Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
Normally, we’d post it in it’s entirety, but while Giantrobot.com is being worked on, you’ll have to read GR Time at this link. – Read it here.
Continue reading
King Buzzo played his first ever acoustic set at the Satellite last night and it was amazing. I really didn’t know what to expect when Scion announced the free show. Would it be Melvins Lite light? Were marshmallows going to be provided for “Kumbaya” moments? No way. It was heavy as shit, with Buzzo singing as if he heard the bone-crushing music of the Melvins in his fuzzy head while trying to break his acoustic axe’s unorthodox-tuned strings with every stroke. The badass set started with a super dark Alice Cooper cover and ended with my favorite Japanese psychedelic doom metal band’s namesake song, “Boris.” Somewhere in the middle of the show he previewed a cut off his upcoming album and surveyed a bunch of Melvins tunes. It was great. You had to be there–or not. There was a ton of SLR-wielding dudes filming the event so you should be able to check it out on the Scion AV site one of these days… Props to Tweak Bird for playing a far-out opening set. I arrived half-way through and was stuck in the back of the room, too far to take photos, but they ripped. BONUS REVIEWS You might have noticed that the GR site went down a week or so ago. Here are some friends’ shows that were casualties but need to be on this blog… Dum Dum Girls record release show at The Echo on January 28. I like the new LP but the new songs sound even better with the proper band propelled by my pal Sandy Vu’s killer chops and beats. Killer set of psychedelic pop goth with an extra dude added for bonus texture. I expect this lineup to be out of their collective minds by the time they hit Coachella. A Minor Forest at The Satellite on February 8. Back in the day, drummer Andee Conners stayed at my house with J Church, P.E.E., and this band, A Minor Forest, which just got back together for some reunion shows. They were tighter, heavier, and more mathy than ever. Perhaps more fun, too. So great to seeing him and the dudes in action and hanging out on the sidewalk, as well as opener Rob Crow. Kevin Seconds at Amoeba Hollywood on February 13. Okay, I don’t personally know the singer from 7 Seconds but Eloise is now part of the youth crew after attending the in-store commemorating his great new solo album. Accompanied by his wife Allyson and Kepi Ghoulie, the new songs aren’t meandering singer-songwriter stuff but brief, earnest bursts of energy that rip. Sound familiar? Save Music in Chinatown 2 on February 9 at Human Resources. Our fundraising has now reached about $7,500 to put toward music education at Castelar Education in Chinatown. The lineup of our second benefit matinee was a dream for me: DJ Adam Bomb from KXLU’s Bomb Shelter played first-generation L.A. punk and hardcore (Weirdos, Circle Jerks, X, Dils, Adolescents…) complemented by vintage 7″ singles from my friends from...
Continue reading
King Buzzo played his first ever acoustic set at the Satellite last night and it was amazing. I really didn’t know what to expect when Scion announced the free show. Would it be Melvins Lite light? Were marshmallows going to be provided for “Kumbaya” moments? No way. It was heavy as shit, with Buzzo singing as if he heard the bone-crushing music of the Melvins in his fuzzy head while trying to break his acoustic axe’s unorthodox-tuned strings with every stroke. The badass set started with a super dark Alice Cooper cover and ended with my favorite Japanese psychedelic doom metal band’s namesake song, “Boris.” Somewhere in the middle of the show he previewed a cut off his upcoming album and surveyed a bunch of Melvins tunes. It was great. You had to be there–or not. There was a ton of SLR-wielding dudes filming the event so you should be able to check it out on the Scion AV site one of these days… Props to Tweak Bird for playing a far-out opening set. I arrived half-way through and was stuck in the back of the room, too far to take photos, but they ripped. BONUS REVIEWS You might have noticed that the GR site went down a week or so ago. Here are some friends’ shows that were casualties but need to be on this blog… Dum Dum Girls record release show at The Echo on January 28. I like the new LP but the new songs sound even better with the proper band propelled by my pal Sandy Vu’s killer chops and beats. Killer set of psychedelic pop goth with an extra dude added for bonus texture. I expect this lineup to be out of their collective minds by the time they hit Coachella. A Minor Forest at The Satellite on February 8. Back in the day, drummer Andee Conners stayed at my house with J Church, P.E.E., and this band, A Minor Forest, which just got back together for some reunion shows. They were tighter, heavier, and more mathy than ever. Perhaps more fun, too. So great to seeing him and the dudes in action and hanging out on the sidewalk, as well as opener Rob Crow. Kevin Seconds at Amoeba Hollywood on February 13. Okay, I don’t personally know the singer from 7 Seconds but Eloise is now part of the youth crew after attending the in-store commemorating his great new solo album. Accompanied by his wife Allyson and Kepi Ghoulie, the new songs aren’t meandering singer-songwriter stuff but brief, earnest bursts of energy that rip. Sound familiar? Save Music in Chinatown 2 on February 9 at Human Resources. Our fundraising has now reached about $7,500 to put toward music education at Castelar Education in Chinatown. The lineup of our second benefit matinee was a dream for me: DJ Adam Bomb from KXLU’s Bomb Shelter played first-generation L.A. punk and hardcore (Weirdos, Circle Jerks, X, Dils, Adolescents…) complemented by vintage 7″ singles from my friends from...
