Moe. @ Club Nokia

Credit: Moe. Official Website

As I am writing this Moe. [Vinnie Amico, Rob Derhak, Chuck Garvey, Jim Loughlin, Al Schnier] will be taking over Flagstaff, Arizona at the Orpheum Theatre, and their show at Club Nokia Friday night will only be but a dream. And for a dream, I remember amoebas of sensory stimulus. Not just because I can remember lots of colors, sounds, and smells, but because I managed to take notes throughout their two-part set list and magically translated it here.

For being on the 2^nd leg of their Winter Tour, Moe’s sound was an all out sensory experience. The band and the fans had so much energy pouring out of them that I immediately knew they were magical. From the moment I walked in the door (by myself) I noticed a young woman about my age walking toward me. She quickly caught my attention and fixed her eyes straight into mine. Her name was Vanessa and she said “Your first Moe show right?” I nodded and awkwardly felt her getting closer to me. She gave me a hug and got real close to my face and said, “I feel you’re a nice person. You’re going to have a great time!” and quickly parted ways into the crowd with her intensely accepting eyes.

Grabbing a Stella to take a bit of the edge off, I overheard two older men about forty years old talking about how many times each of them had seen Moe. One scraggly fellow said, “Twenty five times.” The other, “My second.” I couldn’t help but butt in their conversation out of shock that the scraggly one had seen them that many times. They looked at me and said, “Yes”, and left it at that. I walked off to the smoking balcony. Out there alone, two men met my far off stare with a wave of hello. Pat and Michael, two friends who traveled to see the show with a starting point somewhere in the mountains, both of them together seeing Moe more than thirty to forty times (the details are hazy). The loyalty to this band was starting to become heavily clear at this point and also a great sign that I was in for a guaranteed night of auditory and visual musical improvisation.

The band took stage and had suited up for the occasion. Was it a tongue and cheek message or just a night for suits? I remember beams of light, with hues of the rainbow making the crowd shout out that their trip was ascending with the opening song, “Skrunk”. In my notes I make references to a percussive tribal rhythm and guitar solos that take on legendary languages. I speak of yellow sun bulbs radiating red bristles of light leading into “Lazarus” and “Brent Black”. These two songs were funkier, like walking down the street on a summer’s day. There was an instrument change, perfect for their drummer to take on his own life! What a solo! The stage, a black cosmic swirl with luminescent streaks and beams, transported us into a drum roll. Magically the men returned from wherever they disappeared to. Next they played “Water” and flowed into “Hector’s Pillow”. This is where I felt like I was being strutted into deep space by the bass line and sharp guitar stabs. There were harmonics and xylophone trills and my nose began to pick up the mixture of very kushy and homegrown aromas being shared. This was an interesting show of some of the people in the crowd – The New Hippies and the OG Hippies. “Timmy Tucker” was the last song for Set I. At the close of this set they brought their all. Everyone descended and then teetered together in the warm afterglow of a much needed rest and refill.

Set II began with “Don’t Fuck With Flo” and my new mountain friend Michael appeared out of nowhere. He danced off into the pit crowd where he greeted the rest of the swaying sea of morphing bodies with his smile. This set began really mellow and I just had to close my eyes and sway. I can’t remember the last time I felt safe enough to close my eyes at a concert. The next song was “Tailspin” which was a body fire starter. Everyone bugged out along with the fluttering bass. With a maniacal and beautiful beginning “Zed Nought Z” spaced into “Wind It Up” which powered on through to “Sticks and Stones”. In between “Sticks and Stones” and the last song of Set II “32 Things” I heard them get stronger. They didn’t weaken at all. Their vibrations were still encasing me and the bodies dancing, sparking together and creating nebulas all over the dance floor. When the music ceased one of the men joked, “You guys sound worn out. We’re doin’ all the work up here!” The crowd laughed and cheered them to party on! Some people left, while those who knew better stayed.

Alas, the ENCORE! The after party, if you will. Or, the after dinner mint. Moe helped carry the cosmic party into hyper overdrive with “Understand” and “Godzilla”. At this point in time every note, every strike, and every breath blurred into claps and screams leaving me with this all over feeling of “Til’ we meet again, friend” in a collective release of bodies sent back on the ground from the sky they were dancing on.

Special thanks go out to Phantasy Tour for helping me out with the set list!

