No Doubt at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater (8/4/09)

I wish I could take credit for discovering No Doubt in the early days. It was my best friend in high school who told me about this insanely cool ska band from Anaheim called No Doubt. I listened to their self-titled debut album and was intrigued enough to check them out live.

We somehow heard that they were playing a warehouse in Orange back in 1994 when we were record shopping at Bionic records in Cypress. I will never forget being in a cramped warehouse watching No Doubt play to a small legion of devoted fans as they played a lot of tracks off their soon to be released Beacon Street Collection.

It is hard to believe that fifteen years later they would sell out four nights at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine. Even more astonishing is the fact that they did it without even releasing a new album. It was impossible not to smile while taking in their electric performance and thinking that they were having the time of their life on stage.

The Sounds




Even though they hail from Sweden, The Sounds seem to play the Los Angeles and Orange County area quite often. I even have a review of them back in November 2006 when they played the Galaxy theater with the Japanese Motors. I unfortunately missed their headlining secret show at the Key Club on their day off the No Doubt tour.

The Sounds may have the same background as they did in 2006 but definitely have a new album Crossing The Rubicon. Faced with a brief time slot, Maja Ivarsson (Vocals) quickly tore into the synthesizer fueled "Tony The Beat" from their prior album Dying To Say This To You.

The lyrics to "Hurt You" were playfully acted out onstage between Maya and her co-conspirators Felix Rodriguez (Guitars) and Jesper Anderberg (Guitars/Synthesizers)."Beatbox" and "Hope You're Happy Now" rounded out their way too short of a set. Luckily, The Sounds will be back at the Greek Theater on October 21st and at the House of Blues San Diego on October 23rd.

No Doubt





I don't think you could pack anymore people into the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine on both of the nights that I attended. The fire marshal must have been on vacation or a big fan because it was ridiculously stuffed. It was humorous to note that they even converted some of the men's bathrooms to women's in order to accommodate the 9:1 female to male ratio.

"Spiderwebs" was the perfect opener to the evening with its bouncy guitars courtesy of Tom Dumont (Guitars) and the loopy bass of Tony Kanal (Bass). Adrian Young was perched atop a large white spider shaped space ship. While Gwen attracts a lot of the attention, it is the combined skill, musicianship and chemistry of all the members that make No Doubt one of the top live bands today.

No Doubt unleashed hit after hit by tackling "Hella Good", "Underneath It All" and "Excuse Me Mr." in a row. In the photography department, I was a kid in the candy store. The stage lighting must have been designed by a concert photographer with numerous hot white spotlights following each band member and a gigantic colorful LCD screen behind them.

One would think that playing that many nights in a row might grow tedious, but the permanent grins attached to each member of the band could not be faked. I was particularly impressed with Gwen bringing individual fans up on stage to sign autographs and pose for pictures in between the songs. I can say that I haven't seen that at a show.

"New" was one of the highlights of the set with its driving palm-muted guitar riff and Virus like analog keyboard stabs. Synthesizers also played a large role in "Hey Baby" with the bass line making everyone's hips move. The crowd was going crazy throughout the evening with the whole lawn jumping up and down at the direction of Gwen at one point.

The spry cover of "Stand And Deliver" featured the assistance of Maja from the Sounds and Katy Perry. Katy Perry seemed to be shellshocked that she was even onstage with No Doubt because she barely sang. "Sunday Morning" closed out the evening in grand fashion that still left the 16,000 plus people wanting more. It seems that No Doubt could have sold out 4 more nights in Irvine if they wanted to.

Judas Priest at the Gibson Amphitheater

It is difficult for me to grasp the idea that my first concert was twenty-five years ago. I was at a very impressionable age. In the height of when bands were deemed "Satanic" and with the PRMC campaigning for the ban of Heavy Metal, my father wanted to make his two sons happy by taking them to see Judas Priest at the Long Beach Arena in 1984. It was something I will never forget. The following review will be heavily biased as my sentimental meter was on overload.

Whitesnake






I was never the biggest Whitesnake fan, but definitely loved the videos as a young boy. Who doesn't remember Tawny Kitaen dancing on a pair of Jaguar automobiles? It turns out 1984 was the recurring theme for this night as David Coverdale (Vocals) mentioned they were celebrating the 25th anniversary of the release of their album Slide It In.

After opening with "Bad Boys", I will admit I do remember "Love Ain't No Stranger" and was instantly transported to the days of cassettes, long hair and listening to KNAC all day. I was chuckling during "Slow An' Easy" thinking about I had no idea what this song was talking about back in the day. I was hoping for "Slide It In" but alas it was not played.

Another good sign your were at a hard rock show was the intense light show employed by Whitesnake. David Coverdale wore a white shirt and white shoes that radiated when he was lit up by the spot lights. Most bands like to hide in red or low lights, but Whitesnake wanted you to know you were getting rocked by Whitesnake.

Doug Aldrich (Guitars) and Reb Beach (Guitars) had the obligatory shred off with squealing harmonics and judacious guitar gymnastics. It was almost as if this concert was taken straight from the vaults. Out of the hundreds of shows I have reviewed in the last couple of years, I can't recall a good guitar duel.

