Happy New Year and Special Thanks!
by hardrockchick [about 2 months, 8 days ago.]
Happy New Year, everyone! 2009 was quite the rollercoaster- so here’s to an awesome 2010!
Make one of your new year’s resolutions to go out and support live music, as well as to buy music and merch from those bands that deserve our support!
Just wanted to say thanks for reading- you all made my year very special even at the most difficult times!
What are my new year’s resolutions? Basically to keep having fun with this. I want to seize every opportunity, live in the moment, and document it to the best of my ability. I spent the last week reading my reviews….and I am heading into 2010 knowing what I need to improve on (3am grammar edits in particular). I am also getting thicker skin- so in 2010 my goal is to care less about what others think!
I also wanted to give a few shout-outs to people who I couldn’t have made it through this year without, whether they be partners in crime at shows or ticket angels or both!
Tine
Trzdnsmommie
Umlaut
Photo Ray
Capital M
NC17
Bruce
Amy
Photo Alan
Tony
Thomas
\m/ <3 \m/ HRC
Genre(s): Miscellaneous
2009 In Review: Other Rockin’ Opinions
by hardrockchick [about 2 months, 8 days ago.]
OK, I think I’m done with my 2009 lists. It’s good to take a look back at the year, realize what was good (a lot), and what wasn’t (surprisingly little!). But these are just my opinion- so I wanted to include lists from my fellow music blogger and photographer friends. Sometimes there’s crossover, and sometimes there’s not. This just shows you how much an experience can vary from person to person at the same show, because several of the people below and I were at a lot of the same shows this year!
Dan with Bay Area Metal Scene is a great source for who’s putting out the loudest albums in the Bay Area. Since I focus a lot of my attention on touring acts, I turn to Dan’s site to get the scoop on what’s happening in my neighborhood.
Top Bay Area Metal Shows of 2009:
Lamb of God / Children of Bodom / Suicidal Tendencies / Municipal Waste / God Forbid @ San Jose State
Opeth @ Grand Conjuration Ballroom Regency Center Spectacular Whatever This Place Is Called
Gojira @ Slim’s
Testament / Unearth / Lazarus A.D. @ The Fillmore
“Cannabis Corpse” @ El Rio. (click for his interview)
By rough estimate, Umlaut and I were at about 30 of the same shows this year. You can often take our reviews and read them one after the other and it would seem like we were at two entirely different shows spare a few of the details! But there are times when we do agree, as you’ll see below.
Umlaut’s Top 10 Shows (out of 84) of 2009 (in chronological order)
Click for reviews.
Amebix – Great American Music Hall, S.F.
Metallica / Jeff Beck with Jimmy Page – Rock ‘N Roll Hall Of Fame Induction, Cleveland
Green Day – Hometown Sneak Shows and Tour
General Surgery / Ghoul – DNA Lounge, S.F.
Judas Priest / Whitesnake – California Mid-State Fair, Paso Robles
Kylesa / Landmine Marathon – Chaser’s, Phoenix
Jello Biafra / Ludicra – Great American Music Hall, S.F.
Photo Ray can be seen in almost every photo pit at the shows I go to, even when there’s not a photo pit per se and he has to deflect moshers with one arm while taking pictures with the other. He catches the moments that I can’t properly describe in my write ups.
Photo Ray’s Top 10 Shows of 2009 (in no particular order)
Click for photos.
Fucked Up / The Independent/ 2.08.09
Throbbing Gristle / The Regency Ballrom 4.23.09
Heaven And Hell / The Warfield / 8.10.09
Green Day / DNA Lounge 4/09/09
Amebix / Great American Music Hall / 1.25.09
Jello Biafra/Social Unrest/Ribzy / Annie Social Club / 5.09.09
Kylesa Fall Tour:
Kylesa/Landmine Marathon/Bison BC / Chasers /Scottsdale, Az. / 9.29.09
Kylesa/Saviours/Bison BC / DNA Lounge / 10.2.09
Motörhead / The Warfield / 10.5.09
Warped Tour / Shoreline Amphitheatre / 8.20.09
Honorable Mention:
Pink / HP Pavillion / 9.17.09 YES,PINK!!
Alan, when not in the photo pit, can be seen working at several of the venues I often frequent- which means that he’s an excellent source of ‘insider’ info….I’ll often get an email from Alan after I post a review saying, “well that happened because _____”. Alan also has an extensive guitar pick collection- like REALLY extensive.
My Top 15 list is probably a little different than the usual.
I listen to METAL, but most bands that you would expect to see on my Top 10 shows of 2009 list are not. For example — In Flames, Shadows Fall, Hatebreed, The Black Dahlia Murder, Motorhead, God Forbid, Megadeth, All That Remains, 3 Inches of Blood, Avenged Sevenfold, Death Angel, Testament, Forbidden, Judas Priest, Lamb of God, Unearth, Killswitch Engage. I’ve seen them all countless times and it’s simply too difficult to choose one over the other.
Having attended 219 shows in 2009 in some manner (venue work, concert photography, or even just as a customer), I’ve seen a lot of music in a lot of different genres, ranging from metal, pop, rap, blues, jazz, rock, indie, acoustic guitar player singer songwriter types, etc, etc. So for my list, I take more into consideration the overall show, the production value of a show, and/or the specialness of a show over whether the musicianship of the guitar player who shreds on the solo of that one song is worthy of their band making the list. Finally, having seen so many concerts in 2009 (the good, the bad, the ugly), my all-time favorite determination of what makes a top show for me is seeing an arena-level band in a small venue… this almost automatically ensures a spot on my list!
15. Heaven and Hell
The Warfield, San Francisco, August 10, 2009
Black Sabbath (sans Ozzy) plays for 1,300 people! My past 3 times seeing Heaven and Hell have been at arenas or amphitheaters. Big band, small venue! Just what I like….
14. Puscifer
Fox Theater, Oakland, November 4, 2009
A “project” by Maynard James Keenan of Tool. I know absolutely nothing about Puscifer, I know only that Maynard is a very odd and interesting guy. Read show review here and here (both were completely different shows, but I did not see the Nov 5 show)
13. Kylie Minogue
Fox Theater, Oakland, September 30, 2009
Forgettable pop music with a huge arena-size stage production on a theater stage! She descended onto the stage from the stage rafters standing on a giant skull… she had more than a few floor-to-ceiling movable LED walls, coupled with 3 non-moving, hanging, LED screens… she even had lasers! Did I mention that she descended onto the stage standing on a giant skull… and all of this, supposedly actually singing! Read show review here.
