May 27, 2012, Las Vegas Weekly

The demand for neon hair dye and Elmer’s Glue is at all-time high in Las Vegas, as the streets of Downtown flood with foot-high mohawks for the Punk Rock Bowling music festival.

The Bunkhouse hosted this year’s opening performance Friday night in the back alley of the western-themed bar. Despite relatively cool temperatures, the masses packed in for the late night, complete with a giant beer cooler and grill. I was welcomed to the scene by Union 13’s Mexican-hardcore version of Rancid’s “Roots Radicals,” before California punk ambassadors Dr. Know took the stage, led by original frontman Kyle Toucher. Know rocked through a set including some deeper cuts off 1984’s Plug in Jesus in true speed-punk style with a dash of metal—a high-energy performance despite the absence of longtime lead singer and former child star Brandon Cruz. Friday night’s top highlight goes to The Adolescents, proving punk knows no age boundaries. The nearly 50-year-old rockers can still shred like teenage skate punks, and left me primed for the ruckus ahead.

Saturday’s gates opened at 3:30 p.m. to the hordes of punk fans occupying every space imaginable Downtown. The walk to the 6th and Mesquite was a sea of mohawks, studded clothing and Army booted fans making their way to the festival grounds. Entering through the main gates, I was greeted by a row of tents filled with band merch, pop-up record shops and children’s punk apparel. Further ahead were half a dozen food trucks, including Roaming Dough, Grouchy John’s and a sparsely patronized raw vegan food tent.

Photo: Chris Bitonti

Minutes in, all three beer tents were packed as I made my way to the main stage, an impressive set-up with a great neon backdrop of Downtown that would make any local proud. The sun was shining and a slight breeze flowed through the crowd as band after band took the stage and burned through its brand of punk. One early highlight was Vegas representative, Holding Onto Sound, playing PRB’s big stage for the first time. The locals didn’t let us down.

Saturday’s lineup was an eclectic one by punk standards, featuring Celtic band The Real McKenzies, Seattle punks The Briefs, the funk and reggae-infused tunes of The English Beat and snot-nosed headliners NOFX. The Adicts performed my favorite style punk: glam—ridiculous, not too serious and catchy as hell. Band members shot streamers into the crowd, threw confetti and cycled through Clockwork Orange-themed costumes, each more outlandish than the last. The Adicts’ showmen careened through drunken sing-a-longs including “Who Spilt My Beer,” “I Am Yours” and “Life Goes On.” Singer Keith “Monkey” Warren summed it up well: “Is this not the best f*cking day on the planet or what?”

Spirits were high as NOFX took the stage to close out the main festivities of Day 1. The California punk veterans are no strangers to PRB and are just a few months away from celebrating their 30th anniversary as band. They made it clear they would dig deep through their catalog when Fat Mike proclaimed, “New records? Nobody cares about new records. This is Punk Rock Bowling.” And after some convincing from the crowd and guitarist El Jeffe, the band performed classic 1994 record Punk in Drublic in its entirety. Spoiler alert: “They Still Suck Live” is a lie. NOFX performed for over an hour and a half and even counted down the minutes until the outdoor festival had to close, fitting in as many songs as possible as the clock ticked away.

Photo: Chris Bitonti

I began heading to Las Vegas Country Saloon to catch performances by Good Riddance and No Use for a Name but changed directions upon receiving a tip. It would turn out to be my best decision all day. Alkaline Trio frontman Matt Skiba had tweeted about a special 1 a.m. guest performance at Beauty Bar, and that venue’s Trailer Court was packed to capacity amid speculation over who might join Skiba’s PRB showcase.

I squeezed my way to the side of the stage as Skiba and Against Me!’s Laura Jane Grace, formerly known as Tom Gabel, took the stage for a solo performance. Grace, in town for a non-PRB show at the M, played for the second time Saturday night—two of her first shows since announcing she would live as a woman. It was an intimate, amazing performance that I feel fortunate to have witnessed. Transposing Against Me!’s rock anthems into simplified acoustic versions made Grace’s voice sound even more powerful. Her brief but fantastic set of mostly impromptu fan requests included a performance of the title track to upcoming record Transgender Dysphoria Blues. Skiba had a tough act to follow, and though fans rocked to Alkaline hits, Grace stole the spotlight.

