Power Of The Riff 2012- The Echo/Echoplex,Los Angeles CA,8/11/12

This is the 3rd annual Power Of The Riff at the Echo/Echoplex. I went to the first year,which was free and headlined by Corrosion of Conformity. One of the best shows I went to that year. 2nd year they actually started charging so I did not attend cause I'm a cheap bastard and was not big on the headliners. This years line up was really interesting but due to lack of funds I wasnt gonna go.But thanks to my good luck I won tickets as always and I think this show ended this great summer of shows with a bang. My life rules dude. Sadly Xaphan and Avon Ladies had to cancel. They both rule hard so please check em out. Lewd Acts replaced  Avon Ladies.
    First band was COPS. I cant find much info on them. All i know is that they're from San Francisco. They play Hardcore with Keyboards. They reminded me a lot of The Locust. They where the first band so they had a short set and very few people where there so not much of a reaction. I loved it tho. I'm gonna try to find way more info on these guys and hopefully see them again soon.

    For the 4th time this summer I saw Hordes. They are probably the most hard working band right now and thier reputation is getting bigger and more known. I can honestly say this performance was the best they've ever given(and I'm not just saying that cause Jose of ACxDC was on guest guitar). This year has been a really good one for Hordes and I'm sure they'll bring us more the next couple years. Great job guys,great fucking job.

  This fest makes you choose which bands to see like others so I chose wisely. I went to Echoplex(which is down stairs) to see Bio Crisis. This is D-Beat/Crust band from Tijuana,Mexico. And this band was pretty pissed off. I was really into it and so were a few others. Hopefully they come up here more often. They just released an EP called "En memoria al dolor". So check it out.

After Nausea (The LA Grind one,AKA the only one that matters) was next. I was super stoked to see em again cause last time I saw em in May they seriously blew me away. They played the same set I believe and people went nuts for the Terrorizer cover. They where one of my favorite bands of the day for sure and I hope to see em more times. Seriously LA Grinders/Death Metalheads need to see em ASAP. Hopefully we'll hear new music soon.

From Dallas,Texas came Thrash Metal's best kept secret,Power Trip. Tho they play really good Crossover Thrash they're mostly known in the Hardcore scene so of course all the HxC kids came out dancing and moshing hard. The friends I came with were super stoked for them and they didn't let us down. For fans of Thrash and Hardcore alike I HIGHLY recommend this band. They're on tour right now so go see em. Check out their S/T 7 inch. Real new modern Thrash done right. No poser shit.

LA HxC band Alpha & Omega was up. Ive been wanting to see them for a while. The first song they started with was this really heavy ass song that made two big ol buff guys dance like crazy. It ruled fuckin hard. Great new modern HxC for fans of Leeway,Biohazard,and of course Cro-Mags. Check out their album Life Swallower.

The craziest band that day was Hoax. I missed em last time they came on tour from Massachusetts. So I'm glad I had chance to catch em this time. As soon as they hit the first note the place erupted. I was thrown into into the other side of the room. People were screaming their lungs off. The frontman who was the skinny bald man who kept hitting his head with a microphone til he bled like crazy. It was seriously one set that you just stare at and be amazed. They ruled. I REALLY need to see em again right away. They have 3 EP's all S/T. Get on that shit. This is insane. Holy shit.

Lewd Acts played and had a big crowed surrounding them. I didn't enjoy em. Sorry guys. I hear a lot of good stuff about their first album but this set wasn't so great.

I ain't gonna lie,I was stoked that I wont those tickets mainly because it l was able to see Despise You for the 3rd time. And everyone knows they only play like once a year so of coarse I didn't wanna miss em. Right away I put my glasses away and got upfront. I saved my energy all day for em and I was planning to lose it. First song played and me and 10 other dudes got on stage to sing a long. After jumping off I got back upfront and sang my ass off with 100 other pissed off kids. Its no surprise that Despise You may indeed be the most pissed off band in the world. They played my favorite song "Roll Call" and I got on stage to sing along but I went 10 seconds too early before the singing part so I looked stupid so i just jumped off. I actually ended up going in the pit for that song(and you know me I never freakin dance). More songs where played and more songs I screamed my ass off including a FEAR cover of "I Don't Care About You". During the song "Cedar Ave." I got so into it I danced around the pit. I said it once and ill say it again,DESPISE YOU IS THE GREATEST BAND IVE SEEN LIVE THIS YEAR. Now I don't care if you don't listen to Powerviolence or let alone Punk Rock, you need West Side Horizon/And On and On..... in your music section ASAP. This is Powerviolence at its finest. Oh and it turns out guitar player Phil Vera(also of Crom) attended my aunts wedding. Crazy huh?

 So it seems every year I see Grindcore pioneers Repulsion. This is their 2nd year playing POTR and my 3rd time seeing them for free. I tried to get up front but then some big dude knocked my glasses off,had a Scooby-Doo moment trying to find my glasses,and when I did a lense was a missing. So I stood in the back pissed off. Anyways,they played their usual sick set. A grumpy and blind me was in the side singing a long to Maggots In A Coffin,Black Breath,and Horrified. They where great as usual. I told you 3 times already to get Horrified in your collection.

 The headliner I was most excited for was The legendary Dr. Know. A  version of Dr. Know with original singer,Kyle Toucher reunited this year,and it was a big fuckin deal. I missed em when they played here so this was my chance to see em again,I was stoked. They started with "God Told Me To"and the place erupted. They played more songs off Wreckage Of Flesh. Then more old skool Punk songs like Life Returns,Circle Of Fear,and of course the greatest Nardcore song ever written,Mr. Freeze. Singing a long to Kyle Toucher's Dr. Know was something I've always wanted to do. Both versions of Dr. Know rule hard but nothing will ever beat Touchers. Listen to Plug-In Jesus and Burn. From there check out The Island Earth and Wreckage Of Flesh. Please go see Kyles Dr. Know . Its seriously one of the best Punk performances I've ever seen.

