Category Archives: Concert Review

Inquisition Indoctrinates San Diego

October 6, 2017 Jenny Oh & The Klown Leave a comment

Inquisition sanctified us with their legendary black metal.

Inquisition reached our shores and marched straight to the Brick By Brick on Sept.2. Not a single dog fearing person was in sight ‘cause we’re San Diego and we love our doggies, but instead the black metal icons found a dog loving horde eager to hear their dark hymns. But before Inquisition ascended to their rightful place, they let their black metal armada take the reins.

Jenny Oh: This Inquisition didn’t bring death and destruction, just booze and a good time! We were sweating like sinners in church…but because it was a hot ass and super humid Saturday night. Mexicali death metallers Tombstoners brought some more heat while stepping in at the last minute.

Chuggo the Klown: You? Church? JOh-kah, please! Speaking of heat, Tombstoners performance can be best described as a flint being struck to spark a flame. Although the Klown is not sure if Impure Consecration was suppose to perform that night or not, the Mexicali duo did a good job filling in!

Tombstoners brought some more heat with their brand of black metal.

J: Hell yeah they did! Tombstoners showed us the brutality Baja Cali has to offer. Though this duo is, well, a duo they definitely played with the energy of an octet. Quality over quantity! Vocalist Alex Venegas’s elusive presence was only heightened by his thick growls and his flickering medusa locks. Thank goodness they had a handy dandy fan onstage, did I mention that day was hotter and a lot more humid than Satan’s asshole?

C: Uh… yeah. The dynamic duo performed admirably and really began to set the tone for all the things to come. Their brand of metal and presentation was rather mystifying and ambient in the Brick. You guys should totally check out their bandcamp here and see what we’re talking about!

J: Speaking of ambient, deep from within the smoggy urban highlands of LA rose Highland! These guys presented their brand of traditional black metal that was proudly made in SoCal ‘cause ‘MERICUH! Kudos to frontman Gevork Matevosyan for not only beating Reagan from The Exorcist in the extreme eye rolling competition but for also being brave and/or cray enough to be completely covered. Did I mention it was a hot ass and ultra humid day that day?! #neverforget

Frontman of Highland and eye rolling champ Gevork Matevosyan , ladies and gents.

C: The Klown knew he was basting in his juices but not as much as those guys. The drummer Michael Semerdijan wasn’t covered but definitely met your exaggerated claim. But the moment the Klown saw Matevosyan’s possessed-crazy eyes, he knew that everyone present was really going to experience some kind of awesomeness.

J: Exaggerated?! That heat was nothing to you Klown since you are a sad and inebriated demon from hell but for us mortals, it was unbearable! Though Semerdijian was melting, he didn’t let the overheated environment deter his speed and focus. When one wasn’t silently comforting Semerdijian, we were hypnotoad’d by Matevosyan’s facial expressions and the whites from his eyes. The vocalist certainly didn’t let his juices affect his presence and showmanship.

C: Indeed, the band didn’t need to conceal themselves behind any extra special effects or props. Highland not only put themselves out there but they kept the spirit of black metal and “occultism” alive. Even though Matevosyan remained stationary and left everyone in a trance, guitarist Narek Avetisian also showed off with his riffs and motions on stage.

Highland collectively flipped off our humidity and heat! Did Jenny Oh mention it was hot AF that day?!

J: We understood why Highland is one of the fastest rising black metal acts in SoCal. Seeing these guys is a must, especially Matevosyan and his expressive face. Hearing these guys will appease the black metal demons and the trve in you. Listen to their album here!

C: After a mystical trip from the terrains by Mount Ararat, we took a trip to Guatemala and went back in time to honor the Mesoamerican Mayan roots with Volahn. No ritualistic sacrifices required… this time anyway.

J: But headbanging was! Vocalist Eduardo Ramirez was as elusive as the Mayans civilization. Though Ramirez wasn’t out there, his presence was more than enough to intrigue anyone.

C: The Klown supposes you might be onto something. Volahn, in the way of a Mayan ceremonial rite, added more mysticism to their already numinous tone and setting. They also threw Spanish in to the mix for some added measure.

J: Raza! Volahn brought a new and refreshing concept. They showed any nay-sayers some brutality… like the Mayans! They were cool. Much like the hype of the Mayan calendar, Volahn’s reign ended. They left us in a state of astonishment.

C: The Klown is astonished with your lack of tribal knowledge. But onto a much talked about band known to the plebeians as the “Mgla knockoff” even though he has yet to see what was truly imitated.

Uada crept out of the Oregon woods and into our hell hole of a city.

J: Trick statement, Klown. The plebes don’t even know who Mgla is! Uada are different than Mgla and both of these bands have a style of their own and are great. Of course they may sound similar to the untrained ear and to the sheep. I love these two bands and it be pretty bitchin’ if they toured the states together and come here to our humble beach city! *Daydreams*

C: Add Midnight in to the mix and we got ourselves a hooded black metal X-mas! But enough of our wishlist, we are here to talk about Uada and their hooded glory shrouded in darkness.

J: I was very excited to see Uada and they did not disappoint. This American quartet came out of the Oregon woods and into the Brick By Brick like hooded specters.

Vocalist/guitarist Jake Superchi and bassist Robb Bockman cast their black metal magick.

C: Move over Aokigahara Forest! The Oregon forestry just beat you in spewing out dark apparitions, with the difference being that they don’t creep the Klown out or entice him to kill himself. These dark figures from the Northwest proved that less can be a shit ton more!

J: The relatively dimly lit stage pleased the pit, the drunkards and the fans especially once hooded guitar player #1 (James Sloan) started playing the opening riffs to “Devoid Of Light” and Jake Superchi let out his harsh screaming vocals.

C: Right, you are sis. The Klown will point out that, in an ironic twist, they had plenty of lighting in the background and had our undivided attention towards them. The Klown has only one thing to say about that: Genius!

J: Lights or no lights, Uada didn’t need to try hard to get everyone’s attention. Every time Superchi got a little closer to fans, they clawed the foggy, warm and musty Brick by Brick air to get closer. Superchi towered over spectators and silently praised with enthusiasm by flashing his horns.

C: Lest the Klown forget the ominous sounds of the closing song “Black Autumn, White Spring.” Some people, totally, came out looking possessed but not as much as Trevor Matthews’ double kick. Those bass drums sounded like a rapid heartbeat which the Klown is sure was what the moshers had going for them.

J: Less was more with Uada. What an unforgettable performance. After they retreated back into the darkness, it was time to cleanse and feed our need…

C: Question! Are we going to talk about Inquisition, yet?

J: *Slaps red nose off of the Klown* That was my moment! Thanks for stealing my moment, Klown! But yes.

C: You took too long in bringing them up, Muy-quemada!

