Logan Henderson & Jake Miller (+ review)
The lights dimmed, the girls scream, entering from center stage; Logan Henderson. As a former Big Time Rush fangirl I couldn’t help be feel the giddy butterflies watching someone I admire grace the stage again.
His set was composed of songs from his 2018 EP “Echoes of Departure and the Endless Street of Dreams, Pt.1” including my personal favorite, Sleepwalker. He also added new songs like Pull Me Deep and his most recent single, End of the World. I saw Logan when he performed with BTR back in 2013 and to see him transform into this confident, sexy performer was amazing. I felt so proud.
I couldn’t help but smile from the side of the stage watching him do what he does best; intoxicate the crowd with his infectious beats and impressive vocal range. And let me tell you, everyone in the audience was pretty weak in the knees at the end of this set.
Next up was the headlining man himself, Jake Miller. Honestly, I was pretty floored by this man’s physique, he looks incredible. But what’s better? His voice. Jake’s set list included personal faves like Nikes, Skinny Dip, Rumors, and Think About Us. Personally, I’m always sad when artists go on tour after a new album release only to play one song from that discography – but of course Jake wouldn’t disappoint, he played numerous tracks off his latest album “BASED ON A TRUE STORY” making dreams come true. I’ve seen a lot of performers and concerts in my day and man, not much compares to Jake’s energy on stage. He hops, jumps, spins, twirls, and more and never seems to be tired. You can honestly tell he loves, lives, and breathes what he does.
Not sure which performance captured my heart more but I may be a bit biased towards Logan from my previous fangirl ways but neither of these men disappointed in putting on an incredible, energetic show.
Photos & reviews by Nicolette CunninghamLOGAN HENDERSON
JAKE MILLER
Logan Henderson & Jake Miller
The El Rey, Los Angeles, CA
Photos by Nicolette Cunningham
May 17th, 2019
The Dandy Warhols (+ review)
The Dandy Warhols
Photos & review by Fiestaban PhotographyPortland’s finest, The Dandy Warhols, brought their meta-hipster psychedelia and zippered bananas to celebrate 25 years of Dandyness at the illustrious The Theater At Ace Hotel this Thursday May 16th. Alongside fellow synthwave psych-shoegazer bands Cosmonauts and The Vacant Lots, The Dandies covered everything from Dandys Rule Ok to their newly released Why You So Crazy, featuring crowd-pleasers like “We Used To Be Friends” and “Bohemian Like You,” as well as deeper cuts like “Well They’re Gone” and “Crack Cocaine Rager.” (Despite its much-needed tongue-in-cheek attitude and meteoric success, it’s safe to say that America’s opioid crisis has unfortunately pulled The Dandy’s 1997 single “Not If You Were The Last Junky On Earth” permanently out of rotation).
In spite of a seated crowd, their signature fuzzbox surf chords and neo-garage rock energy pulled everyone onto their feet and filled the aisles with dancing Gen X rockers, punks and every Angeleno nostalgic for a time when asymmetric haircuts might garner a raised eyebrow, or when band feuds might escalate to writing songs about each other. After the show, keyboardist Zia McCabe DJed a 60s Soul party on the roof of The Ace Hotel and the rest of the band joined the rooftop soirée soon after, chatting with fans and decompressing from weeks on the road. The Dandy Warhols have played it cool for a quarter century, unwavering in their dedication to playing music that they themselves would want to drink to…and Thursday was no exception. No matter what anyone tells you, when the Dandies play your city, every day should be a holiday, dig?
Cosmonauts & The Vacant Lots
Dandy Warhols with
Cosmonauts and The Vacant Lots
The Theatre at the Ace Hotel, Los Angeles, CA
Photos by Fiestaban Photography
May 16th, 2019
Santigold (+ review)
Santigold
Photos & review by Jessica RubioFans ranging from so many different styles, looks, and ages poured into the Hollywood Palladium to witness Santigold’s 10 Years Golden Tour. This very special night kicked off with a lovely set from Amanda Blank, recently featured in Paper Magazine for releasing her first solo in a decade. Having previously worked with Santigold, she also played a song the two wrote together “a long time ago”.
The Hollywood Palladium has so many special memories. Being one of the center venues west of the 101, if has held legendary performances by artists such as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Black Flag, Robyn, and so many more. Larger than a club but smaller than a bowl, it makes for an intimate fit. Seeing the crowd grow all the way to the edges of the floor in between sets was a telling sign for what was about to happen. Santigold hit the stage and took my breath away. She came out with so much damn swag and carried the audience with her throughout every song. She aligned herself with her onstage singer/dancer girls and even gave them a special shout out because they were proud recent moms who were back in action alongside her. She took the time to thank her audience for joining her on this career spanning tour and it was no surprise that they were still coming out in droves to watch her perform. Her genre defying music has paved the way for younger artists and will continue to do so with every new album she puts out.
What a Legend.
Amanda Blank
May 17th, 2019
Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, CA.
Photos by Jessica Rubio
*CREDIT THE PHOTOGRAPHER IF IMAGES USED, PLEASE!
NO EDITING/REMOVAL OF WATERMARK(S)*Starcrawler + Death Valley Girls
Starcrawler
Photos and review by Fiestan Photography Only days after releasing their new video for “She Gets Around,” Starcrawler brought their unique brand of grunge-infused grotesque punk to Browerij West in San Pedro, CA on May 11th. One part freak-and-doom à la Black Sabbath and The Stooges, another part the raw punk sensibility of Hole and X, all mixed with the frenetic energy of The Ramones and The Clash, this band is hoisting the banner of the new LA punk scene and planting it firmly in the arid Southern California soil. Their set, including “Used To Know,” “Hollywood Ending” and their anthem “I Love L.A.” were punctuated with crowd-surfing, a call to mosh, and a polemic by guitarist Henri Cash to the older crowd and press corps to “…move to the back, you had your chance to see good bands, now let the younger people move up front!” Not just paying lip service, Cash also finished the show by plucking a young ecstatic boy from the audience and had him finish the final chords of their encore, “She Gets Around” to a cheering audience. The band’s wicked frontwoman, Arrow de Wilde, unfortunately couldn’t bring her signature fully unhinged apoplexy-and-spittle performance to a fever pitch, on account of the all-ages attendance at the brewery, but even still, the crowd was completely thrown into berzerk mode by her onstage mayhem, Cash’s intensity, along with drummer Austin Smith and bassist Tim Franco turning up the heat in the rhythm section. After great sets by openers Slaughterhouse, Mike Watt + The Jim & Terry Show, and Death Valley Girls, Starcrawler fulfilled her promise to make it okay to love LA punk again, something I never thought I would say in 2019. No, we don’t want to leave today.
Death Valley Girls
