VZ Magazine

Rocking The Greens

Central Coast Celebrates New Concert Venue in Nipomo

With First Annual Cinco De Mayo Festival

L. Paul Mann

The first Festival Blacklake brought a diverse line up of East Los Angeles roots rockers to the Balcklake Golf resort in Nipomo. The first concert ever held at the natural Amphitheater venue, took place on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, (May 6th), amidst a patch of old oak trees perched on a rolling green hillside right on the golf course. In an amazing showing of tolerance, local residents shared their back yard view with several thousand perfectly behaved strangers for the day. The diverse crowd of concert goers were treated to free parking, also right off the golf course, a choice of full alcohol bars, yummy food vendors, and a full afternoon of nearly five hours of rocking music. The venue could be the most beautiful and comfortable, in all of the tri counties. A steady sea breeze, kept the air cool, while the hot afternoon sun warmed the ground between the towering trees. The spot was reminiscent of the old glory days of the Santa Barbara Bowl, before the corporate takeover and technical transformation to a modern day concert venue. Back in the 70's and early 80's shows at the bowl, (which looked a bit like an abandoned Colosseum in Rome in the 1800's, with crumbling walls and weeds growing in the lawn section in front), took place during the day sans the elaborate lighting equipment of recent times. Neighbors would gather at most every show with tickets costing little more than a movie for a social outing. Patrons could pack their own picnic basket complete with wine and beer in plastic containers, and layout a blanket on the front lawn section. The crowd would socialize and dance and enjoy the natural setting. The same was true of the ethnically and generationally diverse crowd that arrived for the Cinco De mayo celebration at Blacklake. The well behaved crowd , with only one visible law enforcement figure in sight, chatted, feasted, drank and danced in a pre-summer celebration of life, just like the community aware members of headline act Los Lobos, envisioned it.

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Location: Black Lake Golf Course

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The show began right on schedule with an opening set by the new Latin hybrid band Mariachi El Bronx. Born from the roots of the original Los Angeles hard core punk band, The Bronx, the new group has evolved into a fusion of different types of Mariachi music such as, norteno, jorocho, juasteka, bolero and corridos, with a hint of punk and other more modern rock sounds. The band consists of the five musically schizophrenic core members of The Bronx, plus three more members playing various horn and stringed instruments. The ethnically diverse group of musicians, all clad in traditional Mariachi outfits, actually play music close to the roots of the traditional Mariachi sound. The crowd, most of whom arrived early, responded gleefully to the traditional sounds, singing, shouting, clapping and dancing along during the entire hour set. The band has recently released their second album, Mariachi El Bronx II.

As the hot afternoon sun began to wane, the alcohol infused crowd began to fidget excitedly in anti anticipation of the next act, the legendary punk band X. The bands impressive pedigree began like all the other groups on the festival roster in East Los Angeles. One of the key players in the early California punk movement, the group had already achieved commercial success by 1980. In that year the band toured across the country and played at the Arlington theater in Santa Barbara. The concert was the first of many appearances in the city, including later headline shows at the Santa Barbara Bowl. X quickly established themselves, along with a few other bands as the new face of a distinctly Los Angeles punk scene. Although that initial scene, and the subsequent hard core punk movement a few years later, produced a wealth of bands and music, X has survived as one of the very few groups from that era to still be playing viable music on a regular basis. Their punk sound, unique vocals, and poetic songwriting, have influenced countless musicians in the last thirty-plus years. The band widely known for their seductive live performances did not disappoint. Exploding out of the gate, the band kept up a rapid fire pace, playing their short punk anthems, like bullets in a Gatling gun. In just over an hour they managed to squeeze much of their most popular songs from their extensive catalog of albums. The set list included a heavy does of songs from their classic first two albums. It may be no accident that you could hear the ghost of Jim Morrison and The Doors in the unique vocal exchanges between Exene Cervenka and bassist John Doe. In fact the bands first album, Los Angeles, released in 1980, was produced by Ray Manzarek, keyboardist for The Doors. The original line up still features the astounding psychobilly guitar work of Billy Zoom. With his trademark grin like a Cheshire cat, he poses stoically throughout the show like the eye in a punk hurricane that swirls around him. Meanwhile DJ Bonebrake lays down a thunderous drum beat, which seems to channel the ghost of John Bonham of Led Zeppelin fame. Exene and Doe would occasionally pause to throw in a sarcastic comment here and there. Exene commented that it was their first time ever on a Golf course, while Doe chimed in “And it will probably be our last”. Doe also stirred up the crowd a bit when enthusiastic members of the crowd began slam dancing in front of the stage, blocking the view of the reserved seating section. “Whats the matter?” he asked, when security guards made a feeble attempt to move the crowd back, “Are they blocking the view of the rich people seats?” “Maybe they will stand up for Los Lobos”, he quipped. He then thanked the headliners for bringing them along before launching into a dramatic version of “The Hungry Wolf”, that had three generations of music fans pogoing in front of the stage.