J: I am an artiste! One cannot simply rush and artiste! Anyway you uncultured swine, though I was a little sad they did not take us on the “Wings of Anu” this time around, they began their reign of savagery appropriately with “From Chaos They Came.” The pit, she was alive and pleased.

C: The pit, she was to die for! *Perv face activated while evilly laughing* It was just like with Randy “Macho Man” Savage, they were kings and just like any king, they took “Command of the Dark Crown.”

J: The only thing Macho Man took command of was that nasty coke habit among other things but this ain’t about him.

C: Yes, they better be glad Hulk Hogan wasn’t there, otherwise we would have been “Embraced By the Unholy Powers of Death and Destruction.”

J: What, are we dabbling into our current political climate now?

C: Just a bit. I had to give a shout out to a fellow clown. One of us has to take the “Astral Path of Supreme Majesties,” the Klown is really talking about Pennywise. The Klown must beat Donny! I am Pennywise’s sole servant! Praise IT!

J: Okay well you’ve clearly had too many expired Paletas Payaso and seen too much of It. Enough about your sad life and more on the boys from Cali! Drummer Incubus’s stamina would put a seasoned triathlon to shame!

Incubus of Inquisition put to shame any seasoned triathlon .

C: El Pallaso would like to state that although, for “metal standards,” they do less it goes back to the argument less is far more. No fancy gimmicks, no fire balls, no sacrificial offerings, none of that. Dagon and Incubus’s presence and talents are the main focal point and attraction.

J: Whoa Klown, didn’t think you’d spew out your alter ego to the Mexican authorities like that! Didn’t know you had it in you! I gotta mention Dagon’s hair, not just because it’s beautiful but also because it escalated his subtle but grandiose presence. Dagon’s guitar plucking and Incubus’s rapid drum pounding was a spectacle. We were all lucky to be at Brick to witness these guys, but we were lucky to see them for the second time this year.

Concert Review

Rancid And Dropkick Murphys Bring Punk To The Park

October 1, 2017 Chuggo The Klown 2 Comments

‘Twas a free for all at the end of this unforgettable night! Members of Rancid, Dropkick Murphys and The Selecter left with a BANG!

The Klown was definitely stoked when Rancid and Dropkick Murphys announced a tour together from coast to coast. The Klown happened to get real giddy once he got word that they would be swinging ‘round town to San Diego’s Petco Park on August 24. Although they didn’t utilize the whole stadium like Metallica did weeks prior, these American punk greats chose to make it a bit more public by choosing the Park in the Park section within the stadium.

For those who’ve never been to Petco Park, the Park in the Park is what it sounds like. It’s a park for both people and pets that opens its doors to the public when it’s not a game day, inclusive event, and has a baseball diamonds for the kids. The park is surrounded by streets, the stadium itself, restaurants and condominiums. Those who happened to passerby on J Street or happened to live or be invited to the fancy shmancy condos got to witness this awesome Punk event.

The event began with 7 Seconds frontman, Kevin Seconds who is currently doing his folk/indie solo project. Seconds got things started rather mildly considering that it’s a major shift from the hardcore punk sounds of 7 Seconds. Yes, peeps it was mellow but powerful. Seconds may have indulged the early birds with some acoustic folk/indie music but the powerful political messages that embody punk music were ever present with songs like “Let’s Be Strong.” In between his breathers, he hyped the crowd and thanked them for coming early to see him perform.

Kevin Seconds of hardcore band 7 Seconds shows us his soft side and swept us off our feet.

Seconds poked fun at himself by addressing the fact that he was playing slow acoustic songs in, what was “supposed to be a Punk show.” He also indulges us with an anecdote of his illustrious career and reminisced about the time 7 Seconds performed at The Jackie Robinson YMCA Center about 20 years back. Seconds immediately quipped with “don’t say you were there because chance are you were probably a toddler, not born yet or probably as old as I am.” Seconds then finished his set with an acoustic rendition of 7 Seconds’ “Leave A Light On.”

Once Kevin Seconds departed from the stage, he left the light on for the 2 Tone Ska band The Selecter. The minute frontwoman Pauline Black took the stage with a microphone in hand, she announced who they were and that they were British and immediately kicked off their set with “The Avengers Theme.” Sorry Marvel nerd, not those Avengers. Black referred to the British comedic espionage TV show from the 60’s.

(Kween) Pauline Black and her right hand man Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson of The Selecter gave us a Ska-licious manifesto.

The Selecter dedicated “Frontline” to Heather Heyer, a woman who lost her life in the Charlottesville protest that turned awry and is now considered a modern day martyr for Civil Rights. The Selecter also had a theme song for the Klown’s brief moment of sobriety “Breakdown,” which was catchy as hell and harmonic. Black’s vocal counterpart Arthur “Gaps” Hendrickson stood out with his backing spoken word vocals and for adding some more depth and meaning to their message by reading names of Civil Rights martyrs and who’ve suffered injustice in the US such as Trayvon Martin and Sandra Bland.

Before the Klown wraps up on The Selecter, another notable asset in the band was guitarist Will Crewdson. Aside from looking cool as a cucumber, he shredded beautifully, had a couple of sweet solos, and also chimed in vocally when it seemed necessary. The band also covered and added their own twist to the “James Bond Theme” which not only sounded awesome but was amongst the few time Crewdson showed his guitar prowess.

The Selecter commanding their pit, yes there was a pit, silly!

As much as the Klown wanted to keep talking about The Selecter, the Klown has to move on and talk about one of his favorite punk bands of all time. The Dropkick Murphys, far more Irish than Notre Dame University and straight outta Boston, “The Boys Are Back” in San Diego after what seemed like forever. Well… they were back but that’s not the point, the point is actual fans and the Klown were glad to see that “The Gang’s All Here,” at the time.

Ever the showman, frontman Al Barr spread the love and energy throughout the masses by going back and forth on the stage. Lead guitarist/ accordionist/ backing vox Tim Brennan also joined Barr on this energy and spread the power of his riffs, showmanship, infectious accordion play, and voice. Of course a Dropkick show would feel rather curtailed without the mention of the face of the band, bassist/vox Ken Casey.

Vocalist Al Barr and Accordion master/guitarist/ back up vocalist Tim Brennan of Dropkick Murphys brought the Irish out of us.

The man that is the founder of the Murphys added more spark to the electricity in the air. Casey asked his FAQ when touring outside of Massachusetts, by asking if there were any Mass-holes in the crowd. Casey also went back to memory lane and shared the story on the band’s founding. In case you didn’t know, one of bean town’s greatest bands was found on the premise of a bet to prove that Casey and, original lead singer and founding member, Mike McColgan wouldn’t be able to write and perform one song. The anecdote would lead to the opening of “Barroom Hero.”