Check out more Moe. on their Official Website!

Daniel Merriweather Plays Intimate Acoustic Set @ The Viper Room

Credit: Daniel Merriweather Offical Site

Daniel Merriweather held a spontaneous acoustic show at The Viper Room in West Hollywood, Monday February 22^nd. Merriweather, who is best known for his vocal collaboration on Mark Ronson’s adaptation of The Smith’s song “Stop Me”, has just released a new album, Love & War, released by JRecords/Allido Records, on February 23^rd.

As The Viper Room’s signature black curtain opened Daniel Merriweather stood center stage alongside his acoustic guitarist and piano player. He was wearing a tan, red, blue, and white patterned button up shirt that brought me back to the 1990s when a group like Boys to Men reigned over the charts.  The only difference, Daniel Merriweather is a one man group.

Merriweather humbly and softly introduced himself, his band mates, and the first song “Change”. The piano keys began their signature cascade and his voice lured us all in. La La La La La-ing. Immediately, his vocal delivery came out flowing like a vocal pauper to all of us looking up at him while his uplifting, soulful voice entranced me into being an immediate fan.

Like a fresh breath of 1960s soul the song “Cigarettes” was up next. Daniel played story teller and explained that it was based off of making a mess out of a relationship after a night of heavy drinking. He managed to take a song about infidelity and reconstruct it into an intimate and heart pumping experience.

It wasn’t hard to tell from the audiences faces that “Red” was the most emotionally moving songs of the evening. From beginning to the very end Merriweather’s voice sent chills up everybody’s spine. No one looked away from him. It was amazing. I’ve never felt more crooned in my life. Even more amazing to see really manly men get misty eyed. This man can SING. Better yet, he can LEAD and command an entire rooms attention at the drop or peak of any note. Standing two people from the stage I could feel the vast power coming from his lungs and I could FEEL the notes on my skin.

“Impossible” was the last song of his set and a very memorable ending to the night. It is about doing anything, going to any length, for whom and what you love. The accompanying guitar and piano set the dramatic tones and the audience off. Fans sang “Impossible” word for word. The intense loyalty and devotion Merriweather had to the moment made everyone in the room feel like he would do anything for them. And he did. He gave his all and we held onto every moment.

I am going to say right here and now that Daniel Merriweather will rule the airwaves. I know that he can go toe-to-toe with Robin Thicke and Justin Timberlake in vocal ability, strength, sex appeal, and definitely has more street-cred than the two chart toppers combined. Merriweather is what the music industry needs right now – a strong and passionate male voice with a loyal fan base like the one seen in Los Angeles. I know for a fact that he will blow up BIG in the states and around the world. Daniel Merriweather has staying power and is in it for the long haul. And as a live music writer and a music lover I am so fortunate to be able to say that I was there to see him bear his soul in an intimate show at The Viper Room before his first album hit Los Angeles.

Daniel Merriweather’s album Love & War is out NOW! GO BUY IT!

He is scheduled to appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live! On ABC Friday February 26^th, and will be performing in Portland, OR, Seattle, WA, and San Francisco, CA in the month of April.

For more information and updates on Daniel Merriweather check out his website!

It’s About To Get Loud @ The Dragonfly

Credit: The Dragonfly

01.29.10, Los Angeles – Wil Ridge, Winchester Rebels, Stoic Ideal, Rust, The Hot Moon, and Circus Minor are each promising bands, but, while at the venue, The Dragonfly, I couldn’t hear most of the songs quite properly. Everything was distorted because of the volume of the music. It didn’t matter if it was in between bands or during the actual gig, the shit was LOUD. So much so that I had to reference every song title numerically instead of by its actual name. I guess I shouldn’t let the sound guy at The Dragonfly take all the heat for the free double ear drum popping. I too accept half responsibility for being unkind and un-protective of my most valued asset as a live show writer and music lover. I should have brought ear plugs. Writer lesson learned.  

