November 13, 2011

Posts Comments

You are here: Home / Archives for festival

Concert Preview: Sezio’s Four Day Weekend

November 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Sezio's Four Day Weekend will take place Nov. 10-13 at Sunset Temple.

By Liz Allick

Sezio’s Four Day Weekend
Sunset Temple
November 10-13

Here is some great news for San Diego Indie-music lovers – from Nov. 10-13 Sezio will be bringing their four-day evening music festival to North Park. Concertgoers can catch an individual show for only $10.00, but it’s a guarantee that a $30.00 ticket to see all twelve artists (three shows a night) is well worth the money.

Sezio is a non-profit organization that aims to provide “resources, exposure and community support to emerging artists and musicians through a variety of new media, events, retail and community programs.” Working with local San Diego venues, artists, retailers and other companies, Sezio hosts a variety of shows with artists that are all on a definite must-go-see list such as Deer Tick on Oct. 31 and Ra Ra Riot on Nov. 9.

In the past Sezio has put on amazing events like Live @ Luce Loft in San Diego’s East Village in March 2009, a five-night series featuring ten emerging local artists in an intimate living room setting. Due to the epic success of this event, Sezio doubled the size of the living room and last year put on a four-night series of California-based bands headlined by The Dodos, Dominant Legs, The Tree Ring and, a personal favorite, Avi Buffalo.

This year’s Four Day Weekend, featuring even more artists in a new location, North Park’s Sunset Temple, will be a weekend event that cannot be missed. Headlining Thursday evening is Peter Wolf Crier, comprised of the Minneapolis-based duo Peter Pisano and Brian Moen. When The War of 1812 reached its end, Pisano, their front man, took the opportunity to begin forming the foundation of what would later become this amazing pair of musicians. Keeping his day job as a private school teacher, Pisano spent his evening developing and fine-tuning the works that turned into Peter Wolf Crier’s first album Inter-Be. Pisano reached out to Moen for his known accomplishments as a drummer and sound engineer, the duo completed the album that fully carries the amount of thought and soul that went into its creation. Their music is a combination of Indie-folk and pop, but their album is a diverse collection of songs with a beautiful range from more upbeat and light hearted tracks such as “Crutch and Cane” to deeper and more resonant songs like “Hard as Nails” driven by the drumming talent of Moen. Their second album Garden of Arms released this past September was another illustration of the amazing music two people can create together and explored their talents in even more ways adding in another set of unique musical elements. Across the board, Peter Wolf Crier is sure to please the ears of listeners, and grouped with artists such as The Woods and Bon Iver, their show will be a demonstration of musical talent that will be a great kick-start to the weekend.

Friday will feature yet another greater headliner, Dirty Gold. This native San Diego threesome released their first EP only a few months ago in April, but their obvious talent and individualistic sound has gained them deserving popularity, all at a very ripe young age. Music they classify as “Afro-Beat/Experimental/Beach-Pop/Surf pop” couldn’t be classified as anything else. Their music, especially with tracks like “California Sunrise” will have listeners pressing repeat with easy-listening tunes that are resonant of 1960s beach jams, but with a modern personalized feel with accompaniments from an afro-pop guitar and xylophone. With their talent being recognized at such a fast pace, their performance at this year’s Four Day Weekend could be an opportunity to see them before they are selling out shows.

Saturday’s headliner, Lord Huron, is another new name that cannot be missed. His music is definitely something in its own, with a folk feel driven by Ben Schneider’s voice, underlined with Afro-Caribbean percussion and sound elements like subtle seagulls in the background. It’s definitely an experience worth listening to. Lord Huron’s new and irresistible sound landed the group appearances at major festivals like Lollapalooza this summer and his live performance exceeded expectations. The group on stage brings such a range of music and every song is equally great across the board. Another name that is rapidly gaining attention, especially in the Indie-music blogging sphere, makes him a performance that is sure to draw quite a crowd at the Four Day Weekend.

Wrapping up the event is Sunday’s headliner Real Estate. While the name might not evoke an immediate response of excitement, especially for business majors, their music will- especially when USD students find out one of the band’s most popular songs is entitled “Beach Comber.” No, this track is not about Mission Beach residents’ favorite establishment, but the song will still get listeners bobbing their heads along. This Indie-Rock group from New Jersey released their first album self-titled Real Estate in November 2009 and since then, have put out consistently great works, including their new album Days. With a mellow summertime feel to their music, they will carry on this theme of easy, beach listening sure to make this year’s Four Day Weekend quite a show, alongside eight other up and coming artists.

Buy Four Day Weekend All-Access Pass ($30)

 

Filed Under: Concerts, Upcoming Shows, USD Radio Tagged With: , ,

Festival: Lightning In A Bottle

June 5, 2011 By 1 Comment

 

Pretty Lights- www.lightninginabottle.org

USD Radio had the great pleasure of covering the Lightning In A Bottle festival in Silverado, CA, over Memorial Day weekend, May 27th-30th.  This Do Lab production featured Pretty Lights, MiMOSA, Thievery Corporation, Beats Antique, yoga, workshops, art installations and infinitely more.