Casey would also talk about the split EP that they collaborated with Rancid when they were starting out 20 years ago, which was one of the reasons the bands wanted to tour together. The show also included one for the ladies with “Rose Tattoo.” Of course a Dropkick show would feel real incomplete if “The State of Massachusetts” and “Shipping Off to Boston” wouldn’t have been performed. As much as the Klown and other Dropkick faithful didn’t want the fun to end, the band appropriately finished with a song from their latest album 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory with “Until the Next Time.”

Not a dry body was in sight at the Dropkick Murphys.. ’cause of the beer shower and sweat duh! Get your mind outta the gutter 😉

As soon as most of us seized to be Irish, all of us donned our Californian pride when Rancid took the stage. The band formerly known as Operation Ivy took the stage and once the opening riffs from Lars Friederickson and frontman/guitarist Tim Armstrong sang his iconic lackadaisical punk vocal hit the mic, the crowd showed immediate signs of excitement and diehards knew that the band was in full force with “Radio.” Rancid would then take us on a “Journey to the End of the East Bay” on “The 11^th Hour” to enjoy the “East Bay Night.” See what the Klown did there?

Anyway, it would have been unusual for Rancid to skip out on their freshest album to date. Luckily they didn’t and played a couple of Ugh Metal’s theme songs “Ghost Of A Chance” and “Where I’m Going.” The latter, if you haven’t heard the song, it features Friederickson taking over on vocal duties. Armstrong performed “Buddy” and towards the end, he stood front and center by the guard rails to sing his final verses as a light shined on him before Friederickson took over with the closing solo of the song.

Lars Friedrickson sings his heart out while Tim Armstrong takes front and center.

Other things to note about this show were some notables in attendance such as The Interrupter’s own Kevin Bivona on the keys for Rancid and, although he was there to enjoy the show and support Rancid, Friederickson mentioned Machine Head’s Rob Flynn was in the crowd. After he announced Flynn’s presence, Friederickson dedicated a song to him and teased us with the riffs to Judas Priest’s “Breaking The Law” which would be followed by a hard “Nah” and then played “Bloodclot.”

Armstrong and Friederickson then took us back to the past to their humble beginnings and mentioned the moment that inspired the song “Olympia, WA,” the unaware posers now realized why the lyrical content mentions New York City’s 52^nd and Broadway.

Tim Armstrong and Lars Friedrickson of Rancid empowered and enchanted us with their impressive set!

Rancid also sang the moshing mantra “Fall Back Down” in which Friederickson demanded a bigger pit and remind us that Californians invented and perfected the circle and mosh pits. Of course, poser and fans (sober and drunk), showed a surge of energy once “Time Bomb” and “Ruby Soho” played. Of course for the naïve fans unaware of the anecdotes from Dropkick’s Ken Casey, an encore ensued with both Dropkick and Rancid back on stage for the final send off.

The encore began as soon as it did with a punk classic from the Man in Black himself, “Folsom Prison Blues.” Aside from the moment being a spectacle in and of itself, it felt we were having a once in a lifetime experience. Some of the moments include Al Barr and Friederickson trading off vocal duties when it was their turn to take the lead vocally.

Rancid and Dropkick Murphys joined forces.

Other moments were that of Casey and Armstrong sharing the same mic for the chorus lines and trading vocals duties as they played their bass and guitar, respectively while Barr spread his ability to share from the both ends of the stage as Tim followed or remained on the opposite side. Just when the Klown and others had figured out the encore, they managed to surprise us once more. How? You may not have asked but probably wondered.

The Selecter was brought on stage to shine amongst these American punk titans and became a manifestation by having Pauline Black and her tambourine, and Arthur “Gaps” Hendrickson join in for their cover of Cock Sparrer’s “Take ’em All.” Part of the song performance would also feature a trinity of guitar solos in the form of Will Crewdson, Tim Brennan and Friederickson! If this show sounded like too much to take in, it was! Imagine the Klown, his sibling and hardcore fans who haven’t seen them in a long time or for the first time.

A giant sing along ensued when all these greats gathered.

Yes, the Klown mentioned posers. I’m specifically talking about you, Tinder bro and mistress three-abortions who had no idea what songs were playing and only repeated “Shipping Off to Boston,” “Ruby Soho” and “Time Bomb.” This bunch attempted to make themselves feel like they were the bigger fans and tried to ruin the show for those that had the misfortune to be around them. Tinder Bro, you tried to impress your date with a selfie of you “in the pit” while you were clearly near the rail. Mistress three-abortions, you were drunkenly sharing your abortion stories with the public and was clawing, pinching and petting everyone for the sake of getting of getting to the front.

Special thanks to the Masshole who stood by the Klown and his sister, and who sang along with the Klown for the Dropkick Murphys set. We sang, we drank, we laughed and we rioted. Despite the ups and downs that this show had, it was a once lifetime experience. Hopefully, the punk gods shall smile on us once more and allow it to happen again.

Rancid, Dropkick Murphys and The Selecter all hopped onstage covering classics…yes it was epic.

Concert Review

The Punk Scuffle at Til-Two Club (Part 2)

September 24, 2017 Jenny Oh & The Klown Leave a comment

After so many sleepless nights wondering what happened to Davey Quinn, we found him! Quinn is alive and well and rockin’ with his band Santa Ana Knights at Til-Two Club!

Congrats! You have made it to level 2 of this epic battle of the bands at Til-Two Club on August 19! Whaaaa?! You didn’t know there was a Part 1? Turn that frown upside down and check it out here! Though Jenny Oh and the Klown didn’t throw down like they thought they were, they discovered lots o’ things. Like wut? Well, lost o’ cool punk bands, another great booze selection, and found Davey Quinn! Let’s see what these drunk fools had to say of about the 2nd half of the bands and find out just who won this battle!

The Waste Aways

J: Things were fun and dandy, but The Waste Aways brought us back down to earth with their realness. Before they punched us right in our emotional sacs, Sam T Kelly made all of us ladies and possibly gents swoon with “Dream Girl.” Kelly then gave us a strange jolt of hope with the song “She Said I Say.”

C: Ah… yeah, Kelly sure did. He had the Klown feeling the feels. Spoke and serenaded to the Klown’s withered soul. Especially once “Fallen Into Falling Out” started. The Klown couldn’t help was to admire Kelly’s expressions and how he channeled the pain he sang into the song.

J: Man *sniff* fuck that song man! *sobs* I’m totally crying. No shame! Kelly added more heart and soul to this particular song by performing in the pit the whole set and serenading us this song while looking in to every glazed eye. Well done, Sam, you did the impossible. You made a venue filled with metalheads, punkers and drunkards feel and for that we salute you.

C: Yeah, was kinda jelly that Kelly serenaded and sang those powerfully emotional songs to Fitz of Ninja Night Race. More on them later and check out their Soundcloud!

Santa Ana Knights

J: After we collectively gathered ourselves and feeling like new men and women after The Waste Aways, we were mellowed out by Santa Ana Knights.

