchist" the small venue of SLO brew exploded into a sea of crowd surfing, pitting, rambunctious individuals that were loving every minute. They didn't just play their hits, the band also included a number of songs from their latest album (Transgender Dysphoria Blues) and I'll be damned if their fans in the audience didn't know every word of every song, beginning to end. They even played my favorite track off the album "Black Me Out", and I couldn’t help myself yelling "I WANNA PISS ON THE WALLS OF YOUR HOUSE!”. Against Me's beautiful lyrics and intense harmonies charmed all that came to view! Laura had a great energy while smiling and conversing with the crowd in between songs.

After they walked off stage, all of the fans started cheering for Laura and the rest of the band to return and give them one last song! To the crowds delight their set ended with screaming fans and a badass encore including “We Laugh at Danger”. Can you really ask for more than that? I think that I’m speaking for all of San Luis Obispo when I say, “Wow, now that was an awesome show! I hope they play here again soon.”

-T. Wallace-
Big Wheel Contributor

 

 

 

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The Mighty Mighty Bosstones – Western Standard Time – The Interrupters – at The Fonda Theatre – Los Angeles, CA

On a hot and muggy Saturday evening, Hollywood and The Fonda Theater would be treated to something refreshing. First to quench the musical appetite was Los Angeles natives, The Interrupters. Alot of the talk going into the evening's show was centered on The Bosstones, understandably, but the same couldn’t necessarily be said at the end of the night.

The Interrupters are a four-piece Ska/ Punk band with all the grit and attitude Hellcat Records have been known for. With Aimee Interrupter and her smooth but tough as nails voice and lyrics covering all things from family, to shitting on the Police State. Flanked by the Bivona Brothers: Kevin, Justin and Jesse, The Interrupters sound is fast, aggressive and churned perfectly with Ska’s up-tempo rhythmic scratch and energy. Song after song The Interrupters established themselves amongst some of the young and brightest to emerge in the local music scene. Bands like the Bosstones have made a career off of wonderfully mixing the two elements but The Interrupters have given it their own personality and flair, tunes like “Judge Not” take the classic Robert Nesta Marley song about A individuals right to expression and give it a set of liberties and tattoos. Its that good. With a brand spanking new self titled album just released on August 5th via Hellcat Records, its no surprise that the word is out on The Interrupters. These Cats are definitely worth keeping one good eye on; keep your other eye out for a review of their album coming real soon. To get your copy of The Interrupters newest album, go to Hell-cat.com

Up next to the legendary Fonda Stage: Western Standard Time, a 20+ piece Ska/ Jazz orchestra comprising former members of The los Angeles Ska scene including The Aggrolites, Hepcat, and Yeska. WST specialize in the mastery of traditional Ska music and in particular a magnificent, one of a kind big band tribute to The Skatalites. WST has made its name in Los Angeles as the only Ska Orchestra to give the catalog of The Skatalites the justice it deserves. With only one founding member still with us today (Lester Sterling) The Skatalites music is one to be cherished and revered,WST got The Fonda Theater as close to seeing Tommy, Roland, Don, Lloyd,Lloyd and Jackie as humanly possible. Wasting no time, Long time Orange County Ska personality and radio host of “Ska Parade” Tazy Philips, greeted the crowd and introduced them with a familiar backwards countdown from Ten to One..Freedom! And so the Musical onslaught began. Pulling from all parts of The Skatalites catalog, WST delivered a heavy, precise masterful performance.

Oozing class and talent from every instrument and corner of the stage, but there’s always room for more as made apparent by the surprise guest performance of Alex Desert and Greg Lee of LA third wave trail blazers Hepcat. Alex and Greg’s vocal harmony echo out with style and class that very few can even compare to, and paired with WST, it’s a match made in heaven. As the two launched into ‘Bobby & Joe’ and ‘No Worries’ fans could be overheard in the front screaming “We’re not worthy!” all the while Greg and Alex put on a dancing Clinic we here in Los Angeles have been lucky enough to see over the decades.

With their set expertly maneuvered and executed, fans may not have been given enough time to fully applaud and cheer on Western Standard Time as the curtain descended too early from the rafters,but nothing has stood in the way of fans rushing to social media to follow the band, As you should too.

The wait was now over for the predominantly Mighty Mighty Bosstones crowd, as Dicky Barrett and the boys from Beantown made their way to a deafening roar from their loyal fan base. Making their name in the early 90’s the Mighty Mighty Bosstones have reached all levels of success in the music industry and popular culture as seen and heard in such cult classics like the 1995 film ‘Clueless’ and 1996 film ‘Kingpin’.