By: Chuck Cartwright

The Do Lab laid the vibe on thick.  Or maybe it was the over twelve thousand people who came out from all corners of society to partake in the festival of life and love.  One could never be sure how many countries or cultures were represented at Lightning In A Bottle, but the world town was indeed out in full force to experience the amazing.

Lightning In A Bottle was the festival incarnation of the infamous LA based Do Lab collective.  You may be familiar with The Do Lab from their perennial hydro-infused, dub step fueled oasis at Coachella (USD Radio spoke with cofounder Jesse Flemming prior to the festival). However  Lighting In A Bottle was nothing like Coachella.

The event took place only an hour and a half away from San Diego; not far from the suburban strip mall wasteland of Tustin, but far enough to be safely within the confines of the Oak Valley Ranch.  Festival goers were transported from their cars to the campgrounds in a innovative hay truck valet.

The camping wasn’t divided into meticulously marked parcels, in a neat grid.  It was a land grab reminiscent of the 1849 gold rush, with a tent city hippie slum paradise created in merely hours.  Large sprawling makeshift compounds and small individual tents were arranged in a spontaneous hodgepodge of mayhem.  After attendees settled in, it was straight to the festival.

No airport-like security, no brash security guards wearing visually abrasive yellow shirts–in fact there were none of the cumbersome regulations that have come to characterize most large-scale events in the U.S.  Folks were permitted to bring in cocktails, snacks, hoola hoops, stilts, bikes, or whatever else they pleased.  It was like our world of bureaucratic regulation and so-called safety precautions never even existed.

Though the whole festival was phenomenal and unlike anything else (it has been referred to as Burning Man’s younger/tamer So Cal cousin), a few artists’ sets stood out above the rest.

MiMoSA’s performance set the festival off on Friday night with his distinct blend of heavy bass dubstep peppered with classic hip hip verses.  The crowd was excited with fresh legs ready to dance, as MiMOSA was the first night’s headliner.  He dutifully orchestrated the whomping well into the wee hours.

Beats Antique was a huge surprise.  Choreographed free drums, and graceful belly dancing brought the world music to life.  Then things got weird when performance art troupe Lucient Dossier entered the equation with plush animal head masks and a meticulously practiced dance routine.  Overall the performance was an overwhelmingly captivating production, complimented by fantastic music.

USD Radio favorite, Pretty Lights didn’t disappoint.  Although lacking his performance drummer, the set impressed with a mix of old and new material complimented by an amazing LED light display.  Part way through his set, during an extended version of the classic “Finally Moving”, dew-like rain began to fall–the natural and artificial environments collided creating an unforgettable ambiance. He even debuted a new remix.

The festival brought together a menagerie of subcultures; vibrant costumes and nice people from every place imaginable.  There were art installations and performance art pieces galore, with amazing ambient lighting adding to the expertly crafted dreamlike environments.  The event never slept, as music played virtually 24/7 with booming variations of dubstep playing throughout the weekend.  It was like a hippie’s Ibiza–some sort of escapist utopia where no one held anyone else to any expectations.  There were people of all ages and backgrounds.  One didn’t have to be anyone, but one could also be anything they chose to be.  It was a refreshing freedom, removed from the hustle and bustle of southern California.  Once word from this year’s festival spreads, the event will only grow, as I’m sure everyone who attended this year will return.

Photo by Caesar Sebastian

Filed Under: USD Radio Tagged With: ,

Summer Break Series- Electrifying: A Review of Friday EDC by The Coto Twins

September 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Aaaaaaooooookkkkkiiiii

FRIDAY

by The Coto Twins

Ask an average person what the Electric Daisy Carnival is and they will probably say anything from “I don’t know” to “that electric music concert at the Coliseum.” Ask someone who was there and they’ll say “awesome,” “amazing,” “massive.” As of now, Electric Daisy Carnival is the largest electronic music event outside of Europe. Attendance reached 185,000 during two nights of heavy beats, mind-bending art and neon lights. The lineup of DJs this year included some of the best electro, drum n bass, trance, house and dubstep music in the world today.

DJ Chuckie

This Dutch DJ played his signature songs, including “Let the Bass Kick,” and a remix of LMFAO. Considering how early in the evening his set was (6 p.m.), he did a great job of getting the crowds at the main field started for a night of fun and dancing. We tried to get an interview with this founder of the ‘Dirty Dutch’ house concept, but, unfortunately, schedules conflicted and we couldn’t. Either way, his set was impressive.