Continue reading
Mar 15th – April 2nd 2014 Reception Saturday March 15, 2014 5-10pm Mar 15th – April 2nd 2014 Reception Saturday March 15, 2014 5-10pm Giant Robot presents: 20 Years Art x Mags Exhibition Giant Robot began in 1994 as a zine which soon became a full-fledged magazine and published for 16 years. Today, Giant Robot exists as a website, a shop, and as a gallery. Although the exact date of inception is a mystery, the date published on the cover of the first issue says it all – No. 1 and 1994. Featuring many artists who have appeared in Giant Robot and some who haven’t. The list includes: Takashi Murakami, Yoshitomo Nara, Ryan McGinness, Rob Sato, Geoff McFetridge, Pete Fowler, kozyndan, Shintaro Ohata, Matt Furie, Albert Reyes, Shizu Saldamando, Souther Salazar, Megan Whitmarsh, Stella Lai, Saelee Oh, Seonna Hong, Adrian Tomine, Amy Davis, Ai Yamaguchi, James Jean, Heisuke Kitazawa, Scott Wilkowski, Jeff Soto, Mari Inukai, Sean Chao, David Horvath, Dehara Yukinori, Luke Chueh, Kohei Yamashita, Yoskay Yamamoto, Edwin Ushiro, Ako Castuera, Bobby Hundreds, 326, Rachell Sumpter, and yes plenty more TBA. This exhibition will precede the epic SuperAwesome: Art and Giant Robot at the Oakland Museum of California. April 19 – July 27th, 2014. For any additional information, contact Eric Nakamura (eric@giantrobot.com, twitter: giantroboteric) GR2 – 310-445-9276.
Continue reading
Mar 15th – April 2nd 2014 Reception Saturday March 15, 2014 5-10pm Mar 15th – April 2nd 2014 Reception Saturday March 15, 2014 5-10pm Giant Robot presents: 20 Years Art x Mags Exhibition Giant Robot began in 1994 as a zine which soon became a full-fledged magazine and published for 16 years. Today, Giant Robot exists as a website, a shop, and as a gallery. Although the exact date of inception is a mystery, the date published on the cover of the first issue says it all – No. 1 and 1994. Featuring many artists who have appeared in Giant Robot and some who haven’t. The list includes: Takashi Murakami, Yoshitomo Nara, Ryan McGinness, Rob Sato, Geoff McFetridge, Pete Fowler, kozyndan, Shintaro Ohata, Matt Furie, Albert Reyes, Shizu Saldamando, Souther Salazar, Megan Whitmarsh, Stella Lai, Saelee Oh, Seonna Hong, Adrian Tomine, Amy Davis, Ai Yamaguchi, James Jean, Heisuke Kitazawa, Scott Wilkowski, Jeff Soto, Mari Inukai, Sean Chao, David Horvath, Dehara Yukinori, Luke Chueh, Kohei Yamashita, Yoskay Yamamoto, Edwin Ushiro, Ako Castuera, Bobby Hundreds, 326, Rachell Sumpter, and yes plenty more TBA. This exhibition will precede the epic SuperAwesome: Art and Giant Robot at the Oakland Museum of California. April 19 – July 27th, 2014. For any additional information, contact Eric Nakamura (eric@giantrobot.com, twitter: giantroboteric) GR2 – 310-445-9276.
Continue reading