Punk Rock super group OFF! took on stage and had kids singing like crazy. We all sang a long and Keith Morris kept talking on how stoked he was to be on this. They played most of the First 4 EPs and songs from the new album. They played a great decent set but after seeing Dr. Know it was hard to get super into it. Nevertheless go see em damn it. They're amazing dude,they really are but I was too pooped.

This is the part where everyone gets mad at me. I did not stay for Sunn O))). Yes i know they're a big deal and never come. Yes I totally regret missing them even tho I hate slow music but fuck i was tired. My best bud in King Kattans Blog posted a review so ill post his. Thanks for letting me post this dude <3.
   I wanted to leave for being so tired, but I was very curious about Sunn o))), the band that is involved with Power of the Riff plus the band has not played a show in years. I've listened to their music and it is.....interesting. It is known to be doom metal/drone/experimental. My friend let me borrow a cd from them and I actually liked it; a 5 years ago I would say that this is garbage and not even music, but now I appreciate for what it is. I was found a place to sit which was near a merch booth because I was really tired and this band is something that you have to feel according to people who have seen Sunn o))). They took a while to actually start and kept teasing the crowd. After 20 minutes of waiting again, they started. Not trying to be sarcastic or making fun of them, but their music gave the best back massages. The vibrations of the music was neat. I tried to see the band, but it was too foggy and all I saw were 2 black figures. People were starting to leave during their set (I guess they didn't know what to expect from them at all). After a half hour of hearing the same thing over and over again, I left. I was getting hungry again and needed to see if my car wasn't towed (I'm paranoid with parking in Los Angeles). I was bummed I didn't get to hear those dark vocals but oh well. See this band if you have a chance, and if you like to use drugs or feel strange vibrations OR if you're a huge drone fan.

 And there you have it. This years Power Of The Riff ruled hard and it ended my summer with a bang. Check out all these bands. This line up was very diverse and I think thats what made the fest rule the most. I had so much fun. Thanks for reading as always.

Five Questions with... Russell Quan

Okay... Actually four questions.

It's not an easy task getting Russell Quan to open up. He's rock and roll royalty, being in one of the coolest bands to ever take the stage, and he acts like I've wasted my time pursuing an interview with him. If I didn't know better I'd think that he thought of his band, The Mummies as a parody act. Not one to be taken seriously. The only thing wrong with that idea is the fact that The Mummies are stuff of legend.

The Mummies (Photo courtesy of their website)

Formed in San Mateo, California in 1988, The Mummies immediately began to make their mark as one of the premier garage bands on the west coast. The original band consisted of Trent Ruane (organ, vocals), Maz Kattuah (bass), Larry Winther (guitar) and Russell Quan (drums). They introduced the genre "Budget Rock" and tour and play exclusively with outdated and worn equipment. They tour in a hearse; also outdated, emblazened with THE MUMMIES (spray painted) on the side. They dress in  tattered mummy outfits. They kick serious ass.

Their music is as primitive as the equipment they use. It's crunchy and raw, and indelibly catchy. It's on that rare shoreline where surf meets bubblegum. It's garage rock in it's purest form, the kind that invaribly gets the cops called. It's beautiful and dangerous, and without a doubt groovier than anything you are currently listening to.

When you click onto their website, you are met with this greeting:

The Mummies were a stupid band.

This is their stupid website.

You cared about them enough to get this far.

Now you are stupid too.

That's the Mummies' curse.

I emailed Russell Quan in February asking him for an interview. His response was short and to the point:

"you forget im nobody remember? ha ha!"

Then he added his own question:  hows troy?."

I wrote him back and explained to him that I was doing fine, and assuming that he was flashing me the green light, proceded to send him some questions. Several weeks later, he wrote me back.

"ha ha thanks mr Troy! we stil screwing around playing 'music' har de har."

My questions went unanswered. So I sent them again. And this time, I got a response to four of them.

Over a span of about 8 weeks.

Russell Quan doesn't mince words. In fact he rarely uses them. Still though, that's what makes this interview so great. I challenge you to find one anywhere else.



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What is the official status of The Mummies?

UN-Dead.

What is your all time favorite memory of touring with the Mummies?

When I missed out on the tour with Headcoats and Bruce Brand shit his trousers.

Who designed the costumes, and how did they stay on?

Eddie Bauer, and Elmer's glue.

What do you think of the "other" group who stole your concept, Here Comes The Mummies?

I feel sorry for anyone who might get those two mixed up! Ha ha ha!

Budget Rock... A genre all it's own.

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Pertinent links:

The Mummies Official

The Mummies Facebook

Review: September's The Beginning of the End...

Coming from a guy who wants nothing to do with anything Slipknot influenced, September’s debut self-titled release really took me by surprise. I do the best I can to be an unbiased Des Moines scene supporter and after hearing this album, I’m ready to check out a live show. This album went way above my expectations with the song orchestrations and overall production. I drove to Omaha, on the way to recording my own album, listening to September’s album The Beginning of the End of All Things Beautiful and was really blown away with how good this album is.