Evol Intent

Unfortunately, Evol Intent was the only drum n bass act that we got to see on Friday night, but they brought it as hard as anyone would have wanted. Not only did they bring their familiar fast-paced rhythms, but they included some of the dirtiest dubstep of the whole event.

Armand van Helden

Armand van Helden, as always, came with a heavy set that kept everyone dancing, even to the final hours of Friday night. He played some of his own hits like “Witch Doctor” and a remix of his “NYC Beat.” He even played some very interesting remixes of “Raven” by Proxy, and the Bloody Beetroots’ “Warp 1.9.”

Swedish House Mafia

If you were at Swedish House Mafia Friday night, then you saw what was probably the best set of the weekend.  There had been much buzz about the DJ trio prior to their set and what seemed like all of Los Angeles packed into the coliseum in anticipation. With the field and stands filled up, Swedish House Mafia did not disappoint. Song after song had every last person on their feet and dancing as they dropped a perfect balance between memorable classics and cutting edge techno with songs such as Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” Benny Benassi’s “Satisfaction,” as well as the original mix of “One.” From start to finish, Swedish House Mafia’s set proved to be a spectacular performance that has undoubtedly established the group as premier members of the DJ world.

Deadmau5

Deadmau5 is perhaps the biggest Canadian DJ to hit the house scene in America, and Friday night he definitely proved it. With an epic set of classic songs, Deadmau5 did not disappoint. With his awesome build ups and pounding beats, Deadmau5 had the crowd moving the entire set. Perhaps the craziest part of Deadmau5’s set was his new visuals.  With a giant green-lit mouse helmet sitting atop a giant green cube, his visuals proved to be a real trip.

Manufactured Superstars

This Colorado duo comprised of Brad Roulier and Shawn Sabo definitely put on a great set. Playing earlier in the day at the Neon Garden, the Manufactured Superstars dropped some great techno beats that got everyone moving. Accompanied by onstage dragons and geisha girls, the duo really got the crowd warmed up for the night to come.

Steve Aoki

As the owner of the Dim Mak record label, Steve Aoki has discovered some of the most hard hitting and explosive artists on the electronic scene today. While is expertise as a record label owner is undeniable, one can only truly enjoy Aoki’s work once he takes the stage. With a combination of hard hitting techno and metal, Steve Aoki had the entire crowd moving.  Whether they were dancing or moshing, the crowd at the Cosmic Meadow Stage was in no way prepared for the surprise Aoki had in store. Halfway through his set, Steve Aoki cut the music and prepared to introduce his special guest.  With the crowd waiting in anticipation, Rivers Cuomo, frontman of Weezer, walked out on stage and grabbed a mic. The following couple of minutes became one of the most mind blowing moments of the entire weekend. Singing over some great techno beats, Cuomo offered a fresh sound to Aoki’s thumping style, and even sang the classic “Hashpipe.”


Filed Under: Music Festivals, USD Radio Tagged With: ,

Sasquatch! 2010

June 9, 2010 By

The Sasquatch Festival returned to the Gorge Amphitheater of George, Washington for its 9th annual affair.  The famously gorgeous vantage of the Columbia River Gorge played background to another stellar lineup of tunes for the 3-day Memorial Weekend Festival. Headliners amongst the dozens of acts playing on four different stages included Vampire Weekend, My Morning Jacket, DeadMau5, Massive Attack, Pavement, MGMT, and Ween. Record crowds braved the volatile Northwestern spring time weather to enjoy a wild success of a weekend on par with Coachella, Outside Lands and the rest of the Left Coast’s best festivals. Check out some of the highlights below.

Saturday:

Portugal. The Man

The Alaskan psych rockers provided an afternoon treat early in the festival with an excellent set on the Bigfoot stage. Leadman Josh Gourley’s vocals were as impressive as ever and the gang put on a dynamic live show that proved they certainly can translate the versatility of their six LP’s to the stage.

Broken Social Scene

Kevin Drew & Co. lit up the main stage with a set that debuted their recently released Forgiveness Rock Record while featuring several classics such as “Cause=Time” from their 2002 You Forgot It In People. The former is one this this spring’s finer releases and BSS showed their five year recording hiatus was well worth the wait.

Vampire Weekend

While listeners may debate over the final verdict of VW’s Contra, there was no room to argue about their Saturday night set. The Ivy League quartet rocked the main stage crowd as well as any other act during the weekend. Much to the pleasure of the audience, the set featured plenty of the surefire crowd pleasing hits off the group’s debut LP. But the gusto and precision that they packed into their new songs ensured that the entire set kept Sasquatchers on their feet and dancing.

My Morning Jacket

I’m about 90% sure Jim James’ monumentally magnificent beard alone would have satisfied the crowd. Fortunately it was accompanied by some talented musicians and a hell of a rock show and a fitting end to the first day.