C: Yeah, it felt like Mickey Mouse’s mandatory blow meetings that is held during their “huddle.” But most importantly, they spoke to the Klown with their music, especially with his anthem from a long bender or long days at the labors when they sang “How’d I Get Home?”

J: And the vocalist….omg…is that Davey Quinn?! It is! Damn our hunt for Mr.Quinn was already successful but we never thought the punk gods would reward us twofold tonight! Mr.Quinn joined us in the pit as well to mingle among us plebs! Quinn exerted this insane amount of energy and enthusiasm making us drunk with enthusiasm.

Davey Quinn of Santa Ana Knights and 10 other bands has been found and is pissed!! Not really but look at that emotion!

C: Well… we can now recall all those missing person milk ads and amber alerts. Good to know where he went off to! The Klown was blown away, first slapping the bass for Santa Claus, then drumming with The Bertos, and now fronting for the Santa Ana Knights? Is there anything this man can’t do!?

J: Quinn never seizes to amaze us and if you check out their bandcamp, I know you will be amazed too. Aside from making us laugh and cracking jokes in between songs, this man poured this hidden intensity in his performance, an intensity that hides underneath that lovable joker grin. Speaking of hidden, it was nearly midnight and it was time for the surprise band to jump on the Til Two stage…

Ninja Night Race

C: Remember when the Klown mentioned Fritz during the whole The Waste Aways segment. Well… the time is now. Ninja Night Race was the surprise entrant in this battle and what a race it was.

J: Ninja Night Race slapped us silly and made us feel young again with some pop punk done right. Once again there was a band that understood the Ugh Metal struggle with “Quitting Life,” which has the lighthearted, feel good attitude when you’ve run out of fucks to give.

C: The Klown usually starts everything with “Now What?” but not these guys. These guys blew that rhetoric out of proportion in true punk fashion.

J: And gave us our site a really cool theme song called “Cringeworthy.” I can see it now Klown, while this song plays the world can see our shenanigans in the Ugh Metal fortress. We laugh, they laugh and I’d say we would die a little inside but that’s impossible ‘cause we’ve been dead for years. *Drinks fermented Fruitopia*

C: Agreed… it also makes you want to “Stop the World.” The Klown definitely wishes that he could do that at times!

J: Don’t we all? And you might want to stop what you’re doing and refuel with Ninja Night Race’s bandcamp. A last note on my philosophising, time must flow because it is the circle of life and the wheel must turn which reminds me of the final act of the night.

Tiltwheel

C: Yes, it can almost be said that it was tilted. This night would feature the return of Davey Quinn but this time as a guitarist and a vocalist for his other band Tiltwheel.

J: Davey was back again with his buddy from Bertos and Santa Ana Knights, these two were BUSY that night. Quinn was back in the pit and with his faithful gallon of water! Tiltwheel was ready to close out this epic battle and Quinn was still bursting with energy, humor and vigor. This man doesn’t stop!

C: The man proved to be more energetic than the Energizer bunny. He just kept going and going even during the black metal bowling metal awards! The Klown cannot remember who the winners were he just remembers some dude won a trophy and some chick got a bitchin’ skateboard.

The Klown showed off his professional reporting skills and informed us that “some chick (Tasha Parker) got a bitchin’ skateboard” and “some dude (Steven Baeza) won a trophy” [for the Black Metal Bowling tournament].

J: Wow Klown! *slow claps* What a wonderful recap of this highly anticipated award show. What are you even doing here in this shit hole site? You should be reporting for reputable places. But tonight is your lucky night because I also have a superb memory like you, in fact we should both be CNN’s bitch.

C: The Klown tried but figured this was his place, either way they told him that he was too distracting. Anyway back to the main piece because the Klown “Can’t Remember Shit” and the night simply continued with Davey telling everybody that stuck around that everyone was a winner that night. The Klown doesn’t know how he feels about sharing a victory.

J: You know what, I’m also not one to share my victories because I’m the shit but Davey was right. We won because Tiltwheel closed out with a bang, gave us the last jolt of punkstatic adrenaline we needed, and for those that stayed till the end, were in for a treat. It was a great showcase of our local scene that would certainly take you to a world of pure inebriation…and imagination.

C: Settle down Drinky Wonka the Klown knows that Davey sang his ode of distaste for yams with “Fuck You Yams.”

J: Yeah! Fuck those guys! I don’t like them and the way they look at me! But this song of displeasure is very nice though, it reminds me of those tunes we used to bump up in our CD players back in our youth…damn we’re old but our spirit is young!

C: Shit… we old! This was a great night and somewhat unexpected for Ugh Metal. Davey Quinn had the right idea as far as differentiating winners and losers go. Checkout their stuff at their label’s bandcamp! However, the Klown wholeheartedly believes that the true winners were us and those who attended this goldmine of a show. Local legends strutted their talents, others came as a pleasant surprise but most importantly, untapped resources in the coziest venue that there is.

Tiltwheel wrapped his battle of the bands with a bang! We were the real weiners!

Concert Review

The Punk Scuffle at Til-Two Club (Part 1)

September 22, 2017 Jenny Oh & The Klown 1 Comment

There was no epic and bloosy battle between the Klown and Jenn Oh , but there was a sweet band of nasty women called Cochinas Locas and more!
(L to R: Bassist Sarah Hodgson, drummer Leslie Knedgen and vocalist/guitarist Paloma Ceballos)

On August 19, Ugh Metal heard about a showdown that was going to take place at the Til-Two Club. Of course, the fools took the opportunity to join in on the action. The “J-Oh-ster” took a rusty bicycle chain and a sock full of pennies and the Klown took some juggling pins from his Railing Bros days and a pair of brass knuckles for added measure. Of course, they felt silly after they realized it was a regular battle of the bands. This misunderstanding was a nice surprise because these fools found a treasure trove of local punk acts AND black metal bowling for those itching for a friendly competition. Stay tuned for the winner of this slobberknocker because we know who won. Let these butt pirates tell you all about it, narrator out!

Chuggo the Klown: Thank you… for nothing, you narrating scum!

Jenny Oh: Who you talking to, tubs!? Did you eat some of Aunt Candelaria’s special rye bread, again?

C: No… Grimace, I didn’t. Stop this inquisition at once or I’ll tell Hamburglar that you done get in his stash of vintage burgers again! Anyway Mr. BigHead, Ugh Metal traveled across the city of Townsville, past the middle of Nowhere to meet up for this one of a kind showdown. This is why we were late for the first half of the battle. Apologies to those bands!

Stalins of Sounds

San Diego comrades Stalins of Sound conquered with their Devo-esque punk.

J: Okay Krumm while you’re on your rye induced trip, all I need is The Stalins of Sounds to fly into a whole new world and give you an “El Cajon Beatdown.” Which I totally would have done if this was really a showdown! *flexes*

C: Sure you would. Just remember you were trying to use your life savings for this fight.