12. Britney Spears
Oracle Arena, Oakland, April 22, 2009
Forgettable pop music meets Cirque du Soleil. This was all about the show —
acrobats, clowns, contortionists, magicians, and an amazing huge stage with 360-degree video screen that took 150 people hours to put together (or so I heard). Britney herself was the least interesting part as she seemed to make little effort to lip-sync along to her mediocre songs.
11. KISS
Oracle Arena, Oakland, November 22, 2009
Photos
KISS spare no expense on their show, but as amazing as it may be, anyone who has seen them before is not seeing anything new… this is the most predictable stage production on Earth!
10. Goran Bregovic and the Wedding & Funeral Orchestra
Nob Hill Masonic Auditorium, San Francisco, 6/21/2009
Read show review here. Not knowing a thing about this music (and not being Yugoslavian), I found this show to really be as good as the reviewer writes in the linked review.
9. Metallica, Machine Head
HP Pavilion, San Jose, 12/12/2009
Photos
After already seeing the Death Magnetic tour for 3 times in 2008 (Cow Palace rehearsal, Fresno, Oakland), I can easily say that I am no longer a fan of their huge ‘in-the-round’ stage (otherwise this would probably be higher on this list). That being said… the music still sounded great (it is Metallica after all!), and the show production was still top-notch (lasers, pyro, flying coffins, fire), even if it was predictable. This show was also better than most of what I saw in 2009 and so there is no way I could leave it off of the list… I just am not a fan of their ‘in-the-round’ stage!
8. Gogol Bordello
Fox Theater, Oakland, 10/15/2009
Amazing energy every time I see this band! Read show review here.
7. Weezer
The Regency Ballroom, San Francisco, 10/21/2009
Arena rock band in a 1,400 capacity venue… can’t really ever go wrong with that! I really only know Weezer from their songs from the radio, but they do put on a fun live show. This being the 2nd time seeing them live in a 37-day time frame, I kind of knew what to expect, but this show wasn’t entirely for me… I had forfeited going to see Alice Cooper on this same night… but for a very good reason. It was a special birthday that night and the birthday recipient had no idea we were going to Weezer, not until a full minute after walking into the front door of the venue… SURPRISE! (she would not have liked Alice Cooper anyway)
DISCLAIMER: Alice Cooper would easily have ranked higher than #7 on this list… had I went!
6. NOFX
Slim’s, San Francisco, 2/10/2009
Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, 2/11/2009
The Fillmore, San Francisco, 2/13/2009
Slim’s, San Francisco, 2/15/2009
Pier 30/32, San Francisco, 6/27/2009
Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View, 8/20/2009
Slim’s, San Francisco, 12/3/2009
Photos here, here, and here.
I saw NOFX a total of 7 times in 2009. While the individual members of NOFX are not great musicians and each show was generally the same — with the one exception of their 25th Anniversary show, where former members of NOFX played some songs from their era of the band — there is something extremely fun to watch about a band that (1) openly admits that they do copious amounts of drugs before hitting the stage, (2) says they are going to suck live, (3) jokes about Jews and Mexicans (Fat Mike is Jewish, El Hefe is Mexican), (4) tells dirty jokes to the 7-year-old kids in the crowd, and (5) openly berates their audience. I may not be singing the words of most of their songs (after 7 shows, I do actually know some of the words by now!), NOFX is definitely a fun time indeed!
5. GWAR
The Regency Ballroom, San Francisco, 11/24/2009
How can you NOT enjoy a GWAR show?? They dress up like creatures from Antarctica (because, um, if you haven’t heard, this is where they are from), they behead Obama, they dismember Michael Jackson who is touching a disfigured baby inappropriately, and they cut open and disfigure other Inter-galactic creatures, all the while spraying down their yearning audience with a colorful array of fake blood and other similar liquids!
4. Green Day
HP Pavilion, San Jose, 8/18/2009
Photos
Please read #3 and #2 first, then come back… this was the “real” 21st Century Breakdown show: the stage production, the lights, the pyro… it was exactly what you would expect from an arena show, yet Green Day still made it spontaneous and fun by having audience members on stage, singing, playing guitar, jumping around, or even just for a quick stagedive off the catwalk.
3. Green Day
The Independent, San Francisco, 4/7/2009
2. Green Day
DNA Lounge, San Francisco, 4/9/2009
This band sells out arenas and stadiums worldwide… how cool is it to see them in two little venues that holds 600 people each?! They played their new album “21st Century Breakdown” in it’s entirety, followed by over an hour of their ‘hits’. A $20 membership to the Green Day fanclub was all it took to get in… seriously! Will you ever see Green Day in-your-face like this for only $20? Yeah right… when Green Day came back 5 months later on their arena tour, Ticketmaster’s service charge on their tickets was probably $20!
1. Metallica
Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium, San Rafael, 9/11/2009
Photos
Big bands in little venues… well, they don’t get any bigger than this band! This was definitely the best show of 2009 for me, even if this ticket cost me $120. Metallica played a benefit show in their backyard (figuratively speaking) at a venue that seats 1,960 people. Yes, I said ’seats’… not that anyone was actually using them! (no room for any mosh pits though). Each member of the band even drove their own car to the gig. When was the last time you saw all the members of Metallica drive their own car to their own show, park in the same parking lot as their fans, and walk past these same fans to get into the venue’s backstage door?!
You may have read from #9 about my dislike of their ‘in-the-round’ stage from their “real” Death Magnetic shows… well, this show was a stripped-down, bare-bones, end-stage show… no flying coffins, no fire, no pyro, just Metallica doing better than what they do best… and the greatest thing about it was that all 4 members of Metallica were facing the same way for the entire show (and not off on some distant part of their huge Death Magnetic stage)!
Links to other noteworthy End of Year lists:
Rafi and I occasionally end up at the same show- but generally he covers all things indie rock.
Tenacious Hand Stamp’s Top 10 Concerts of 2009
Julia and Elise represent for us metal chicks over on the East Coast.
Julia’s Top 10 Lists
Elise’s Top 10 Lists
The guys over at Metal Sucks dish out all the metal news in their own charming way.
MetalSuck’s Best Tours of 2009
Metal Mark has news, reviews, and interviews for all metal that comes through the South.
Metal Mark’s Top 10 Albums of 2009
Genre(s): Lists
HRC’s Top 10 Standout Musicians of 2009 That Aren’t Household Names (Yet)
by hardrockchick [about 2 months, 9 days ago.]