Sunday:

Local Natives

The LA Natives have had quite the string of success since the release of their debut LP Gorilla Manor. They’ve found themselves playing to eager fans across Europe, at SXSW, Coachella and now at Squatch. Having being fortunate enough to see them live before, this was one of their more impressive performances. Their harmonies were as pristine as ever, but their energy was ratcheted up to new levels.

A-Trak

From fitting Kanye with beats to keeping HARD festivals on their feet, A-Trak ha succeeded on about as many fronts as you could expect from a DJ/producer. So it should have come as no surprise when his Sunday set was one of the Rumpus Room dance tent’s best performances of the entire weekend. Indicative of the set’s success, about half of my friends had to leave the set early because A-Trak’s on stage work lead them to dance themselves into a sweaty, fatigued daze within the first half hour.

LCD Soundsystem

I forewarned every Sasquatcher I could that James Murphy and his ensemble were one of the top sets of Coachella 2010. LCD’s Sasquatch performance did not let us down. In fact, their performance–albeit shorter than we would’ve hoped do to an early set time–was easily one of the main stage’s finest. If you’ve not checked out their “This Is Happening” LP released earlier this year, do so. And if you happen to be near one of the summer festivals they’re playing in the near future, do yourself a favor and go.


Pavement

Stephen Malkmus alerted the crowd that Pavement had played the very Gorge stage they headlined this year fifteen years prior. And while a fan nearby noted that it was strange to watch one of the best bands of the 90′s play in 2010, there show was fabulous. I couldn’t help but let the nostalgia in while they delivered an incredible set that showed they’ve not lost their touch. Sasquatch certainly benefited from Pavement’s reunion tour pitstop in George.

Monday:

Phantogram

If I had a dollar for every time we played Phantogram’s “Mouthful of Diamonds” this spring, then I would not be concerned about finding a job in this economy/currently living in my parents’ basement. Fortunately, just seeing the New York-based duo live did quite the job of temporarily alleviating my worries. Josh Carter acknowledged what a treat it was for the “small band from New York” to be playing at Sasquatch, but the real delight was held by the audience as Phantogram hardly played or sounded like the small outfit Carter made them out to be.

Dr. Dog

Several of my friends are essentially addicted to the Philadelphia psychedelic rock outfit, but by the end of their Bigfoot stage set I think everyone that witnessed it was ready for another dosage. Dr. Dog’s bright sunshine rock was also fittingly accompanied by clearing skies and a brewing rainbow in the backdrop. While those who stuck around for Monday’s shows were running low on fuel after two full days of music, Dog’s performance overcame all of that fatigue and they left the stage to more than ample applause.

Band of Horses

Just a few short years ago, Band of Horses was playing a free show at Easy Street Records a few hours west of the Gorge in Seattle. Flash-forward to 2010 and they’ve released “Infinite Arms” and are headlining Sasquatch. And while I’ve heard that Easy Street show was excellent, their main stage at ‘Squatch was unbelievable and was labeled one of the best of the weekend by many fans. Simply put, the Horses’ sweet, airy vocals plus their alt-country rock guitar riffs and all around rock-ability made for an incredibly tight, grandiose sounding, well polished delight of a show.

MGMT

For as much flak as MGMT has been getting for veering astray for “Oracular Spectacular” with their new “Congratulations” LP this year, you cannot knock them for the final product. While certainly different, “Congratulations” was just as solid of a record. The audience seemed a bit caught off guard as MGMT jumped between the contrasting songs from both albums. Yet the new album’s tracks were excellently performed by the band and well received by the audience. And within the first few chords of any hit off “Oracular”, the entire crowd fell into dancing fury.

Filed Under: Concerts Tagged With: , ,

A Review of Atoms for Peace’s Coachella Performance (Better Late Than Never)

May 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

photo courtesy greenplastic.com

At Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio this past April, I got to feed my Radiohead and Thom Yorke addiction, along with tens of thousands of other addicts. This is no addiction you can try to wean yourself off of with other bands. Sure, I can go to various stages during the Friday and Saturday lineups, but when Sunday morning came around I was still dreaming of that lustful, soft and electronic Thom Yorke style. Playing with his band labeled as “????” when the lineup came out in January, gossipers came to know this band included bassist Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers, along with drummer Joey Waronker, percussionist Mauro Refosco,\ and guitarist/keyboardist Nigel Godrich.

The group came together as Thom Yorke’s side project and have not had any official releases of albums or singles to date. Yorke announced in February that the band was called Atoms for Peace, referring to the track of the same name from Yorke’s 2006 solo album, “The Eraser.” “Atoms for Peace” was included in the Coachella setlist, and was dedicated to Pavement by Yorke for an unexplained reason.

