Nightbeat: Vans Warped Tour
Even with a lineup that won’t excite most over the age of 15, there’s still some life in this veteran punk rock/extreme sports traveling carnival, by now pretty much the longest-lasting multi-band tour around. Despite feeling crestfallen at some of the no-shows at these California dates – gasp, no Dillinger Escape Plan or G.B.H. for us?!? – as well as the most wimpy artists to ever play the tour – and I’m talking about you, the Academy Is, Cobra Starship, and Gym Class Heroes, ugh – I am heartened by several of the following names who will be stretching out their on-stage muscles. These groups should provide enough raw power to satisfy those looking for some decent music and volume: Against Me!, the Aggrolites, As I Lay Dying, the Briggs, the Bronx, Every Time I Die, From First to Last, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, Norma Jean, Pennywise, Reel Big Fish, Rise Against, and Street Dogs.
–Joshua Sindell
Fri. at the Fairplex, Pomona; Sun. at Seaside Park, Ventura. Warpedtour.com.
THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS
Thursday, June 19
The Almost, Emery, Envy on the Coast. Guess who passed on the Warped Tour? Still, this is not-bad sampling of that Christian-leaning punk/emo stuff. The Roxy, West Hollywood, Theroxyonsunset.com.
Duffy. Welsh soul singer, oft-compared to Dusty Springfield. El Rey Theatre, Miracle Mile, Theelrey.com.
Earth, Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafters. Dylan Carlson’s Earth rumbles in an oh-so-slow-and-loud way; Sykes’s shiver-in-the-pines blues is softer but equally spellbinding. The Echo, Echo Park, Attheecho.com.
Old 97’s, Hayes Carll. Dallas’s country cohorts Old 97’s make a welcome comeback on recent disc Blame It On Gravity; Lost Highway artist Carll is another Texan with songs sung from a roughshod heart. Crash Mansion, downtown L.A., Crashmansionla.com.
Sea Wolf. Indie folkie Alex Church performs his quirky songs. With the Jealous Girlfriends, and Patrick Park. The Echoplex.
Martha Wainwright. The youngest singer of the famed Wainwright clan is talented, but still is trying to find her distinct voice on current disc I Know You’re Married But I’ve Got Feelings Too. The Troubadour, West Hollywood, Troubadour.com.
Friday, June 20
Marié Digby, Eric Hutchinson, Justin Nozuka. Attack of the Singer-Songwriters, or, Hey, Haven’t I Heard This Song on a Television Show? El Rey Theatre.
Helmet. Tonight, crashing guitars meet crashing waves. Malibu Inn, Malibu-inn.com.
RZA as Bobby Digital, Stone Mecca. The Wu-Tang playa plays major playa Bobby Digital once again in this solo appearance. With local funkateers Stone Mecca. Music Box @ Fonda, Hollywood, Henryfondatheater.com.
Widespread Panic. Georgian jammers take up three night’s worth of space. Orpheum Theatre, downtown L.A., Laorpheum.com. Also Sat. and Sun.
Wolf Eyes. Synapse-frying, noisy sons o’ bitches return to cause more migraines. Spaceland, Silver Lake, Clubspaceland.com.
Saturday, June 21
Blacklist Union, Steel Panther. Hollywood rockers Blacklist Union meets the bane of all Hollywood rockers, parody band Steel Panther. Key Club, West Hollywood, Keyclub.com.
Hurt, Course of Nature, Depswa. Grunge returns to the Strip. The Roxy.
Seun Kuti & Fela’s Egypt 80. Fela Kuti’s youngest son Seun hits the boards with dad’s legendary Egypt 80, bringing Afrobeat back in a major way. El Rey Theatre.
Make Music Pasadena Festival. Free festival featuring local and global music from Kinky, the Raveonettes, Dengue Fever, Nortec Collective, Everest and more over four stages. Various Pasadena locations, see Makemusicpasadena.org for details.
Save New Wave. But this isn’t the way to do it: Cover bands play music from the Smiths, Depeche Mode, Oingo Boingo, the Cure and New order. Hosted by Richard Blade. Gibson Amphitheatre, Universal City, Gibsonamphitheatre.com.
She Wants Revenge, Be Your Own Pet, The Switches, The Virgins. New new-wave … pop and punk and post-punk all get worked out by these young bands who all faithfully resurrect the sounds of the ’80s. The Wiltern, Los Angeles, Livenation.com/venue/getVenue/venueId/1237.
These New Puritans. Southend, England musicians nicely blend art-dance rhythms and post-punk rock on latest album Beat Pyramid. The Echoplex, Echo Park, Attheecho.com.
Sunday, June 22
Earth Wind & Fire, Macy Gray. EW&F’s Maurice White is almost 70, so damn right he’s a shining star in the field o’ funk. Greek Theatre, Griffith Park, Greektheatrela.com.
Frightened Rabbit, Oxford Collapse. Scottish indie-rockers Frightened Rabbit join forces with Brooklynites Oxford Collapse for a night of jagged, spiky and oddly tuneful music. The Roxy.
Monday, June 23
Death Cab for Cutie, Rogue Wave. College-radio rock graduates to the arena levels. Nokia Theater, downtown L.A., Nokiatheatrelalive.com.
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, T Bone Burnett. Raising Sand, the team-up between folk crooner Krauss and Zeppelin’s lemon-squeezer Plant, has proven itself an international smash hit. Greek Theatre. Also Tues.
Tuesday, June 24
Stone Temple Pilots, Black Francis. Given-up-for-dead L.A. rockers reunite in ego-stroking fashion. And a member of the Pixies will be there, to boot. Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, Hollywoodbowl.com.
Sunny Day Sets Fire. London-based crew with a load of tunes and summery melodies, previews songs from upcoming Summer Palace album. Spaceland.
Wednesday, June 25
Cryptasize. Noise-rock meets show-tunes in this trio featuring Chris Cohen (formerly of Deerhoof) and vocalist Nedelle Torrisi. With Becky Stark (Lavender Diamond), and Palms. The Echo.
Fiction Plane. Joe Sumner (Sting’s son) leads his crew through their second album, Left Side of the Brain. Viper Room, West Hollywood, Viperroom.com.
George Michael. The famed hit-maker says this will be his final tour. The Forum, Inglewood.
Yael Naim & David Donatien. French-Israeli singer-songwriter Naim teams with percussionist Donatien for some musique nouvelle vague. El Rey Theatre.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Steve Winwood. Summer rock concerts don’t come much more summery than this. Hollywood Bowl.
T.I. The “urban legend” of hip-hop, Atlanta’s Clifford Harris rocks the mic. The Wiltern.
Published: 06/18/2008
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