I was able to see some amazing musicians this year: the fabulous front people: Trent Reznor, Maynard James Keenan, Chris Cornell, Scott Weiland, Perry Farrell, Satyr, Nergal, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, Anton Newcombe, Karen O, and Alison Mosshart; the great guitar gods: Tom Morello, John 5, Jerry Cantrell, Kirk Hammett, Dave Navarro, Robin Finck, Brent Hinds, Bill Kelliher, and Kerry King; the brilliant bassists: Troy Sanders, Mike Inez, Orion, JMJ, Piggy D, and Jeordie White (though he was playing guitar…); and the dynamic drummers: Frost, Thomas Haake, Inferno, Tommy Lee, Joey Jordison, and Tommy Clufetos. It’s mindboggling to think about the year in terms of musicians instead of shows- that’s a lot of talent!
I love leaving a show completely mesmerized by a musician. It’s usually the following formula that gets me:
(skill + energy + crowd connection + uniqueness + aesthetic) * X factor = Standout Musician
Here are the 10 performers that stood out to me this year that don’t get as much recognition as they deserve. Some I’ve been fans of for a couple years, others I’ve only recently discovered.
They’re all great- hence the alphabetical order. I’ve linked my show review(s) and interviews in some cases. Then I spent a LOT of time combing YouTube for the perfect live video to demonstrate their talent…some have more good footage out there than others….so enjoy!
Oliver Ackerman: vocalist/guitarist for A Place to Bury Strangers
show review
Oliver’s voice tends to get lost in the sound during their live sets, but its so made up for in watching his guitar tricks. I’ve said it before: it’s like he’s wrestling with it and dancing with it all at the same time. The front row was entirely guys- and music geeks at that I’d presume- and everyone’s posture was turned towards Oliver, looking at his pedals and his work as if studying a demonstration in how to be a guitar god.
Faris Badwan: vocalist for The Horrors
show review 1 2 3 4
Faris plays the role of the reluctant frontman; there’s something about his performance that gives you the vibe that he doesn’t want to be there, yet his performance is so genuine and charismatic that you’re left trying to figure him out.
Cain Cressall: vocalist for The Amenta
show review
But it was the singer, a tall, cat-like growler that hooked me. Black-lipped and pale-eyed, he moved as if in slow-mo, growling and squealing with a kind of graceful fury that stole my heart. His demented eyes would seek out targets in the room, hypnotizing them with his stare. He actually reminded me of young Marilyn Manson. I took another step forward.
Kristofer Dommin: vocalist/guitarist for Dommin
show review 1 2 3 4 | my interview
“I walked into DNA shortly after Dommin’s set had started. Girls are screeching. Roses are being strewn around the room. And this guy is up there, tendrils of hair in his face, singing really dark romantic stuff. It’s apparent he’s the industrial Elvis. The sound is Depeche Mode meets Type O Negative- but definitely in a realm of its own… How did I not already know of this band? I think Dommin and I will become good friends.”
Jeff Friedl: drummer for Puscifer
Show review | My interview
I first became aware of Jeff Friedl when I went to see Puscifer early last month, and was particularly moved by his performance. It was after the show, when I was researching for my write up, that I realized he looked vaguely familiar because he’s also the drummer for ASHES dIVIDE. And then I discovered that he’s also done some work with Devo, who I saw a couple days after that Puscifer show… Turns out, not only is he a very talented drummer, but he’s also extremely hardworking, loyal, and diverse.
*very little video exists of Puscifer live…and those that do focus on MJK….
…so I’m supplementing with an Ashes vid:
Michael Keene: guitarist for The Faceless
Show review
I was standing nearest to Michael ‘Machine’ Keene….good freakin’ gawd….can this guy play a guitar. I used to play the violin and was thus around orchestras a lot when I was younger, and watching him play reminded me of watching someone in a symphony. But yet it’s a metal band…kind of mindboggling. His hand would contort as it glided up and down the guitar. He pulled out every advanced style of playing I could think of- and I’ve seen some decent guitar work in my days. And on top of that he would even remember to throw a headbang in every once in a while.
Joe Letz: drummer for Combichrist, Imperative Reaction
Show review 1 2 3
Most of my time was spent ogling the drummer- Joe Letz… He loses sticks more than any drummer I’ve seen- but new ones just magically appear in his hands. He’s very intense. But the best part was when my ears perked up when I heard him play the drum intro to NIN’s ‘You Know What You Are’….one of my absolute favorite NIN songs live that I hadn’t heard on the final tour….I died a little with excitement. Then I was like…did I just hear that?
He also keeps a really awesome blog for Combichrist
Grace Perry: vocalist for Landmine Marathon
show review
…I have to admit, when I saw the front woman get up on stage, I was very skeptical. It’s not that she looks innocent- she just…doesn’t look like what she performs like. 30 seconds in, I almost cried. I know, that sounds weird. But, when I saw the look of rage craze on her face, I felt something deep within- a visceral memory of what I felt like doing when my first serious boyfriend cheated on me. The way she gets in her guitarist’s face, smears her hands across her face and tousles her hair, and shakes her head from side to side like an epileptic……it brought back memories. Strong, angry, hateful memories.
Yes, Grace has gotten some recognition as the Hottest Chick in Metal….but she’s more than that!
Carl Restivo: guitarist for Street Sweeper Social Club
show review 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 | my interview
Carl Restivo might think I’m stalking him. First, I saw him play in Satellite Party. Then, The Justice Tour. And then, I went to one or two or six NIN/JA(SSSC) shows. And then there’s Outside Lands this weekend….
Ilan Rubin: drummer for Nine Inch Nails
Show Review 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 | My interview
HRC: What would you say you are bringing to NIN as the new drummer?
IR: Perhaps I’ll bring a new excitement and slightly different playing style to the songs live. There’s a great combination of the robotic album qualities with an energetic live feel to accomplish.
HRC: Are you ready for the NIN fans? I’ve heard they are crazy…
IR: I’m ready. If they’re supportive, awesome. If not, I’ll continue to do what I do regardless.
Genre(s): Lists
HardRockChick interviews Jeff Friedl from ASHES dIVIDE, Puscifer, and Devo
by hardrockchick [about 2 months, 13 days ago.]
I first became aware of Jeff Friedl when I went to see Puscifer early last month, and was particularly moved by his performance. It was after the show, when I was researching for my write up, that I realized he looked vaguely familiar because he’s also the drummer for ASHES dIVIDE. And then I discovered that he’s also done some work with Devo, who I saw a couple days after that Puscifer show. My favorite interview subjects are the up and coming musicians. Jeff took time out of his very hectic schedule to chat with me before the holidays. Turns out, not only is he a very talented drummer, but he’s also extremely hardworking, loyal, and diverse.