The stage was set for Phoenix to play as I finished my $10(ish) french fries, and as the music came on my co-pilot and fellow Virgo Kristina and I noticed the crowd growing considerably quickly and got up to join. Dancing along with the other head-boppers, my mind was still set on Yorke’s approaching set. Fans rushed to other stages as Phoenix ended, and Kristina and I used our energy to move to a perfect spot near the middle of the crowd. With a fence to lean against to lessen the grief of waiting, Kristina and I held our ground.

The masses of people caused one man setting up the stage to demand them to simultaneously take a few steps back – in his English accent, of course.

The music floating from the speakers repeated itself in an eerie, electronic tone as fans stood anxiously. When the lights dimmed, Thom Yorke arrived and headed to the piano. He started off with “The Eraser,” and the band joined him to play every song from the album of the same name – and that was only before the encore.

Dancing in a total trance near the fence for the first half, I made my way into the open, grassy space I found myself getting lost in. With the thousands of fans there, it was like this spot mystically opened for Kristina and I, and we enjoyed it to the fullest. Yorke returned alone for “Give Up the Ghost,” an entrancing performance in which he sang and played acoustic guitar while his own vocals looped. Playing Radiohead favorites “Airbag” and “Everything in its Right Place,” this encore started the crowd moving until the end.

The following two songs were “Paperbag Writer” and “Judge, Jury & Executioner,” respectively. “Paperbag Writer” is a Radiohead b-side that is mysterious, while “Judge, Jury & Executioner” is blatant in its reference to an earlier Radiohead song. This song, titled “Myxomatosis (Judge, Jury & Executioner)” is the 12th track from Radhiohead’s sixth studio album, Hail to the Thief.

Before the band completed their Coachella debut, Yorke told the crowd they had had a long weekend, and needed to freak out. He introduced the song “The Hollow Earth” as “one to freak out to.” This freak out continued as Atoms for Peace played the final song, “Feeling Pulled Apart By Horses,” as everyone danced with the wild Coachella energy Yorke gave them.

Thom Yorke

Filed Under: Concerts Tagged With: , , , ,

Beyond Wonderland Gives a Less Crowded Experience

March 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Beyond Wonderland, an electronic music festival held last Saturday, March 20, in San Bernardino, was one of the best events I have ever been to, and I am willing to bet the majority of people who attended the event feel the same way. The vibe at the event was great, with everyone helping each other out and enjoying the music.
The location of the event, the NOS Events Center, was fantastic. Parking was plentiful and made it very easy and convenient to get to the actual event. The festival area included five stages, which were mostly old airport hangar buildings and one large tent for the main stage. The area was completely decorated, with light balls in all the trees and various artwork around the grounds. Each stage had performers and an dancers with amazing lighting and “Alice in Wonderland” theme. One of the best aspects of the event was that it was not overcrowded. Although there were a lot of people and the event sold out by the day of the show, there was plenty of room to walk around between the stages and plenty of room for dancing. Lines to get into the event were also not as long as other events I have attended.
Insomniac, the same company that runs Electronic Daisy Carnival (EDC) and Nocturnal, put on the event. After attending EDC last summer and seeing how well Insomniac runs events, I was very excited for Beyond Wonderland. Beyond Wonderland is a new event started this year. Insomniac used to produce Nocturnal Wonderland, which later turned into Nocturnal Festival.
Nocturnal Festival is still running and will occur on Sept. 25. Viewed now as “sister” festivals, Nocturnal has moved to be a “darker” festival, and with the creation of the new Beyond Wonderland theme, Insomniac hoped to bring back the vibes of the original Nocturnal Festival. They hoped to create “an exciting new environment that is sure to enliven, stimulate the senses and delight all of those who have been seeking a return to the amazing hues and vibrancy of our original Wonderland event.” Insomniac accomplished this, and more.
The musical talent at Beyond Wonderland was unprecedented, with some of the biggest DJs in the world present. Big headliners included Paul Van Dyk, Sander Van Doorn, Christopher Lawrence, Bart B More, Wippenberg, Groove Armada, Sander Kleinenberg and Robbie Rivera. Each of the five stages had a different type of electronic music: trance, house, jungle and dub-step, giving everyone different options to enjoy.

Wippenberg

When I first arrived at the festival I watched part of Wippenberg’s set. He played an amazing set, and a lot of songs the crowd knew to get them involved. Next, I watched some of Donald Glaude’s set.  I saw him play at Street Scene last year in San Diego and really enjoyed his set, but I wasn’t particularly impressed with his set at Beyond Wonderland, although he does have one of the best stage presences I have ever seen, using the microphone to pump up the crowd.
After that I went to watch Christopher Lawrence. He played a hard trance set which I really enjoyed. Then I went and watched some of Bart B More’s set. He was playing funky house, which isn’t what I usually listen to but the crowd was loving it. Finally, I made my way back to watch both Sander Van Doorn and Paul Van Dyk play at the main tent. Both of them played amazing sets. Van Dyk has been one of my favorite DJs since I started listening to electronic music and I was very excited to see him again. He never fails to put on a great show and was a great way to end the night.
Overall, Beyond Wonderland was a great new event and will definitely be worth checking out next year.  If you missed it, make sure to check out Insomniac’s next major festival, Electronic Daisy Carnival on June 25 and 26 at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

Filed Under: Radio Shows Tagged With: , , , ,

A Review of the Exciting Lucent L’amour by Ariel Coto and Pat Cornell

February 15, 2010 By 1 Comment

Robot Love warming up the crowd.

