Concert Reviews

Rocket roars back at Ink-N-Iron

And you thought Rocket from the Crypt ended abruptly the first time around... Nearly eight years after prematurely bidding its career farewell, Rocket roared back to life as part of the 2013 Ink-N-Iron Festival on ...

Not so Tame Impala hits House of Blues

Australia’s finest, Tame Impala, gave all in the house an early surprise by joining opening act Jonathan Wilson onstage for his final number. Wilson and his band had played a solid set, although for most ...

A beautiful Ugly Things weekender

Three days of long nights, and the perpetrator is a fellow ex-pat named Mike Stax. The 30-year anniversary of Stax’s magazine, Ugly Things, was celebrated by players past and present. Santa Ana’s the Neumans kicked ...

More Hispanic than hippie — Banhart at the Belly Up

Devendra Banhart brought his multilingual show to the Belly Up, and from what I could see in the dim lighting and from behind some girls iPad (really, people?), he appeared in fine, if restrained form. ...

Let's go crazy: Prince packs 'em in at the Hard Rock Hotel

When Prince sang the words “let’s go crazy” during the third of his four Hard Rock Hotel shows, was he talking about the people who forked over an eye-widening $250 a ticket? Was he referring ...

Ladies and gentlemen, the Rolling Stones!

Iconic rock band the Rolling Stones continues to defy the odds with their ability to seemingly turn back the hands of time. After 50 years, they continue to fill arenas, ignite crowds, and deliver Satisfaction ...

Gaslight Anthem brings the '59 Sound to Belly Up

"You can tell Gayle if she calls, that I'm famous now for all of these rock and roll songs," sang Brian Fallon. "And even if that's a lie, she should've given me a try," he ...

The Evens dig deep at the Irenic

The Evens, a D.C.-based duo of Ian MacKaye (formerly of Minor Threat and Fugazi) and Amy Farina (formerly of the Warmers) performed a lively, powerful set at the Irenic, playing several songs from their debut, ...

Nick Cave and his Bad Seeds bloom at the Balboa

Nick Cave's shadow bounced across the wall, resembling a black skeleton dancing a jig, while he wailed about a mofo named "Stagger Lee." Alongside his band the Bad Seeds, Cave tore through a two-hour set ...

Mindbending Mexicali

Musicians and fans from around the globe descended upon Mexicali for Baja Prog 2013 lured by the possibility of aural utopia. This international festival brought out many musical giants in the progressive-music world, including the ...