J: Would have been worth every penny too!

C: I’m sure! The Klown can honestly say that he was intrigued by this trio and their sound in general. The best way he could describe it would be how Devo would have sounded like if they blended some punk, and had ditched those hats to don a Mohawk. And just like the rye the Klown ate because it was a “Heavy Dose!”

J: YASSSS! Or a toned, saner and punkier version of Mindless Self Indulgence especially with “Monkeys Attack.” Either way, this sound is everything and who could resist the power of the mighty synth and its wielder David Hurtt? Hurtt was pounding on those keys and dancing away to the beat of this infectious song. We simply couldn’t look away and stop “dancing!”

C: The Klown supposes that that was a good way to sum up these punkish comrades. You can check out their bandcamp here and here but now on to the Berts!

Bertos

J: You mean Bertos! No these guys didn’t bust out a blend of rancheras, no. These compas served up some good ol’ punk that was both mellow and would subtly get in your face.

C: “Oh I See It,” the one thing that the Klown remembered other than the performance was the black metal bowling tourney that was taking place. Incidentally, Los Bertos even paid homage to Saytin with “The Devil Counts Your Steps.”

J: They also made the best song about “Stuff,” which is the perfect song to play when you have to clean your room or when you have to gather your stuff after that inevitable eviction from that mean landlord. Don’t forget to crack open a beer and crank up the fun with “Deep Clean.” That chorus will get you, and make you forget about your troubles, and evictions, and everything in between. Even after you clean up and start over and blast these guys when you find their bandcamp in the new couch you’re crashing, you can’t help the urge of getting down and dirty.

Cochinas Locas

C: The Klown now had the “Will 2 Survive” especially once the Cochinas Locas took the stage after Les Berts.

J: This band of nasty women got up and showed us who’s boss and taught us not to take shit from no one with “I Don’t Think So.” Are we finally boss bishes like them Chuggo?!

C: Not quite but at least we’re “Something Real.” Speaking of which as much as the Klown enjoyed Paloma’s performance, bassist Sarah chimed in by backing Paloma’s vocals with her own screaming vocals for the chorus line.

J: Sarah had that IDGAF attitude and could win any heart over with those cutesy and semi guttural burps that she shared with us. Dude, I think she really liked us! That’s what people do when they like each other right? They burp in front of them right? Right?!

Sarah Hodgson of Cochinas Locas challenged Chuggo’s burping and drinking record.

C: Right! She showed everyone that she was in “Control” alongside Paloma and the drummer Leslie. Still the Klown felt a little underwhelmed with the fact that he couldn’t use his instruments of ass destruction.

J: Umm..okay? Anyway, they didn’t quite start a mob scene or compelled anyone to make shitty references to has-been’s such as Brian Warner, because this fresh act is full of life, and promise, and ready to raise some hell one last night with “Fight Song.” Cochinas Locas brought some more grit to their night of glory.

C: Indeed! Check them out here. Now the Klown will talk about a band that took the name that the Klown used for his club in collage! But that will be on the next segment! *Evil laughter, gets struck by lightning*

Stay tuned for Part 2!

Concert Review

Marduk Had A Victorious Night

September 17, 2017 Jenny Oh Leave a comment

Marduk invaded our coast with the most…toast?

We slapped on our SINday best on August 20 and headed over to Brick By Brick to continue our path of repentlessness (this word exists in the Slayer dictionary) and allowed the mighty Marduk to ravage us. The Swedish black metallers came in and tore the Brick apart one by one with an invincible squadron in tow.

Native badasses and Ugh Metal residents Warpath rushed in and quickly invaded the stage. The quintet from Julian set the mood with the native chanting intro that never fails to get us into battle mode. Though these metalcore warriors were the “odd one out” in the death and black metal lineup, Warpath made it work. The band was energetic and ready to blow their set out of the water.

Warpath were determined to win you over, hardcore kvlt dude.

Vocalist Johnny Osuna, worked up the crowd, like he usually does, along with rest of the band. Though bassist Jason Wolfe was missing that night, their buddy Danny Trujillo from the Barona reservation filled in for him and then some! The bassist donned skull face paint as opposed to the tribal war paint his bandmates had and the signature bandit look guitarist Harrison Whitecloud sports.

The bassist got down with his fellow members and was entertaining as hell, and invaded the stage. Lest we forget drummer Dean Osuna towering over his drum kit letting his presence and excitement be known.. It was another successful battle for Warpath.

Frontman Johnny Osuna, bassist Danny Trujillo, and guitarist Harrison Whitecloud of Warpath were bursting with face melting vigor.

Soon after, local black metallers and fog machine enthusiasts Greenskull rolled in. They brought out the classic and mystifying sound of black metal adding a much needed sense of dread to our sunny coast ‘cause too much cheeriness is lame…okay maybe not that lame, it’s alright.

Their sound, however, was anything but dreadful and fueled the enigma of Greenskull with the resonating screeching vocals along with the calculate tempo from the ensemble. Greenskull certainly doesn’t need the excessive amount of fog they use in their shows to fuel their presence because their music speaks for itself. Greenskull already possesses that magnetism without the need of fog, lasers or shiny green skulls …okay shiny green skulls would be pretty gnarly.

With the fog slowly clearing up within the Brick, the stage lights shined down making it seem like there was an abysmal type of dawn and setting up the stage for Abysmal Dawn! Admit it that was a good one! Right?…Everyone’s a critic. And you know who else doesn’t need to try hard to impress anyone? Abysmal Dawn ‘cause they’re already cool!

The death metallers from the City of Angels raised some hell and kicked off with their recent material “Human Obsolescence” off their latest album Obsolescence. Abysmal Dawn appeased their OG followers by revisiting their debut LP From Ashes and played “Servants to their Knees.” The death metallers also paid homage to the Ugh Metal staff with the ultra brutal “Grotesque Modern Art” and “Loathed In Life- Praised in Death.” Before you dispute the claim that I just made, I have three words, let me dream.

Charles Elliot’s interchanging growls took a life of their own and kept you on your toes. Elliot would sometimes release a piercing screech before u-turning his vocals into a thick growl while keeping his focus on his guitar. Bassist Eliseo Garcia created a mini storm of his own with spurts of windmilling…EEEK! Hold on to your vests! Hurricane Eliseo just rolled in!! Oof! *Picks up headband and fixes hair* Okay now that he simmered down, Garcia’s silent intensity, afterward, was a storm in repose before triple teaming with guitarist Vito Petroni and drummer James Coppolino for another wave.

The decaying sun had risen and swallowed up the Abysmal Dawn setting in motion the great Incantation. These death metal vets wasted no time and worked all sorts of dark magick on our dogforsaken soles. The anticipation of seeing these guys pumped any worn out foot in the Brick with adrenaline especially when they unleashed “Rites of the Locusts,” and “Carrion Prophecy.”