The opening band Wil Ridge (Wil Ridge – guitar, vocals, harmonica), Ray Fortune – guitar, Todd Rosenberg – drums, and Graham Palmer – bass) was as intense, sweet, and down home country alt-rock inspired as the wine they are named after. Wait, that’s Wood Ridge. Either way, I would say that Wil Ridge was the only band I heard clearly, albeit it was sort of LOUD. They had a lot of heart, diving into their set without an introduction and a quick locomotive rise in tempo as the songs progressed. It was around the second song that I realized that their lead singer has a voice to be reckoned with. He had a little bit of Bruce Springsteen but had his own voice. Toward the middle of the set, maybe the fourth song, there was a song about being a young boy and about having a backbone which I thought was Bob Dylan-esque lyrically and in vocal delivery and of course with the harmonica and acoustic guitar. The motion of their set kept an upbeat vibe and each song flowed into the next. The only signifier of a transition was the slinking bass line and drum solo in the sixth song.  It’s too bad that this band was the first to go on because they deserved a bigger audience.

Winchester Rebels (Nick H. – vocals, Tyson – drums, John – bass, Nick F. – guitar, James – guitar) reminded me of a harder and darker version of Incubus with a dab of David Bowie. Hang in there, whoever’s reading this. I’ll explain myself. Had the singer learned to better imitate his voice like Brandon Boyd maybe he could have pulled that persona off. To explain the Bowie sound I refer to their opening song for which I couldn’t hear. I liked how the guitar parts sounded like “Man Who Sold The World”. I know there are similar sounds in music and music borrows from each other through influence, but this is way too much usage. Just saying.  As their set continued to the third song I felt they became more “Crazy Train” heavy and catchy and transitioned into a more fluttering Incubus inspired route. My ears needed a break from the loudness, not the band itself. I went outside and noticed that not only could I hear the band better, but I could also get a vodka tonic and people watch. The last two songs were bellowing from the inside and the sound can only be described where System of a Down met Led Zeppelin, and then…I finished my drink.  Between band takedown and setup a bustling crowd formed and they all headed for the bar.

 Stoic Ideal (Tony – drums, Ed Lazos – vocals, Luis – guitar, Willy – bass) took over and dedicated their first song to “those of you who don’t have work tomorrow!” Susanna, CWG photographer, leaned over to me and yelled “They sound fun!” She was right! Their first couple of songs had a hard rock feel that sounded like At The Drive In and the Mars Volta are some of their influences. Around the middle of the set they began to lean into more of a faster dirty blues direction like that of the Black Keys. The closing of their set was dreamy, ethereal, and had the darker notes that are signature of the Deftones.

After a long set up Rust came on stage and I immediately felt that they were going to be easier on the ears. They were clearer and focused on their sound. The first song sounded influenced by Weezer “Say It Ain’t So” because of the distinct plucking and the second song was more upbeat because of the focus on the drum beat. In my notes it says the second and third songs reminded me of Sea Wolf. Maybe it’s the drum hits and serious tone. The fourth song the second guitarist acted as a singer and I thought that the switch between the two singers was done well. The fifth song I noticed a guitar change. What a pretty red electric with a white pick guard. Closing the set they thanked Jason their manager and I thought that was pretty awesome of them. They closed their set on a more upbeat and catchy tune. I managed to catch some of the lyrics: “I wanna sing a song to you” and “You’re so right, so wrong”. Rust was a great energy to have lead into the crescendo known as The Hot Moon.

The Hot Moon (John Paul Labno – electric guitar and saxophone, Sasha Pfau – keyboards and vocals, Jovi Butz – bass guitar, Jason Hooper – drums, Brad Lee – trumpet) were a shimmering funky surprise coming out of the depths of the darker rock melodies seen throughout the evening. The lead singers voice and lyrical deliverance reminded me of a combination of Gwen Stefani (experimental), Zoey Deschanel (simple), Jenny Lewis (story telling), and Betty Davis (funky, honest, and strong). The first couple of songs were powerful and the usage of keyboard, saxophone, and trumpet turned the night upside down. The audience members seemed to thaw from the heat of their instruments. Our blood began to pump and our feet began to move again! Starting  at the fifth set I began to get that awesome feeling when Motown and artists like Sam Cooke begin to come to mind. Even a little Janis Joplin circa “Cry Baby” vocals, trembling and sultry, began to rise everyone’s Friday night spirit up from the ashes. Don’t worry, she wasn’t like Lily Allen or Amy Winehouse – she had class and style (loved her red top and black tights, reminded me of a rocked out ring leader). At one point their saxophonist was so into playing he had a saxophone and a guitar in both hands. I appreciate their musicianship! It was so refreshing.