HardRockChick: When did you first start playing music and decide to go with drums?
“I would witness that year after year and thought, ’shit- I want to do that!’”
Jeff Friedl: I decided to play drums at a really early age- 9 or 10 years old- maybe even before that. I grew up on the East Coast in West Virginia, and all of my family would get together- my father and his brother and my cousins. They all played drums, and a couple of my cousins played keyboards and bass. So our families would get together and drink beer- well I wasn’t drinking beer at that time- I was watching them drink beer, shoot pool, play drums, play keyboards and bass- blues and jazz. I’d listen to that, and they’d just get together and have a gay old time. I would witness that year after year and thought, ’shit- I want to do that!’. They’d leave the room and I’d hit a drum and run away real fast so nobody heard. I was pretty shy at first about it. I kinda warmed up to the instrument I think by 10. I started playing in the school band and convinced my uncle to send me the drum set which was my dad’s first kit to Arizona, which was where I was living. I loved playing rock music and pretty much anything blues and jazz. There was a local scene in Tucson at a venue called the Downtown Performance Center- or the DPC as they used to call it- and a lot of underground bands used to go in and out of there. My parents or my friends’ parents would drop me off there and I would catch shows like Green Day and The Offspring before they got big, and Pennywise. All kinds of different bands would roll through there and it was a pretty huge influence on me.
HRC: What were some of the first bands you were in?
“I was a confused young man.”
JF: I was in some pretty shitty bands at an early age, just kind of experimenting and covering- well- trying to cover Danzig songs, and Alice in Chains, Metallica, and Zeppelin songs and stuff. It wasn’t really until high school when I started getting into bands that were good. I joined a punk band when I was a freshman with a bunch of seniors and we actually started playing at the DPC and going around Arizona and playing. I couldn’t even drive yet, so the bass player would pick me up and throw all my drums in his car and cart me around everywhere. That was cool for me, to be amongst older musicians who were lifting me up and experiencing the life of being in a rock band at a young age. I played with some metal bands as well in high school, and a rock band that experimented in reggae. I played in a bunch of school bands like the jazz band and I was in the drum line in marching band and the wind ensemble. My junior year in high school I joined a Cuban band and that set me off in an entirely new direction. At that point I didn’t know what I preferred playing most- whether it was Cuban music or rock or jazz. I was a confused young man. It turned out being a good thing, but at the time I wondered if something was wrong with me. At that age, you don’t know if that’s a bad thing or not. You look around and most musicians have their one thing that they do. They have their niche and they kind of stick to it. I seemed to not exactly have that- or I had it and something else would come along and that would appeal to me.
HRC: What kind of music did you listen to growing up?
“That was my life as a kid.”
JF: I was listening to a lot of rock stuff- that was the majority of it. But, because of my dad and my uncle and my cousins, I was still listening to blues and jazz- Albert Collins and B.B. King. My dad showed me the funk band Tower of Power. I was also really into Slayer and Metallica and Guns N’ Roses- you know, heavy bands. Instead of going out with friends on a Saturday night, I would make a shitload of Top Ramen and wait until midnight and watch the Headbanger’s Ball. That was my life as a kid.
HRC: Is there any person in your formative years as a musician that was particularly influential on your career?
“He just pushed me so much- so much so that I thought I was gonna cry a couple of times.”
JF: There were multiple people…I had some really great teachers growing up. There was a teacher named Dave Jeffrey that I had- and he turned me onto playing big band jazz music, and really got me reading music very well. I was preparing in high school to move on to the collegiate level and play big band music and record jazz and do that kind of stuff. He was super influential on me- like teaching me old school dance and ballroom beats and stuff so I could play in old school jazz orchestras. He hooked me up with a couple of groups he was playing in in Tuscon to sub for him which was awesome. There was also a guy names Mike Eckroth – a piano player. He was the piano player in the Cuban band that I was in in high school. We actually traveled to Cuba and spent a month there, playing in the International Jazz Festival. We played the wrap up party for that, hung out, and took a ton of lessons. We saw probably 20 shows in 30 days. Mike was well immersed in that music and well educated- he’d already graduated and I was just a freshman in college by the time we went to Cuba. He just pushed me so much- so much so that I thought I was gonna cry a couple of times. I probably did, though I’m trying to push the saddest part of that out of my memory. He was huge into Brazilian music and funk and soul and Cuban music and he demanded excellence. It really pushed me and made me really strive to find the true spirit of Cuban music and anything that I was playing with him. He was a big influence on me. His musicianship and his drive to be authentic in whatever style he was playing rubbed off on me quite a bit. I’m sure I’m missing so many people as far as influences are concerned – there are tons of Cuban musicians and rock musicians as well.
HRC: Let’s go to the moment when you decided to move to LA from Tucson- how did that all take place?
I went through high school just kind of hating it and wanting to leave, longing and dreaming of something bigger and better.”
JF: It had really been building up in my life for quite some time. I think I knew at a really early age – probably by like 12 or 13- that I wanted to move to Los Angeles to play music. Even back then I knew that the music scene in Tucson and just Arizona in general or any small town for that matter was limited. I even remember showing my folks registration stuff for Los Angeles Music Academy, which it wasn’t accredited at the time, and they saw the paperwork and were like, ‘I don’t know if we can do this. It’s just a year. How about college, college?” I kinda had to wait a little while. I went through high school just kind of hating it and wanting to leave, longing and dreaming of something bigger and better. But those were formative years anyway- I’m glad that things ended up the way that they did. I went to college at the University of Arizona and attended that school for three years, and spent a couple years in Arizona just hanging around and playing. I had a full teaching studio and just hung out and played in a ton of different bands and recorded and what not. I decided when I was 25 that this was the right time for me to leave. A close friend of mine- Rene Camacho- an incredible bass player that lives out here that’s from Tucson- had a vacancy in his apartment and he invited me out. I visited a couple of times and just kind of fell in love with the idea of being here just like I had been all along really. At that point it just became a reality. It overtook me – I just had to come out here and that’s what I did.
HRC: On to ASHES dIVIDE- were you involved in the recording process for the record or only the touring line up?
To be a part of it in some small way was an honor.”