I wondered on Twitter if Whitesnake could be considered forefathers of the power ballad during "Is This Love". Whitesnake even dialed up the similar synthesizer presets. Nice touch indeed. They finished their set with "Here I Go Again" and "Still Of The Night". I witnessed a lot of beers hoisted in the air approving their set.

Judas Priest







One of the things I remember from the classic Judas Priest show in 1984 was when Rob Halford (Vocals) comes storming out on the Harley Davidson motorcycle. It doesn't get any more metal then that. I enthusiastically noted a fair amount of young kids in the audience who were with their fathers.

A large curtain dropped as Judas Priest slammed into the title track from British Steel "Rapid Fire". The members of Judas Priest were back a number of feet from the front of the stage for the first song which presented few close up photo opportunities.

It wasn't until the blazing guitars of "Metal Gods" that K.K Downing would bring his trademark flying "V" guitar up front for some choice photos. It was extremely nerve wracking taking photos of these Birmingham metal legends.

The surreal moment of the evening came when I was in the pit during "Breaking The Law". It seemed to go by in seconds as I barely caught the fleeting moment of K.K. Downing, Rob Halford and Glenn Tipton front and center. All the late night hours and energy I put into this website was worth those very precious few minutes in photo pit.

Ian Hill (Bass) looked exactly the same thrashing away tirelessly on his bass while Glenn Tipton and K.K Downing effortlessly negotiated their fretboards. I think I lost a few followers on Twitter due to my incessant updates of glee. I should have been paying attention to the lyrics for "You Don't Have To Be Old To Be Wise".

At the majority of the concerts I attend, all of my friends know I am fairly reserved as I am taking notes or carefully observing the show. This was not the case during "Living After Midnight". I was singing along with my fist in the air "Rockin' to the Dawn!"

Judas Priest would dig deep after their triumphant completion of British Steel for an astounding version of "The Ripper". Fast forwarding to the present the backdrop changed for the prog rock tinged "Nostradamus". Rivaling "Breaking The Law" in nostalgia factor was when Rob Halford appeared on a British Steel styled Harley Davidson for "Freewheel Burning" which gave me goose bumps circa 1984.

"Diamonds And Rust" was a pleasant surprise as I made a pact not to cheat and look at setlists from their prior shows. The house was coming down by the time Judas Priest played the classic "You've Got Another Thing Comin'". I know I missed a lot of details I normally would have caught or remembered but I reverted to my old care free self in 1984 who was amazed at the spectacle of live music. I immediately secured my ticket to see the show again on 8/5 at the Pacific Amphitheater. Do not miss this show if you own a Judas Priest album.

No Doubt at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

Check out my photos of No Doubt at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine over at OC Weekly.

I caught Gwen Stefani in Las Vegas for her tour in support of her solo album here.

Love and Rockets Tribute Album Release Party at Space 15 Twenty

A couple of days ago, I dropped by Space 15 Twenty for the release party of New Tales To Tell A Tribute to Love and Rockets. Shepard Fairey was on the decks for a DJ set along with performances by Astra Heights, Vex and Sweethead. Ironically, the last time I saw Shepard DJ was at the Glass House for the Love and Rockets warm up show prior to Coachella.

The bands involved in contributing tracks happen to be some of my favorite bands including Film School, A Place to Bury Strangers, Puscifer, Sweethead, and Black Francis.

Blaqk Audio (featuring members of AFI) had the prized slot by adding a synth feel to "No New Tale To Tell". Black Francis gave "All In My Mind" his characteristic edgy slant with rambling guitars. "Holiday On The Moon" gets deconstructed to a pulsating electronic minimalist groove with Maynard James Keenan's trademark floating vocals. Film School dials up their astounding wall of sound for a space fuzz take on "An American Dream". The squeals of feedback and pulsating drums of "The Light" by A Place To Bury Strangers might be my favorite interpretation with its haunting overtones.

A Bubbleman did make a roving appearance during the evening and I did spot Daniel Ash on the premises. I was busy catching up with some friends so I didn't catch too much of the performances. It is no coincidence that this is currently featured on the front of the itunes page in the column "What We're Listening to". At least someone has good taste at itunes.

Glasvegas at the Henry Fonda Theater

Some of my favorite bands hail from Scotland. Jesus and The Mary Chain, Mogwai and Teenage Fanclub all comprise distinct spots in my music collection and are frequently visited throughout the year. Glasvegas also hail from Scotland and I was interested to see if they could live up to their esteemed countrymen.

Ida Maria






It seems that bands are coming to grips with the notion that they have to tour constantly to sustain momentum from the release of their album. I just saw Ida Maria almost a month ago when she played the Detroit Bar for OC Weekly. I didn't review the show but I do vividly remember her taking shots of Jagermeister on stage.

Ida Maria may have been slightly inebriated for her show at the Detroit bar, but came to slay and play on this particular night. It was a large Los Angeles crowd, so Ida smartly filed a top performance kicking things off with "Morning Light". Clothed in a sparkling gold dress, Ida thrashed away on her Fender Stratocaster in between emphatically waving her arms to "Louie".

