Went to the Pennywise show at Fillmore (Irving Plaza) last night and it was hot as hell in more ways than one.. At one time Fletcher screaming for some "fucking air" for the fans.. I thought, maybe, maybe we'd all riot.. but all in all it was a hell of a good time.. and the band played just a few songs off their recent CD "Reason to Believe" opening with my favorite "Western World" which is as radio friendly as any Pennywise song I've heard.
The pit took up almost the entire floor, you couldn't run or hide without going upstairs or standing all the way in the back.. this 80% young, 20 something guy crowd was nuts from the 1st song until the last with the stage becoming flooded for the finale "Bro Hymn".
My favorite thing about Pennywise, is they don't discourage stage dives and crowd participation.. they are one of us.. they are punk personified. This is what punk is about... rebelling, speaking your mind, but not putting anybody up on a pedestal.
When reviewing our current presidential choices, Obama got the biggest applause by far among this 99% white crowd and Pennywise responded by saying it would be cool to get a "brother" in the white house.. but later on, basically saying we're fucked anyway.. until the young people at that concert can get in office and change things. I tend to agree.
The U.S. needs to be more like a Pennywise show. Democratic, opinionated, fun and cool! why is the u.s. inundated with such assholes at the present time? so many assholes and so little space to put em.. Until last night, i think they were dumped mostly in NYC.. as I often say, its really, really hard to meet another cool guy.. one whose not gay, trying to fucking pick up on you.. or one who is a fucking metrosexual baby, mama's boy, jealous little bitch.. or a goddamned thug wanna be...
Last night, Pennywise gave me faith.. faith in the greatest city on the planet.. and faith that maybe, just maybe there are some pretty cool cats out there after all.. they just happen to all listen to punk..
If you haven't seen Pennywise live.. you need to.. bring your padding.. its going to get rough but it will be a blast! These guys are mad cool.
See you at the Hootenanny and the NOFX show in NYC!
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
Mike Ness - Tiger Army Rock
I'm really behind on my writing.. but hell, its not a job.. its a hobby. Checked out Mike Ness at Fillmore the other night.. It was slightly different than your typical Social D. show (is there one? even after all these shows, I'm not so sure). Down in the "pit" which wasn't so raucous to the countrified, punkabilly sound.. but hot and sweaty none-the-less.
Bottom line, great show. Came out strong, hitting "don't think twice" really quickly then slowed her down a bit with some "Solitaire" and an acoustic version of "Ball and Chain"... a cool spin on that classic.
He skipped "Six More Miles" at the Tuesday show, not sure about Thursday, but there was no fiddle so maybe that was why. Also, I was hoping he'd do "Ring of Fire" since the vibe was very Johnny Cash, but no dice. He closed out the encore with "I fought the Law" and at that point the punks had overtaken the "pit" and it was a nice bit of moshing and slamdancing by then (only a couple of tempers flared, the crowd was cool).
TIGER ARMY: Sunday night was a totally different scene.. but they came out strong against a backdrop of 40s or 50s country classic. I didn't recognize it but I love Nick 13's continued tip of the hat to class country, the good stuff before Nashville became so GD silly and stupid. Worse than today's hip hop or emo pop, the music industry will f..k up anything I swear.
I digress... it was pure 100% psychobilly though with the New bass player doing most of the talking.. and Nick 13 filling in some gaps.. he seemed to have some guitar issues but he carried on like a pro and ripped through the old Tiger Army classics and the new stuff.. including my favorite "Pain" which he says has a video coming out soon.. that should have been a single long ago in my opinion.
"Devils' Garden", "Outlaw heart" "Atomic" "Cupid's Victim" and the songs from "Regions Beyond" were cool.
I like the new bass player, Jeff Rofredro (who is really the old one, forget his name) as he's a big, bad ass psychobilly MF but I have to admit I miss the previous dude (his name: Jeffry, how is that for confusion). Jeffry was mad cool, when I interviewed him and the Tiger Army gang at the 2007 Warped Tour. Nick 13 was aloof, the drummer James Meza, quite... the gang's management at the time was disorganized and a bit difficult to work with, they said I could shoot the performance, then backtracked on day 2 (after I had already shot on day 1) and in general, were difficult.. but what band isn't, I still respect the band, their vision and most importantly their unique sound. Nick 13 is a talented, passionate dude. He knows exactly where he wants to go and has overcome alot to get his band there.