JF: I was mainly a part of the touring lineup. When I heard of the auditions, the record was already finished. Billy (Howerdel) for the most part did the entire thing, and Josh Freese recorded drums for it. I went through pretty much on and off a half of a year’s worth of auditioning- a couple rounds of videotaping and an in person audition. Then on New Year’s I got a call for it. At that time I think the record was mixed and ready to go, and I think a couple months later it was released. I did record some stuff after I started playing with Billy and we were auditioning the rest of the band- guitarists and bass players. One day he said, “Hey- I recommended you to Danny Lohner to drum on some remixes that he’s doing for the record that are either going to be released on iTunes or overseas or whatnot. He’s under a time crunch- would you be able to come over to my place- the studio- tonight after we are done playing today and record?’ And I said, ‘Well, hell yeah!’ So, that night, we recorded 2 songs- a remix of ‘Sword’ and ‘Forever Can Be’. I don’t think they did anything with ‘Forever Can Be’- but ‘Sword’ released with the European release of the record. So one way or another I was a part of it. It was really cool to at least do that because the record was already done. To be a part of it in some small way was an honor. Especially at that point when I just joined, and was just joining as the tour line up- to be able to record something for it was something special to me.
Watch this video interview on Hollywood Drum about Jeff’s long interview process for Ashes. (click on ‘Ashes Divide’ below the video screen)
HRC: What’s going on with the band right now?
“I really feel like we had something special in that band.”
JF: We’re pointing back in the right direction. We’ve taken a lot of time off. It’s been a little over a year since we’ve played a show. We had a really good time playing- I really feel like we had something special in that band- and I guess we still do- it just feels like we haven’t done anything in about 10 years even though it’s only been one year. We’re writing some material right now. I’m not sure how we’re going to release it- whether we’re going to do single songs or an EP or a record- but we’re kind of in the middle of the writing process. We’re probably going to be playing some shows next year in January/February, West Coast style, at least around the LA area as much as we can, until Matt and I go out with Puscifer again in March.
HRC: And that’s a perfect segue for Puscifer. How does the prep process go for those shows since you change up things from night to night and have a lot of transitions on stage?
“That’s kind of the vibe of the band and the thing I dig most about it, is there’s that aire of improvisation each night.”
JF: There’s a lot of work that goes into each show. There’s definitely a rotation – a small handful of shows- from night to night. So if you were to come- if we had three or four shows in San Fran, each night would definitely be different. That’s kind of the vibe of the band and the thing I dig most about it, is there’s that aire of improvisation each night. There’s structure- there kind of has to be with the video clips and some comedy sketches and what not, but the music changes, the vibe of the music can change at any given moment. Maynard could say, ‘ok, well, you know how we did Rev 22:20 last night? Well tonight let’s not do it like this, why don’t you think of doing it like this- like a more sinister version of it. See what you can come up with.’ And a couple minutes later, we’ve kind of recreated how we’re going to play the song. We might not even play the whole thing and Maynard will be like ‘OK, I like that, let’s just do it like that tonight’. And we’ll just get on stage and play it that way. And that’s the nature of that band. It sounds like it’s super loose- it’s not. Because everybody really is firing on all cylinders and is on the same page and the same wavelength with each other, it allows us all to be comfortable with playing and to be able to do those kinds of things on a whim. And there’s the behind the scenes production- we have great people working for us that really help make the show a success and keep it up and running. But musically speaking- that’s kinda the vibe of it-things are prepared but you never know when something’s going to change.
HRC: I read some reviews of the show that weren’t positive- especially a Houston review- talking about how they didn’t ‘get’ the show. Are you affected by any of the more negative reactions to the show from the stage or perhaps from reading a review afterward?
“It’s like a Broadway show on acid.”
JF: For the most part, I don’t really know when people are affected negatively unless they are yelling and screaming. I remember hearing a heckler or two in Houston and you know, I’m not going to chalk it up to- ‘OK, well that’s an aggravated Tool fan’. I think I remember hearing about somebody giving a bad review in Houston, and saying they got up in the middle of the country night. And that’s probably why that person got pissed off, because they thought the whole show was going to be country. But the reality of the situation is that was just a part of the show, and it eventually kind of morphs into something different, so if anybody gets pissed off enough and takes off, well it’s their fault for paying good money to see the show and taking off and not seeing the entire thing. That specific night evolved into something different, something special, and it’s like basically two shows packed into one on that night. You have to go into Puscifer shows with a very open mind, knowing that it is a show, it’s a performance. It’s not a rock concert where you just sit there and chug beers and push each other around and yell and holler and scream and get rowdy. It’s more of an experience that you have to absorb. If I saw a Puscifer show not knowing what it was, I would be taken aback by it no matter what just because it’s something pretty unique. It’s nothing like I’ve ever been a part of. That’s one of the things that I will always take away from being in this band. It’s something I’ll always cherish- the fact that it’s something very unique and I’ll probably never be a part of something like this ever again. It’s like a Broadway show on acid.
HRC: What exactly was your involvement with Devo and are you still doing work with them?
“So, of course I jumped on the opportunity.”
JF: I play with them just occasionally- pretty much whenever Josh Freese can’t do it. That’s really his band- so I kinda keep the seat warm for him whenever I’m asked to. I have a friend who works at Mutato Muzika, and is involved in that camp, and I would just hang out with him every once and a while, going back three or four years. So I’d say hi to some of the guys in Devo just in passing, and go hang with my buddy, who kind of put a word in for me to do some studio work when one of their drummers couldn’t make it or what not. And when I was on the road with Ashes, I found out that Josh had recommended me for a Devo tour that they were going to do that actually got canceled. But I thought it was cool that he recommended me anyways. I think my friend had as well- but I was on the road with Ashes and was absolutely staying loyal to Billy and the guys- we had a good thing going and I wasn’t just going to jump ship- even if it was Devo! As much as I love Devo- it could have been Eric Clapton or somebody like that and I would have stuck it out. But it ended up being canceled. Later on in that tour- at the very end of it, Josh was finishing up with Nine Inch Nails at that time, and he wasn’t going to be home until the middle of December of ‘08, so I got another call asking me if I had any availability to do some studio work for them, because they were recording a new record that’s going to be out in April of 2010 I think. So, of course I jumped on the opportunity. I knew we were coming home and I also knew that we weren’t going to go back out for the rest of the year and I wasn’t really sure what the future held for us so I said ‘Hell yeah I’ll do it!’ I ended up camping out with them for a couple months straight working every week and recording a bunch of stuff for the record, and Josh had already recorded a bunch, too. I didn’t know what they were going to do with it- it was just an honor to be involved regardless. And every once in a while I’ll get a call to do something for them.
HRC: When you’re not playing drums, what else do you like to do- or do you have time to do anything else?
“I think I tend to gravitate towards peace and quiet when I’m not drumming.”