Her band mates looked and sounded sharp ably rounding out her poignant tunes. The crowd responded favorably to her set with some of the high points being "Stella" and "I Like You So Much Better When Your Naked". Ida really shines on "Oh My God" in which she demonstrates she has more to offer then raspy vocals.

Ida will continue to open for Glasvegas on this tour with notable slots at Lollapalooza and the Monolith Festival in Colorado. If she turns in performances like she did at the Henry Fonda, she won't be opening for other bands much longer.


Glasvegas





Glasvegas continues to storm the US in support of their debut album. I was disappointed they cancelled their appearance at Coachella this year as they were one of the bands I was interested in checking out. I also missed their extremely sold out Troubadour show a few months back coupled with an stripped down show at the Hollywood Forever.

In case you missed the memo, Glasvegas has quite the following in the UK. NME has praised the band and their self-titled debut album lauding it in the same company of Oasis and Blur. Glasvegas have maintained a grueling tour schedule to help spread the word and make an impact here stateside.

Glasvegas made quite a splash opening with my favorite song "Geraldine" with its careening guitars and soaring vocal harmonies. James Allan (Vocals/Guitars) was the essence of cool with his Ray Ban shades and beautiful Fender Jazzmaster. His cousin Rab Allan (Guitars) had a lefty Fender Stratocaster plugged into a wall of Fender amplifiers to produce an avalanche of thick fuzzy guitars.

While I felt Caroline Mckay's drumming was a tad on the robotic side, the wall of sound between the guitars and the steady bass playing of Paul Donoghue lived up to the hype and can't be ignored. Glasvegas also employed a heavy dose of strobe lights along with the brilliant lighting rig of the Henry Fonda theater make it one of the better lit shows of the year.

The guitars continued to jangle during "It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry" while James Allan's thick Scottish accent adds a distinctive charm to all their songs. Glasvegas would even dip into their Christmas EP by tackling the not so warm but definitely fuzzy tune "Fuck You, It's Over".

"Flowers And Football Tops" was another impressive track with James leading the crowd to sing the catchy "Wha Whoa Oh". Glasvegas did slow things down a tad with "Ice Cream Van" but immediately resumed their quickened pace with a scorching version of "Go Square Go". The evening came to a close with faithful versions of "S.A.D Light" and "Daddy's Gone". I would assume this show would bring a close to the touring cycle for their album, but you never know these days.

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart at the Echo

It was a hot summer day and an even hotter line up at the Echo. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart kicked off their tour after their well received set at the Pitchfork Festival.

Champagne Socialists




Champagne Socialists kicked things off with a garage rocky set led by the spunky lead vocals of Jihae Simmons Meek. They seemed like a young band trying to work out the kinks as indicated by their myspace page originating back to November of 2008. They happen to be labelmates of The Pain of Being Pure At Heart with their EP being released on Slumberland records.

I was thinking their set might have been more appropriate for the Smell. It was no coincidence that they will be playing the Smell in November after their short tour with The Pains of Being Pure At Heart ends. They reminded me vocally of Dance Hall Crashers if they listened to Sixties garage rock especially "Teardrop Tattoo".

Girls






Girls started slow but finished extremely strong. Looking like they just got off the trolley from San Francisco, Girls defied my visual expectations with a solid sonically sculpted set. "Solitude" was my only prior exposure to their wide branching sounds with its breezy '50s stylized rock.

The Girls recently made headlines about their penchant for drugs elucidated by Stereogum. It was interesting to note the Girls walk the walk and talk the talk as the members had some dark circles under their eyes. I guess they didn't get much sleep the night before.

I also dug their live rendition of "Hellhole Rat Race". I will be investigating their full length album when it is released. Girls will be back soon opening for Los Campesinos! at the El Rey Theatre on August 21 and Detroit Bar on August 23. I hope to catch one of those shows.


The Pains of Being Pure At Heart






The Pains of Being Pure At Heart might be the easiest and longest term to google for a band name. While they probably should have consulted someone prior to choosing their band name, they don't need any lessons on creating catchy tunes.

I had heard "Young Adult Friction" and was intrigued enough to check them out. In the gear department, I was excited when I saw a Nord Lead 2x keyboard for Peggy Wang (Keyboards/Vocals) and a homemade fuzz pedal setup for Kip Berman. (Vocals/Guitars).

I will admit I am a sucker for jangly guitars. It just so happened that the guitars didn't relent with their sugary textures. It was difficult to hear Peggy's keyboards in the mix but the two guitars roared all night backed by the constant thumping of Alex Naidus (Bass) and Kurt Feldman (Drums).

What really sold me was how impressive their new songs sounded. A new EP will be released on September 22 entitled Higher Than The Stars. The title track had parts of Teenage Fanclub mixed with elements of Stone Roses as I couldn't help bounce along. The songs are short and sweet with addiction potential of your favorite candy.

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart will be back for a show at the Troubadour on September 19th with Cymbals Eat Guitars and the Depreciation Guild along with a stop at the Casbah on September 21st. I will definitely catch them again.