X is about to embark on a tour of Europe in June opening for Pearl Jam. The bands representing two generations of American music, first toured together in South America last summer. From home grown Punk to Grunge it will be a real American music treat for audiences across the continent of Europe.

As the sun began to wane and the cool breeze kicked up headliners Los Lobos took the stage. Their two hour and ten minute set was an all encompassing fitting finale to the musically diverse day. The band began with a set of Latin songs, playing traditional musical instruments. But they ended with a full on amplified hard rock, jamming double encore, and played a variety of sounds and covers in between. Los Lobos is touring in support of their latest album, “Tin Can Trust”, their 19th release. The East Los Angeles group has been creating their own unique brand of American Chicano rock since the 1970's. Their ever evolving sound had encompassed a wide array of musical genres including, rock, country, Tex Mex, Blues, and R&B Music. They also incorporate a variety of traditional Spanish and Mexican music into their sound. It was no accident that they evolved out of the same neighborhood and at the same time as the early Los Angeles punk movement. In fact, their first gig was at the legendary Los Angeles punk venue, The Olympic Auditorium, in 1980, opening for Johnny Rot ten’s Public Image Ltd. The crowd responded in a dancing joyful frenzy, for the entire set. The band has altered the line up as of late, including adding new drumming sensation, Enrique Gonzalez to the line up, and moving veteran drummer Louie Perez, to the guitar line up, alongside guitar masters David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas. Other original members included bassist Conrad Lozano, and mufti-instrumentalist extraordinaire, Steve Berlin. Berlin nailed the flute solo on a magnificent cover of the Traffic classic, “40,000 Headmen”. They were also joined by percussionist, Oscar Bolanas, for the opening set of traditional songs from, “La Pistola y el Corazon”, their 1988 album consisting of Mexican folk music tracks. The band continued with a cross section of material from their vast catalog of music, interspersed with covers of classic rock songs. Versions of guitar classics from Santana and The Allman Brothers could be heard in innovative jams meshed with the groups' own material. By the time the band got to classics like their trippy trance like version of “Kiko and the Lavender Moon”, and their hit remake of “La Bamba”, the exhausted crowd was on the verge of collapsing. However, a spirited guitar drenched double encore brought everyone back to life until the very last note. The band members stuck around until after sunset signing merchandise for grateful fans who had waited patiently for the chance to meet them. What an awesome inauguration concert for Balcklake Amphitheater. I hope they invite us all back soon for another round.

Photos of the event:

https://picasaweb.google.com/prosurfphoto/LosLobosEditWithXElMar?authuse...