Circus Minor (Daniel Denton – vocals and bass guitar, Sean Simmons – guitar, Adam Alt – drums) took the stage at the end of the night and by this time I was ready to go. My ears were bleeding (sarcasm) and my head felt like it was going to fall off. Basically this band reminded me of Joy Division and Black Sabbath. They had a table-trembling and bass-heavy style coupled with atmospheric and drifting melodies. They had a hazier, darker, and experimental sound that left my body shaking from the core while I walked out of The Dragonfly and back onto Santa Monica Boulevard from whence I came.

Wil Ridge: Myspace

Winchester Rebels: Myspace

Stoic Ideal: Myspace

The Hot Moon: Myspace

Circus Minor: Myspace/Website

Luke Sundquist Of Jalopy Goes Solo @ Room 5 Lounge, Los Angeles

Photo Credit: Jalopy

01.12.10 -- Luke Sundquist, co-guitarist and singer of the acoustic rock-Americana band Jalopy, put on a very solid solo concert for a Tuesday night at Room 5 Lounge. The audience sat with what seemed like a room of unblinking spectators holding domestic brew, sipping merlot, downing Jack N’ Cokes, listening to the sounds of “Breakin Down My Mind” and a tasty new jam, “All I Need Now”.

The songs “When You Can’t Find Love” and “Days That Disappear” sent me reminiscing about a familiar sadness while being in love or finding it. “Right Where You Begin” lured the audience into a vulnerable and honest outlook on love, giving the audience some ear cuddling hope “where even losers win”. Luke dedicated the song “My Love” to a friend in the audience who had Luke sing it at his wedding. The glow radiating from each of the glass kaleidoscope candles was helping everyone get a little gushy and sentimental. Like if someone was to take a picture and blurred its edges with Room 5’s familiar warm wood feel and rich red furnishings.

To balance all this sentiment we were led into the more laid back and catchy tone of my favorite song, “Calihustle”. The feel of the song sent me into a memory of Jack Kerouac’s novel “On The Road” and uplifted the room into a more playful turn of events. Three cover songs were played – Lyle Lovett’s “If I Had A Boat”, Jamey Johnson’s “In Color”, and Ray LaMontagne’s “Jolene”.  Luke introduced Lovett’s “If I Had A Boat” as a “cowboy song” and dedicated “Jolene” to “the sound man and the bartenders”. How graciously Ryan Adams (circa Whiskeytown) of him.

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/jalopymusic

DJ kidPEACE & DJ CutmarC @ The Beauty Bar

Credit: The Beauty Bar, Hollywood

For a Wednesday night in Hollywood off of Cahuenga Boulevard, the Beauty Bar was getting its mind blown by the funky beats of guest DJs kidPEACE and CutmarC. The interior was warm and playful with an aura of pink ambiance befitting of a retro beauty parlor inspired bar. Imagine a mid 1960s set up your grandmother would adore but wouldn’t understand – equipped with faux retro hair dryers, vanity mirrors, vintage beauty décor in the window front, and even a photo booth ($5)…alongside a fully stocked bar.

While taking a shot of rum I noticed that a woman and her boyfriend opened the double doors, peeked inside, and walked up to the bar and asked the bartender if they could get an actual haircut. The bartender looked amused and told them that they were mistaken and asked if they wanted a drink. They declined and exited embarrassed and still hair challenged. My friend, rogue hairstylist and co-guest DJ, CutmarC joked that he should set up shop right there on the bar floor in front of the window so passerby’s could come in and get a cut while they drink. Not a bad idea, I thought. This idea could be good for promotion. It is, after all, the Beauty Bar. Why not make people even more beautiful in La La Land?

                The atmosphere surrounding the Beauty Bar was busy and buzzing with customers getting free bubble gum flavored vodka shots from four very sweet, giving, and camera clutching women in bright pink Britney wigs. My guess is that they were trying to capture all the evidence of debauchery going on. Not a bad set up you finely disguised, sneaky, liquor toting ladies. Outside there was a live television shoot going on – complete with lighting and worried people with clipboards and hands free sets telling patrons on the sidewalk  (who could care less) to move because they were trying to get a scene shot.  You could hear DJ kidPEACE supply the fuel for their shoot with her set of spins starring Bob Marley and The Wailers, Lake Side, and pushing the party into overdrive with songs by Indeep, and Dr Dre. The crowd looked like they were loosening up and gettin’ on their good foot!

