Epicenter Twenty Ten

Countdown to Epicenter Twenty Ten: 2 days!

Posted on by Kristen

Ok. With only two days to go, the excitement is really starting to build for our trip out to Fontana, CA to attend the Epicenter Twenty Ten festival.

30 Seconds to Mars seems to be a tad controversial at the moment. But honestly, I could care less about what Jared Leto’s hair looks like…or if he’s a nice or nasty person…the music moves me and I am a fan. Plus, the band puts on a killer show. You can count on me sneaking my way up front for this one.

As Amanda pointed out recently, 30 Seconds to Mars puts together some pretty awesome music videos. Here are a couple for your enjoyment…and to get you pumped up for the big event this weekend!

~ Kristen

Countdown to Epicenter Twenty Ten: 3 days!

Posted on by Kristen

Amanda and I have traveled the country to see her fave band, The Academy Is…. Seeing that we’ve flown to Chicago and NYC, driving an hour to Fontana for Epicenter Twenty Ten, is kind of a no brainer. The band is currently on tour with Kiss (yeah, I questioned that one too) and both acts make a stop at the festival this weekend.

Word on the steet is that TAI is working on some new stuff for a forthcoming album. Personally, my fingers are crossed that they’ll want to test out some of their new material when they play on Sunday. If not, I’ll be happy enough to hear all my old favorites, like the tunes featured below…

~ Kristen

(Note From Amanda: I’m so stoked to see them! I was due for some TAI love. I’m personally a fan of this song.)  

Countdown to Epicenter Twenty Ten: 4 days!

Posted on by Kristen

One of the bands playing Epicenter Twenty Ten is Against Me!  If gotten raised eyebrows when I’ve told people I love this band, but honesly I feel like their album New Wave is one of the greatest in my collection…every single song = genius!

 I’ve been listening to their new CD, White Crosses, quite a bit lately and although I don’t feel it is quite on par with New Wave (would be v. difficult to do), it is growing on me more and more with each listen. I’ve seen this band a couple times and am excited to see what kind of set they put on for us next weekend.

Video for their first single off White Crosses:

and a video for one of my favorite Against Me! songs:

~ Kristen

Countdown to Epicenter Twenty Ten: 5 days!

Posted on by Kristen

As previously mentioned, next weekend, Epicenter Twenty Ten is the place to be! One of the bands I’m most excited to see that I’ve never seen before is Papa Roach. I’ve always been a casual fan, loving the obvious tunes like “Last Resort” and “Scars”, but I’ve never had the opportunity to see them live before. They recently released a new album featuring a mix of new tunes and live versions of old favorites. LMN’s friend Theresa, a long time Papa Roach fan, wrote a review of the new CD that definately has me excited about their live show. Check it out below:

~ Kristen

 

Time for Annihilation: On the Record and On the Road

Album Review By Theresa Bickleman

For most bands, releasing a ‘greatest hits’ album takes years in the making and the album consists of only the chart topping hits that have made them successful. This isn’t the case for Papa Roach. It has been ten years since they have hit the mainstream music world and nothing seems to stop them. Their 7th studio album Time for Annihilation: On the Record and On the Road that was released August 31, 2010 it has five, new tracks and the rest of the album is a live version of their hits and their misses. It was about time Papa Roach decided to make a live record. There’s no denying the energy that this band has on stage and that energy blasts though the speakers. These four guys certainly know how to put on an electrifying rock show. There’s nothing fake about it.

The five new tracks are nothing but heavy hitting rock songs. Papa Roach slows things down just a little bit with the passionate ‘No matter What’ tune. ‘Kick in the Teeth’ was the first single off the record to be released. This was the perfect song to set the stage for the rest of the album. The song lets everyone know that these guys are ready for anything and aren’t going anywhere quite yet. “When it feels like a kick in the teeth I can take it”, and I’m pretty sure they can with the other three songs, ‘Burn’, ‘Enemy’, and ‘One Track Mind’. Not sure whom these lyrics are about, but I’m sure that Jacoby Shaddix and Co. mean business.

“Getting Away with Murder’ and ‘Between Angels and Insects’ are two great songs that made cut to be on this album. These songs will never get old being played live. Both of these songs can make any Papa Roach crowd go crazy. So it was only natural for these songs to have a place on the album. ‘Hollywood Whore’ from the 2009 Metamorphosis album can be considered a miss but it still has a catchy beat. That Album’s first official single, ‘Lifeline’ also took a spot on the live record. ‘…To be Loved’, ‘Time is Running Out’ and ‘Forever’ from the 2009 Paramour Sessions album are excellent crowd sing-a-long songs.

Two songs that would have been cool to see on the record would have been ‘Broken Home’ from their 1999 Infest album, and ‘She Loves Me Not’ from the 2002 LoveHateTragedy album. ‘Broken Home’ is one song that gets the crowd off their feet and gets mosh pits started.

Time for Annihilation would not be a complete compilation album without ‘Last Resort’ off their Infest album and ‘Scars’ from 2004’s Getting Away with Murder, which were two songs that really put Papa Roach on the Rock and Roll map.

I give this album an A. Not just because I’m a fan Papa Roach but also, because this album exceeded my expectations. If the five new tracks are a little taste of what is to come from this band, bring it on! Papa Roach is a band known for their live show, so therefore they had to make an album that makes you feel like your front row and they did exactly that with the live songs. You can’t even tell the misses are the misses. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, that just means you haven’t seen Papa Roach live.