More Bang for the Buck

At Annual KJEE Summer Roundup Concert

L. Paul Mann

For a majority of music fans in a struggling economy the astronomical rise of ticket prices has pushed many high end concerts out of reach for their tight budgets. Like many southern California venues concert at the Santa Bowl are no exception to the hyper inflated ticket prices. But on June 1^st KJEE radio station came to the fiscal rescue with their annual Summer Roundup concert. Not only did the show offer a full evening of music with five bands on the bill, but all the tickets for the show cost well below the $50.00 mark, down where they should be to make live music accessible to the masses. Missing were the state of the art massive video screens and latest high tech LED light shows. What fans got instead was a modest stage set focusing on the most important aspect of a concert, the music itself. The day began early with local rockers Garden and Villa, receiving a coveted opening slot at 4pm. Two other hot new bands that have current chart topping hits, followed with short sets. Grouplove, a Los Angeles Indy pop band, had the crowd on their feet, for their new hit songs like “Colours” and “Tongue Tied”. There upbeat happy go lucky sound was apparently formulated when the band first met in an artist commune on the island of Crete. The Naked and Famous, a New Zealand band followed, also with an accessible upbeat crowd pleasing sound. The audience seemed to be particularly enamored by charismatic singer, Alisa Xayalith. By the time the band reached the end of their short set, playing their 2010 hit, “Young Blood”, most of the crowd was on their feet, with many in the audience singing the well known chorus.

The ever growing crowd had pretty much filled the bowl by the time the afternoon sun began to wane and the most anticipated band of the day, Garbage took the stage, The band may have stolen the show for many music fans in the audience familiar with the veteran band's long list of hits. Since they first came to Santa Barbara in the 90's, to play songs from their first album, they have had a strong local following. That show filled a defunct nightclub (Now Dargans Irish Pub) so tightly that the fire marshal nearly shut the show down. The band formed in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1994, is a powerhouse of talent. Drummer, Butch Vig, who was already famous as the producer of one of the most important albums in rock history, (Nirvana’s' Nevermind), organized the group recruiting top talented musicians, all of whom could write songs. The group of Americans then added the charismatic lead singer Shirley Manson from Scotland and the chemistry was complete. The crowd at the Bowl greeted the band warmly and was on it's feet for most of the groups performance. The band played a string of hits that had helped them sell 17 million records over the last few decades. The group periodically disbands to pursue other interests, but then reunite every several years. Their new tour is in support of their latest new album, “Not Your Kind of People”. The band played several well received tracks from the new offering but the crowd went wild, even forming a makeshift mosh pit for the older hit songs like the 1995 hit “Only Happy When it Rains”.

As a beautiful dusk fell over the bowl a near full moon rose in the sky, and a large fog bank offshore reflected the city lights, below. The bar began to shut down early after near record sales of alcohol created a well oiled audience. Headliners, Silversun Pickups, sauntered to the stage in the own unique understated style. Anyone who had been to a major music festival in the last decade was probably already familiar, with this jamming rock band, known for their explosive live performances. The Silverlake band brings their own unique Los Angeles sound to the world of hard rock jam music. Occupying a spot somewhere between The Who and The Smashing Pumpkins, it is a great place to be located for true jam rock band fanatics. Lead singer and guitarist Brian Aubert, has an eerie stage presence not unlike that of the late Jim Morrison. Auger offered up quiet understated anecdotes about everything from his college days in Santa Barbara to his inspiration for certain songs. Then he would launch into a tune in a trance like frenzy, full of wailing guitar and high pitched vocals. All the while the band behind him would play a frenzied jam, led by drummer, Chris Guanlao, who at times seemed to be channeling the spirit of Keith Moon. The band played a jam drenched 90 minute set, including material from their new album “Neck of the Woods”. The dreaded 10PM curfew ended the show, but not before music fans got their money's worth. After six hour of live music, the bill worked out to about $5.00/hr for the show, giving patrons a beer budget for a change. Now if we can just convince them to charge the same for the rest of the shows this season, then local music fans would be smiling widely. Thanks KJEE!

Vans Warped Tour

Kicks Off Summer 2012 in Ventura

L. Paul Mann

The rock and roll circus that is Vans Warped Tour rolled into the Ventura County Fairgrounds, on a gorgeous sunny summer Sunday, June 24^th. Taking an Amtrak train from Carpinteia seemed like a no brainier idea, since the Ventura train station is situated right across from the Fairgrounds entrance. The free parking lot at the station in Carpinteria, combined with a $20.00 round trip ticket price for the 22 minute trip made it an easy choice as a way to avoid the monumental traffic jam that Ventura's biggest music festival creates each summer. Although the train arrived an hour before the gates opened , there were already thousands of eager young music fans in a line that stretched as far as the eye could see. The mostly teenage mass of summer clad bodies waited patiently in a single file line to enter promoter Kevin Lyman's own unique visionary world. The festival consisted of a live music orgy that assaulted the senses on six main stages and several smaller ones for nine straight hours. Add to this a corporate give away of swag of monumental proportions, a carnival like atmosphere of food and beverage vendors, games, and socially conscious information booths and you have what has become the most successful touring music festival in History.