I stumbled out of Beauty Bar at 3 a.m. to find Downtown’s streets still packed with punks. Two more days to go.

Web Link: http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2012/may/27/punk-rock-bowling-kicks-beauty-bar-surprise/

May 14, 2012, Las Vegas Weekly, Noise

1. This is like a U.K. family reunion: Fans with rugby jerseys and Cockney accents, waving Irish and British flags, have gathered for Snow Patrol’s Saturday-night performance at the Cosmopolitan’s Boulevard Pool. I make the unintentional, subconscious decision to don my very own rugby jersey, although South Africa might not have been the best choice. My Afrikaans needs work.

2. Funny quips and heavy fan interaction can’t compensate for the laid-back music. Hard to rock a crowd with a drummer using brushes, but the delivery seems to be exactly what the attendees came for.

3. Did the Cosmo crew confuse the Marquee guest line with the Snow Patrol line? Either there is a mix-up in party favors or I’m out of the loop on SP fans’ mellow raves. Attendees were handed giant glow sticks upon entry. Bizarre.

4. After examining the distance between the edge of the stage and ground-level, frontman Gary Lightbody takes the long route down the stairs to join the crowd. “I took the long way around because that [way] looks like a broken leg. I’ve already fallen off the stage three times this tour, which is three times more than the past 10 years.”

5. Snow Patrol’s setlist includes hits like “Run,” “Crack the Shutters,” “Shut Your Eyes” and a slightly more rocking version of “Chasing Cars.” The newer songs have more of a synth and electric feel than previously but maintain their melodious pop appeal.

Web Link: http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2012/may/14/five-things-snow-patrol-cosmo/

April 11, 2012, Las Vegas Weekly, Noise

1. The venue’s glass memorabilia case is wrapped in plastic, surely to protect it from collateral blood spatter. Wonder if frontman Oderus Urungus’ banana hammock will merit its own display …

2. Most bands’ roadies set up equipment and tune guitars pre-show; Gwar’s prep by placing fake organs and other body parts onstage.

3. Five minutes in and I can already tell every sentence I write in my notebook will inevitably end with the phrase, “then Gwar decapitated (blank) and spewed blood all over the audience.” Examples: zombie slaves, a “Jagermonsta” released from the castle dungeon and a crude representation of Snooki.

4. The more devoted the fan, the more blood-soaked the shirt.

5. Gwar still concludes its incredibly entertaining concert spectacle by inviting fans onstage to be gruesomely devoured by the “World Maggot,” a giant slug-monster puppet that extends from the stage and swallows its victims … then Gwar decapitated it and spewed blood all over the audience.

Web Link: http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2012/apr/11/5-things-i-wrote-my-notebook-gwar-concert/

April 18, 2012, Las Vegas Weekly, Noise

In my interview with drummer Butch Vig last week, he compared Garbage’s first tour in seven years to “riding a wobbly bike.” Judging by Saturday night’s show at the Pearl, the Wisconsin-born alt-rockers never really forgot how to ride.

Garbage relied on no high-tech stage decor; all non-musical aspects of the performance were minimized, keeping the focus on the songs themselves. The oldies have aged nicely, and their themes—angst-driven and anti-mainstream, challenging common notions of beauty, fame and normality—seem more appropriate than ever. Singer Shirley Manson delivered the lyrics powerfully, and the crowd happily sang along, as if desperate for pop music to reclaim its meaningfulness.

