Category Archives: Concert Coverage

Concert Coverage

The Boys Ranch @Craft Lake City

The Boys Ranch played at Craft Lake City DIY Festival On August 10, 2018. After a hearty introduction they kicked off with ripping surf-riffs while vocalist Dennis Fuller snarls “Get Real” into his microphone. Doing so, The Boy Ranch display their take on surf-garage rock with the fun nature of power –driven pop. Flanked by two go-go dancers The Boys Ranch play their hit’s like “Mine Mine Mine”

Their original material is solid as it represents sounds blending nostalgic rock n’ roll with a zest of something modern. However when they burst into their manifestation of The Kink’s “Everybody’s Happy”  the Boys Ranch Magic truly shines. For them it’s familiar tune that truly exemplifies their charm as it is played to a soon-to-be captivated audience.

They end on a new number called the Barracuda. It’s the kind of song that comes with it’s own dance and dares to take on storied classics like the Twist or the Wa Wutsi. It’s especially easy to learn thanks to the coordinated assistance of their Go-Go Dancers.

Overall The Boys Ranch present themselves to be a tight-knit outfit. If The Kinks had traded Chelsea boots for surf-boards, then they would be The Boys Ranch. They are Utah’s answer for desperate surf-driven guitar in an otherwise garage-drought ridden valley.

For the folks at Craft Lake City, The Boys Ranch delivered a performance unlike many others. They not only played music, but they put on a fully interactive  show that demands participation. It’s an experience that leaves one feeling good as rock n’ roll should. Be sure to check them out whenever possible.

Concert Coverage

Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds with The Cavemen and Das Clamps @The Moth Club 09/12/2017

On Saturday night Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds graced London at The Moth Club.
It has been a few years and a different city/country since I’ve witnessed their unique beat poetry, twisting with psychedelic garage driven rock. For this show, I found myself in the striking intimacy of one of London’s more interesting venues and home to The Memorable Order of Tin Hats (a brotherhood of former South African former front-line soldiers). The interior of The Moth Club is adorned with pictures and military medals, with one wall sporting an army helmet as a lamp – celebrating its clubs history. The place reminds me of being in a sort of moose lodge that is dark and intimate, making it perfect for a night of weirdo rock n’ roll. To add to all the excitement, the DJ booth was even protected by chicken wire. The show’s occupant of the DJ cage and curator of vintage sounds, was none other than Jay Burnside of The Flaming Sideburns.

Dig the full article published by @HeatwaveMagazine!!

Concert Coverage

Dirty Water Club & Weirdsville Present: ​The Jackets

Dirty Water Club & Weirdsville Present: ​The Jackets, The Bucky Rage and Fryd Chikin with DJ MR A & Miss A and DJ PJ @Nambucca 08/12/2017

This was a weekend like no other. Weirdsville/Dirty Water presented Londoners with the superb talents of Fryd Chikin, The Bucky Rage and The Jackets. For those uninitiated, travelling to Nambucca for this evening’s entertainment required the sheer determination to brave a night of temperatures dropping to bone chilling levels. Luckily, for the devout rock n’ rollers that lurk in the shadows, this club is constantly home to music that warms the soul… and drinks to dull the senses.

Dig the full article published by Heatwave Magazine!

 

Concert Coverage

Factory DE JOIE @ The Victoria November 25, 2017

Poster: Dawn Aquarius
Featuring The Cavemen (NZ), The Snides, Suicide Generation, Moto Vamp and Flesh with DJ John The Revelator, DJ La Titis and DJ Alexander Coates-Leprechauns

Helen De Joie’s fourth club all-dayer/night has a knack for featuring some tremendous talent. Usually it’s a night dedicated to all things 60’s psychedelic and hedonistic, but tonight Factory De Joie’s theme is punk rock in the vein of an Andy Warhol vibe, meeting the infamous CBGB’s – just not in New York City, but rather at the ever so hip Victoria in Dalston, East London. Thanks to the dim lighting and scenes from Punk Revolution projected onto the backdrop of the stage, the atmosphere for Factory De Joie was set. This night drew on strictly vinyl DJ’s serenading the audience through spinning classic and deep cuts of punk records, with punk and glam bands wreaking havoc. With the inspiring expressiveness of burlesque dancers providing the intermissions more saucy entertainment.

Check out the full show review, published by Heatwave Magazine!!

Concert Coverage

TINARIWEN, DENGUE FEVER @ THE STATE ROOM 04.07

Tinariwen with the support of Dengue Fever was not a show to be missed. Both groups capture the aspects of music that require no translation. They perform with humility and with grace. Ideally, this is music for all types who show interest in something unique, and at The State Room, with its splendid seating arrangement and equally superior sound and light system, they attracted a wide array of Salt Lake’s keen showgoers. Many, I’d assume, are attending with an energetic curiosity as to what groups like these have to offer, but with a mid-range ticket price, it’d be a fair suggestion that those here appreciate musical diversity in an otherwise white-bread culture….