It seemed the speakers were sending out a mighty fine buzz because all you could see coming down the street and stopping in front of the Beauty Bar was the Pap. It must have been TMZ because you could see their flashing bulbs and feel their invasiveness from a mile away. You could have sworn that a Hilton or a Lohan tried to escape them by actually walking down the sidewalk trying to escape them. Fueling the beats, DJ kidPEACE and CutmarC shimmied everyone into the jam of some real old school dance classics by The Commodores, James Brown, Rick James, and Stevie Wonder to name a few. After they puppet mastered the dance floor into a funk storm with The Gap Band and Warren G, they brought the bass bumping of Chromeo, and Ducksauce to the mix. At the close of the night DJ kidPEACE ended her set on a high note with her own favorite band Guns N Roses. So money.

Rockers Give Back To LA Youth @ The Avalon

Photo Credit: Love Absurd Productions

Sunday November 22^nd, 2009 The Los Angeles Youth Network hosted a sold out concert, LAYN ROCKS presented by Slash and Friends, at The Avalon in Hollywood. The event was hosted by comedian George Lopez and rock headliners Slash and Ozzy Osbourne. The night’s acts featured collaborative performances by Slash, Ozzy Osbourne, Perry Farrell, Billy Idol, Travis Barker, Chester Bennington, Andrew Stockdale, Dave Navarro, and an opening performance by Juke Kartel. 

The night was full of surprises, with Slash and Friends rocking out to Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” and “Tangerine”, Thin Lizzy’s “Jailbreak”, Wolfmother’s Andrew Stockdale belted out “Woman”, and “By The Sword” off of Slash’s upcoming album. A surprisingly bad ass performance by Chester Bennington during the Zeppelin song “Good Times, Bad Times”. Billy Idol performed “Out Ta Get Me” and “Rebel Yell”. Bennington also nailed “Slither” along with “Paradise City” performed by Stephen Adler on drums and Duff McKagan on bass! Perry Farrell sang “Mountain Song”, “Sympathy For The Devil”, and an unforgettable version of “Jane Says”. Ozzy Osbourne began his set with “I Don’t Know”, “Iron Man”, “Crazy Train”, and ended the night with an unforgettably sung “Paranoid”.

Photo Credit: Love Absurd Productions

The Los Angeles Youth Network, LAYN, is a non-profit organization devoted to ending “homelessness one kid at a time”. At one of the three LAYN homes the youths (12-21 years old) that come through are provided with what many take for granted – a place to sleep, food in their stomach, water, medical services and even counseling, as most come from abuse, were neglected, or abandoned. Without LAYN many of these kids would become a part of the frightening reality that, “Nearly 150,000 people live on the streets of Los Angeles” and that out of that large number “Over 10,000 kids sleep on the street in abandoned buildings and under freeways each night”. It is because of charitable donations made by regular folks like you and I that help the Los Angeles Youth Network provide these kids with “9000 home nights, 13000 meals, 6500+ hours of counseling, 1000 hours of education and tutoring, and 300+ arts and recreation hours” per year.  Imagine if no one contributed to these kids and future adults’ lives.

Photo Credit: Love Absurd Productions

LAYN not only helps youths NOW, it helps prepare them for the FUTURE. Their services provide at risk youths with transitional living programs, vocational and placement services, independent living and job training, that helps to make sure that each kid “successfully completes the permanent transition away from street life to a safe and secure living environment to fully participate in society”. LAYN graduate and fellow guitarist/bass player Jill Avilez, shared why the program is still so important to her. She says, “I was lucky to end up at L.A.Y.N. The program and its supportive staff helped save my life and pull me out of my darkest times. I can wholeheartedly say that if I didn't end up at the Beachwood house I most likely would have committed suicide. They helped me get back into Hollywood High School and influenced me to get better grades and focus more on my arts. They supported my creative self when almost no one else did and it and gave me the confidence to be the unique individual that I am today. I was guided with the tools to help overcome deep mental and emotional trauma and emancipated the program a high school graduate to go on to a 4 year State University to pursue my artistic ambitions". Jill is one of the fortunate“80% of our youth” who “exit our program to live successfully with their families, in foster or group home placements, or independently”.