The Beginning Of The End Of All Things Beautiful
(Cover art done by Jason Handy)

My expectations at first were that I was going to hear something outdated, as in angry metal from the mid 1990s to mid 2000s. September is a group that I can tell is influenced by today’s radio commercial metal. I expected mediocre mixing and mastering on the album as well because not all bands out there are well versed in home recording, and they sometimes pay other recording engineers for a subpar mixing and mastering job. Clearly this wasn’t the case.

At first when hitting play, it sounds like trance music and then the music gets heavier and heavier. When the vocals come in, it sounds like music that is ready to be heard on the radio. I can’t exactly figure out what mainstream band September sounds like (maybe Drowning Pool or Coal Chamber), but I will say whatever that band is—add influence from Nine Inch Nails, KMFDM, and Depeche Mode. These aforementioned influences make September stand out more. I listen to a lot of progressive and symphonic metal and September’s synth orchestration makes their music more attractive, especially since I’m not into “nu-metal” at all.

The songs “Please”, “Scars”, “Trigger Shy”, and “Evol” were what I consider the hot spots on this album. September covered the Nine Inch Nails song “Head Like A Hole” and nailed it dead on. If there are any local listeners who are into Nine Inch Nails, check out this cover—you will not be disappointed. There was only one song that I didn’t care for too much and it is the song “Lashing Out”. This song utilizes auto-tune vocals and I don’t feel this band needs auto-tune to begin with. I listen to bands like Cynic and Scar Symmetry who do use auto-tune for backup vocals (like in a vocal harmony), but not in the fashion that most hip hop stars use it. Don’t let this one song ruin the album for you though. It’s a very solid album worth looking into if are local in Des Moines or are into industrial metal.

-Reviewed and written by Mr. Clean.

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Pertinent links:

September on ReverbNation

September on Facebook

Meet Mr. Clean

We've added a new writer to the Bigfoot Staff. He's a talented musician that can apply his technical knowledge to the articles he writes and the albums he reviews. He'll bring a whole new dynamic to the Bigfoot Diaries. When it comes to '80s style metal and bands of that ilk, he is the Des Moines GURU.

Mr. Clean

Bob Patton: Liar's Club

Drawn exclusively for the Bigfoot Diaries by Bob Patton
(Click on image to enlarge)

Kris Kristofferson: Hoyt Sherman Theater 8/3/2012

The Hoyt Sherman Theater in Des Moines hosted an American music icon this past Friday night.

Kris Kristofferson  walked out onto the stage at 7:30 with his guitar strapped to his chest. With a slight nod and a gallant smile he dove into his first song of the night, a self-loathing ballad from his 1986 release, Repossessed called "Shipwrecked in the '80s".

It's a dire song about lost love but it's composition is beautiful, and Mr. Kristofferson finger picked his guitar beautifully around the words, presenting it as delicately as it was recorded on the album. It set the tone for a wonderful night of music as he played for almost two hours, encompassing music from his entire career.

Kris Kristofferson at Hoyt Sherman in Des Moines
(Photo by Sarah Cartwright)

Though he saved many of the classics for the second set, each song he played was met with spellbound fascination. The nearly full auditorium sat in gazed silence as he painted a picture with his captivating lyrics, presenting each verse like a line in a movie.

At times he seemed majestic and had no obvious problems hitting the ranges and the timings in his songs. But other times he seemed to struggle a bit with the lyrics - but only once or twice - and it never became a factor. One could tell that he knew these songs inside and out, and it was interesting to hear the natural evolution that these tracks have taken over the years.

"Me and Bobby McGee", was introduced with the mention of Janis Joplin, the late great singer who made it famous. On this song and a few others throughout the night, Kristofferson only played the first verse of the piece and the chorus, before cutting it short.

Perhaps he's performed "Bobby McGee" so many times throughout his career, that he simply gets bored playing it. Whatever his reasoning, the crowd reacted as if they didn't even notice. (I'm wondering if they did?)

Late in the first set, during "Loving Her was Easier (Then Anything I'll Ever Do Again)" he stopped well short of the finished song, even asking the crowd, "Did I forget to play the bridge?" The crowd laughed and applauded anyway, as if hypnotized by the legend before them.

I got the feeling that he could have sang the lyrics in Swahili and nobody would have raised an eyebrow.

While he did occasionally have these quaint missteps; once even with the right choice of harmonica ("Oops that's the wrong key," he said), other times he came across as brilliant. One such time was when he handled the busy words to "Casey's Last Ride" with ease, never once breaking time. It's a tough song, lyrically. It's one of those numbers written in the old country vein in which the singer speaks most of the words, and it's timing has to be absolutely perfect for it to be performed effectively. Mr. Kristofferson pulled it off without a glimpse of failure, picking his guitar masterfully alongside the spoken verse.

Another display of spontaneous levity came early in the 2nd set when a fan shouted out a request for "Sky King."

"Why not?" asked Kristofferson, instantly picking it out on his guitar.

"Sky King" is a comedic song is about a helicopter pilot who, having trouble getting his bird off the ground, uses the super human force of puckering his butt to suck the chopper up. It is a cult favorite that was only released on the 2003 live album, Broken Freedom Song: Live from San Fransisco. This song was, in a way, a turning point for the night, as Mr. Kristofferson and the crowd seemed to loosen up a bit after it was played.

Well he pushed that collective on down through the floor
But the damn rotorblade wouldn't turn anymore
So his butt puckered up and with a frightening sound
He just sucked that old chopper up off of the ground, Sky King
The ship wasn't hurt but it took half the class
To get the seat cover out of Sky King's ass, Sky King

He finished the song and a few people stood and cheered, but it was the next song that gained the most applause of any song during the night, "The Pilgrim (Chapter 33)."

