Hip hop duo Atmosphere wowed audiences in San Diego, proving that these two are still great connoisseurs of tour, with an electric stage presence that keeps fans coming back. Their Kickin’ Up Dust Tour is still underway so make sure you catch them with Slightly Stoopid, but if you still need a little convincing, here are some live photos from Atmosphere’s performance at the Sleep Train Amphitheatre.
Warped Tour is coming around again and there’s five really important reasons why you should be there. Yes, there are a slew of teenagers there. Yes, there are a slew of jackasses, too. Yes, the band lineup can get very predictable. But there’s more to Warped Tour, and if you even remotely like some of the music there, you’re bound to have a good time. Here’s why:
1. Fulfill your Peter Pan syndrome. I don’t want to grow up! Who does? Warped Tour is the perfect place to forget that you’re an adult and actually have bills to pay and a car that is owned by you and not your parents. Get lost in a mosh pit, hurt your foot, and then have a valid excuse to skip out on work the next day. Or body paint with some slightly half naked girls. Take a Super Soaker to the crowd with little to no repercussions. There are a million and one ways to be a kid at Warped, so try them all and forget you’re responsible for just one day.
2. Help save the world, just a little. There are a lot of great charities at Warped that are hoping to enlist the help of youngsters all over to bring awareness to a cause. I’m not talking about PETA and the Vegan Warriors (though if that’s your thing, that’s fine), I’m talking about some interesting organizations who try to come up with fun things for you to see and experience each year. From the worldwide do-gooders at 1Love to the Wishbone Foundation, an organization that puts art programs into group homes for youths, there’s going to be something that you can come out of Warped Tour feeling good about.
3. Two words: circle pit. In the world of Moshing 101, Circle Pits are your beginner experience. And they’re kind of exciting. Being pressed up against sweaty, smelling bodies is not appealing to many people, which is why circle pits are the better option of the mosh. I don’t know why people have to run in a circle to metal and punk music, but it’s really kind of fun and at least you’re getting an amazing work out in the process.
4. Autographs, autographs, and more autographs. I don’t care who you are, whenever you see someone signing stuff, especially if it’s FREE stuff (see below), you’re inclined to at least ask who they are. Virtually all of the bands at Warped Tour do signings, and sometimes they’ll give you free stuff for them to sign. So even if you only like two bands on the lineup, you know you can at least get to meet those two bands. Or…maybe you could get things signed and sell them on EBay. I don’t know, but the choice is yours and the options are there!
5. FREE STUFF. This is kind of self-explanatory. There’s a lot of free stuff at Warped. Free CDs, free t-shirts, free sunglasses, free stickers, free FOOD, free condoms! Yes, free condoms. There’s about anything your heart can desire and more. There are some free things going around that constitute as junk, but for the most part the goods at Warped are gems. And if it isn’t free, it could be dirt cheap. Some of the coolest bands offer their CDs for as low as $1.
When you put all of this into perspective, Warped Tour can be a really amazing place. It’s considerably cheaper than the other music festivals out there, and can be just as fun. Check out our photos from Warped Tour 2012 (especially if you’re in one! Tag yourself!) to hold you over until this summer tour makes its way to your city.
Check out these photos of Imagine Dragons when they performed at their SOLD OUT San Diego House of Blues show.
With a band name that is oddly appropriate, Imagine Dragons churned out an energy packed show that was almost tribal in nature, backed by a “magical forest” of lights and stage design, which conveniently illuminated different colors to match the mood of each song. It was like being in a Pixar movie about tree spirits who play dance music and occasionally paint with all the colors of the wind. It may be hard to imagine, pun intended, so the photos below will do a much better job of showcasing the brilliance that is Imagine Dragons.
“Like a Quaker in a strip club, I was enamored with this new discovery and I wanted more.”
Being one who is typically not on the cutting edge of most technological trends, I was relatively late to the Spotify bandwagon. In fact I was well invested and sufficiently pleased with my Pandora account and had no reason to fix something that wasn’t broken—or so I thought. With great hesitancy I relinquished what little virtual privacy I once held to Spotify, but in return I would gain a doorway to a world of musical discover. But instead of yammering on about the majestic musical database, I would rather discuss Atlas Genius, an Australian based indie-pop band whose new album When it Was Now was released last month and whose popularity have gone from 0 to 60 in half a quarter beat—for those of you who can’t add fractions well, that’s really fast.
Taking an atypical approach to music, the foursome focused on building a studio that would facilitate creativity and songwriting years before they ever performed live as Atlas Genius. Brothers Michael and Keith Jeffries carefully designed their workspace exactly the way they wanted not really knowing where it would lead them. After two years of building and playing at local pubs to finance their dream studio, their musical mecca was finally in place where they would write and produce their EP Through the Glass and eventually their full-length debut When it Was Now.