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones have over ten studio and live albums under their hat and on Saturday August 16th  they touched on damn near all of them. Even getting a helping hand from Western Standard time’s Eitan Avineri on Trumpet for a couple songs including ‘The Impression That I Get’all the while the dancing enigma that is Ben Carr “Bosstone” never missed a step. Fans were treated to other classic songs like ‘Dr.D’‘RascalKing’‘Someday I Suppose’‘Hell Of A Hat’‘Don’t Worry Desmond Dekker’‘Toxic Toast’‘The Pirate Ship’‘Wasted Summers’ and for good measure,a sick rendition of The Clash’s ‘Rudie Cant Fail’ with Kevin Bivona of The Interrupters on guitar.

All in all, the night went down as another LA-Boston mash up but this time without the Kevin McHale cheap shot clothesline more like a Kobe Bryant 5th championship ring, because after all, This is LA not Boston.

-Gio Van Dam-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter

 

 

 

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Nardfest II – ILL REPUTE – In Control – Stalag 13 – False Confession – Aggression – Burning Dog – Circle One – The Last Priority – and Boxheads – at The Fox Theatre – Ventura, CA

Promoter/musician Jeff Hershey can really put on a show. NARDFEST 2014, at the Ventura Theater was a good one! Oxnard has always had its own scene and its own bands. Some of the coolest people come from the Oxnard/Ventura area.

It was always a blast hanging out with them in the early days when things were new and exciting. I have many fond memories of my friends in Oxnard. One of these important persons in the scene is Big Bob Porter. Bob is the original bass player for the Legendary band Aggression. He is one of the main figures in the original Nardcore scene and today was a special day for Big Bob. Bob wanted to share his wedding ceremony to all of his Nardcore friends and family so we started this days event with the wedding of Big Bob and Cece. John Phaneuf from Ill Repute did the honors and did a great job. It was very touching, everyone seemed really happy to see Bob full of life and happiness. This guy really deserves it as he has had a bit of some hard times, however he has managed to rise above it all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now we come to the music. First band up were the Boxheads: a tribute to RKL. RKL is another legendary Nardcore band. Out of the Santa Barbara/Ventura area, these youngsters put out some of the best original Punk music in the 80's. The Boxheads played some of the classic's and did a really good job. I'm glad newer bands as well as older bands are recognizing that RKL were a very important part of the scene and need to be remembered. These guys were great musicians as well as really good people.

The Last Priority were up next. These guys are somewhat newer of the bunch (formed in the late 90's I believe). Every time I see them they get better and better. One of my favorite newer bands from Oxnard (even though some members live in the L.A. area now). They have a great old school sound with good musicianship.

Up next was a band not from Oxnard or Ventura county but had played with all of the original Nardcore bands back in the day: Circle One. You could say that Circle One is the only adoptive band to be in the Nardcore scene. Ill Repute's first show was with Circle One at the Port Hueneme Community Center along with Beer Guts. Circle One also did small tours with Aggression in the early 80's. Also, another unknown fact: Kyle from Dr. Know and Mark Aber from Agression played in Circle One for one or two shows in the 80's. Lots of Nardcore roots with this band. This line up was with Danny Dorman on bass who is on the Patterns Of Force LP and  founder of the band Mike Vallejo on guitar. Also in the band was Jeremy on vocals and Sean (Gears drummer) on drums. They played a tight set with a lot of old classic's.

Burning Dog was up next and was a more heavy "Helmet" type band. Loud guitars and a heavy beat is what you can expect from these guys. Not really old school, but a nice addition to this line up of bands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The mighty Aggression were up next. The band is currently fronted by Jess Leedy on vocals, he does justice to the late original singer Mark Hickey. On guitar was Rob Thacker. If you close your eyes and hear Rob play you'd swear it was Henry Knowles playing. Both these guys are keeping Aggression's music alive. Danny Dorman also plays bass along with Mark Aber on drums. Mark is also an early drummer for the band and played many of the early 80's shows with them.  It wouldn't be Aggression without the presence of Big Bob, he came on stage and played a few songs with Aggression. They played all of their well known tunes and did a really good job. Mark Hickey's little brother also came up on stage and did a song or two. A very nice touch. Aggression is synonyms with Nardcore and their wouldn't be any Dr. Know, Ill Repute, Stalag 13, False Confession, etc without them.