Jill reminds us that “Not all youth get a chance to explore their own potential and have supporters who genuinely care about their growth and development. And not all youth can find their way to L.A.Y.N., but L.A.Y.N. needs to be there for the ones that do”.  Hopefully along with the celebrity rockers that helped host the LAYN ROCKS concert there will also be more attention to keeping kids off the streets and into a home where they are truly cared for by individuals who want to shed light on an otherwise potentially dark road.

Photo Credit: Love Absurd Productions

12th Annual Outdoor Skating Rink @ Pershing Square

Photo credit: LA Parks

Has it been forever since you've last seen an ice skating rink? Do you think that ice skating is only for New York-based romantic comedies? Well, you're wrong. Nows the perfect time to dust off your pea coats, mittens, scarves, and Nancy Carrigan-esque moves. It's Winter! That means it's time for some serious ass falling on ice!

Here's the deets:

• 532 South Olive Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013.
• Open everyday Thursday, November 19, 2009-Monday, January 18, 2010. 
• Admission: $6 plus skate rental $2! Great prices! 
• Some days have concerts!!!
• Check out their website here!
• The Downtown On Ice Winter Holiday Festival is on Saturday and Sunday December 12 &13, 2009!

Miike Snow Animal (Mark Ronson Remix)

Armand Van Helden & A-TRAK Present Duck Sauce - aNYway

UCLA DJ PANEL: Destructo/A-Trak/Skeet Skeet

Photo by kidPEACE Media

After selling out the two day dance festival HARD Haunted Mansion, Gary Richards/DJ Destructo joined DJ A-Trak and DJ Skeet Skeet for an intimate discussion panel with UCLA students and electronic music fans November 3^rd in Ackerman Grand Ballroom. They discussed their pasts, present, and futures as DJs and as young kids being influenced by music.

Photo by kidPEACE Media

DJ A-Trak kicked off the unmediated panel with his beginnings in Canada circa 1995 as a scratch DJ. When he was thirteen he would spend time “sneaking a couple of scratches on my dad’s record player”. Two years later he became the World Champion of DMC in Montreal (Montreal Battle) and moved on to the Italy World Finals where he proudly states that his mother accompanied him. He says that those battles are what “set off his career”. He attributes a lot of turntable influence on the San Francisco Scratch Movement, where he worked with Q-Bert, Mix Master Mike, Shortkut, and Apollo – The Invisible Scratch Pickles. He did battles, club gigs and was a hip hop DJ. He explained that his past as a hip hop DJ stems from delving into influences such as soul, jazz, and funk. He noted that he has a background in classic rock as well. Around 2004 he met a few DJs in Montreal and in New York while visiting his brother. This is also around the same time Kanye West picked him up as an official DJ where he toured with him for four years. He noticed that the DJs during this time were doing something new – mixing multiple genres in their sets.  A-Trak said that “the DJ sets became a whole mix of genres of anything that could make people dance without really paying attention to what genre or where the song was from, to the point where if it was like in a certain tempo range and it made sense then they would play it, so the tempos kinda went higher up in our sets” and that “It got to the point where this house record, this weird distorted European electronic record, would make sense next to this Outkast song and next to this old school Afrika Bambaataa song”. He believes that pop, rap, and rock music are each headed towards a dip in the electronic direction, “Electronic music is sort of becoming the norm for everything” and that “during the last few years everything’s been meshing”.

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/djatrak

Photo by kidPEACE Media

DJ Skeet Skeet, or Skeeter, is from a small town in Iowa where “the only outlets for music were from…University of Iowa” where he used to go “picking up records and talking to people about music”. He was into punk and hardcore, Inside Out, and “Crappy metal core songs, thinking I wanted to be in Slip Knot”. He moved to LA when he was sixteen and received a football scholarship to San Jose State. There he did lots of music and design related things, “Messing around with DJing because it was fun”. He said he would typically DJ at frat and house parties. He reminisced about his life as a young music nerd, “Me and a bunch of dorky kids who couldn’t get into the cool clubs…were all playing weird records with guys like Steve Aoki”.  He quickly mentions his Paper Magazine DJ of the Year 2008 and then humorously shares that he and A-Trak are both “Pepsi DJs” – a little known fact that they both managed to forget about. They both noticed that there is a competitor’s water bottle on the table where Skeet joked “We can’t even drink this thing. You gotta tear the labels off” with A-Trak motioning to the bottle that “We’ll have to just write Pepsi on there”.