Depending on the night it's played, "Pilgrim" is a song written about Dennis Hopper, or Ramblin' Jack Elliott, or Johnny Cash, or Jerry Jeff Walker or any of the other characters that Kris has become friends with during his extensive musical career. Whomever it bios, it is one of Country Music's great songs and one of Kristofferson's finest. As it concluded, The Hoyt Sherman Theater came alive with a thunderous ovation.

(Photo by Sarah Cartwright)

He played his hits too of course, from "Jody and the Kid" to "To Beat the Devil" to "Sunday Morning Coming Down." He opened the second set with a rare version of "Jesus Was a Capricorn," a song that's only recently been reintroduced into his repertoire. One particular moment that stands out is when he played "This Old Road," a song that he said he wrote after Waylon Jennings died in 2002. It was a touching tribute that once again captured the crowd.

"Love is the Way" was also captivating, with it's persuasive lyrics calling for a better world. It's words are timeless, and are delivered with foreboding clarity:

Now the warriors are waving their old rusty sabres
The preachers are preaching the gospel of hate
By their behaviour determined to teach us
A lesson we're soon to be learning too late

As the lessons we learned from the civil rights movement of the '60s seem to become more and more of a footnote, "Love is the Way" is a simple approach to building a solution. At the very least it's a grim reminder of what this country's dark side stands for.

Mr. Kristofferson seemed reflective in the delivery of his songs, and it seemed fitting that he closed the second set with "For The Good Times," a song from his very first album that deals with a pending separation. As he sang, "Lets be glad that we had this time together", the audience cheered, obviously still completely captivated by this iconic figure onstage before them. Once again the crowd stood in thunderous applause as he finished the song, said good night, and vanished into the darkness behind the stage.

It was only momentary. With his guitar still strapped to his chest, he reappeared almost instantly and broke into a song he wrote, recorded, and gave to Willie Nelson called "Moment of Forever."

Afterwards somebody in the crowd shouted to play "Why Me" which Kris responded to with a playful, "Not yet."

He then played "Please Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends" a song written by Kristofferson but performed by Ronnie Milsap. (Kristofferson later recorded a version with Mark Knopfler for The Austin Sessions CD.)

Then, the figure in the crowd got his wish. Kristofferson ended the night with a slow and beautiful version of what may be his signature song, "Why Me." It was the perfect ending to what amounted to about an hour and a half performance by one of the greats. As he walked off the stage for the final time he paused for a second, as if he was overcome with indecision.

He then waved and disappeared into the shadows.

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Set List (Based off memory)

Shipwrecked in the '80s
Darby's Castle
Me and Bobby McGee
Best of All Possible Worlds
Here Comes that Rainbow Again
Help Me Make It Through the Night
Casey's Last Ride
Nobody Wins
God Almighty Here I Am
Loving Her Was Easier
From Here to Forever

(Break)

Jesus Was a Capricorn
Just the Other Side of Nowhere
Jody and the Kid
Sky King
The Pilgrim (Chapter 33)
To Beat the Devil
This Old Road (tribute to Waylon)
Sunday Morning Coming Down
Silver Tongued Devil
Love is the Way
For the Good Times

(Encore)

Moment of Forever
Please Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends
Why Me

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Pertinent links:

Kris Kristofferson's Official

Hoyt Sherman Theater

On the Bus with the Steep Canyon Rangers

Back in June, Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers played a sold out show at the Civic Center in Des Moines, Iowa. Cveckian and I were invited onto the bus to meet the band and to ask a few questions.

They were extremely cordial and spent most of a half hour with us talking to us about life on the road, working with Steve Martin, and the origins of the band's name. We also talked about time in the studio, and how Paul McCartney came to sing a song on the Rare Bird Alert CD. And of course later that night they blew us away onstage. Check out the review here.  

Enjoy the interview with Woody Platt and the Steep Canyon Rangers:

Jerry Garcia Would Have Turned 70 Today

How the Dead Helped to Make Olympic History

"This is all a dream we dreamed one afternoon long ago."

The phrase "Dream Team" is synonymous with United States basketball, based off the 1992 Olympic team that won gold in Barcelona. That team's roster of course, is a virtual who's who of basketball prominence.When one thinks of the greatest players who have ever played in the NBA, many members of this team come to mind.

There's Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, David Robinson, Scottie Pippen, and Patrick Ewing. The roster reads like a handbill passed out at the Basketball Hall of Fame.

In the relatively short history of men's Olympic basketball, the United States have dominated the Gold Medal winnings, bringing home the gold 13 times since the game's inception at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. The Soviet Union has won the gold twice, with Yugoslavia and Argentina, each once.

The Soviet Union has had some great teams, especially in the '50s and '60s when they took the silver throughout, finishing 2nd only to the United States in each of the four Olympic games from 1952 through 1964. Finally in 1972 the Soviet Union earned a gold medal, and again in 1988.

They have not been in the medal round since.

This is due, in part, to the fact that in 1990 Lithuania became the first republic to declare it's independence from the Soviet Union. Lithuania has a rich history of producing top-notch basketball players and many of these athletes were a part of the great Soviet teams that battled their way into the medal rounds during the Olympics. In fact, in 1988, the last year the Soviet Union earned a medal (they won the gold),  the top three scorers on the Soviet team were of Lithuanian heritage.

As one can imagine, defecting from the Soviet Union took great courage.

