Wind and Chains: Peter and the Wolf @ The Echo, December 14, 2007

Hunched over amongst the sparse crowd stands a man. Average size, common brown thread jacket. He could be any Silverlake/ Echo Park hipster out on a Thursday evening. His relaxed air talking in the crowd shows no signs of pre-stage jitters, or a need to chain smoke or throw back shots. His name is Red, and he is “Peter and the Wolf”.

Tonight the Echo was dead. You could hold your arms out as far as they could go on either side and spin in circles without fear of hitting anyone. I love it like this.

Sharing the stage with Red tonight Thursday December 14, 2006, was The New Motherfuckers and The Lottery. The New Motherfuckers were pretty interesting but we opted to stand out back through their set. Coming back in for The Lottery was a nice surprise. My friend referred to them as “a garage band that doesn’t know they’re a garage band”, which I can agree with until I hear the recorded songs (hmmm, *shrugs*). However, the dual female/male lead vocals and crunchy loud sounds were enough to keep our interest while playing live.

I hate to say that the Peter and the Wolf set up was amateurish, perhaps a better term would be stripped down. It’s just him with a guitar and bass drum, while two members from the Lottery accompany him on drums and, this is perfect, a standup wash bin bass. It’s the kind of stripped down arrangement one might find out on a back porch deep in the Ozarks. While he is traveling Red keeps it simple. He told me that in every town he plays he just asks friends who are in bands to play backup. Which would make for interesting live shows when your backing band is practically making up noise on the spot. Tonight though, the music was knocked down into a deeper, slower pace as he opened with Strange Machines and went into tracks found on his release Experiments in Junk.

Peter and the Wolf prove that even from the simplest of births, music can take on far more complex structures. In his case, all you need is a voice, a stamping foot and a rubber band, and there you have a show.

An Almost Never Occurring Update

I am stating that even though I'm a photographer, I almost never carry one (a camera) to shows. I think mainly it has to do with me worrying too much that it will get lost/broken/stolen... So, if any of you readers out there have gone to one of these shows here on this blog and HAVE photos from said show, I would be very grateful and accepting of posting them here alongside the review. I will of course give you a photo credit, and your own link too if you have one. Thanks!

They'll Show You a Good Time: The Demolition Doll Rods @ the Scene, October 27, 2006

A true garage band can rock without a lot of flash. The Demolition Doll Rods prove you can do it without a lot of clothes too.

The Demolition Doll Rods played the Scene in Glendale on October 27^th, 2006 (and yes, I realize these posts are starting to get a little out of order, but really, who cares.) The Scene usually plays host to the punk, garage, hardcore kids, so this really was a fitting place to witness them…. Okay, fine, it’s a bit of a dive.

On vocals, Margaret Doll Rod screams and moans with that throaty, scratchy voice that seems necessary to hold up against the constant thumping of drums and rhythmic squeals on the dual guitars. They’re not shy about it. The music is sexy; they want you to feel sexy.. or maybe at least dirty. It’s hard to miss the point with songs like Booty Call and Baby Say Unh. Margaret calls out to the audience, inviting them to get down and dirty, proclaiming like an Evangelical Preacher. And, they get you dancing. In fact, Danny Doll Rod actually took the 8” step down from stage to floor and, with guitar in hand, rocked out with me before squirming and strumming through the rest of the audience. I needed a cigarette soon after.

Either the set flew by, or it wasn’t that long, I’m not sure. I am sure though that it was well worth a watch, and that I’m not going to witness a band like that for awhile, probably not until they come back. I wish that I had extensive knowledge of their back catalogue though, then I could at least name more of the songs. However, I know they covered at least what’s on their myspace page and from their album released this year, There is a Difference, on Swami Records.

One last exciting facet to this band is Dan Kroha, originally from the Gories, a prerequisite band for anyone interested in the Detroit garage scene. Replicating the dual guitar and stripped down drumming, the Demolition Doll Rods rock hard, do it well, and make it there own.

For a good time, leave the number on the bathroom wall and go see the Demolition Doll Rods instead.

An Old Familiar Tune- Mission of Burma and 50 Foot Wave @ the Troubadour September 22, 2006

So…. when bands get up there in years, do they all need to take breaks in the middle of sets? I’m just putting the question out there. Last night, Mission of Burma made a stop at the Troubadour with opening act 50 Foot Wave, which I believe is Kristin Hersh’s new band, or possibly side project, I don’t know.

I was more surprised at being able to pick out Kristin Hersh than I was with the music. I’ve seen Throwing Muses several times and also her solo work, but I was not prepared to see her shrieking out at the audience last night. What I love about her is her witty, often caustic lyrics. But, mostly this was just noise with no discernable words. Sigh.