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/djskeetskeet

Photo by kidPEACE Media

DJ Destructo, or Gary Richards took the mic and discussed growing up in Maryland and what it was like having a dad who is in the record business, “he never really made it to the soccer game but I got to see a lot of good music”, “[he] took me to a lot of concerts like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin when I was a little kid”. Richards says he discovered electronic music circa 1989-90 at clubs in downtown LA warehouses he would frequent. He listened to music like Kraftwerk, Run DMC, Luke Skywalker, and 2LiveCrew.  When he first discovered electronic music he was “hooked”. He knew he had to start throwing music events and started doing so in 1990-91. He only knew of a few DJs at the time so he began teaching himself to DJ.

On New Year’s Eve 1992/1993 he did an event called Rave America at Knott’s Berry Farm that sold out tickets to twenty thousand people. Rick Rueben saw how much potential the electronic scene had and approached him with an offer to produce the electronic and techno music Richards had been spinning and knew “that this electronic techno music…would blow up like hip hop”. So he started working with Rueben and signed XL Recordings, Lords of Acid, Prodigy, and Messiah. Richards thought that his dream job had become a reality but quickly realized that despite working with big names like Rueben that “nobody really cared”. This didn’t hinder his passion for music and he kept at it, working at labels like A&M and Interscope. After his brother signed Slip Knot, Richards began working with his brother signing metal bands. In 2006 he “decided that the record business is kinda for the birds these days because no one is buying plastic CDs” and “went back to where I originally started” organizing events such as HARD Haunted Mansion and DJing as his present moniker Destructo.

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/destructohard

As a deservedly proud promoter and DJ, Richards/Destructo mentioned that this New Years Eve will mark the two year anniversary of HARD and that A-Trak was also in attendance and will be headlining it this New Years Eve. In the past there have been such performers as Justice, Peaches, and 2LiveCrew. HARD New Years Eve and Destructo’s Birthday headliners for 2009 into 2010 currently include – Boys Noize, A-Trak, DJ Mehdi, and Destructo. Like any seasoned promoter and realist Richards shares some parting wisdom with all of the collegiates in the audience about how success in the record business really works – “You can work with the best music in the world, but you have to have a lucky break with timing” and “if you are at the right place at the right time and you have something super credible and good, you just get that one chance you know? I worked my whole career to get it, and with HARD it just hit. From two years ago til now it’s taken off. It’s cool that it’s taken off for all of us”.

After the discussion panel the audience was invited to comment, ask questions, and hang out after all the Q&A. The DJs were very humble and grounded for being musical celebrities. They shook hands, took pictures, and even discussed one-on-one with inquiring audience members. Fans were even able to get autographs and some were given HARD t-shirts, Fools Gold stickers (A-Trak’s record label), and almost everyone walked away with a mixed CD filled with tracks highlighting the night’s special guests.

HARD: http://www.hardfest.com/

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/hardfest

Twitter: http://twitter.com/hardfest

How To Make a No-Sew Superhero Cape

How To Make a No-Sew Superhero Cape on Howcast

Another LA Halloween: What To Do (For all ages and if you’re broke, or not broke yet.)

Photo credit: West Hollywood Costume Carnaval

Halloween isn’t just for kiddies with candy! You can find lots of ghoulish things to do around Los Angeles on a budget. If you like bar crawling alongside some of the most awesome and outrageous costumes in the LA area for FREE and ALL AGES then go to West Hollywood’s Costume Carnaval on October 31^st. The over the top event will be held on Santa Monica Blvd from Doheny to La Cienega (1 mile of fun!). Think of a giant train of people going down Santa Monica Blvd dressed in leather, as sexy bumblebees, pimps, school girls, zombies, maybe a giant penis or two, or even multiple Michael Jackson’s and just about any other costume you could contrive. 

As a veteran WEHO clubber it is most wise to get a taxi to the event and show up buzzed because there will be limited amounts of street parking (as blocks of Santa Monica Blvd. will be roped off) and extremely long lines for expensive drinks. If you want the best drink specials I recommend that you pay a visit to the always poppin’ spots like La Cantina and Trunks (Google it!). The best thing about this event is that there are three main stages devoted to music and there are other mini music spaces (PODS) throughout the carnaval.