Incantation work their magick with their brand of brutal death metal.

John McEntee’s guttural growls were still bursting with brutality much like their earlier days nearly thirty years ago. Their latest album Profane Nexus may have been the belle of this unholy mass but this death metal quintet let out some classics such as “Christening the Afterbirth” off of their 1992 album Onward to Golgotha and “The Ibex Moon” from 1994’s Mortal Throne of Nazarene. Though Incantation are living legends, these gentlemen were the definition of humility as they thanked the crowd after every song.

The stage was still oozing with magick and energy that was so ready to be harvested by the mighty Marduk, not that they needed any. These black metal legends had been through a battle of their own earlier this year that had caused them to be banned from certain venues, but not here. The Swedish quartet was ready to melt our faces off and so they did. Yes, I AM SKELETOR!.. From the neck up.

Marduk briefly turned the pit into dance floor.

Marduk drew first blood with “Frontschwein” and the infectious ode to our fallen hellhound who was a prominent Madame [Citation Needed] “The Blonde Beast.” This “Beast” briefly turned the pit into a dance floor, a choppy sea of black all around us. One can not simply resist Fredrick Widigs catchy ass drum tempos in this song and Hans “Mortuus” Rostén’s presence and showmanship. We’re not that dead on the inside! Mostly on the weekdays and some holidays…

Marduk may have started with songs from their latest album Frontschwein but they slowly ventured back with “Wolves” from 1993’s Those of the Unlight and “Materialized in Stone” from 1994’s Opus Nocturne. But because Marduk wanted to keep things interesting, they slid these classics in between their set list. The pit was pleased with whatever song these titans threw at it.

We all flashed our horns to Hans “Mortuus” Rostén of Marduk.

These black metal Swedes closed off with “Panzer Division Marduk” and the pit became a battlefield once again, like it already wasn’t throughout their set amirite?! Marduk were the masters and commanders of this stage whose presence can easily conquer the far side of the world! For all of those that attended, it was a clear victory from afar. For those that didn’t have the chance to attend, be sure to join the Marduk fleet and experience these energetic black legends in action.

Concert Review

The Quest At The Q: Vans Warped Tour Pt.2

September 13, 2017 Jenny Oh & The Klown Leave a comment

*Editor’s note:

Dear security,

Thanks for saying “Fuck you!” to the heat, staying sharp throughout the day, for being rad, and protecting all of our sorry asses. Extra points for those that enjoyed the shows but stayed alert and chatted with us. We love you long time k!

Sincerely,

The enthusiastic hooligans/fans XOXO*

Previously on our quest in the Q, we got fucked up by Municipal Waste while we started a punk “Revolution” while making a trip down to “Mexico” where we had three margaritas and a taco before doing that quasi mosh fighting alongside the mighty Candiria. Now that the dust had settled, Jenny Oh was searching for the best spot on the rail for the GWAR show while Chuggo was sulking because he missed his first future ex-wife’s performance. Wait what? You don’t know what the hell we’re talking about? I guess you should read part 1 then huh, buddy?

Jenny Oh: Future ex- wife? First? What are you blubbering about Klown?

Chuggo the Klown: Okay, first of all you are over exaggerating. It’s future ex- girlfriend! Who happens to be New Years Day’s, Ash Costello.

J: Oh man, not this again. *massages temples*

C: Secondly, as for the next future ex-wife, we’ll get there when we get there. At least I already have a future plan with my future relationships instead of you and Shane West!

J: You leave Shane West out of this you loser! Now enough about our respective allures and more about…..

Emmure

C: Very well sibling o’ mine! We shall discuss more about your future sister in laws some other time. Now let’s talk about Frankie Palmieri and his…

J: THE CLAW! He seems to have been chosen to stir the young and lively masses circling under the sun. Palmieri wasted no time or Red Bull…

C: Uhh you mean Mutant? *whispers* You wanna get sued again?!

J: Oh! Umm…yeah. No Mutant was spared … we didn’t get to have any but I’m glad Palmieri and his faithful fans did… because “You Asked For It” Emmure started with this intro track that hyped up every vape in that pit.

C: Yeah apparently he started his set by stating that he was a “Shinjuku Masterlord,” and then things got “Smokey.”

J: The slow burning “Torch” caused a choreography of head bopping while he moved around the stage. That man was bursting with energy!

C: Speaking of fire, Emmure sang the most metal song of their set “Flag of the Beast.” Most importantly, the Klown has to give credit where credit is due. Palmieri really knows how to get his fans going and has the charisma to back it up. Major props to guitarist Joshua Travis, he is an unpredictable force of nature. When Travis wasn’t strumming his killer riffs, he was kicking major ass through interaction.

J: Yes, yours truly is not an Emmure fan at all but it was a fun experience watching them. Travis’s playful interactions with bassist Phil Lockett and their fan acknowledgement were entertaining as hell.

Hatebreed

C: As much as the Klown had fun watching the string duo of Emmure kicking ass, the Klown was fortunate to see the embodiment of ass kicking once again and next door.

J: Jamey Jasta and company never let anything get in their way to kick some ass! Not the heat, not the shortened time set not nothing! They cut the foreplay and laid it all on us with their hits “To The Threshold” and “Destroy Everything.” *sigh* Those take me way back.

C: Heck yes, Jasta took the Klown to a special therapeutic place in his mind once “Looking Down The Barrel of Today” started. The Klown knew then what was going to take place and immediately identified the song once Frank Novinec’s opening riffs began. This gave this sack of sleaze goosebumps.

J: Gee willikers old man Klown! You didn’t need expired cough syrup to go to your therapeutic state this time?! What progress! And you know what, Hatebreed were not only crisper than ever, but they gave the sunburned crowd more reasons to breathe and succeeded with the motivational anthem “In Ashes They Shall Reap.” How else would we find the motivation to find the freshest nachos in town without this song?

C: I dunno, “J-Oh-ster” we haven’t gotten any nachos in a while. In fact Jasta capped off his performance with the lack of nachos and the driving force behind the Klown, “Driven By Suffering.” It truly was a spectacular moment since it has been years since the Klown has seen Hatebreed in San Diego. The difference being that this time around, it was more metal: in the beating hot summer sun, a bigger, younger, and energetic crowd and lest the Klown forget the pit it garnered.

J: We may not have been in the close proximity of these badasses for the sake of securing our spot on the rail for the wet and wild adventure awaiting us, but damn! Just damn. It was amazing to see Jasta, his bandana and the rest of Hatebreed kick major ass. Though their set was obviously short, they didn’t let that deter their showmanship. Till next time Hatebreed! After Hatebreed we came down with a brutal new strain…

The Acacia Strain

J: And straight from Massachusetts…well actually they were on the road in the Warped Tour but that’s beside the point. The point was that even though I wasn’t foaming at the mouth and counting down the hours to see them, I was heavily intrigued. I wanted to see Adam Sandler’s younger brother’s band since one of them had to taste success and relevancy. Amirite Klown?