JF: Most of the time I don’t, you know. I think I tend to gravitate towards peace and quiet when I’m not drumming. I spend the majority of my time during the days of the week making a lot of noise- so when I’m not making a lot of noise I definitely- I wouldn’t say that I’m reclusive- but I try to find peace and solitude in whatever. I really love sports, so I try to follow sports the best that I can and I read when I can, or go to the beach and relax. I hang out with friends and family as well. When I’m not traveling, I usually come home and I end up recording with a band or going to catch shows. So just hanging out with friends at coffee shops or whatever.
HRC: Are there any musicians or bands that you are interested in working with in the future?
“I’m a huge Nine Inch Nails fan, too- always have been since I was a little kid- so working with Trent Reznor would be amazing.”
JF: There are a handful of artists that I’ve always wanted to work with for sure. One guy that’s always been way at the top of my list is Sting. I’ve always really liked Sting. I don’t know if that would ever happen, but I’d love to play with him one of these days- that’s for sure! There’s a band called Los Van Van- from Cuba- I’ve always had a huge dream of playing with them. That will probably never happen either, but it’s a dream and I’m allowed to dream. I’m a huge Nine Inch Nails fan, too- always have been since I was a little kid- so working with Trent Reznor would be amazing. I have a lot of respect for him and how hard he works. He’s quite an amazing individual. There’s a jazz piano player, too, named Brad Mehldau. I’ve always really loved his playing- he’s a very innovative player that mixes together all kinds of modern rock influences with classical and traditional and modern jazz influences. He has a trio that he plays with that just blows my mind. I’d love to play with him one of these days.
HRC: So you have upcoming Ashes shows in January/February, then Puscifer in March….what can we expect from you in the near future?
“I kind of hit the ground running after the Puscifer tour.”
JF: I kind of hit the ground running after the Puscifer tour. I’ve been home for a couple weeks now. I’m reuniting with a hardcore band that I used to be in that I started with some guys in Tucson. I guess we were all about 21 or so. It’s a band called Is To Feel. There’s a couple records that the band has put out. I think the last one was put out like 3 years ago. We recently decided that we were going to reunite. That’s pretty much the last rock band I played in before I moved to LA. That was one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make in my career, too, because those guys are really close friends of mine. They are really talented and I loved playing in the band, but I had to make a decision to detach myself form Arizona slowly but surely and get myself out here. But we are getting back together to do a record sometime this year. Right now I’m working on that stuff- it’s really challenging music and the last thing that most people would be wanting to do around the holiday season is play crazy hardcore music. I’m playing a shitload of drums right now working on this material and really enjoying the challenge of it, especially at this time of year. Instead of getting drunk and drinking eggnog and opening presents, I’m thrashing around on the drums playing this stuff and it’s fun. So that’s something people can expect sometime this year- a new record from Is To Feel. I’ve been camping out working on some material with a couple guys- this guy Bryce Soderberg from Lifehouse and another guy names Pelle Hillstrom who’s in ModWheelMood with Allessandro who used to be in NIN. So the three of us have been working on some new material that’s really fun- more of a straight ahead rock vibe. Other than that, there’s some other things going on, but definitely at least those things and Ashes and Puscifer. And anything else that comes my way- I’m sure I’ll clamp onto.
For more on Jeff:
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Genre(s): Interviews
HRC’s Top 10 Bands to Watch in 2010
by hardrockchick [about 2 months, 16 days ago.]
These were the openers. The ones who I went to the show not knowing well, and left loving. The ones that had short little sets that made big impressions. These are the 10 bands to go see in 2010.
Click on the band’s name for my review of their show
10. Nihilist
Part of the neo-thrash movement, I was particularly fond of the guitarist and drummer for this band.
9. Ufomammut
Italian psychedelic metal….amazing musicians and also great poster artists.
8. Chthonic
Taiwanese black metal with a super hot bassist and a fantastic aesthetic.
Neo-thrash meets black metal, this band already has a strong cult following but I expect they’ll get bigger next year.
6. The Amenta
Australian black metal with a very wicked frontman…..this was one of the best surprise sets of the year for me.
5. Iron Age
Also part of the neo-thrash movement, but with a southern spin as they are from Austin.
4. Warbringer
Excellent neo-thrash band with great live energy that have been on tour non stop.
German black metal band that put on a graceful performance and have great songs.
Amazing live band who, like Toxic Holocaust, skirt both thrash and black metal.
Also a thrash/death metal band…their performance will blow your mind and they are FEMALE FRONTED!
Genre(s): Lists
HRC’s Top 5 Craziest Concert Moments of 2009
by hardrockchick [about 2 months, 17 days ago.]
It’s a questions I’m frequently asked:
“So, HRC….I bet you see some crazy stuff at all those wild shows you go to….what’s the craziest thing you saw?”
Well, here you go:
5. Bloody tambourine battle at NIN/JA Santa Barbara where my hair tried to intervene. LMAO at the comment.
4. Psyclon Nine set their drums on fire! I looked for the closest exit just in case….
3. Willie Nelson plays to a barrier lined with Hell’s Angels and someone throws a large sack of weed on stage.
2. Mortis of Marduk slam dunks a guy who ran onstage into the crowd.
1. The ballsy guitarist from Mystic Knights of the Cobra plays almost entirely naked for the whole set in a basement in a remote part of San Francisco on a random Tuesday night for about 10 people…me being one of the only girls. Oh, and the band that played after wears diapers and dildos.
Genre(s): Lists
HRC’s Top 5 ‘Better Luck Next Year’ Shows
by hardrockchick [about 2 months, 17 days ago.]
So you’d think that after catching 115 shows that I’d seen it all, right? WRONG! Here are the shows that keep coming up as ones I should have been at:
5. Jesus Lizard @ The Fillmore
At the last minute I chose the comfort of A Place to Bury Strangers over this show….but I’ve heard so many good things about their shows.
4. Alice Cooper @ The Warfield
A work conflict prevented me from going….gotta make money to pay for the internet to write this stuff somehow!
3. Them Crooked Vultures @ The Fox Theater
You know, I haven’t been swept up in the TCV cult craze going on…but MAN they must be really good because people send me notes about them all the time…
I had to skip this show for NIN/JA Santa Barbara, which turned out to be one of my least favorite shows of the tour as I sustained NINjuries, so I still have yet to see this band.
1. DEPECHE MODE @ Shoreline Amphitheater
I was finally going to cross this one off my list, when the show was canceled the day before it was to take place….BUMMER.
Genre(s): Lists
HardRockChick’s Top 20 Shows of 2009
by hardrockchick [about 2 months, 18 days ago.]