Sonically, the four original members—Manson, Vig, guitarist Steve Marker and bassist Duke Erikson—put their years of experience together to good use. Driving bass, grinding guitar and massive drumming were performed with robotic precision. Manson, noticeably affected by the crowd’s adoration, wailed through a set filled with the hits that propelled Garbage to stardom in the 1990s: “I Think I’m Paranoid,” “Stupid Girl,” “Push It” and “Only Happy When It Rains.” And the new tunes, off upcoming album Not Your Kind of People, seemed to pick up where 2005’s Bleed Like Me left off. Though available only through the official Garbage website thus far, the song “Blood for Poppies” already had fans chanting its refrain (“Don’t know why/They are calling on the radio”).

Maybe Saturday’s performance didn’t break new rock ’n’ roll ground. But Garbage rode hard down its familiar dirt road, reminding us why we fell in love with the band in the first place.

Web Link:

April 15, 2012 Las Vegas Weekly, Noise

1. The unseasonably cold weather and scattered drizzles didn’t seem to dampen the mood of the eager crowd as they packed the Cosmopolitan’s Boulevard Pool in anticipation of The Shins first return to Vegas since the last Vegoose in ‘07.

2. Though it was strange to see an almost entirely new crew of bandmates surrounding Shins’ creative driver James Mercer, nothing was lost in the performance quality of old tracks, as the night opened with “Kissing the Lipless” and “Mine’s Not a High Horse” both off 2003’s Chutes Too Narrow.

3. The Shins’ setlist included an even mix of songs from all four albums, including a handful of deep cuts from Oh Inverted World. The bright instrumentation of Port of Morrow seemed to bridge the gap between the simpler acoustic sounds of Chutes and the eclectic ambiance of Wincing The Night Away. Mercer’s recognizable, self-conscious lyrical style rang throughout the entire set.

4. Friday’s real winner was the merch stand, selling more Shins hoodies to unprepared fans than likely anticipated for a mid-April night in Vegas. *Note to tourists, desert climate is not always conducive to mini-skirts and tank tops.

5. The chilled crowd was obliged to get their blood flowing as Shins ended strongly with “Caring is Creepy,” “New Slang” and “Sleeping Lessons,” then into an encore of Pink Floyd’s “Breathe” that would have made Roger Waters proud.

Web Link: http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2012/apr/15/five-thoughts-chilly-show-shins/

April 9, 2012, Las Vegas Weekly, Noise

The antler chandeliers of Silverton Casino’s Veil Pavilion shook as Portugal. The Man rocked the stage during their Thursday night show. The last time this quartet entertained Las Vegas crowds was in 2008 at Downtown music spot Jillian’s—God rest her soul. The lack of concert venues in our little entertainment capitol of the world was the exact excuse given by the band’s frontman, John Gourley, for their lengthy Vegas absence. While I don’t particularly agree with the accusation, Sin City nonetheless welcomed PTM’s Jägermeister Music Tour performance with open arms.

The Veil flies under the radar as a prime concert venue with its unconventional location and outdoorsman decor, but it offers a great atmosphere—never too crowded yet intimate enough to keep attendees close to the action. Flashing, octopus-like tentacles of lights draped the Alaskan natives as they barreled through a set of rock anthems. Where PTM’s recordings offer dance-friendly and often compact electro-pop songs, the live show is an entirely different Man-imal. Portugal. The Man transformed versions of “American,” “People Say,” “Floating” and others into extended blues-rock jams, as Gourley’s once-light falsetto exploded harmoniously through their manufactured wall of sound. Fluid, operatic tunes melted into one another with endings occasionally bleeding into covers including Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” and The Beatles’ “Hey Jude.”

The set ran for a perfectly timed 90 minute spectacle. Breaks in performance were reserved for apologetic intentions to return to Las Vegas more frequently. Here’s hoping we don’t have to wait another four years.

Web Link: http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2012/apr/09/portugal-man-silverton-man-tastic/

March 23, 2012 Las Vegas Weekly, Noise

The Beauty Bar was sparsely populated for Neon Reverb’s Wednesday-night kickoff, but those present came in high spirits. Local Lucas Johnson of The Ku opened, and even presented without a drummer, his whiskey-soaked narrative would have made any southern-rock band proud. Johnson’s deep, raspy melodies drifted through the room as patrons trickled in. Moral: If you play it, they will (eventually) come.