By the time many of the most loyal music fans made it into the venue, the music had already started and the mad dash began for the prized front row potions at the various stages. Other eager young fans lined up for the endless giveaways going on across the festival. This years tour featured one of the most eclectic line ups yet, including bands from musical genres as diverse as punk, hard rock, goth metal, screamo, reggae, hip hop, and EDM dance music. Clearly, judging by the size and intensity of the crowds at the two biggest stages, most young festival goers were fanatic fans of the predominantly screamo type bands headlining the festival. Most of these groups play short intense bursts of hardcore ear piercing music, punctuated by lead singers who scream their lyrics in a primordial guttural growl. The result whips the young audience into a frenzy, punctuated with dancing, clapping, crowd surfing, mosh pits, and sweaty surges of mass bodies towards the stages. One of the only large festivals to actually permit crowd surfing, the army of security guards are specially trained in unloading the surge of surfers as they catapult towards the front of the stage. In a firm but methodical way they pluck the floating bodies from the crowd and push them through the gauntlet at the front of the stage and place them back outside in the crowd. The scene plays out over and over throughout the day, with as many as five or six bodies surging over the crowd at the same time. In a defining moment of the show, during a set by Phoenix based sreamo band Bless The Fall, on the Monster Energy Stage, the crowd worked as a cohesive team to hoist a boy in his wheel chair, and crowd surfed him to the front of the stage. As the security guards gingerly pulled him into the pit, lead singer Beau Bokan high the ecstatic young music fan, while he continued to belt out the lyrics of the song. In fact, during the grueling nine hours of that the security manned the pits I witnessed only one injury, to a man who was launched by his friends like a rocket over the arms of the waiting security. He suffered a nice cut on his head but, was smiling like it was badge of honor as he retreated back into the crowd. But while most of the crowd was centered around the main stages for the most well known acts, a procession of some of the most interesting bands of the day proceeded to play to smaller crowds in front of the smaller stages. One of the best performances of the day was turned in by the Los Angeles band Dead Sara. The powerhouse quartet fronted by the phenomenal lead singer Emily Armstrong, belted out some ear shattering jams that harkened back to 70's rockers like Led Zeppelin. The group has created a lot of buzz lately but were content with playing to a few hundred appreciative fans at the Warped Tour, s other screamo bands gathered the masses by the thousands, on the other side of the venue. This band may well be Los Angeles' next break through music sensation. The band will also be appearing at this year 's Sunset Strip Music festival in August. For more information:http://www.sunsetstripmusicfestival.com

Backstage in the press quarters, the true spirit of the festival can be witnessed first hand. The daily breakfast and dinner are prepared with the help of the assigned band of the day, All the musicians must line up for the meals, a Hodge podge of goths still in their make up, reggae artists in their Hawaiian shirts and sandals, seasoned punk rockers, and young pop stars barely in their teens. It truly is a socialistic experiment unrivaled in the usually ego laden world of pop music. Each band also puts in long hours meeting and greeting their young fans in signing booths set up across the venue. The appreciative young fans sometimes wait for hours to meet their own specific pop idols. The Vans Warped Tour has been a right of passage for America's youngest music fans for decades now and this year may be one of the most successful tours ever. The rock carnival is set to play Canada and England as well, later this summer, bringing the distinctly American brand of music festivals to countries that pride themselves on their own unique music festivals. Long live the Warped Tour and the teenage euphoria that it has evoked in generations of young music fans. To see more photos https://picasaweb.google.com/prosurfphoto/VansWarpedTour2012Part1?authuser=0&feat=directlink