INDOORS

The indoor section of Lucent L’amour this year was truly unreal. With sparkling sea creatures, black light paintings and a huge tree, the entire indoors area was littered with some seriously visually stimulating pieces.

The first to lay down their set on the indoor stage was Robot Love. This duo did an amazing job of pumping up the crowd as people slowly flooded the venue. With some great dubstep and pounding beats, Robot Love definitely set the mood for the rest of the night.

As Robot Love rounded out their night, Patricio took over and laid down an epic set. Complete with his own set of bongos, Patricio dropped some serious beats and drew a major crowd with his balance of dance and dubstep. Patricio’s set was an amazing one to watch that definitely got the crowd going.

N.A.S.A.’s set was without a doubt one of the best shows of the night. With a faster paced techno sound, N.A.S.A. played some insane remixes and dropped some classic crowd favorites. N.A.S.A. played hit after hit and really set the bar high for the following sets.

With N.A.S.A. throwing down such an awesome set, I could only guess what kind of set Bassnectar was going to roll in with. As he took his place on stage, Bassnectar dropped some of the dirtiest and heaviest bass I’ve ever heard in my life. Those slow, pounding beats shook me to my core and had the entire crowd going absolutely nuts.

Stanton Warriors finished with style as they introduced a fresh dance sound to the awesome dubstep beats that most DJs at Lucent L’amour had been spinning. With some epic techno beats and just about the loudest set of the night, the Stanton Warriors made for a perfect ending to an insanely awesome night.

The aforementioned tree con art shack.

OUTSIDE

I don’t know about all the stuff that Coto kid was trying to tell you, but the real action at Lucent L’amour this year was outside. Outside housed the majority of the art, including a live-art auction, bathroom area complete with an amazing bathroom attendant, and another stage for music. Combine these with the refreshing night air, and you have a formula for a grand old time.

When you first walk outside, to your left is a sort of flea market where people are selling hand-made things, like jewelry and couture clothing. Only a few feet away was the bathroom attendant who, solely working off tips, offered an array of items like gum, cigarettes, lotions, hand sanitizers and even blow-pops. Along the inner wall was a row of blank canvases that artists slowly turned into masterpieces as the night progressed. There was a live auction held for the works, and all of the proceeds will be donated to a charity to keep arts in public schools. At the very front of the outdoor area was the stage that hosted acts such as Lazer Sword and LYNX & Janover. It also hosted acts like The Lucent Dossier Experience and Yard Dogs Road Show. The first is sort of a Cirque du Soleil-lite. They had amazing acrobatics and interesting music. It was quite a delicious feast for the eyes.

Yard Dogs Road Show, on the other hand, was more of a sketch comedy troupe. They were easily the most entertaining act of the night. Each song that they performed was a different show altogether. It could go from a Pineapple Queen and her beautiful pineapple dancers to a punk rocker in skin-tight zebra pants in the blink of an eye. They even had a magician who made an entire live chicken appear from nowhere. The rest of the space outside that wasn’t filled with exuberant concert-goers was filled with large-scale works of art, including a large, metal spider and an attendee-run “Hug Deli” that offered hugs for the low, low price of 2 compliments. Ultimately, it is obvious that The Do Lab know what they are doing. Undoubtedly, Coachella this year will be amazing, but for those with shallow pockets, I recommend trying out Lucent L’amour.

Yard Dogs Road Show - blowing minds since 2005.

Filed Under: Concerts Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Monster Massive 2009 Review

November 3, 2009 By 1 Comment

Monster Massive 2009 in one word – unimpressive.  Sure there were tons of people there and a lot of great DJs, but that doesn’t matter when the event is not run well.  Go Ventures, who runs Monster Massive every year, should have been much more organized.

I’ll start off by telling my story for the night.  I drove up from San Diego to the LA Sports complex Saturday afternoon.  Traffic was light and we arrived at the event at 5:30pm, excited for the night ahead.  The event didn’t open until 7pm, so I went to find my press pass to get into the event.  I received an email the Monday before the event confirming my press pass for the event and was told to check in at the Guest-List line.  After searching for a while I found the Guest-List check in, but there was no one there.  I sent a text to the media correspondent from Go Ventures, and got no reply.  Thinking nothing of it, I went back to my car and get ready, hoping someone would come to the Guest-List check in.