San Francisco’s The Trophy Fire took the stage next, fresh off a performance at South by Southwest, for their Vegas debut and tour finale. The trio’s indie power-pop brought a shot of adrenaline to the evening’s tempo. Passers-by and fans alike filled in the venue’s holes to catch an earful of the high-energy show.

And then, almost before you could blink, Portland’s White Orange rolled out three massive 8-by-10 speaker cabinets and a timpani-sized kick drum appropriate for Andre the Giant. This crew was prepared to blow the beauty right out of the bar. With flowing mustaches, shoulder-length hair and tattoo sleeves, the band’s members appeared to step right out of 1973 and onto the stage. Confirming volume suspicions, frontman Dustin Hill heckled the sound engineer, “Do you have a gain knob? Yeah, turn it up.”

As the bass shook the floor and blew dust from the furniture, guitars screamed and each kick of the drum pounded in your chest. It was a sensory onslaught, as White Orange bulldozed through a jam-filled set of experimental rock. Winding down the night with our bones rattling: just what we needed to make it past hump day.

Web Link: http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2012/mar/23/neon-reverb-wed-recap-ku-trophy-orange/

Photo Credit: Chris Bitonti

March 24, 2012, Las Vegas Weekly, Noise

Strolling into the Bunkhouse Saloon for Thursday night’s Neon Reverb Rockabilly/Alt-Country Showcase was a full immersion into two opposing time warps. The bar decor and local performers The Clydesdale produced an air of Wild West days, while the pin-up dos and greasers repped the ’50s era in support of headliners Three Bad Jacks. The Downtown dive, with antlers on the walls and sepia-toned spaghetti Western art, was crowded with every variation of the pompadour imaginable.

Local band, The People’s Whiskey opened the night with a sound more rock than billy. Distorted guitars, heavily echoed vocals and lyrics like, “I like the inside of the bar more than the outside of my cell” set the tone for the raucous night to come.

Photo: Chris Bitonti

The Bunkhouse played host to a wild alt-country/rockabilly show Thursday night compete with trumpet, swing-dancing and fiery performances.

The musical road was paved for Downtown darlings The Clydesdale to hit the stage led by multi-talented frontwoman Paige Overton. Filling the alt-country quota for the showcase, Overton impressed the crowd with not only her pipes but infectious trumpet leads and funny quips. The cowboy-punk sound was complete with two-note bass lines and slide guitar, proving their unique and sometimes quirky sound can adjust to fit any bill. The Clydesdale has galloped to the top tier of my list of favorite Las Vegas bands.

The Lucky Cheats had a tough act to follow, but their blues-rock set garnished with impressive harmonica skills was a suitable transition into the night’s headlining act. California’s Three Bad Jacks began their set by waxing nostalgic about Las Vegas watering hole the Dive Bar, offering a tribute to the now-defunct venue with their song “Gone, Gone, Goodbye”. TBJ, who have toured relentlessly since the late ’90s, have garnered a clone-like following. Fans swing-danced and sang along happily to TBJ’s throwback-rock tunes until a cover of Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades” abruptly ignited an intense mosh pit. To be fair, Lemmy’s growl can alter the dynamic of any crowd. I learned this lesson as a child at a neighborhood ice cream social. Mint chocolate chip everywhere.

TBJ continued their wild performance, burning through a set of fan favorites, including “Thrill Me,” Remember the Nights” and “Falling Down”. The showcase climaxed as frontman Elvis Suissa set fire to the drum-set mid-percussion solo. After my flashes of the Great White nightclub fire subsided, I basked in the diversity of the night’s line-up and the exposure Neon Reverb creates for our city’s music scene … and I immediately regretted not bringing marshmallows.