C: Ugh… again with this Adam Sandler comparison!? He looks like Bob Clendenin… a younger and tatted up version of him. Enough of this image comparison, and on with the performance because it was quite unique and rather fun.

J: Yes enough about people we don’t know! Vincent Bennett, AKA Adam Sandler’s successful lil bro, did the impossible.

C: Call Guinness boys and girls! He demanded the world’s smallest pit, a pit for ants, an oompa loompa smash…

J: Are you done yet?

C: Almost…A Chihuahua showdown! A….

J: Anyway, the crowd delivered! Bennett demanded that the smallest pit encircled two dudes in the center of the pit, it’s worth noting that one of them was wearing a neat straw hat.

C: Another one got his ass handed!

J: No he din’t!

C: I see you picking up the kids lingo! The Klown will admit he liked Bennett’s chemistry and showmanship. He interacted with the crowd and…

J: HE WAS FUCKING FUNNY! *Laughs* He didn’t take himself seriously, ‘cause come on man we were all having a good time…minus the heat and dehydration.

C: You can say he killed it, and we were on time for a burial….get it?!

After The Burial

J: We didn’t know we were bearing witness to their final tour of this year. After The Burial vocalist Anthony Notarmazo announced that they would be taking a long break after the Warped Tour, which has been a while as of now. They unloaded “Lost in the Static” to get this party rolling.

C: Yeah, the Klown believes that the 8-string guitarist Trent Hafdahl was the spectacle of that time, especially his color coded guitar arsenal!

J: Now that After The Burial were here in our home turf, they paid homage to our hell hound, Brydoh, and performed the “Berzerker.” She will be pleased when she goes in berserker mode!

C: Yes, it would have given her some further “Aspiration” to be the berserker had she heard it. But the Klown sometimes sees her as “A Wolf Amongst Ravens” especially when she goes in to her epic beast mode!

J: You know what surely set the pit in beast mode? Not that it needed to be poked and prodded any further, “Anti-Pattern.” Dan Carle took us all the way to pound town, literally, with that sweet drum intro before unleashing the beast. Now that we’re in the subject of beasts, the sun was setting in planet Earth and was rising in Planet Home!

GWAR

C: Yeah… Earth… “Fuck This Place!” Oderus left us stranded on this world of pus!

J: But at least he left us Blothar and the rest of the GWAR ghouls so that we may blissfully suffer together for all of our natural lives! The drought was finally over and so they began their ritual by sacrificing a plastic emo-man child and gave us a bloodbath with the instant classic “Sadam A-Go-Go.”

C: Pustulus Maximus joined in on the fun and briefly overshadowed Blothar. Especially with his incomplete dick joke… it was too long!

J: *dumb dumb dumb* Pustulus didn’t need to sway us with his dick jokes or his hilarious vet joke… that I forgot about, he had already won us over earlier in the day. We got give him a bro shake and hug their human slave which for legal purposes they call roadies. We had already established a connection with him man. A connection the GWAR virgins in the crowd, didn’t have! WE WERE SPECIAL. Oh and they got us all wet again by the way, making the parking lot look like a “Genocide.”

Move over McGregor and Mayweather, Bonesnapper vs. Sawborg Destructo is the new fight of the galaxy!

C: Yes, the Klown too accomplished that. In fact, his white GWAR tee got to pregame during that moment! After all, we stuck out like sore thumbs in the sea of GWAR virgins especially the ones who seemed confused by our moment. Speaking of bloodbath aside from getting a courtesy bloodbath from the Scumdogs from Planet Home, The Klown wanted blood…

J: YOU GOT IT! *shakes red Faygo soda and splashes the Klown with it*

C: What the hell… we went to GWAR not an ICP show, you fool!

J: Shut up Klown! Sing me a bad rap song!

C: Speaking of clowns, the Klown had wondered how America’s first clown president’s blood would look like, he just wasn’t expecting an explosion of orange displeasure to come out. But it was still a treat to see the commander –in-chief pay us a visit during the show. The Klown didn’t know he was a fan of GWAR.

The crowd rejoiced when the clown Prez joined the Scumdogs of the universe on stage! Who said our prez wasn’t cool?!

J: After sacrificing the clown Prez and bathing us in his orange blood and zapping us with their green gun o’doom, the Scumdogs took a bow with this unforgettable AC/DC cover. We looked prettyful with ALL the colors of the bloody rainbow and thus creating a strange parallel of bohabs and regular peeps as we waddled away after this unforgettable performance. Can’t wait to catch them at the House of Blues again on Nov. 21! Stay metal Warped Tour! And till next time …or not? *DUN DUN DUN*

Fin?

Concert Review

The MandoShanks Riot At SOMA

September 2, 2017 Jenny Oh Leave a comment

The MandoShanks make us peer deep within ourselves in their album release party for their latest album “Cavity Search”

Still feeling young and alive from the Warped Tour adventure the week before, the Ugh Metal team headed over to SOMA on August 11 to recapture their youth! This all ages show slapped the Ugh Metal team silly by staying true to their word and had several children and families in attendance…whoa man…that’s awesome! This rare but pleasant sight soon made the Ugh Metal team forget about hunting down the phantom of their former selves. We were so ready to partake in this punktastic family reunion courtesy of local punks The MandoShanks who were celebrating the arrival of their latest album Cavity Search (which you can buy here). No awkward small talk was present in this fam reunion but there was a sweet pit! To clarify, I mean a mosh pit and not the metaphorical fire pit that we create in fam reunions that we use to roast the black sheep of the flock.

Starting this party for the night was local hardcore trio Making Incredible Time. These brochachos started this Friday night release party with a fun ode for when we run out of fucks to give called “For The Loss.” They get us man! We’re very willing to bet you will agree with us and blast this track especially after a long brutal week at work AND while you’re chugging the liquid good stuff.

We gambled away all of our fucks given with Making Incredible Time

BUT if you really wanna have a great time, bust out the “Adderall Pills and Poker Chips” in your ipod ya junky! Making Incredible Time brought a fun and carefree vibe to the table that is sure to make anyone forget about their troubles and will make you want to bet double or nothing! After seeing these guys we couldn’t help ourselves and yell out “hit me!” We won big with M.I.T’s short but fun set, we were so ready for the rest of this night. If you wanna see what these guys are all about, check out their bandcamp!

We may have gladly gambled away all of our remaining “fucks given” with Making Incredible Time but it was time to raise our water guns for Guns of Eden! DAHAHA! I shot you in your crotch and now you look like you peed yourself! But enough about my impressive shot that totally happened and more on the quartet from Oceanside! Guns of Eden kept the party going with “One Man Punch” which will soften your misery on your next dreadful work shift!

