Queens of the Stone Age, Royal Blood The Forum Sat., Feb. 17 Let’s put our cards on the table shall we? Music journalists and photojournalists do not make much money these days. When it comes to covering concerts, after gas, parking and maybe a beer or two –particularly at a big arena like The Forum- […]
Sex and Excess: Sex Cells Celebrates One Very Memorable Year of Clubbing in LA
There’s a myriad of music and dance-driven events to choose from every night in LA. But the shindigs and clubs that last, and ultimately become the stuff of after-dark legend and lore, always seem to push things further, visually and thematically, creating an energy and excitement that you mark your calendar for, plan your outfit […]
Why I Can’t Stop Writing For LA Weekly (For Now)
In today’s fragile state of journalism, specifically, the structural integrity of alt-weeklies, it took only one week for Brian Calle to become public enemy number one. And in the wake of LA Weekly’s buyout by Semanal Media LLC, some would have you believe the new guy running things is Satan himself. Others, like OC Weekly, […]
If You Want Blood, GWAR (Still) Got it
GWAR Fonda Theatre 11/22/2017 Hard to believe it’s been over three years since GWAR’s lead singer/plallus secrete-er Dave “Oderus Urungus” Brockie went to monster heaven (or rockstar hell as the case may be), and for some hardcore fans, it’s been harder still to adjust to the band’s decision to soldier on without its founding –and […]
Guns n’ Roses Return To The Jungle Triumphant for Last Leg of U.S. “Lifetime” Tour
Guns n’ Roses At Staples Center Fri., Nov. 24 I’ll admit it… as a rock chick, journalist and music dork, I pretty much always want to be at “the buzz gig.” I mean, don’t we all? Ya know, the not-so-secret surprise set by the huge band everybody loves or pretends to love in the tiny […]
Depeche Mode’s Historic ’88 RoseBowl Concert Revisited at Eat/See/Hear Screening
Depeche Mode recently sold out a historic four nights at the Hollywood Bowl, but another Bowl show first established them as bonafide rockstars in LA- The Rose Bowl. The year was 1988 -almost 30 years ago- and Depeche’s Music For the Masses became a self-fulfilling prophecy record of sorts, propelling them into the mainstream and […]
Tiki Oasis Turns Its Spy-Themed Party Into a Badass Island Affair
A Technicolor torrential of eye-candy retro fashion and tropical-culture themed amusements, Tiki Oasis at the Crown Plaza Hotel in San Diego remains one of Southern California’s most vibrant and enduring weekend getaways. But even with a car show, a beauty pageant, tons of symposiums and seminars, shopping galore, plenty of pool time complete with an […]
Chris Isaak Gets Wicked in Newport’s Backyard
Summer music festivals and recurring concert promotions run the gamut from huge, loud and packed, to chill, intimate and classy depending on locale and who happens to be putting on the event. The Summer Concert Series at Hyatt Regency in Newport Beach has definitely been the latter thus far, with bookings reflecting more relaxed genres […]
Reflecting On Jane's Addiction and the First Lollapalooza at Irvine Meadows
My admiration for Perry Farrell and Jane’s Addiction has always run deep. I owned two copies of the Triple X Records live debut (the first one, a cassette, fell apart from over-playing) and though it took a while, Nothing’s Shocking, grew to be a favorite as well. I still have that cassette. I saw some […]
She Wants Revenge Reprise Their Role as Dark Kings of LA Rock
She Wants Revenge The Fonda Theater 2/18/2016 Remember when dark music was having a moment (again)? The early 2000s was a tempestuous treasure trove, a time when dark ditties and synth-ful seduction were actually on the radio. We had Interpol, The Killers, The Bravery, etc. and in Los Angeles, we had hometown boys She Wants […]