March 25, 2012, Las Vegas Weekly, Noise

Maybe it was the ticket price, $39-$99 for the opening night of an inaugural festival. Maybe it was a failure to communicate, not so much as a stage schedule posted at the event. Maybe it was a calendar issue, booking the festival the same weekend as established twice-annual musical celebration Neon Reverb. And maybe the kicker was the $10 parking in a town where it’s free to valet. All these hypotheses ran through my mind as I stood at Royal House Friday night, a ghost town, as headliners The Whigs took the stage for an audience of 30 max.

While the Pastel Project didn’t garner a crowd—hardly enough bodies to merit a dinner party—it did bring good intentions to the table. Even with Le Butcherettes dropping out on Thursday (due to a family emergency), the festival delivered a diverse lineup Friday night. Mini Mansions, Classixx, The Album Leaf, Tennis and The Whigs performed on the outdoor stage while American Royalty, Zach Ryan and the Renegades, White Arrows and more held down the fort inside. Credit is also due for attempting a full-blown arts celebration in the lot behind The Royal House, as the festival offered food trucks, local art vendors, beer stands, a 90-foot ferris wheel, even fire-breathers. On-site lodging for non-local attendees was also a perk, no Coachella-esque showering at hand washing stations necessary. The visual centerpiece of the art displays was a school-bus-turned-preying-mantis, strategically shooting fire out of its antennae to comically alarm passersby.

The lack of patrons didn’t stop the bands from putting on entertaining shows. The Album Leaf’s ambient, often-instrumental tunes flowed outside, as Zach Ryan and the Renegades’ outlaw-rock stirred up the indoor stage. Husband and wife duo Tennis didn’t let an early technical mishap ruin their set as singer Alaina Moore “almost literally went deaf” after an ear-piercing feedback flair nearly knocked her over. But they recovered quickly and continued playing soulful favorites, including “Barefoot” and “Petition”.

The highlight and headliners of the night, The Whigs, brought a new sense of enthusiasm to the event, praising Las Vegas for its hospitality and joking about intentions to gamble away their per diem. The natives of Athens, Georgia, blasted through their set as if the venue was packed to the brim. In reality, the handful present were enjoying our own private concert. Between songs, fans were able to engage in friendly banter with the band, enthusiastically letting the Whigs know they justified the entry fee.

While the potential of the 2012 Pastel Project was squandered, The Whigs left a good taste in my mouth and hopes of a return for the festival in September. There are kinks to work out, but more than anything Las Vegas just needs to show up.

Web Link: http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2012/mar/25/pastel-project-friday-bands-no-fans/

February 22, 2012, Las Vegas Weekly, Noise

The Darkness’ intergalactic tour ship received permission to land in the desert last Friday, a quick stop on its first North American journey since 2007. Reconquering the States, of course, is a necessary objective in the British band’s quest to complete its rock ’n’ roll circle of life: make it big, crash, burn, break up, rehab, reunite and repeat.

Yes, the group that became a staple on our national party mix by believing in a thing called love is back with its original lineup, and the pent-up rock-xual frustration inside Mandalay Bay’s House of Blues was so palpable you could smell it in the air.

For everything the ’80s got wrong—clothes, hair, trickle-down economics—the decade understood rock showmanship. And The Darkness paid tribute to that era’s over-the-top exploits with minute-long dueling guitar solos, multiple wardrobe changes and glass-shattering falsettos. Friday’s set featured all the hits, including “Growing on Me,” “Get Your Hands Off My Woman,” “One Way Ticket” and, of course, “I Believe in a Thing Called Love.” But The Darkness also cut a little deeper, playing lesser-known fan favorites off both records, plus a handful of new tunes.

In a slight departure from the glam-metal style that popularized the band, the new songs sounded more like Thin Lizzy covers with a discontented Freddy Mercury on lead vocals, but the crowd didn’t seem to mind. The performance felt like a stadium show stuffed tightly into the intimate House of Blues, and after nearly two hours of solid rocking the night ended with security piggy-backing frontman Justin Hawkins across the floor. Naturally, he continued shredding his solo as fans tried to tear him apart.

Web Link: http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2012/feb/22/darkness-returns-brighten-our-musical-mood/