I started to think about this list last month. How will I be able to choose my top shows? What’s the criteria? I thought about many things: cultural importance, some sort of surprise, how much fun I had, who I was with, what I got as memorabilia, circumstances around the show….there’s a lot to think about. And when I was about to make myself dizzy trying to come up with multiple lists, I decided to scrap all the nonsense and just go with the shows that were the most memorable to me. These are the shows that I couldn’t get out of my head for days…sometimes weeks or months after. They touched my heart. I then vetted that list by going back and reading my reviews.
WOW. What a crazy year it has been for me. I’ve realized that not only am I writing this site to share my experiences and spread the word about bands I believe in, but I’m also essentially documenting my life. Because when I’m not at work or sleeping, there’s a pretty good chance I was at a show this past year.
How does one go to 115 shows a year? Well, first of all, it’s what I love to do-and I don’t do much else. Second, I have a good job that is supportive of my hobby. Third, I became single in May, and essentially, live music became my boyfriend. Forth, from about April on I’ve had the benefit of having my site at a point where bands and their PR firms will guestlist me for shows. And fifth, I’m crazy :-p
I know for a fact that several of these shows below were rather disliked by many, and for the NIN shows in particular, they might not be in the order you’d expect. But a concert experience has a bit of alchemy to it. Not only is the event affected by your expectations and familiarity with the music, but it depends on who you are with, where you stand, how you obtained your ticket, the people around you, your mood, what you ate, how much you had to drink…..These are the shows where the stars aligned for me.
I tried to keep it to 10….but I had to go with 20. I had 115 shows to pick from!!! And you’ll see it nicely aligns with my Top 10 albums list.
So here they are, with one sentence to explain why:
20: Psyclon Nine and Imperative Reaction @ DNA Lounge
I’d been wanting to see Psyclon Nine and Imperative Reaction for quite a while, and they didn’t disappoint with a really high energy performance of pure industrial music that I don’t get enough of live.
19: Fucked Up @ The Independent
It was one of my first shows of the year, and the memory of this special band hung in there throughout the rest of my shows.
Seeing a band of this stature play such a tiny venue was an amazing opportunity.
Yeah, I know……but these are the types of shows that become legendary later on, and I was there to see it with about 10 other people.
A star studded, intimate, affordable event for a good cause hosted by one of my all time favorite guitarists, Tom Morello.
15: Nine Inch Nails @ Bowery Ballroom
I remember having more fun at this show than most of the other NIN shows I went to, but the most special thing about this one was the size of the venue (and it kicked the Echoplex show’s ass).
Dressing up like a Zombie, destruction, an excellent drummer- that’s all you need to know.
13: Dead Weather @ Outside Lands
I went into it skeptical, but came out of it completely understanding what everyone was raving about.
12: Puscifer @ The Fox Theater Oakland
More than a show, I was finally able to see Puscifer after a couple failed attempts…and Maynard’s voice!
11: The Horrors @ The Independent
A very personally relevant show with a new band that I’m passionate about.
A hot summer metal fest with Behemoth….and Slayer and Manson from second row!
Supported by excellent openers, I finally got to see Satyricon, and got a setlist, and got to meet Frost!
8: Rob Zombie @ San Jose Events Center
Meeting Rob Zombie and being front and center made this one of the most purely fun shows for me this year.
7: Nine Inch Nails @ The Wiltern
The final Nine Inch Nails show..maybe ever…..please don’t ream me for not making this #1…I’m being honest here…it wasn’t the best and most fun NIN show I saw this year.
6: Nine Inch Nails, The Horrors @ Webster Hall
The Downward Spiral in it’s entirety was amazing…..but it still wasn’t my favorite NIN show this year.
5: Nine Inch Nails, Street Sweeper Social Club: NIN/JA Chula Vista
My first experience with the all day wait and being front and center at the rail, to Reznor joining SSSC for ‘Kick Out the Jams’, to a phenomenal first of many of the year NIN set, to meeting Reznor in the airport the next morning….this was the show that started it all.
4: Nine Inch Nails @ Henry Fonda
My miracle show- from the teased PHM beginning to the excellent special guests, this show was perhaps the best of the final NIN shows for me.
3: Mastodon @ Great American Music Hall
The show that made me follow the band around for the rest of the year.
2: Alice in Chains @ The Fillmore
One blissful evening with Alice in Chains that was perfect in every sense of the word.
1: Nine Inch Nails and Jane’s Addiction: NIN/JA Las Vegas
You get the most out of what you put the most into- and as far as time spent goes, from the time I started waiting for this show, until the time I went to bed after it, was approximately 36 hours…it doesn’t quite come across in the review, but this was, personally, my most favorite show of the year….I just couldn’t put it into words.
Genre(s): Lists
HardRockChick’s Top 10 Albums of 2009
by hardrockchick [about 2 months, 19 days ago.]
It was actually a pretty easy process to pick my top 10 albums for 2009. All I had to do was look at what was played the most on my last.fm and itunes, filter by year, do some balancing to account for differing release dates, and there you have it- behavioral based research! I had the top 7 pegged perfectly beforehand. I guess you could say that this list speaks to my somewhat eclectic tastes, for which I make no apologies!
10: Goatwhore’s Carving Out the Eyes of God
I missed Goatwhore three times this year….something that will be remedied with my first show of 2010 when I see them with Devildriver. Though I don’t have any real personal affinity for the album, it’s been a reliable source when I’m looking for something hard & fast.
9: Slayer’s World Painted Blood
Seeing Slayer three times this past year and having one more to look forward to in January makes me happy. I’m looking forward to hearing more of these new songs live. It’s a great album- I get in ‘Slayer’ moods and this album slots in nicely with the rest of their material.
8: SSSC’s Street Sweeper Social Club
SSSC’s debut album will always be a go-to record to get me amped up. Not only do the tracks mean to be a call to action politically, but seeing them open for Nine Inch Nails and Jane’s Addiction this past summer means that I am programmed to think of SSSC as the party starters. Besides being a huge Tom Morello fan, it’s been great to see local music man Boots Riley in action.
7: Puscifer’s C is For…
I’m a big Maynard fan, but I didn’t find myself going back to the first Puscifer release a lot. This EP has me wrapped around it’s little finger. It has two live recording of tracks from the first album, and I prefer the arrangement of them here better than the original. But it’s ‘Polar Bear’, ‘Potions’, and ‘The Humbling River’ that are the great songs that hooked me. And hearing them live after having so many problems getting to a Puscifer show was a great experience.
