Music
Jello Biafra Show Review
When Jello Biafra spoke at the Oplin Ballroom, I must admit, that I wasn’t quite prepared for the performance that I was about to see. At 7 p.m., the legendary activist and ex-lead singer of the Dead Kennedys came on stage dressed as a judge, complete with a cop hat that was embellished with a huge cross. … read more
Bane, Strike Anywhere, A Global Threat, This is Hell
Going into this show, I didn’t know what kind of a crowd this package would draw. I anticipated A Global Threat would bring the punks in spades, while Bane and This is Hell were sure to bring out more than a handful of hardcore kids. But was there any crossover fan base between those bands and Strike Anywhere? … read more
Futureheads at In the Venue
The Futureheads were something of an enigma to me. I was overly familiar with the hype that swirled around them but after two or three casual listens to their debut album, I can’t say that I was committed to my own opinion. … read more
I Went To Warped Tour and All I Got was...
Going to a music festival in 100 degree weather is crazy. Sweating while just standing still, in the shade, just isn’t the time for a circle pit. Warped Tour is something that I used to plan my summer around, but the traveling punk rock festival just ain’t what it used to be. … read more
A Street Punk Bonanza: The Unseen, The Casualties and Anti...
This show was quite the trip down punk rock memory lane. Although it was over before midnight and half the crowd wasn’t even old enough to drive, it was a pretty decent way to waste a Wednesday night. … read more
A Global Threat Show Review
After basically loosing my voice and being hit enough times standing on the outskirts of the pit, I must say that this is one show I will remember long after the bruises fade and my voice returns to its normal high octave. … read more
Enter the Warlocks
Las Vegas is one of those places that look pretty on a postcard but unless you’re one of those who have mastered the tables, it all tends to be depressing. Sadly, or perhaps fortunately, at the edge of it all is my favorite venue: The House of Blues (the Vegas branch, that is). … read more
Proof that Ground-Breaking Music always takes a Back Seat
Metal shows are often questionable territory: a sea of long-hairs and Nordic looking individuals beating the ever living shit out of each other, with no consideration for the smaller guys with haircuts, i.e., me. Entering The Venue Tuesday evening was quite a shock, when the crowd was thick with not metal dudes, but hardcore kids. … read more
Street Punk Gone Rock Star: Clit 45 show review
The show, as it has always been with the Lower Class Brats, was awesome. Besides the security guards sniffing around for disorderly skinheads that tried to start a brawl at the last LCB show (supposedly protecting a kid from being beat up by the large bassist of LCB), the concert held on the Sabbath was unusually large, and full of pissed, though content, punk-rockers. … read more
Bloc Party show review
Being labeled “the best” of just about anything is as much a curse as it is a blessing. So when a reckless journalist labeled Bloc Party the best new band in the UK, they might as well have thrown in a first-aid kit for all the bruising that the band had waiting for them. It’s hard to see past all the hyperbole and look for potential, even when you consider yourself a sympathetic fan. … read more