It meant new freedoms for the Lithuanian people but these freedoms came with huge sacrifice. There was violent opposition and financial instability. As a republic within the Soviet Union, Lithuania shared in a planned economy. When they broke away they suddenly found themselves in a free market society and, consequently, at square one in terms of  being financially sound. There wasn't a lot of money, and when the Olympics rolled around in 1992, the prospect of sending it's basketball team to Barcelona to compete seemed pretty dire. As a country that had just gained it's independence, it wasn't financially feasible to compete at this time.

Then came an offer of help from a very unlikely source.

A little ol' rock and roll band from the United States known as the Grateful Dead heard about Lithuania's plight, and  took it upon themselves to sponsor the team and send them to Barcelona.

The Grateful Dead created merchandise with a Lithuanian basketball flair, and sold it at their concerts. It sold like hotcakes and the proceeds were more than enough to finance a Lithuanian trip to Spain, thus allowing the team to compete as an independent country for the first time on the world stage.

""It was really wonderful," Mickey Hart told CNN in 1996. "They were not financed at all, and they were real underdogs, and what was happening in their country was just terrible."

Inspired, the team battled into the medal round and beat the Commonwealth of Independent States, (formerly the Soviet Union), 82-78 to ensure a spot on the medal platform. Then predictably, they lost to the United States in the semi-final. There were no glimpse of disappointment however, as for a team who was almost unable to compete at all, a bronze medal in the Olympics was a truly incredible and welcome achievement.

As a token of their appreciation to their sponsors, the Lithuanian basketball team wore tye-dyed clothing during the award ceremony.

The Grateful Dead sponsored Lithuanian basketball team
accepts their bronze medal at the 1992 Olympics.

While the American Dream Team is made up of legendary basketball players, the Lithuanian team is the stuff that dreams are made of. Their story is that of fairy tales and for the men who played on that team, it was literally a dream come true. Lithuania has made it back to the medal round twice since then, proving for a fact that they are an international basketball power. And to think that they may have never gotten a chance to play had it not been for a little ol' band from San Francisco.

God bless the Grateful Dead.

INK-N-IRON Day 2- The Queen Mary,Long Beach,CA- 6/9/12

  

 SUPER DOOPER LATE with this one but it had to be done. I gave a dude a ride to do this and he bought me a ticket. Win,win. I only went day 2(Day 1 line up was better tho) but I ain't complaining for free stuff. 

   I went in late so I missed the first 3 bands. The 3rd band I missed was a Horror Punk band named Calabrese. Ive been a fan of em since high school but by the time they were finishing I was still in line getting in. From outside tho they sounded spot on just like their studio stuff. A bit bummed i missed them. I talked to the drummer after really nice. Listen to their album "The Traveling Vampire Show". For fans of Misfits,White Zombie,etc.

Then was big time band Guanabats. They're a big known Psychobilly act. Tho I'm not very into they did a great set and even did Zeppelin and Billy Idol covers all Psycho'd out. If you're into em already im sure you would love them live. Go see em you billys!

Then was LA's own reggae band The Aggrolites. Ive seen em before and they pretty cool for a reggae act. I didn't pay much attention but they did ok. Listen to their album Dirty Reggae.

Then was New York's ska band The Slackers. Tho im not into Ska anymore. They did an ok set. They had kids dancing and what not. Go see em if you're into em.

 I got upfront for the next couple bands I actually cared about. First was one of my all time favorite old skool punk bands,The Adolescents. Lead singer Tony Cadena(one of my favorite punk vox ever) still had it and started out with No Way. Through out the set he joked about opening for "Chuck Berry" and opening for spooky bands. Me and some people upfront kept shouting the lyrics to Rip It Up,No Friends,and of coarse Amoeba and Kids Of The Black Hole. Such a a great set even tho it was short. I later talked to Tony and greeted him. Such a nice guy. If you don't have their self titled album you're seriously missing out on some of the best Punk Rock ever.

 My favorite band of the night tho was The Vandals. Unlike Adolescents,I've NEVER seen them before even tho I've been a fan since i was like 12. I was quite excited. Bass player Joe Escalante came playing the riff to "Urban Struggle". Right away me and the punks around started getting rowdy. And soon the song finally kicked in there was crowd surfing,moshing,and me screaming a long. They played all their pop punk songs like Its A Fact,Oi! To The World,and I Got An Idea For A Movie. Then 2 more old skool ones,The Legend Of Pat Brown and Anarchy Burger. They ended with My Girlfriends Dead. Lead singer kept joking around with the audience and told us he only played the show so he can see Buck Cherry. We all started booing and he looked at me,flipped me off,and said "Fuck You man,Fuck You." HA! Then it was over. Seriously go see The Vandals. They're such a fun band live. And listen to Peace Thru Vandalism and Hitler Bad,Vandals Good.

Up next was Alternative,Indie band She Wants Revenge. Major Bauhaus/Joy Division rip off. They suck. Don't listen to them.