6. A Place to Bury Stranger’s Exploding Head
I’d been anxiously awaiting this album for a while, having been a huge fan of their debut. It didn’t disappoint. While I still prefer their first album to this one, it’s a solid, better produced sophomore effort for one of my favorite newer bands. And the tracks sound great live. I look forward to seeing them again in March.
5: Satyricon’s The Age of Nero
Satyricon’s brand of accessible black metal continued with this album, one that’s been in heavy rotation for me this year. Hook laden riffs and phenomenal drumming make me wonder why this album hasn’t made it on any other top ten lists I’ve seen. And finally seeing them live was a dream come true….I have a *tiny* crush on Satyr.
4: The Horror’s Primary Colours
Hmmm….where to begin? I totally dissed them when I first heard the album because it didn’t sound anything like their debut album Strange House. But I kept hearing about how good it was, so I buckled down and listened to it again, and fell in love…hard. I got to see them a lot this year, and it was all amazing.
3: Behemoth’s Evangelion
Demigod made me a fan, but Evangelion made me a fanatic. It’s just brutal, pure and complex. I got to see them three times this year, and will be seeing them twice in January. Very excited!
2: Alice in Chain’s Black Gives Way to Blue
AiC has always been one of ‘my’ bands. Everyone, including myself, was skeptical about this album, but it really overdelivered. At first, I complained about the lyrics to a couple songs, or how it sounds like Dirt and Jar of Flies had a schizo baby. But a few listens in, and I fell in love with AiC all over again. And seeing them live was simply incredible. I’m very excited to be seeing them three times in the new year. It’s just a shame I can’t listen to them in the car….
1: Mastodon’s Crack the Skye
It comes as no surprise to many that this is my number one album of the year. I saw it performed in it’s entirety six times this year, and if there was an opportunity to see it again tomorrow, I’d be there. I had always been a bit on the fence about Mastodon- loving a few songs but not being too excited about others. But the first time I sat down and listened to CTS back in March, by song two I was already blown away. Like Evangelion above, this album turned me into a fanatic. It’s helped me through a lot this year, and it will probably always hold a special place in my heart.
Head over to Bay Area Metal Scene to see the Top 5 Local Metal albums I helped select.
Genre(s): Lists, Thoughts on Albums, You should check out:
Unknown Pleasures: Swann Danger, Guitar vs. Gravity, 2:Frail @ Hemlock Tavern, 12/19/09
by hardrockchick [about 2 months, 19 days ago.]
It was my 115th and probably final show of the year. After a year where I’ve been to shows big and small and traveled all over the U.S. to see them, I was very happy to end it with local bands in a locals only kind of venue.
However, knowing that it will probably be 3 weeks until my next show had put me in a bit of a funk as I drove to this final show. So I chose Ian Curtis to soothe me as I made the trek to one of my all time favorite albums, Unknown Pleasures.
The decor at the Hemlock may be ironic, but it reminds me that I will soon be back in Texas, where many places look like this and mean it. I was there early, so by the time it was time to head back into the venue portion of the bar, making it through the plastic car wash panels while balancing a drink in my hand proved to be more challenging than it should be.
As 2:Frail were about to begin their set, my ears perked up as I heard the intro riff to ‘Mountain Song’ closely followed by ‘Piggy’ I think….nice! The band’s industrial shoegaze sound is created by a guitarist and bassist (who had a very trippy looking bass) with shared vocal duties, backed up by a drum machine. Projections featuring somewhat creepy clips from old movies I should probably know are spliced together and perfectly choreographed to the music- kudos for the effort there. The ambiance is further complemented by the occasional blast of strobelights, a la APTBS. The music is dreamy with a hard edge, something that this city needs more of. I can see them playing shows with We.Got.This.Far in the future. I think they could benefit from a live drummer. Their final song was introduced as a Killer’s cover- which scared me at first- but then I heard the first few seconds and realized it was Shadowplay, I laughed at the humor in that and was very excited. Later on, I would get back into my car and that very song was cued up on the album. I love these bizarre coincidences.
As the next band, Guitar vs. Gravity began, I saw a familiar looking person out of the corner of my eye who I think was the vocalist for Kowloon Walled City, who was the last band I saw play at this venue. Another interesting coincidence. This band has a post-punk bent, and reminded me of early Weezer, probably because the vocalist had a Rivers Cuomo thing going on. He had a plastic shopping bag that he kept pulling various random books, cassettes, and records out of, gifting them to people in the audience for one reason or another…..it was quite humorous but I felt a little like there was a big inside joke going on that I didn’t fully understand.
Swann Danger is a female fronted three piece that reminded me of Siouxsie and the Banshees mixed with a little Hole. The vocalist admitted she was a little tipsy after a couple drinks, but it didn’t show. I thought they were fun; I could tell she is a big personality. The drummer appeared to be drinking straight from a bottle of wine. ‘Tis the season!
Afterward I hung out in the bar for a little while, which I am absolutely terrible at because I keep thinking about how drunk everyone is (duh- it’s a BAR!) and can’t hear what anyone is saying and it makes me really HATE being single. But I made it to last call (probably the first time I’ve done that in two years!) but was glad to get to the safety of my car where Ian Curtis serenaded me all the way home.
“To the centre of the city where all roads meet, waiting for you
To the depths of the ocean where all hopes sank, searching for you
Moving through the silence without motion, waiting for you
In a room with a window in the corner I found truth”
~’Shadowplay’, Joy Division
Genre(s): My Musical Adventures
Jamie, a self-proclaimed live music addict, chronicles her musical adventures in San Francisco and beyond.
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26 Shows in 2010
115 Shows in 2009
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HRC's Top Comfort Tunes
$8 Made Them Holler: Cannabis Corpse, Stormcrow, Voetsek, Wasteoid, Sorrower @ Thee Parkside, 2/28/10
Petaluma School of Music: Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine, Ashtray, & Cormorant @ The Phoenix Theater, Petaluma, 2/27/10
The Men in Black: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club @ Harlow's, Sacramento, 2/26/10
Noise Pop Film Fest: The Heart is a Drum Machine @ Viz Cinema, 2/25/10
Noise Pop Film Fest: Blood Into Wine @ Viz Cinema, 2/25/10
Noise Pop Film Fest: Echotone @ Roxie Theater, 2/24/10
Diary of a Madman: I am Ozzy Book Signing @ Book Passage, 2/21/10
HardRockChick Interviews Chris Reifert of Abscess, Autopsy, and Death
I Scream, You Sing: Epica, Threat Signal, Blackguard @ Slim's, 2/17/10
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