No one arrived to the guest list check in until 8:00pm, well after the event had started.  There were around 200 people waiting to check in for the guest list.  How can you not have anyone running your guest list? Very poor planning by Go Ventures.  Final at 9pm, I meet up with Joey Luu, the media correspondent for Go Ventures.  I asked him were I can check in and he responds by saying that they had to make a lot of last minuet cuts on the press list and that I may not have a pass.  Baffled and explaining that I drove all the way from San Diego to cover the event, Joey told me there was nothing he could do for me, but I should check the guest list to see if I was still on the list.  After waiting in line for about an hour and fighting people trying to cut the line, I find out I am not on the press list.  I was not the only person this happened to, many other people on the press list, including a student from UC Santa Cruz, were also not on the press list.  As of today, I still have not received an email saying I was cut from the press list.  This was very unprofessional, unacceptable, and the Go Venture representatives didn’t seem to care.

Luckily, I meet a club promoter from San Diego in the Guest List line, who seeing what had happened to me, offer his extra ticket to me.  I wouldn’t have been able to go to the event without his help and would have driven three hours for no reason.  But without a press pass I wasn’t able to bring in my camera so I don’t have any pictures of the event.  My ticket was a VIP ticket, so I was able to go in the shorter entrance line.  However, my other friends had to go through the normal entrance.  They had one entrance for a 70,000 person event, again bad planning.  It took my friends an hour and a half to get into the event.  The crowd in line was very rowdy, trying to take down the fence and the riot police almost tear-gassed the crowd.  Not a high point of the night.  Therefore, everyone entering the event was very upset causing the crowd dynamic from the beginning of the night to be negative.

Finally by 11pm, we were able to listen to some music.  We went into the LA stadium first to see Pete Tong.  The stadium set up was really cool and Pete Tong played a good set.  After that, I wasn’t really impressed with any other DJs, no one wowed me like I have seen DJs do in the past.  The crowd dynamic just wasn’t the same as other raves I have been too.  MANDY also played a good set, but nothing totally impressive.

The only redeeming quality to the night was Armin Van Buuren.  There is a reason he was just voted #1 DJ in the world and he definitely knows how to put on a show.  The main stage was outside this year, which was nice and made it less crowded.  The lights and fire special effects made for a great show, and I left the night feeling a little better about making the journey all the way to L.A.  It was a fun night, but thank goodness Armin was able to play such a great show and make up for the poor planning by Go Ventures.

Monster Massive was an experience that should be done at some point, but I have to say I won’t be going back.  Walking out and comparing it to the Electric Daisy Carnival this summer, everyone around us agreed it was nothing compared to EDC.  I guess we need the bad shows to put into perspective how good the other ones are.   I don’t even think I will go to Together As One Now, on New Years Eve, because it is put on in part by Go Ventures.  Check out the videos of Armin’s set, pretty amazing.

Monster Massive 1

Monster Massive 2

Monster Massive 3

Filed Under: Music Festivals, USD Radio Tagged With: , ,

Halos n’ Horns Music Fest

October 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment

logoHALOS N’ HORNS MUSIC FEST

http://halosnhornsmusicfest.com/

OCT 30th – ORANGE COUNTY FAIR GROUNDS

Little known to most students down here at USD, this year kicks off what will hopefully become a Halloween tradition for Orange County. The Halos N’ Horns Music Fest should catch your attention for diverse acts which promise you to have a good time on possibly the most important weekend of first semester. We know you have plans for Halloween night but why not do something else the night before to kick the weekend off right. Check out a few bands, find some new music, and most importantly, dance the night away. The lineup itself provides a promising mix of music.

line_up HNH

AND MANY MORE

Here’s my rational for the night: With Shiny Toy Guns, Iglu & Hartly, Bassnecter, Girl Talk and Shwayze on the bill, the night is well worth forty bucks. In case you’re on the edge about heading up there, here are some video clips to help encourage your attendance.

Korn: Let’s be honest here, Korn isn’t everyone’s favorite band. I’m not thrilled that these guys are the headliners, but I’ll definitely check them out just to say that I’ve seen Korn.

Freak on A Leash

Bassnecter: I feel like not enough people know about Bassnectar. This group is social experiment that’s part electronica, part trip-hop, and incredibly unique.

Bomb the Blocks

Shiny Toy Guns: A new wave/indie rock band that stormed onto the scene in 2006. Their debut album, We Are Pilots, produced three Alt Top-30 hits and their most recent album, Season of Poison, has landed two singles on the Alt Top-30. The band is known to be amazing live and sound exactly like they do on the CD.

You Are The One

Shwayze: California cool rapper Shwayze preforms with Cisco Adler and reminds us of the good life in California. It may be October, but when Shwayze and Cisco Adler take the stage, it’ll feel like Mission Beach in July for me.