The band everyone that night went to go see tonight was the legendary Punk band, The Misfits. Yes,yes I know with out Danzig they suck ass and blah blah blah. But whatever I got in for free and since 14 year old me never went to see Jerry Only in action I might as well do it now. Plus I can tell my grand kids I saw The Misfits. The place got super tight and packed(might have happen during She Wants Poop). I made my way as far as I can get into what seemed to be the middle. They started off. Jerry Only,Dez Cadena(of Black Flag),and their new drummer Eric"Chubbacraba"Arce(formally of Murphy's Law). They played 2 songs off their new album that I refused to listen to. They were as I expected bland and boring. The crowed was somewhat moving around. Their 3rd song was a Michale Graves era song,Scream. Right there people went a tad bit more nuts and I sang my more up to the front. Right after they did the classic Astro Zombies and boom! They place erupted and I some how screamed my ass off the front. People who have never been to a punk show where complaining. They did more Danzig era songs like Static Age,Children in Heat,Bullet and etc. Holy crap those songs live made me the loudest mofo singing upfront. Then even 2 of my favorite Graves songs were sung like American Psycho and The Shining(I was the only one singing those). They ended with Die,Die My Darling and it was over. It was super short so I'm glad i didn't pay for it. Me and the rest of the audience went home after cause no one likes Buckcherry and I respect myself too much to see them. So would I advise someone to see the new Misfits? Maybe 2 years ago when all they would play was old material. Now maybe. But I did have fun. Jerry ain't no Danzig or Graves but he did an ok job. 14 year old me was super happy. If for some some stupid reason you have NEVER heard of the Misfits listen to the album Static Age. Seriously one of the best albums of ALL FUCKING TIME.

Oh! And early on the day Jerry Only was actually out in the public being a Mickey Mouse and taking pics and giving autographs to people passing by. I thought that was super cool of him. He was even nice enough to give people huge Misfits stickers and sign them. Here's me with him. 14 year old me would've been in tears.

Phobia-The Glasshouse-Pomona,CA-7/21/12

Scion (haters gonna hate) put on another Phobia show since I missed the last one. They got Skarp and Total Fucking Destruction to open. Hooray for free Grind shows.

First band was Seas Will Rise. A Crust/HXC band with ex members of Landmine Marathon. Like Landmine then did have aggressive vocals. Punky Death Metal? Fuck I don't know,its just crust influenced hardcore. And it rules. They're not so known unlike Landmine so please give em a listen. They were cool enough to give out free pins/stickers and that's cool in my book. Download their EP here!

The next band was one of the main reasons a lot of people showed up. Skarp- Grind from Seattle that mixes other things in between. They haven't been to LA in 5 years or so so it was a big deal. Kids finally started pitting and screaming a long to lead vocalist Renee Betts vocals. They played a good solid set. They ended with an Op Ivy cover. I got a free magazine later which interviewed all the bands that played. Unfortunately they plan to break up real soon due to Renee just having a kid or something. Sucks if you missed em. Black Out Grind! Download here!

The band I mainly went for was Total Fucking Destruction. Featuring drummer Rich Hoak of Brutal Truth. For some lame reason all the people left outside for Skarp so very few people were there for TFD. This was their first show in Cali so I went upfront for them. They play very unique Grindcore. All 3 of them sing. I kept shouting my favorite songs but no luck. They were OK live(I expected better) but I still enjoyed em. After I talked to Rich about shows,TFD,and Brutal Truth. Super nice guy. Would've bought a shirt if I wasn't broke.  Download here!

  Up next was Sludge/Crust band Morne. And even tho they had Disrupts drummer,I couldn't get into em. You know me,I don't like Sludge :(. But if you do,download here.

 Finally I got to see OC Grinders Phobia. They got on stage and lead singer Shane The Pain muttered a lot of drunken stuff. It was awesome. I believe he was complaining about a hungover and other stuff.  He seems like a cool dude. Anyways even tho Phobia played the best set of the day(same with Skarp) they played super short. They played a good amount of songs and Shane did an amazing job with the vocals. After a few songs and a beer or two they were done. Everyone was wondering why but that's Grindcore for you. Even tho it was super short it was a great set. See Phobia if they're ever near you. Download here!
SET:

1. Bring the War
2. So Full of Hate
3. Savannah's Assault
4. Fuck What You Think
5. Drunken Spree of Violence
6. Rise Up
7. Rehashed
8. Dying for Who?
9. Death to False Punks
10. Blind Arrogance
11. Ultimate Suffering
12. If You Used to Be Punk, Then You Never Were
13. Selfish Minds
14. Cheap Life
15. Cruel
16. Beer, Bitches and Bulletbelts
17. Get Up and Kill
18. Instruments of Deception
19. Contest to Amend

Special shout out to Moshpit Tragedy records. They have a pay-what-you-want policy and that rules hard. They gave out free shirts/sweaters but I realized they were free when it was too late :(. I got a patch tho. So go download great bands from these great guys. Pay from One cent to a $100 for an album. Or download it for free!  All download links today (except SWR) brought to you by Moshpittragedy.com

Trash Talk-Chain Reaction- Anaheim,CA- 7/19/12

After finally breaking my Magrudergrind cure this year,I also broke my Trash Talk one,which really made me happy. Trash Talk was touring with rapper Spaceghostpurrp so this made it a HxC/Rap tour. Each stop had both genre openers which made this really unique. This made the show even more exciting. I was super afraid that it was gonna sell out. I went early and got a ticket.

First rapper was a dude named Alexander Spit. He started with saying how he loved being in a show that mixed Hip-Hop and Punk. He rapped pretty fast and had the Hip-Hop fans moshing and jumping a long. We all raised our hands to the air like we didn't care. He had a guest women singer who helped him out for one song. It was a really sick Rap song. I talked to him for a bit after the show and was a super nice guy. This guy gives all his music for free online which is really cool in my book. If you like Rap give this guy a chance. This ain't your typical mainstream rap. This shit rules. Download and info here.

 Bay area hxc kids Sabertooth Zombie was up. They haven't played here in so cal since the first Gnarmaggedon so a lot of people probably went for them. They got on stage and yelled "FREAKS TO THE FRONT!" Kids pushed up all close and they delivered one insane performance. There was 2 pits. One pure moshing and the other pure hxc dancing. I thought that was actually pretty cool. Plus lets not forget the kids upfront stage diving and singing a long. Tho this set list was weaker than last times,they were way better live this time. They once again insulted So Cal for having weak weed and crappy baseball teams. They where super great. I hear they might break up so go catch em foos and listen to their album, "Midnight Venom" .

