The Briggs – Time Again – Viva Hate – Majority Lost – at The Knitting Factory – Hollywood, CA

When summer rolls around, it means different things for a variety of people. For me, and I’m sure it’s the same for others, summer means going to shows regularly and having the time of your life, and the Time Again/Briggs show was a perfect way to start it.

I first arrived to the Knitting Factory in Hollywood, eager to hear the Rancid-esque style of Time Again and the sing-a-long anthems of the Briggs. Truth be told, I’m not usually a fan of opening bands, but Majority Lost and Viva Hate were surprising exceptions. Majority Lost came out looking youthful and casual, and riled up the crowd with their enthralling lyrics, up-beat rhythm, and catchy riffs. The fiery energy and passive vibe given off by the band warmed up the audience for the next band, Viva Hate.

Viva Hate was different from any band that played that night, in the sense that many of their songs were religious-based and written out of faith. Although this courageous act could have easily tuned the audience out from listening, Viva Hate’s fast and edgy sound, compiled of modern Psychobilly and early-80’s skate Punk, created some of the craziest pits of the night.

Before Time Again took the stage, the crowd began to grow, with a mix of different ages, genders, and even different scenes. Finally, around 9:30, Daniel Dart, Kris Idol, Oren Soffer, and Jake Margolis came out on stage as Time Again.

The raw sound of Daniel Dart’s voice took the crowd by storm, starting a massive pit and having people crowd-surf left and right. They played relatable songs about the trials and tribulations of life, such as “Outcast”, “Montreal (Street Kids)”, and “Broken Bodies”, which had the crowd singing along with their fists clenched in the air as they sang along. After firing up the audience, they closed with one of their more popular songs, originally recorded with Rancid’s Tim Armstrong, “The Stories Are True” and left the people hungry for more sweat-filled aggression.

Last, but definitely, not least, the Briggs came out onto the stage, with their powerful guitar attacks and vocals from brothers Joey and Jason LaRocca. Their Clash-inspired style blended in with a style similar to the
 
Street Dog’s has created a new, revolutionary genre of Punk, but the fans still kept the old-school Punk spirit alive and well. I can vouch for this with my broken camera lens, which was destroyed in the insane mosh pits and people stage diving like there was no tomorrow (it also explains the lack of and bad quality of my Briggs photographs - taken from a cell phone due to the camera taking it's own dive to the floor). I’m not complaining though because I loved hearing the intense riffs of songs such as, “Mad Men,” “These Ships of Sorrow”, and “I Love L.A.”, which are all off their latest album, “Come All You Madmen” and older songs with profound choruses such as “My Own Enemy”. All in all, the night began promising with Majority Lost’s fresh, youthful sound and ended well with the Brigg’s vigorous and fantastic set.

-Sarah K.-
Big Wheel Music Scene Reporter
 

More photos of the show can be seen HERE

 
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