Guns of Eden displayed their sensitive side and played a nice ode you should totally serenade to that punk rock kween you’ve been eyeing for some time called “My Baby Likes To Rock.” The quartet went out with a BANG! With the ruthless “Mob Killer,” which has a great bass intro accompanied by a steady drum tempo that will make you wish they would go on longer.

Though Guns of Eden kicked so much ass, the bassist’s young daughter stole the show. The little girl enthusiastically greeted her dad, high fived him throughout the night, and ran around in her own little pit. Not to brag but we’re pretty sure we spotted a killer punk legend in training! You’ll be raising your water guns proudly after you check out their Reverbnation profile here.

Speaking of local legends, Authentic Sellout was back and ready to impress the Ugh Metal team again. The Klown may have gotten the chance to see the quartet for the Dead Kennedys show, but it was yours truly’s turn and I understood why they left quite the impression on the Klown.

Authentic Sellout were ready to make an impression on Jenny Oh.

Authentic Sellout needed their signature grand entrance by the coolest pirate wizard you will ever see, whose human name is Christian “The Wizard” Weiss. The Wizard effortlessly worked his magick and flared our enthusiasm as he proudly announced Authentic Sellout…bring it!

Still beaming from their unforgettable performance at the Dead Kennedys show, A.$. hooked us in with “King of Rock N’ Roll” which has a chorus that is sure to stick in your head and make you want to burn everything to the ground ’cause you’re the king/queen! Once you do, be sure to follow it up with an air guitar battle with your buddies just like lead guitarist Christian Borja, rhythm guitarist Andy Danger and bassist Rice Enright did that night.

Lead guitarist Christian Borja and bassist Rice Enright have an epic riff battle.

Authentic Sellout spread the love and dedicated a nice little tune for the hipsters called “Apples & Oranges” which starts with a catchy little beat from drummer Scott Driscoll before Rice Enright’s bass tune creeps in nicely. Aside from The Wizard, A$ brought another special guest to this shindig. LUCILLE WAS BACK! And she was hungry for some blood and circuits with her theme song “Technology.”

Vocalist Sulo King didn’t hold back and quickly joined the pit where he prowled within the crowd displaying Lucille. It was never a dull moment with Authentic Sellout and they left a tremendous energy deposit on the stage. Give in to Authentic Sellout and check out their Soundcloud and see what other treats they have in store for us and give their Facebook page a like.

Sulo King of Authentic Sellout take over the pit with Lucille in tow.

Making a third appearance on this site is Sculpins! They were also glowing from their breathtaking performance from the Dead Kennedys show as well and kept the momentum going. Vocalist Adam Gomez was bursting with energy and proceeded to melt off our faces without warning with “El Banco,” “Diablo” and the empowering “Green Speech.” In between songs the vocalist thanked a lot of their supporters and friends and introduced a lot of songs with short but powerful speeches.

Gomez crouched while he purged every ounce of feeling into the mic with every passionate song and when he wasn’t flailing the mic stand he was jumping in the pit much like King. Needless to say the pit was buzzing the whole time with fans and friends.

Adam Gomez of Sculpins was ready to kick ass with or without the mic stand!

While Gomez was performing his heart out within the pit, guitarist Branden Parish, and bassist Carson White paced around the stage letting those fast paced riffs flow while drummer Jarrod Monday kept his tempo. Sculpins created a rogue wave once again. Allow yourself to be swallowed whole by these local punkers and check out their bandcamp.

Speaking of all things moist, we soaked up our metaphorical booze and were ready for the debauchery of local punkers Drunkin Punkin Idiots! Already not knowing what to expect from these punks, the random “Cookie Cutter” set the right tone and a message that was loud and clear, LOOSEN UP! D.P.I performed most songs off of their 2013 album Smashed and each had a personality of their own such as the in-your-face “Scenster” and the erratic “Gout” to name a few.

What better way to kick off your weekend than with the Drunkin Punkin Idiots?

Mike Vetter had an entertaining and playful attitude that is sure to make anyone stick around and see what crazy antic he might do…or what crazy antic he might talk us into doing! Because there is no age limit to rocking out, the pit had an elder OG punker sporting an awesome and legit/vintage Goosebumps tank top. Extra points for him! It’s so nice to see other people like the cheesy goodness of Goosebumps! It’s still our show of choice after a concert…you wouldn’t get it! #90skids.

This OG punker joined the fresh crop of DPI fans and it was awesome, but the catalyst who kept the pit alive and well was one of DPI’s #1 fan/unofficial hypeman. Another young fan who has seen the band grow from the beginning was invited onstage to join them for a song and man did he know those lyrics!

When Vetter wasn’t briefly joking with the crowd, he was releasing all that erratic energy he had in the songs. D.P.I are the cool skaters/wild child you cut class with just to head over to the skate park even if you didn’t know how to skate and had a few beers with. They convey that “Fuck it, I’m down” SoCal attitude and energy so damn well into each song. Needless to say the pit was stirring throughout the whole set.

Mike Vetter of DPI was so ready to have some fun!

Vetter ended their set with “Alcohol” and let loose a hilarious ramble where he mentioned “I think, I think, we should, we should make a new album…” and our personal favorite “Let’s have some drugs, let’s get some hugs, throw me in the trunk, I don’t care, let’s have some fun.” YES. As Drunkin Punkin Idiots left the stage, Vetter passed on the mic to their #1 fan/unofficial hypeman to pump up the crowd. Become their next #1 fan and check out their bandcamp!

After taking a swig and living it up with D.P.I, the hardcore beaus of the ball know as The MandoShanks ascended on the stage where friends, families, and fans alike all gathered around the metaphorical campfire. The trio from Escondido were eager to share their new tracks from their latest album Cavity Search with the world and we were ready to receive!

The MandoShanks celebrated “Cavity Search” their latest album ya sicko.

The MandoShanks motivated our pathetic team and made us reevaluate our mild rockstar lives with the bitchin’ song “Generation.” Though we will not confirm nor deny whether we were born to be mild, we’d bump this song at any phase of our lives. The MandoShanks unloaded the short political anthem “Caterpillar” and professed their lurrve for da POHLEES in “F.T.P” which will have you dancing while flipping off the world because who could resist that whammy bar and beat man!

The MandoShanks along with the bands on the bill were all a great example of the untapped gems that are shining brighter than ever in your local clubs and venues. All were welcomed in this family affair which was a refreshing and touching sight. The physical copies of Cavity Search were officially released into the world that day and it’s sure to inspire the new generation of aspiring little punkers that were in the crowd that night. Be sure to give their FB page a like and go ass deep into their latest album in their Bandcamp, links are in the intro paragraph!

Presented By Jenny Oh and Chuggo the Klown