Rocker Stalker

The arts join together for the Sound Strike Benefit tonight at 6pm at USWW – Janitor’s Union Hall in downtown LA. The evening will feature music by Aztlan Underground, Fitter,  Outernational,  who will showcase their upcoming album’s material, and special guest, Immortal Technique, and artwork by Favianna Rodriguez, Juan Luis Garcia, Dignidad Rebelde, Russell Varner, Manny Torres, Aaron Andrew Martin, Julio Salgado, Lalo Alcaraz, lapiztola oaxaca, Ray Hernandez, Steve Alfaro, Santi, Eric Ruin, Doug Minkler, Art Hazelwood, Ernesto Vasquez, Victor Sepulveda, Hertz Alegrio, and many more. There will be live silk screening, and all ticket and art sales  go to Benefit PUENTE AZ Barrio Defense.

So get your tickets for a multi-faceted, all-ages arts show that has many more surprises to come!

From 2-10pm today, you can enjoy the sounds of KCRW’s DJ’s, Hello Vegas, Bullet and Snowfox, Love Grenades, Chicano Batman, Eastern Conference Champions, Grouplove, and Voxhaul Broadcast, nosh on some of LA’s finest food, and take a gander at Angeleno street art  all at Bloomfest LA! Taking place in LA’s arts district, this jam-packed event is sure to be one of the highlights of the summer. So, bring your dancing shoes, appetite, and sunscreen, and I’ll see you downtown!

Clearly I did not stalk closely enough, or I would have known that last night’s stand-out band, The Shades was now going by The Hunt Club (“THC?” Cute.) and that they were now a quartet rather than a trio. Besides those small details, the late-night/early morning gig was pretty sleep inducing, minus a couple exceptional drummers,  until the four predatory men hit the stage at 1am. A great turn out for mid-week was rightfully earned by the band, offering upbeat rock, pop, and blues riffs that accompanied soulful harmonies and alternating vocals, and overall, a noticeable tightness that placed them at the top of the food chain. Here’s some shots of the night, also including the secret guest, Eagles of Death Metal vocalist, Jesse Hughes, and openers The Deluge and Descanso…

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It’s a good day for rock ‘n roll and getting through your mid-week blues. Tonight, LA (with a touch of NYC)-based trio, The Shades, will be hitting the stage at Three Clubs in Hollywood.  They will be joined by The Deluge, Dangeroso, and a “a very special super secret guest” as part of the weekly  Marathon Live Music series.  The doors are at 10pm, 21+, and it’s FREE!

I made it back to California just in time for Incubus’s two shows at Santa Barbara Bowl and San Diego’s Cricket Wireless Amphitheater.

It was the perfect day in SB for an outdoor concert: sunny, breezy, and clear. Fans climbed the steep incline into the amphitheater and debated the opening act. However, we were taken by surprise when Incubus appeared on stage at 8pm. The sold out venue squealed and sang along with every song for almost two hours. The setlist included a wide range of selections from the Incubus repertoire, including those from S.C.I.E.N.C.E, Morning View, Make Yourself, Light Grenades, and their newest, If Not Now, When?

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The following evening in San Diego, Incubus was joined by several openers, incluing Hawaiian-formed Iration, Face to Face, and Bush, who sounded phenomenal and got the 90s party going. I wedged myself to the front of the pit, where several ladies were being tossed out for cat-fighting and people were throwing elbows to get up close and personal with Incubus. The band rocked through a similar set to the previous night, but from the pit, it was a whole new experience. I was lucky to retrieve some photos of the gig and a video of their encore, “The Warmth,” below.

Lookin’ and souding good, gentlemen!

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It was a dancing good time at Bowery Ballroom on July 13. LA-based AWOLNATION and Long Island’s Lights Resolve joined forces, selling out the venue and bringing the house down with electro and pounding rock resonance. It was AWOLNATION’s first New York City show, and probably not the last, and native NY’r’s and Bowery Ballroom veterans, Lights Resolve paved the way with new material from their upcoming record, Feel You’re Different. You can download “Sew It Up” for free while you anticipate the album.

Here’s a look back on the night!

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What else can I say? I feel pretty lucky that I’m back in CA to see one of my favorite bands of all time at a sold out gig. Incubus hits the Santa Barbara Bowl stage tonight, beginning their “If Not Now, When?” tour and celebrating the release of their new album, which debuted officially on July 12.

If you missed the first of the Rocker Stalker Summer Series shows, there will be two more for you to enjoy the great sounds of NYC. Here’s a look back on July 10 at Bowery Electric with The Dead Exs, Social Hero, Nature of City, and The Nuclears! Stay tuned for night two in August!

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