WEHO Costume Carnaval Line Up:

Vaudeville Stage (@ Almont): Vaud & The Villains (18-piece ragtag house band), Silk Sisters Aerial Acrobat duo, Lux Lacroix (burlesque artist), Karis (hula dance artist), Eve La Dare Stilt Artist.

MC: Vaud Overstreet

Illusion Stage (@ West Knoll): Christopher Wonder (illusionist), Jacqui Kreisler (contortionist), Machina Candeo (fire dancers), Robert Baxt (macabre magician), Pasha & Vladamir (body balancers), Circus Troupe.

MC: Christopher Wonder

Arcade Stage (@ San Vicente): Jeffree Star, Powder, Crush 333, Coronation of the Carnaval Queen (Ricki Lake!), Carnaval Costume Contest.

MC Momma

Music Pod DJ Talent: Zen Freeman, Mia Morretti, Daisy O’Dell, Aaron Colbert, Unification Theory (visual artist), A Graffitti Painting Installation (visual artist).

For more information please check out the West Hollywood Costume Carnaval website here!

Photo credit: HARDFEST.com

If for some reason you have money in your pocket and you want to dance all night you should go to HARD Haunted Mansion. The tickets, going at $75 per night at regular admission and $135 VIP, will sell out! So get your tickets right now and here! Haunted Mansion is going to be ALL AGES and 2 nights long, starting Friday October 30^th and ending Halloween night! Bring money (expect $10-15/beer, $5/water bottle) and bring anything else low-key. There will be lots of costumes! Think women dressed in their sexiest costumes and men to be as trippily dressed or as scantily dressed as possible. Think glow sticks, candy kids, luminescent black lights, light shows, and dilated pupils all around. If you will be partaking in shenanigans (legal and illegal) PLEASE be safe! Get a designated driver or taxi! And remember – Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect! 

After such a massive electronic letdown like HARD Summer where the party got shut down before midnight by the 5-0 and because people were acting rowdy (because some young folks can’t handle their stuff) I think that HARD Haunted Mansion will definitely bring the cosmos to this party! They’ve got a lot to prove with the LA scene again, so I hope – no, I KNOW – that headliners JUSTICE and Deadmau5 will completely hypnotize and redeem the HARD name.  The music will not disappoint! 

HARD Haunted Mansion Line Up:

Friday:

HARD Stage

8:00 Franki Chan, 9:00 Danger, 10:00 A-TRAK, 11:25 The Bloody Beetroots, 1:00 2MANYDJS, 2:35 DEADMAU5.

Expo Hall

8:00 Staccato, 9:30 Harvard Bass, 10:45 Don Rimini, 12:15 Special Guest, 1:30 MIXHELL, 2:45 Special Guest.

Saturday:

HARD Stage

8:00 CLASSIXX, 9:00 Buraka Som Sistema, 10:10 MAJOR LAZER, 11:15 BASEMENT JAXX, 12:30 JUSTICE, 1:50 Special Guest, 3:00 MODESELEKTOR.

Expo Hall

8:00 PAPARAZZI, 9:00 Shinchi Osawa, 10:30 Steve Aoki, 12:00 CROOKERS, 1:30 Special Guest, 3:00 Zombie Nation.

**I am only attending Night #2 for Haunted Mansion so check back with our site for pictures and a review from HALLOWEEN NIGHT!!!**

In the meantime check out these links!

HARD MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/hardfest

Facebook for Gary Richards: http://www.facebook.com/destructo

Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/hardfest

Photo credit: HARDFEST.com

Throwback Thursday - Marvin Gaye "What's Going On / What's Happening Brother"

Who wants to go Friday?

Click here to get more Discotheque info!

New Album Release Tuesday 10/20/09

Electric Six - Kill - MySpace/Website

Florence and The Machine - Lungs - MySpace/Website

Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport - MySpace/Website

Kings of Convenience - Declaration of Dependence - MySpace/Website

Sufjan Stevens - The BQE - MySpace/Website

White Denim - Fits - MySpace/Website

Themselves - Crowns Down - MySpace/Website

Thanks to MetaCritic for all the new and upcoming album release info!