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 9/20-9/26

Posted on by Kristen

I’m doing my best to ignore the emails and updates about shows tonight. The fact that Jake Newton is now playing with Austin Hartley Leonard at The Foundry…I’m not listening. I need a night in! Not that I’m complaining. This past week has been fantastic. The number of new bands I was able to check out and enjoy for the first time include Everest, The Daylights, Jennifer Knapp, Assemble the Skyline, Electric Touch, Deluka, Taylor Locke and the Roughs, and Heavy Young Heathens. Plus, I saw the most bizarre combination of acts I could possible imagine in one evening: Trace Adkins and Primus. All in all, not a bad week for music.

And this next week is shaping up to be just as good! Weds night I would especially recommend coming to On The Rox to check out the fantastic night of music featuring another band I’ve been meaning to check out, Lakes.

Then the week will cap off with the Epicenter Twenty Ten festival out in Fontana, CA. I’ll be counting down to the event all week with posts about some of the artists I’m most looking forward to check out over the weekend.

I just have to get through the week first. To help me get through, I have the following events on my radar:

Monday: Dead Sara at The Viper Room (10pm)
ALSO: Andy Clockwise FREE at Spaceland (10pm)
ALSO: Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 (9pm)
ALSO: it’s a school night at Bardot featuring Curt Smith (10pm) 

Tuesday: Northstar Session and Anna Nalick at The Hotel Cafe (9,10)
ALSO: Rhett Miller at Largo at the Coronet (8:30) 

Weds: ATN Management Presents On the Rox featuring Time You Exist, Parade of Lights, The Howls, Lakes, and That Noise (7:30)
ALSO: Cloud Cult at The Roxy (8pm)
ALSO: Stars Go Dim at Whiskey a Go Go (10pm)
ALSO: Airborne Toxic Event at Ford Amphitheater (8pm) 

Thursday: Hinder at House of Blues Anaheim (8pm) 

Friday: Ry Cuming at The Hotel Cafe (11pm) 

Saturday: Epicenter Twenty Ten featuring Crash Kings, Papa Roach, Eminem, etc. (noon)
ALSO: Darker My Love and Band of Horses at Greek Theater (7:30)
ALSO: Muse at The Staples Center (7:30)
ALSO: So & SO at The Hotel Cafe (10pm) 

Sunday: Epicenter Twenty Ten featuring Biffy Clyro, The Academy Is…, Against Me!, Thirty Seconds to Mars, etc. (noon)
ALSO: Sick of Sarah at The Roxy (10pm)
ALSO: Muse at The Staples Center (7:30)
ALSO: Mini Mansions at The Viper Room (9:30)
ALSO: Vampire Weekend at The Hollywood Bowl (7:30) 

To Keep in Mind:  

September 27th: Semi Precious Weapons at El Rey
September 28th: Guster at The Troubadour
September 30th: Queen Caveat at Silverlake Lounge
September 30th: BIFFY CLYRO at The Bootleg Theater
October 1st: Brandi Carlile and The Avett Brothers at Nokia Theater LA Live
October 2nd: Truth & Salvage Co. at The Troubadour
October 8th: Crash Kings, Civil Twilight, and Anberin at The House of Blues
October 13th: Frightened Rabbit at The Mayan Theater
October 17th: Joe Firstman at The Hotel Café
October 18th: Mumford & Sons at The Hollywood Palladium
November 4th: Five for Fighting at The Brixton
November 5th: Bayside at The Toubadour
November 17th: Tyler Hilton at The Roxy
December 4th: Joe Firstman at Saint Rocke
December 11th: The Black Crowes and Truth & Salvage Co. at Hollywood Palladium  

~ Kristen

https://twitter.com/_localmusicnat

Countdown to Epicenter Twenty Ten: 6 days!

Posted on by Kristen

As I mentioned yesterday, next weekend is Epicenter Twenty Ten. I was thrilled looking at the line-up to see one of my favorite LA bands, Crash Kings. These guys have been blowing up since their days of playing The Viper Room and anyone who has seen them or heard their music could probably tell you why.

For a taste, here’s their most recent music video:

~ Kristen

p.s. Some pics I took from their show at The Roxy

Countdown to Epicenter Twenty Ten: 7 days!

Posted on by Kristen

Next weekend (Sept. 25-26), Epicenter Twenty Ten takes place in Fontana, CA. The website tagline says it’s the place to be and that, indeed, it is.

The headliners for this two day festival  event include Eminem, Kiss, Blink 182, and Rise Against, but all you really need to get me there are two little words: Biffy Clyro! Ever since these Scottsmen blew my mind opening for Manchester Orchestra, I’ve been dying to see them again. It’s when they were added to the line-up that I was convinced I needed to get myself to Fontana.

Biffy Clyro isn’t the only band I’m looking forward to seeing that weekend. I’m also really excited about Crash Kings, The Academy Is…, 30 Seconds to Mars, Papa Roach, and, as with all festival-like events, I’m really hoping to discover a new amazing band that I’ve never heard before.

I’m so pumped about this event, that all week long we’ll be counting down the days with music and videos by the bands I’m most looking forward to seeing.  

Let’s get things started with the main event (at least for me), Biffy Clyro! Here’s a video for the first song off their album Only Revolutions.

~ Kristen