Read the full article about the Tinariwen and Dengue Fever show published at SLUG Magazine.

Concert Coverage, Event Coverage

PUNK ROCK BOWLING & MUSIC FESTIVAL 2016

Giuda
 Photos courtesy of Tyson Heder

If one were to choose to walk through the layered depths of the punk rock community, they should strive to find themselves wallowing in the heat of the Punk Rock Bowling Festival. The festival is held on a parking lot adjacent to Fremont, and its largely open space lacks cover from the blistering heat of the sun. One can always purchase a $2 water to stay hydrated, although I’d wager that more money is probably spent on pints and whiskey cokes. The festival attendees are as diverse as the variety of punky hair colors, though there is the fascinating commonality of wearing all black, as if to tempt the wrath of heat exhaustion. The unforgiving heat aside, this gathering serves to inspire community and camaraderie under the banner of all things punk rock. The festival is a space where one can feel at home and comfortable while surrounded by those who celebrate the varied degrees of a storied subculture. Here, one can get all the applicable accessories from clothing, pins, hats and rare records from stalls like that of Anaheim, California’s Radiation Records. Unlike years past which have been largely apolitical, this year’s Punk Rock Bowling has an unofficial theme of denouncing Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump—a sentiment that is easy and popular to get behind.

Read the full story published @ SLUG Magazine!!

Concert Coverage

NOBUNNY @ KILBY COURT 10.17 WITH THE NODS AND BREAKERS

Nobunny!!

This evening’s lineup is promising, and to kick things off, The Nods set the tone for a night of rambunctious rock n’ roll. Out of the openers, the Nods benefit most from their set—they sound great and are on their game, flawlessly knocking out their signature psychedelic-inspired Back From The Grave–like rock n’ roll that meets the aggression of ’70s New York punk sound. It’s a sound that suggests maturity, even though The Nods exude youth that comes from the depths of the garage.

Dig the full gig review published @ SLUG Magazine!!

Concert Coverage

RIOT FEST 2015

Iggy Pop performing at the Rebel Stage at Riot Fest 2015, Denver

Arriving at Riot Fest 2015 in Denver, I can’t appreciate the certain irony of the “death before shorts” mantra that I live by. It’s hot as hell, and living by that code may, in fact, be the end of me. The festival is held at the National Western Complex and there is little shade on the dusty gravel lots. The only relief can be found inside the stadium where the Radical Stage is located. When the wind picks up or an impressive mosh pit forms, dust gets kicked in the air making trying to breathe an exciting adventure. This dry, dusty Mad Max–like environment visually explains why most festival-goers have bandanas around their necks. The resulting appearance makes me think of punk rockers cast out of a post-apocalypse film, kind of what like one could expect from a punk version of Burning Man, minus the burned-out hippies and steampunk enthusiasts. As I make my way through the assorted food tents and brightly lit amusement park rides, I eventually find myself at my destination at the Roots Stage to check out De La Soul.

Dig the full festival coverage published @ SLUG Magazine!!

Concert Coverage

TINARIWEN @ URBAN 08.13 WITH JJUUJJUU

TINARIWEN

The word in town surrounding tonight’s show has held my firm interest for months, as Tinariwen offer the appeal of the unique and the exotic. Upon entering Urban Lounge, I have slight concerns that the gig may be subject to a low attendance, but the night is still young, and throughout JJUUJJUU’s setup, the curious hip types of Salt Lake are still filing in. This audience represents a broad age range with open minds.

Dig The Full Review @ SLUG Magazine!!

Concert Coverage

THE ADOLESCENTS @ URBAN LOUNGE 07.17 WITH THE WEIRDOS AND ALL SYSTEMS FAIL

The Weirdos played an awesome set at Urban Lounge on July 17.

The Weirdos played an awesome set at Urban Lounge on July 17.

This evening holds a promise of excitement from two legendary groups who’ve helped build the foundation of punk—The Weirdos and The Adolescents. The latter I’ve seen before while living in London, but with the addition of the former, it’s all I can do to keep my composure as I hang in the patio of the Urban Lounge. The place was packed and, while this is not necessarily surprising for a Friday night, it is interesting to see several generations of punk rockers under one roof—studs, bristles and all. I can’t help but acknowledge some romantic notions of this gathering being a symbol of the rich legacy of punk in Utah.

Dig the full coverage @SLUG Magazine!