For some reason Spaceghostpurrp didn't headline and went up next. Some dude introduced him and stayed to back up him up the rest of the set. SGP came out and the Swag Hip-Hop kids got super excited. Kids began to stage dive,mosh,and take cell phone pictures. His Rap songs where kinda typical but the music was actually pretty good. Most kids sang a long to his songs. He got an encore and was loved by many. I thought he was cool.

Finally Trash Talk  hit the stage. As soon the drums started kids got on stage and got kicked by 4 different people in one second. That second the whole place erupted in the small tiny place. It got hot and I was singing.  Front man Lee had us all fighting for the mic. During one song he had us all fist bang in motion. The next one he forced us all to sit down. We all screamed in motion JESUS IS IN ME. After that it erupted into a big ass pit again. Lee announced that there was a special guest. We already knew it was famous Rapper Tyler,The Creator from OFWGKTA. We knew since he popped out and smiled at us. He sang his song Radicals with TT(he calls the mash up TrashxWang)and the place went insane with us singing "Kill People,Burn Shit,Fuck Skool!" And that it went crazier with Explode. I couldn't get onto stage,and when I did I was super dead tired. This is is the most tiring show I have ever been too. Check out TT's album Eyes and Nines. This is HxC. and for good rap listen to OFWGKTA.
SET:
 Dogman (New song)
Walking Disease
Manifest Destination
Incarnate
Blind Evolution
F.Y.R.A./Worthless Nights
Dig
Well Of Souls
Envy
Hash Wednesday
Babylon, CA
#9 (New song)
Awake
Explode
Sacramento Is Dead
Slander
Radicals(with Tyler, The Creator)
Lepers To Feed The Lepers
Birth Plague Die

Gnarmageddon II-The Observeratory-Santa Ana,CA-6/23/12

 This was a show Ive been excited for since last years Gnarmageddon. This years line up blew away last years and 2 months before I thought I wasn't going to go due to my sisters wedding party. I found out the day before that the party was canceled so right away I figured stuff out and made the little trip. This years flyer only change was that The Infamous..... Gehenna was not able to play. This was pretty bumming news since Iver been wanting to see em for a while now but oh well. Check em out anyway,Blackened HxC.

First band(and local unknown band,Gnar is cool to do that) was Pop Punk band Aukerman. They obviously get their name from the Descendents lead singer but I wasn't a fan. I got a more Blink-182 vibe so I sat these guys out. Sorry dudes! But if you like Pop Punk check em out.

 Second band was Texas Powerviolence Chest Pain. I made sure I made it early so I can make it to see them(and to get a ticket). They were the first band on the main stage(I had to go back n forth from each band until the last 3 bands,kinda annoying but it saved time). They did a descent PV set with full on aggression even tho they were on a big stage and the crowed was a bit small. The singer kept joking how everyone came just to see them(kinda true!) and that they only started the band to get into shows for free. Awesome Powerviolence from awesome people. Plus a Lack Of Interest Cover. They started the Fun ness of the day for me. Download their sick 7' here!

Once again I saw one of my local favorites, HxC Hordes. They played their usual sick set but the singer had a mask one this time. Gotta love Hordes homie!

  Trench Rot hit the main stage.  So cal band that describes themselves as “Negative Approach style Hardcore mixed with brutal Scandi D-Beat” and I agree. Last time I saw em they played as a two piece and did ok but with a full line up they're a total powerful band. They give a strong performance. Check out their 7'.

The men who made the fest possible Media Blitz played the mini stage and made kids go nuts. They put on a sick hxc set and had kids stage diving and singing along to songs like Never Grow Up. They ended it the set with a Dead Kennedy's cover of California Uber Alles. Once again I would like to thank MB for once again again making such an amazing fest possible and doing it for the kids.

From St. Paul Minneapolis comes In Defence. A fun Thrashcore band that loves interacting with the crowed. I missed em last time they came so seeing them now was well worth it. They played songs with silly lyrics and hardcore music. Songs like "Call More Dudes" and "No Wars But Star Wars" had some of us singing a long and headbanging. Singer kept making jokes on how old skool bands originally sang  about pizza instead of politics. Such a fan band. Check out Party Lines and Politics!

For the millionth time i saw ACxDC play. Heres a video of their performance that day at the small stage. I come out crowd surfing at the 7:03 mark.

 Back at the main stage was HxC band Soul Search. Full with breakdowns and HxC dancing I enjoyed this band a lot. The only time that night the pit was full of Hardcore dancing. Not many people enjoyed em but I loved em and thought they did a great set. Check em out! Stop being closed minded punks! This band rules hard.

Up next on the mini stage was Thrashcore/Hardcore from D.C.,Coke Bust. I also missed em last time and was excited as fuck that I was able to catch them. They played a pretty violent set as I predicted and SxE speeches where made. I even got in the pit for them(that's how much they rule). Don't believe me? Listen to Lines In The Sand. Great fast shit. The drummer Chris had to play again with the next band. Gotta give him cred.