A very influential band to this day, False Confession, was up next. At first I thought it was Black Sabbath playing but then looked up on stage and saw Isreal, Fred, Ismael, and Harry. One of my favorite Nardcore bands. Their not your typical hardcore band. They add a little Goth/No Wave/Post Punk/and I dare say "Prog". Isreal  is one of the best dressed front men in the scene!! Got a great voice,too. Fred is one of the most underrated guitarist around, Ismael keeps looking up for that UFO that hasn't picked him up yet (just kidding...) but keeps it all together with that bottom end, and Harry is another underrated musician. Together, they play great classic Punk like no one else can. Very cool people,too.

Stalag 13 came on next with the In Control line up minus Ron. Very intense, powerful and exciting Hardcore from yet another legendary Nardcore band. They still have all the energy from the old days and put on one hell of a show. "Conditioned" and "No Excuse" are among my favorites, along with "In Control". Check them out if you have the chance.

In Control was up next and played a good set of Hardcore. They were another of the newer bands that fit in really well. Did they get their name from the Stalag 13 song? Cool name and a good band. Got all the young kids going.

Finally....the Oxnard legends ILL REPUTE. This was their 30th year anniversary of the "What Happens Next" LP. What can I say about these guys that hasn't been said already. So important in the Oxnard scene/came out with lots of diverse LPs/great musicians/great bunch of guys. Ill Repute is much more than just a band out of Oxnard. If you know these guys you know what I mean. All of the band members are first class acts and first class people!! Very hard working back in the day when you had to really work hard to get your band out there. They discovered a lot of cool bands back in the day and helped out local and out of town bands. Just all around GREAT people. I'm proud to have them as my friends, and once shared the stage with Tony (Thanks Tony for putting up with my shananigans). As usual,they put on a great show. Played all the hits (still waiting to hear songs from the Big Rusty Balls LP!!!) and did it all with Ill Repute class! These guys rule!! Plain and simple.

Thanks again to Jeff Hershey for putting on such a great event. If you weren't there...boy, you missed out!

 

 

 More photos of the show can be seen HERE

-Pix Tracy-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter

 

 

 

 

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Show Preview: Against Me – Creepiod – Venus de Mars – at SLO Brew – San Luis Obisbo, CA – August 17, 2014

On Sunday August 17th 2014 SLO Brew in San Luis Obispo is hosting Against Me! for a night of Punk rock fun on the central coast. This will be the 5th stop on the west coast portion of their tour and what a great stop it will be. With tickets selling fast this night promises to be huge for this small, but extremely exited town.

The band has just, this year, released its 6th full length studio album entitled: "Transgender Dysphoria Blues". They released this album on their own record label. The band’s lead, Laura Jane Grace, recently became public with the fact that she is going through the transition to become a woman, thus the title and subject matter of the album.

Against Me’s most recent album has the same “fuck the world” lyrical style that their fans have all come to love. However, instead of focusing on the world around us, this album has a much more personal feel, focusing on social stigmas surrounding transgender individuals in our society and the personal experiences of the bands lead (Grace).

Against Me! is famous for its Folk/Punk style and political/social lyrics that are so damn catchy that its crazy at times! Originally a solo project by Grace, the now full Punk band out of Gainesville, Florida has always relied on its hard hitting sound and use of poetic yet passionate lyrics that can strike a chord with any nostalgic Punker! Known for their true showmanship, they really get the crowd going. It should be a spectacular night of what I have affectionately called a “sing-a-long Punk show” due to the fact that the fans just cant help but belt out their favorite lyrics at any of the Against Me shows I've attended.



SLO Brew is conveniently located in the center of downtown San Luis Obispo and has a full bar that serves their home brewed craft beer. Whats better on a Sunday night than a good Punk show? Creepiod and Venus de Mars will be solid opening acts and the night just gets better from there, doors open at 7:30pm, see you at the show!

 

-T. Wallace-
Big Wheel Contributor

 

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Show Preview: The Mighty Mighty Bosstones – The Interrupters and Western Standard Time – at The Fonda Theatre – Los Angeles, CA – August 16, 2014

On august 16th, East meets West, for a memorable night of Ska revisionists. With the announcement of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones straying away from their cozy Boston confines to the sunny shores of California, Fans of the pioneering east coast Ska-Core Band have been clamoring for tickets.