With all my internal bitching about ticket prices, Mission of Burma played an incredibly long set which in the end shut me up about the pricing. Granted they had a 15 minute “intermission” (is this normal? Is this something they do at the Troubadour?) but that aside, technically they did two sets and an encore including “That’s When I Reach for My Revolver”. The amazing thing about MoB is that, even though musically they are spanning several decades worth of material when they play live, the songs still seamlessly fit together. There aren’t huge contrasts where you can say, this song is distinctly from ’79 but this is 2004. Maybe that’s why they are considered one of the top influential bands coming from their original era, they’re consistent and that’s not bad.

Covering songs from all three official releases, some standouts were: Academy Fight Song, This is Not a Photograph, 2wice, and lots more I can’t remember but were excellent all the same. Although the energy was pretty constant, I felt as if something was lacking with the performance. I can’t put my finger on it, so perhaps the problem was lying with me. Either way, I can now be satisfied with the knowledge that I’ve seen Mission of Burma; one of life’s little items on the checklist crossed off.

At Last! The Canadians Are Here! Wolf Parade and Frog Eyes at the Wiltern Friday August 25,2006

8 months. It's been 8 months since I missed the last Wolf Parade show. And even though I built this show up for that long, it was still as awesome as I thought it would be.

If you've never been to the Wiltern, it looks as if it was a really fancy place about 60 years ago. There's some remaining architectural details that make it look pretty fancy, but a woman's bathroom with only 3 stalls.... dude, who are we kidding??? I'm also quite miffed about the upstairs/downstairs/limited "pit" seating arrangement. I waiting too long to buy tickets, so I ended up in the "upstairs" seating arrangement, where people SAT through the rockin' performances. People, please, it's a fast paced musical show. You don't "sit". You stand and head bob, come on!!!!

Missed the first band so I couldn't tell you the name. However, out in the bar, there are tvs where you can sit and watch the performances, that was kinda cool. Second on was Frog Eyes, which I started listening to when I found out the lead singer, Carey Mercer, was part of the band Swan Lake (which included Spencer Krug from Wolf Parade and Dan Bejar- WOAH! is right!)- who are set to release their first album out on Jagjaguwar Records in November. Anyway, they jump-started their set with "The Oscillator's Hum" (which just minutes before I was telling my friend that if they played that one song, I'd be happy, and they did, so I was). The tempo was different from the recorded version; here it slowed down and sped up quite abruptly. From there the whole 45 minute or so set just took off at full steam with Mercer screaming and whispering his highs and lows with the band backing him up like kids crashing through a kitchen banging on pots and pans. Unfortunately the crowd wasn't into it that much, well, one kid in the pit was dancing all by himself, but other than that I don't think they knew what to do here. I just wanted to smack them and shout "Look, there, THAT is good music. Pay attention and stop fucking talking over the music." When Mercer did talk back to the crowd ("Could whoever keeps yelling shit please stop, I don't understand."), this small voice addressed them, a complete contrast to the roar that he let's out when singing. The last song was what finally drew the crowd in. They were able to build the song up and take the crowd along with them, and at that point I think they may have won the audience over.

When Wolf Parade came on, I think the crowd was finally just happy to SEE them. Spencer Krug, who played the keys during the entire Frog Eyes set, was not showing any signs of weariness and was practically hopping all over his larger setup. Other lead singer, Dan Boeckner, was playing this or that games with the crowd in between songs (Who would you rather be stuck with[locked in a room or something- can't remember] Les Claypool or Ani Difranco?-- I think I was just as surprised as him when they cheered on Ani. In reality, I'm sure many of these kids are too young to know who Les Claypool is). With all kidding and playing aside, the set was incredible. They played almost everything off of Apologies to the Queen Mary (maybe even all of it.) and some old stuff. Also included in the set was some new material which seemed to be taking another direction then this previous album. There was a mellow, jazz influence through some of the new songs, and Spencer even took up the guitar for a couple. Highlights were I'll Believe In Anything, which received many many cries from the audience including myself (this is my favorite tune from them, listening to it puts me in an almost transcendent state- really, it's that good, maybe it's the drums) and the last song of the encore, Dinner Bells, which they kept going on with till it seemed the point of exhaustion. I think everyone heaved a sigh when it was finished.

And now another long wait until they're back. At least the six other side projects will more than likely be touring sometime this fall.

All The Hipsters Yell FUCK YEAH! Darker My Love, The Thermals, and Giant Drag at Day 2 of the Fuck Yeah Fest, Saturday August 19, 2006

For twenty bucks you sure get a day full of entertainment. The 3rd annual Fuck Yeah Fest, located in lovely Echo Park, packs enough music, comedy, art and booze to make your head pop. They've expanded the fest into three days this year, but seeing as I only had enough money for one day, I chose day two (although bummed to have missed out on the Circle Jerks Friday night).

Due to some poor planning on my part I only was able to catch three of the bands performing at the Echo, and the comedy show down and around the corner at the Down Beat Cafe. Thankfully all were worth it.