Last night you see he's a seasoned musician, playing through issues, smiling, happy to be where he is.. you can feel it and the crowd responded. The mix of punks, psychos, skin heads, goth rockers, black, white, Latino, Asian and young and old was a testament to the band's diversity and unique sound. They fu..ing rocked.. the crowd rocked.. and I think back to how far the band has come from when I first saw them and had no clue who they were when they opened for Social D in 2004. Four year's later, shot drummers, musical bassists, and incredibly diverse sound for a 3 person band and they are bonafide in my book... i wish them the best.
If you want to see the segment I produced on them from the 2007 warped tour, check out www.PunkOutlaw.com
NEXT UP:
Pennywise then NoFx.. I'm losing my mind.. is punk making a comeback in NYC??!
Bottom line, great show. Came out strong, hitting "don't think twice" really quickly then slowed her down a bit with some "Solitaire" and an acoustic version of "Ball and Chain"... a cool spin on that classic.
He skipped "Six More Miles" at the Tuesday show, not sure about Thursday, but there was no fiddle so maybe that was why. Also, I was hoping he'd do "Ring of Fire" since the vibe was very Johnny Cash, but no dice. He closed out the encore with "I fought the Law" and at that point the punks had overtaken the "pit" and it was a nice bit of moshing and slamdancing by then (only a couple of tempers flared, the crowd was cool).
TIGER ARMY: Sunday night was a totally different scene.. but they came out strong against a backdrop of 40s or 50s country classic. I didn't recognize it but I love Nick 13's continued tip of the hat to class country, the good stuff before Nashville became so GD silly and stupid. Worse than today's hip hop or emo pop, the music industry will f..k up anything I swear.
I digress... it was pure 100% psychobilly though with the New bass player doing most of the talking.. and Nick 13 filling in some gaps.. he seemed to have some guitar issues but he carried on like a pro and ripped through the old Tiger Army classics and the new stuff.. including my favorite "Pain" which he says has a video coming out soon.. that should have been a single long ago in my opinion.
"Devils' Garden", "Outlaw heart" "Atomic" "Cupid's Victim" and the songs from "Regions Beyond" were cool.
I like the new bass player, Jeff Rofredro (who is really the old one, forget his name) as he's a big, bad ass psychobilly MF but I have to admit I miss the previous dude (his name: Jeffry, how is that for confusion). Jeffry was mad cool, when I interviewed him and the Tiger Army gang at the 2007 Warped Tour. Nick 13 was aloof, the drummer James Meza, quite... the gang's management at the time was disorganized and a bit difficult to work with, they said I could shoot the performance, then backtracked on day 2 (after I had already shot on day 1) and in general, were difficult.. but what band isn't, I still respect the band, their vision and most importantly their unique sound. Nick 13 is a talented, passionate dude. He knows exactly where he wants to go and has overcome alot to get his band there.
Last night you see he's a seasoned musician, playing through issues, smiling, happy to be where he is.. you can feel it and the crowd responded. The mix of punks, psychos, skin heads, goth rockers, black, white, Latino, Asian and young and old was a testament to the band's diversity and unique sound. They fu..ing rocked.. the crowd rocked.. and I think back to how far the band has come from when I first saw them and had no clue who they were when they opened for Social D in 2004. Four year's later, shot drummers, musical bassists, and incredibly diverse sound for a 3 person band and they are bonafide in my book... i wish them the best.
If you want to see the segment I produced on them from the 2007 warped tour, check out www.PunkOutlaw.com
NEXT UP:
Pennywise then NoFx.. I'm losing my mind.. is punk making a comeback in NYC??!
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Mike Ness On Solo Tour!
Mike Ness band is BACK!!!