Corona & Lime (Acoustic)

Girl Talk: Anyone who saw Milkman on Friday at USD can expect even more excitement from Girl Talk. Mashup after mashup, I can guarentee that you’ll have no choice but to move you body to the music. I’ve seen Girl Talk before and overall, you can expect a great show.

Girl Talk (Live)

Sooo, if you’re looking for something fun to do on Halloween Weekend, make sure to check Halos N’ Horn Music Fest Out. For $40, the festival is a steal.

Check out the link below for directions to the event.

View Larger Map

Filed Under: Concerts, Upcoming Shows, USD Radio Tagged With: ,

Street Scene 2009

August 27, 2009 By 1 Comment

1. “I’m Broke” – Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears
2. “Let Me Go” – Cake
3. “We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives” – Los Campesinos!
4. “Bitch, I Love You” – Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears
5. “Is There a Ghost” – Band of Horses
6. “Some People Ride the Wave” – Devendra Banhart
7. “Bleeding Powers” – Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
8. “Ghost Under Rocks” – Ra Ra Riot
9. “Man Made Lake” – Calexico
10. “Hang You From the Heavens” – The Dead Weather
11. “Southern Belles in London Sing” – The Faint
12. “I Wanna Kill” – Crocodiles
13. “Nonpareil of Favor” – Of Montreal
14. “100 Days, 100 Nights” – Sharon Jones & the Dap -Kings

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Street Scene is only one day away!! Here is a little playlist to get you pumped for the big weekend.  For those of you attending Street Scene, here is my advice (a ten commandments of sorts) :

1. WHATEVER YOU DO, GO SEE BLACK JOE LEWIS & THE HONEYBEARS. shake your hips and grove. you won’t be disappointed.

2. The “cult band” (as critics have said) of our generation: Cake.  They tore it up at Outside Lands last year, and I had a blast! We all grew up listening to them, go see cake, pay your respects.  Besides, I KNOW you know EVERY WORD to “sheep go to heaven” :)

3. go see the Dead Weather.  My love, Jack, will cast a spell on you if you don’t pop by and check out this new project.

4. support local talent, even if he’s famous now, wavves.

5.  Ted Leo. Enough said.

6. Check out Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings.  Another shake your hips and groove show.  I’ve never seen them live, but this group is number one most played on my ipod.  Its music i put on when i want to feel sassy, it’s got real attitude.

7.  Crocodiles have been on my list of favorite bands this year.  Go check them out and see why!

8. Los Campesinos! I can’t explain.  Listen to them in the playlist and you’ll understand why you should go see them play.  It’s serious cool pop.

9. Devendra is a great show, and i recommend stopping by and seeing a few songs.  He rocked it at Coachella this year and i have faith that this show will be no different.  Weird dude, great music.

10. Finally, we have Ozomatli.  Ozo is not the kind of music you will regularly find at a festival.  It’s not rock, not indie, not electro.  The best way to describe it is Latin – v – Rap.  It might not be music up your alley but speaking from experience, it is one of the funnest shows i have ever been to.  The energy is electric, you’ll dance til your legs fall off, and the latin sound will surely entrance you.  A highlight is when the band brings their trumpets and drums into the crowd.  If you want to have fun, and dance, go see Ozomatli. :)

Have fun, be safe!!!

- C.

I’m Broke 4:07 Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is! Rock 2 8/27/09 8:49 AM
Let Me Go 3:56 Cake Prolonging the Magic Rock/Pop 3 8/27/09 8:53 AM
We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives 2:19 Los Campesinos! Sticking Fingers Into Sockets Indie 2 8/27/09 8:43 AM
Bitch, I Love You 2:44 Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears – EP Blues 13 8/27/09 8:43 AM
is there a ghost 3:02 Band of horses Cease to begin 17 8/27/09 8:43 AM
Some People Ride the Wave 2:27 Devendra Banhart Cripple Crow Singer/Songwriter
Bleeding Powers 2:51 Ted Leo & The Pharmacists Shake the Sheets Alternative & Punk
Ghost Under Rocks 4:27 Ra Ra Riot The Rhumb Line Alternative
Man Made Lake 3:00 Calexico Carried to Dust (Bonus Track Version) Alternative
Hang You from the Heavens 3:40 The Dead Weather The Dead Weather – Single Rock
Southern Belles In London Sing 3:32 The Faint Wet From Birth Electronica/Dance
I Wanna Kill 4:36 Crocodiles Summer Of Hate 3 7/14/09 7:21 PM
Nonpareil of Favor 5:49 Of Montreal Skeletal Lamping Rock
100 Days, 100 Nights 3:45 Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings 100 Days, 100 Nights Soul And R&B
Cumbia de los Muertos 3:32 Ozomatli Ozomatli [US] Rock/Pop
Filed Under: Music Festivals, USD Radio Tagged With: , , ,
« Older Posts