“Tribute bands often reflect what I like about rock ‘n’ roll more than the authentic bands they replicate” -‘Dude Rocks Like A Lady’, Chuck Klosterman IV The tribute band is an interesting thing. I always wonder how it feels for the original band, to know that their music has inspired such a thing, but also […]
Read MoreIt was one of those nights that happens about once a month where I wanted to clone myself and attend multiple shows: Cannibal Corpse at The Warfield, Norma Jean at Slim’s, and Peaches at The Regency Ballroom. I chose the least likely show, Peaches. It was one of the increasingly rare nights where The Hipsters […]
Read More‘Twas the night before Thanksgiving… I had anxiously been waiting for Vader- the other Polish metal band- to come to town after becoming obsessed with Behemoth this summer. However, when the show was downsized last week from the Regency Ballroom to DNA Lounge, I began to expect a drive by performance- a small crowd, a […]
Read MoreBack in 2006, when I was still new to SF, I went to see GWAR at The Warfield. I had always wanted to see them. However, I had spent most of the early 2000’s out of the metal scene, trying to learn to love hip hop and indie rock because that was what the guy […]
Read MoreOver the years, Dir En Grey has come up as a band I should check out. I had tried listening to them several times, and it just never stuck. But when I read this article that talked about fans lining up the night before to see these guys- I knew there had to be some […]
Read MoreKISS may have very well been my first concert shirt. I have a vague memory of being a little kid, back before my family’s business became successful and I wore hand me down shirts from my uncle (my mom’s little brother and I are closer in age than they are). I can remember wearing this […]
Read MoreIt was my fourth and final show of what was nicknamed the Mastoklok tour. From the first show of the tour in Portland, to two Texas shows last week, to tonight’s final show of the tour in San Jose, I’ve followed the local metal legends, one of the most polarizing hardcore bands, my heavy metal […]
Read MoreMy night, like this tour, didn’t start off well. While immigration issues forced Hypocrisy and Ex Deo off this tour, list issues almost had me turning around and going back home. When I was greeted with that look and “I’m sorry but you are not on the list”, I almost left. Two times this week […]
Read MoreFriday the 13th. Normally, I like this day- but this day was far from normal. My reason for being in Texas was mostly for family. So on my trek from Houston to Austin, I visited my grandfather in a nursing home for what would probably be the last time. Then I visited my grandmother’s grave […]
Read MoreAs I’m walking to the Verizon Wireless Theater from my hotel, where I’ve just left my mom who frets like I’m still 16, I get to thinking…I was born about 10 miles away from here! I went to my first concert maybe 5 miles away, at a rodeo at the Astrodome, which may or may […]
Read MoreI walked into The Independent to find it slightly transformed for the evening. The Afro-Punk logo- the organization spearheading the tour- is projected on the side wall, as is the Budweiser logo. Footage from past Afro-Punk shows, coupled with skateboarding videos, show on a screen off to the side. American Fangs is on stage- five […]
Read MoreAt first, I wasn’t really in the mood for this show. I had one of those days where every second was filled with second thoughts. Every emotion that took me over were ones I loathe: regret, remorse, guilt, anxiety. These are the kind of days that I prefer to end with some metal, the kind […]
Read MoreIt was to be my twelfth show in fifteen days, and it was definitely the ‘wildcard’ show. I’ll admit it, I know very little about Devo. I blame it on an unfortunate coincidence in timing- I vaguely remember seeing the video for ‘Whip It’ when I was very young, probably around 10 years old, in […]
Read More2 years and 8 months ago, a fledgling HRC wrote about her first Mickey Avalon show at Popscene. Since then, I’ve seen him three other times, with DJ AM (RIP), with Andre Legacy and Dirt Nasty, and with Beardo. I may be a mostly rock/metal/industrial chick, but truth be told I was raised in the […]
Read MoreMaynard James Keenan brought his side show to Oakland for the first of two nights of high brow/low brow entertainment. It proved to be a night unlike any other. Earlier this year, I had to miss the LA Puscifer shows due to a family emergency, so it was nice to be able to make up […]
Read MoreI always wanted to be a scream queen. And, for one night in San Jose, my wish was fulfilled. Only the director was singing on stage and I was screaming unfilmed from the rail. My experience really couldn’t have been more different from the Halloween Zombie show on Saturday in LA. This was mostly because […]
Read MoreThis was the perfect ending to Halloween weekend. What started with black metal in a dive bar, and climaxed with Rob Zombie on Halloween, was tied up neatly with Skinny Puppy. I literally woke up in LA, drove straight home, typed up my review, and hopped back in the car to go to the show. […]
Read MoreIt would be the perfect Halloween: a Saturday night, daylight savings time ended and gave us an extra hour, a full moon, and Rob Zombie. HRC decided to roadtrip to LA by herself for a whirlwind 36 hour adventure. Perhaps I had better start from the beginning. White Zombie was my first metal show. Rob […]
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