Its no secret that Boston and Los Angeles don’t share many common interests, from Music to sports, the cross-country rivalry has been raging on for decades with fans on either coast drawing their lines in the sand.Going back to the late 80’s and early 90’s, the Ska-community, on both sides, remain in debt to each city to this day. Pushing their high energy Punk driven Jamaican influenced music to the forefront of the music charts and popular culture in the mid 90’s, reaching mainstream acceptance including commercial scores and feature film cameos, that was later referred to as the ‘Third Wave”of Ska and in some circles the last real Wave of Ska to influence a generation of fans. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones played and intricate part in reigniting Americas sporadic love of Jamaican music, pairing it with raw hardcore Punk, spawning Ska-Core which has remained relatively underground since.

But it appears the tide has turned and a new wave is set to crash on the ears of the masses from LA to Boston and beyond. With Ska-core pumping young blood through its veins once again,the west coast has seen a sharp spike in the genres popularity within the last 10 years, predominantly in the Hispanic community. But often times as one genre emerges, true fans will dig deeper to unearth gems they had no clue about with artists predating anything on their current YouTube search bar, Enter: Western Standard Time, A cavalcade of sheer WEST coast brilliance.

Words pale in comparison to the onslaught that is WST, a fusion of Big Band Jazz and Ska, WST is a Tribute to Jamaican Innovators The Skatalites with a 1940’s big band twist. Western Standard Time wield a horn section only few could dream up and anchored by some of the top artists to emerge from the west coast Ska Scene including bands like: The Aggrolites, Hepcat, The Debonaires, Jump With Joey and Yeska to only name a few. With over 20+ members fans will no doubt be in a dancing mood from the rise of the first curtain, Lets hope Ben Carr or “Bosstone” has enough dancing energy to keep up. Remember this is LA not Boston. Get your tickets at Fondatheatre.com today!

 

 

-Gio Van Dam-
Big Wheel Staff Reporter

 

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Band Spotlight: Dirty Kid Discount

Dirty Kid Discount is a collaboration of music enthusiasts from storied backgrounds hailing from Portland Oregon. They have described themselves as Thrash Grass/Romantic Nihilism/Campfire Crust/Train Hoppin' Gypsy Punk! Sounds interesting to you? We think so too!

Brought together by their wolfish ways and mutual desire to create original music, they have drawn influences from a variety of powers including traditional folk music, da Punx!, a whole slew of metal, and the music made by their friends and fellow travelers across the world.

Dirty Kid Discount is a Pacific Northwest Punk band composed of a 8 piece lineup which was birthed from the feral womb of parent project the “Ghosttown Rejects” which songwriters Pitch Goose (Acoustic Guitar, Washboard, Vocals), Icarus (Accordion, Piano) Jay Crash (Bass & Vocals), played together in with other friends around the Portland area and beyond. They are joined by Jake Carpenter (Guitar, Trombone & Vocals), Emily Elizondo (Mandolin, Musical Saw & Vocals), Erin Wolf (Banjo & Vocals), and Jesse Cobb (Drums), who are all from accomplished projects in their own right. As of recent they have also added a new part time member, John Underwood on Trumpet and vocals. They routinely host appearances by many of the talented people they've met and continue to meet.

You may have seen this anarcho-olde-timey-gypsy-Punk band play with bands such as the Subhumans, Suicide Machines, Goddamn Gallows, and Larry and his Flask. Or caught their set at Punk Rock Bowling or OC Cruststock. It doesn’t matter if they’re playing to an aggro crowd with a band like RANCID or a cultural arts theater or on the street corner busking for spare change. They are just as much Eastern European folk as they are  aggressive, distorted, gutteral Punk fucking rock! Their music and performance is full of passion and energy. They move and inspire crowds everywhere they play. Their fan base crosses boarders from Punk to folk and everything in between.

Their debut record "A Life Amongst Ruins" features eight tracks of high energy, free spirited, melodic and gutteral waltzes about drinking, ancient folklore, and the anti-christ. Dirty Kid Discount is 100% DIY. They produce their own material with the help of their friend Mike at Smegma Studios, as well as book their own tours.

 

Dirty Kid Discount is currently working on 6 new tracks in the studio as well as a music video and live footage from tour. With plans for their next release, they also plan to head back out on a full USA tour early next year.

You can keep up with Dirty Kid Discount on Facebook HERE

and listen to their music at Reverb Nation HERE or Band Camp HERE 

Look out for gigs on DKD's upcoming tour, trust us, you will be glad you did!

 

Big Wheel Magazine

 

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