05/02/08 – Indio, CA – Stagecoach Festival
Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/09004044C1BE76B6?artistid=735228&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=2
05/05/08 – Dallas, TX – House Of Blues w/Jesse Dayton
Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.hob.com/tickets/eventdetail.asp?eventid=51665
05/06/08 – Houston, TX – Meridian w/Jesse Dayton
Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0C004072A51B6C27?artistid=780380&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=60
05/07/08 – New Orleans, LA – House Of Blues w/Jesse Dayton
Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1B00406EEA38B329?artistid=1206044&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=1
05/09/08 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse w/Jesse Dayton
Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0E00406EBAE88350?artistid=780380&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=60
05/11/08 – Baltimore, MD – Rams Head Live w/Jesse Dayton
Click here to purchase tickets: http://tickets.ramsheadlive.com/default.asp?SearchText=mike+ness&Go.x=0&Go.y=0
05/12/08 – Philadelphia, PA – Trocadero Theatre w/Jesse Dayton
Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/02004071B885665A?artistid=780380&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=60
05/13/08 – New York, NY – The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza w/Jesse Dayton
Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/00004071B32F9612?artistid=780380&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=60
05/16/08 – Asbury Park, NJ – The Stone Pony w/Jesse Dayton
Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/00004072C0C28376?artistid=780380&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=60
05/19/08 – Detroit, MI – Saint Andrews Hall w/Jesse Dayton
Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/artist/780380
05/20/08 – Chicago, IL – Park West w/Jesse Dayton
Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/04004071DA073A3D?artistid=780380&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=60
05/23/08 – Denver, CO – Gothic Theatre w/Jesse Dayton
Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1E0040710983D53B?artistid=780380&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=60
05/25/08 – Aspen, CO – Belly Up Aspen w/Jesse Dayton
Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.bellyupaspen.com/home/search?q=mike+ness&commit=Go
05/26/08 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot w/Jesse Dayton
Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.smithstix.com/
07/5/08 – Irvine, CA – The Hootenanny at Oak Canyon Ranch Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0900405BCA617490?artistid=865683&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=60
05/02/08 – Indio, CA – Stagecoach Festival
Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/09004044C1BE76B6?artistid=735228&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=2
05/05/08 – Dallas, TX – House Of Blues w/Jesse Dayton
Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.hob.com/tickets/eventdetail.asp?eventid=51665
05/06/08 – Houston, TX – Meridian w/Jesse Dayton
Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0C004072A51B6C27?artistid=780380&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=60
05/07/08 – New Orleans, LA – House Of Blues w/Jesse Dayton
Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1B00406EEA38B329?artistid=1206044&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=1
05/09/08 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse w/Jesse Dayton
Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0E00406EBAE88350?artistid=780380&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=60
05/11/08 – Baltimore, MD – Rams Head Live w/Jesse Dayton
Click here to purchase tickets: http://tickets.ramsheadlive.com/default.asp?SearchText=mike+ness&Go.x=0&Go.y=0
05/12/08 – Philadelphia, PA – Trocadero Theatre w/Jesse Dayton
Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/02004071B885665A?artistid=780380&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=60
05/13/08 – New York, NY – The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza w/Jesse Dayton
Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/00004071B32F9612?artistid=780380&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=60
05/16/08 – Asbury Park, NJ – The Stone Pony w/Jesse Dayton
Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/00004072C0C28376?artistid=780380&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=60
05/19/08 – Detroit, MI – Saint Andrews Hall w/Jesse Dayton
Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/artist/780380
05/20/08 – Chicago, IL – Park West w/Jesse Dayton
Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/04004071DA073A3D?artistid=780380&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=60
05/23/08 – Denver, CO – Gothic Theatre w/Jesse Dayton
Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1E0040710983D53B?artistid=780380&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=60
05/25/08 – Aspen, CO – Belly Up Aspen w/Jesse Dayton
Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.bellyupaspen.com/home/search?q=mike+ness&commit=Go
05/26/08 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot w/Jesse Dayton
Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.smithstix.com/
07/5/08 – Irvine, CA – The Hootenanny at Oak Canyon Ranch Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0900405BCA617490?artistid=865683&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=60
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Don't Drag Me Down Motherf&*^ers!
Ignorance like a gun in a hand.. reaching out to the promised land
your history books are full of lies, media glitz gonna blind your eyes
eighteen, want to be a man, your grandaddy's in the Ku Klux Klan..
taking 2 steps forward and 4 steps back
want to go to the WHITE house and paint it BLACK!
Mike Ness / Social Distortion "Don't Drag Me Down"
your history books are full of lies, media glitz gonna blind your eyes
eighteen, want to be a man, your grandaddy's in the Ku Klux Klan..
taking 2 steps forward and 4 steps back
want to go to the WHITE house and paint it BLACK!
Mike Ness / Social Distortion "Don't Drag Me Down"
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