Since this page is only about live music, I'll just say that the comedy show made me laugh so hard I was in fear of my face paralyzing. Seriously funny guys. They're all part of the "alternative" comedy scene. Which means they'll actually tell some decent jokes, or sing. Damn you singing boys, damn you. If you're at all interested, they, like everyone else in the world nowadays, have myspace pages. Check them out: Anthony, Matt, Jarrett, Jonah Ray, other Matt and some other guys who I've forgotten (not that they weren't funny, I'm just crap with names).

The first band I caught was Darker My Love, who at first glance made me question the music I had previously heard from them- I mean, really! a Giant COWBOY hat??? But my anxieties were all but forgotten after a few seconds of listening to their sounds. Echoing voices, droning guitars layered over pounding drums: a shoegazer dream. I could even go so far as to say I could pick up hints of Spaceman 3 in there. Too bad the crowd was so lackluster about the performance, but then again, it was still early evening at this point.

Next band I caught, albeit hours later, was The Thermals. This band was super-duper hyped by a friend of mine. "Holy Fuck!! You HAVE to see them!!" she proclaimed. Okay. Gave their music a listen on myspace, not bad. But to see them live was so, so much more worth it. To see a band really love to perform, to just go ape shit while they're playing cause you know they're enjoying playing it as much as you're enjoying listening to it, that just makes me appreciate them all the more. Lead singer Hutch Harris, who bears a slight resemblance to Stephen Malkmus, has this nasally screeching quality to his voice that fits in perfectly with the wild, post punk beats they throw out at you. The excitement shared between Harris and bassist Kathy Foster was in turn shared with the crowd as everyone started to jump and head bob with the music. They'll be back later this year, I'd definitely recommend that they be seen live.

Closing day 2 of the Fuck Yeah Fest was Giant Drag, a favorite on the local radio station Indie 103.1. I'll admit that I'd only heard that one song, This Isn't It, but I liked it enough to venture back into the club to watch them close the show. It's surprising how such a tremendous sound can be made with a minimal arrangement. And coming out from there is this childlike yet devilish voice. The double vision of the lead singer projected in swirling colors behind the singer was a bit much after a day of beers, but it did fit well with the crashing melodies. Oh, and they did play This Isn't It.

As a side note, the funniest moment of the night was right after Last Call was announced and I tried to make my way to the exit through the crowd of kids "dancing". The scene reminded me this show on Tribal Dance I watched on the Discovery Channel. The kids were all just flopping, but flopping to New Order.

Dirty Girls and Pretty Boys... Dirty Pretty Things at the Music Box August 8, 2006

Ok. So I've come to realize that I'm not "with-it" as far as the MTV/KROQ crowd goes. I don’t have cable and I'm okay with this. But I wish I had known just how popular Dirty Pretty Things are (I would have at least learned a couple of their songs and not dwelt on the fact that I’m still sore the Libertines are no longer with us). Perhaps it would have prepared me for the crowd at the Music Box tonight which included the typical “young kids who scored some E dancers”… who are entertaining to watch, but if you come in contact with them you feel like you need a shower.

In my usual fashion I missed most of the first act, Scissors For Lefty, but the last songs made me bob a little to the music. OH, and they had keyboards, to which my friend replied he looked happy to be playing, like really happy; beaming even. I caught “Ghetto Ways” and “Momma Your Boys Will Find A Home” both surprised me by how good they were. Upbeat, dance-y tunes that combined electronic beats and wailing, staccato rock vocals. Nice.

Watching the lead singer make bird calls and strut around Jagger-like made their live act fun to watch too. However, upon listening to their recorded tracks, it does feel too “put together”… maybe they should have kept the bird calls. They’re coming back to Safari Sam’s in September and are worth checking out if you’re a hipster and want to go dance in hipster fashion.

This was the opening night of the Dirty Pretty Things’ US tour. They had just finished up their overseas (well, it overseas for me) tour where lead singer Carl Barat broke something (collarbone, or wrist.. I swear he said wrist on stage) and in true Brit boy fashion came on stage with his arm in a Union Jack sling complete with cigarette dangling from his limp hand. But injuries aside, DPTs managed to hype the crowd up to almost chaos levels and Carl even tried to play a slow bit of guitar during the encore… Awww, it’s nice to see the effort!

Now, I will reiterate the fact that this was the first time I was listening to most of this music and I can barely remember set lists when I DO know the band… but from what I can remember as my friend shouted titles out to me (so that I wasn’t completely in the dark) they played their super hit Bang Bang You’re Dead, Blood Thirsty Bastards, Dead Wood, Gin and Milk, Gentry Cove and their absolutely last song of the encore was You Fucking Love It. And no, definitively not in this order.

I was not expecting such a hyped up crowd. EVERYONE was dancing, even the old guys who looked like if they shook their head any harder their toupee was going go flying.. or their teeth. And so many punching fists in the air. I couldn’t help but shake a little… I DID have a beer I was hanging on to. Also unexpected was the volume of underwear being thrown on stage… Damn. Seriously.