Finally. The band I was most excited to see next on the main stage. After 3 fails of going to their shows and missing them I was finally going to get to see Magrudergrind, one of my favorite bands ever. The guitar amp turned on and people were already going crazy. As soon as  front man Avi let out his first grunt I went ape shit with the people around me and sang my ass off. They mentioned how last time they came was for California Discord Fest and how it was a fail but the house show was fun.(I went,and missed the house show by 2 min). I got my boogie board jumped on someone and surfed all over. They did such an amazing set. Later I went to to their merch booth and told Avi my bad luck story with them. He laughed and we talked a bit. I bought their exclusive shirt to CDF from as i felt i deserved to own now since I finally saw em. They fucking rule. Check out their self titled full length. This is Grindcore.

Another band i was stoked to see was Dangers. They where the last band on the mini stage(schedule was changed due to Chris Moore being in both Coke Bust and Magrudergrind).  They played a solid set with kids going on stage and singing a long as well as me yelling lyrics to stuff. I honestly wish I could've enjoyed cm more but they're set was too short for me. Great tho. Check out their  Anger LP. So good.

Knife Fight was next. I sat down for them but they're sick Thrashcore feat. members of Terror,Nails,and Trench rot. Super fast,super sick.

Stalag 13 was the first headliner. They're a legendary 80s Nardcore band who reunited for a few shows this summer. I got up from being tired to see these guys upfront. Holy crap they started and the place erupted. They played most of their only album, "In Control" and even some Minor Threat and Aggression covers. The audience sang a long to all their songs. Lead singer had the most energy that night out of the front man. He lives in Australia now so if you missed these select shows you missed out. But no worries,they have new music coming out soon. They played some new songs and they ruled. For now just listen to In Control and listen to it religiously. NARDCOOOOOREEE!

Final headliner was the legendary Hardcore Punk band,Negative Approach. They hardly come to the west coast so I was super excited to see these guys. I got all the way to the front. They started and it got tighter than ever. I screamed my dick off to my favorite songs like Sick Of Talk,Why Be Somthing That You're Not?,and everyone favorite HxC song,Ready To Fight. Members of the opening bands were on  the side of the stage singing from there spot. When their personal favorite song came out they stage dived into the audience. Ready To Fight had all those kids sing with lead singer John Brannon. John vocals have changed over the years. I heard more of a Black Metal/Grind vocals than the usual hxc ones,which actually made them like em way more than I already. They did most of their discography including two covers of Oi! bands Sham69 and 4-Skins. Overall they ended the greatest fest of the year with a bang. They ruled so hard. Check out their Total Recall(discography) album and see em live! Gnarmaggedon II is show/fest of the year.

Bob Patton: The Commonwealth of Irony

The Commonwealth of Irony. Artwork by Bob Patton
Drawn exclusively for The Bigfoot Diaries

"Dead Moans, Ia" Zombie Flick Premiers TONIGHT!

"Dead Moans, Ia" is the brainchild of Ether, the head honcho at Starving Iguanas. And while it's yet another zombie flick, this one is different because it was shot mostly with regular people whom Ether encountered during his travels.

Starving Iguanas present "Dead Moans."

Ether, who proclaims himself "Voluntarily Houseless," is in constant travel, whittling his way across the country in the sense of the American hobo, a vagabond who is as likely to hitch a ride on the Union Pacific as he is to hitchhike a ride with you to his next destination. It is along these travels that he gathered the inspiration for this film, and it's in his travels that the film came together, with characters based off real people he has encountered, and actors and actresses handpicked from the same pool. In many cases, the actors and actresses plays themselves, in an impromptu situation, as most of the film is based without script, although one might not realize that when watching it.

The show will premier tomorrow night at 7:00 in Carlisle, Iowa. The movie will be projected onto the side of a barn, so it should really offer the effect of Zombieness... Spectators will be gathered around on lawn chairs and blankets, outside in the elements to watch this viewing.

The address for this event is 3592 183rd Ave, Carlisle, IA. Use GPS, or Mapquest for best results.

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From the Dead Moans, Ia. Premier event Facebook page:

What we will provide:

1. We have secured a spot just East of Carlisle, IA a mile or two.

2. A bad ass time and a keg of beer.

3. Movie theater popcorn...okay, I lied...we aren't that fucking awesome! A few guys can only do so much people!

4. We will have professional DVD's, different styles of 'Dead Moans, IA' shirts and bandannas as well as other badass merchandise (printed locally) and lots of free Dead Moans, IA patches for anyone who wants one!

5. Camping if you set up a tent. There also is Webb's campground down the road if you wish to check out that facility (pretty nice).

What YOU will provide:

1. BRING LAWN CHAIRS or blankets to sit on... there is flat mowed area to set up shop for a nice view of the projected film.

2. Tents if you plan on camping.

3. Beer.

4. A face for the owning.

5 Cash for Dead Moans Merch... 'cuz you can't buy merch with food stamps! (you can only fund a zombie film with food stamps!)

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Theatrical Trailer for Dead Moans:

This event is FREE... Go and support your local arts!

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Pertinent Links:

Starving Iguanas Official Website

Starving Iguanas FB Page

Spam Mail You Might Actually Want

Recently I was in Austin Minnesota at the Spam Museum. I grabbed a stack of postcards which depicts an image of the famous Patterson/Gimlin Bigfoot holding a can of Spam as he makes his way back into the woods of Bluff Creek.

Quite a big stack, actually... And we want to send one to YOU!

Swedish Rocker Magnus Sellergren of Dumbell fame,
as well as the Cymatics, Svarta Maria,
The Plastiques, and The Dialtones
poses with the postcard.

If you would like to receive one, simply send me your mailing address.

Our email is bigfootdiariesblog@gmail.com

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Pertinent links:

Sellergren Design - Art is the Enemy

The Cymatics

Gig Posters

Svarta Maria

Dumbell