Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
It’s only been a couple of months since I’ve hung out with 100-percent skate rocker Eddie Solis but in his case that may as well be a lifetime. His two-man hardcore band It’s Casual has a bunch of listening parties and killer shows coming up (including on this Sunday at The Vex with Black Flag and Good For You), his hometown-centric radio show Los Angeles Nista (with guests including local musicians, skaters, artists, entrepreneurs, and politicians) is taking off, and he even has a photography show coming up in Santa Ana. What! I had to get the scoop, and met my friend this morning in beautiful Echo Park.
These days, going to four shows in seven days is a pretty rare and awesome treat for me. Even more amazingly, I took my five year-old daughter to three of them (not Channel Three at Alex’s Bar, above).
The Three O’Clock played their final reunion show at Fingerprints Music in Long Beach last Monday. I missed their shows at Coachella, The Glass House, and The Troubadour, and was stoked that they played a couple of in-stores to celebrate the release of their essential new CD which compiles demos, alternate mixes, and favorites. At Fingerprints the Paisley Underground standouts played the entire Baroque Hoedown EP, including their signature cover of The Easybeats’ “Sorry,” and three songs off of Sixteen Tambourines LP with “On My Own” and The Bee-Gee’s “In My Own Time.” Wow.
I recall my twin brother and I were promoted from junior high, our parents bought us $40 worth of records. Our first batch included The Clash’s London Calling, David Bowie’s Let’s Dance, and Baroque Hoedown. One of our first concerts was seeing them play at Magic Mountan on the very stage featured in KISS Meets The Phantom of The Park. Who would have thought that I’d be taking my daughter to heard that record performed in its entirety and meet the band? Yes, they were very cool…
On Friday afternoon, I took Eloise to see SISU celebrate the release of their great new EP at Origami Vinyl. It was incredibly hot and humid that afternoon and the acoustics are tough playing in the loft-like space, and maybe that’s why the band showed a really raw, almost dubby side that I never noticed before. The new songs sounded amazing. Too bad Eloise passed out as I carried her. Gotta arrange a lunch with my daughter, Sandy and Jules to make up for her missing the end of their set… She was bummed when she woke up at home because she loves them in SISU as well as Dum Dum Girls.
The Satellite has become a backup to The Echo in recent years, so I was stoked to see two rad bills there in the same week. Gotta love being able to walk to shows, especially when it’s a friend’s band. How could I miss seeing Money Mark jam with The Mattson 2 (above)? But first things first. I capped off my Father’s Day by checking out J Mascis’ latest project.
One of the tiniest shops on Sunset, Vacation Vinyl, has hosted some of the gnarliest in-stores, from Converge to OFF! Before this week’s Retox gig in the shoebox-like store, guitar ripper Michael Crain asked my friend Ben and me, “Did you bring earplugs?”