Unsuspecting and unaware of what was to come, when their featured song “Trojans” came up on Spotify, I was hooked like a fat kid in an all-you-can-eat doughnut shop. Their aptly named hit song permeated my psyche much like the Trojan horse did the once thriving Spartan fortress. Hours later I couldn’t help but unconsciously hum the melody, which was quite frustrating considering I didn’t know but a few lyrics. The relatively simplistic song elements were powerful enough to get my toe tapping and my soul dancing. Like a Quaker in a strip club, I was enamored with this new discovery and I wanted more.
Much to the surprise of the guys from down under, “Trojans” was an instant hit. Soon after sharing their catchy tune on sites such as Triple J Unearthed, Sound Cloud and iTunes, the song began attracting attention from labels, publishers, and a barrage of others in the music industry. However, the guys were so wrapped up in their college studies they didn’t bother to check the band email. Fortunately, once they had, Atlas Genius was more focused on music than they ever had been—paving the way to two major tours, a major label contract and a full-length album.
Although When it was Now, which released mid February, is a fun album to listen to, it is anything but revolutionary. Their overall approach to the album falls a bit on the formulaic side and may not speak to the music snob continually boasting about “the band that’s gonna change it all.” That being said, for the guy/gal who loves music that simply sounds good (I know, totally subjective) and is well written (how egocentric is this guy?), Atlas Genius will always be the band that may not be at the top of the list, but will certainly bring the fun.
Their full length album When it Was Now is available now on iTunes and other music retailers.
View Photos of Atlas Genius, live at The House of Blues San Diego on March 18th. Photos by Christian Rodas, Soul Venture Productions.
Click photos to launch full-screen.
Atlas Genius performs live at House of Blues, San Diego
Atlas Genius performs live at House of Blues, San Diego
Atlas Genius performs live at House of Blues, San Diego
Atlas Genius performs live at House of Blues, San Diego
Atlas Genius performs live at House of Blues, San Diego
Before You Exit, performing live in San Diego, CA. Photo by Christian Rodas.
Ah, let me tell you the problem with boy bands. Oh wait, you mean you already know the answer to that? How about instead, I tell you why the ‘age of the adolescents’ isn’t really all that bad. Don’t turn away from this article just yet – there are a lot of facts to learn about the elusive, mysterious, all-male musical machine known as the boy band, and some of these facts might actually surprise you.
For instance, one of the main issues with the typical definitive boy band is that it gives every young male musician under the legal drinking age a bad rep. We’ve always been a bit pretentious as a society when it came to music, especially when artists use their looks or their sex appeal to gain fans. And yet, this is completely acceptable in any other form of entertainment. ‘That Oscar winning actress is totally hot.’ ‘This model has a sexy body.’ ‘Let’s give Lara Croft a huge rack.’ You might need to be a gamer geek like me to get that last reference, but the point still stands – the entertainment industry as a whole has always welcomed and embraced sex appeal…at least, when it refers to women.
Male musicians have always garnered screaming, crying, panty-tossing female fans. But back in the day, those male musicians were playing instruments. Elvis Presley was “reinventing” mainstream rock ‘n roll. The Beatles were expressing their music without suffering creativity. Even 80’s hair metal groups — some of the first true boy bands, if you ask me — were rocking and rolling all night, and partying every day to the riffs of their guitars and the power of their drums. And they all had screaming, crying, no-holds-barred female fans.
That can’t really be said these days. The music industry evolved, and as a result, so did the boy band. But I’m telling you, it’s not all bad. Maybe we’re used to the age of One Directions and Justin Beibers (he counts as a boy band in my book; I think they might actually be cloning him for insurance reasons), and this reluctant acceptance has closed our minds to the idea that yes, boys can play instruments too.
We even want to ignore the typical boy band “formula” once our favorite songs are involved. Recent Grammy winners Fun. pretty much fit all the boy band criteria, and yet for some reason these guys are exempt. Is it because their music is about life instead of about love? I’m really starting to think the main factor is drinking age. And also, once you put instruments into the mix, there’s something else that appeals to the band’s fans than just their good looks.
Take the indie band of brothers Before You Exit, for instance. The modern day boy band formula is there: attractive young dudes, sentimental pseudo-love songs, high energy performances, and photo shoots reminiscent of the 90’s, minus the 90’s fashion trends. But there’s an extra element of surprise here, and it comes in the form of many, many instruments. This is a group that is okay with being adorable as long as they also get to be amazing, well-versed musicians in the process.
If you think about it, it doesn’t make sense to persecute musicians of any gender simply because they are beautiful. A female singer is less reputable because she’s stunningly hot? A group of guys can’t be taken seriously because they’re well groomed? These kinds of theories only make sense when image is just as important as the music itself.
Here’s the kicker: regardless of what kind of music you listen to, image is always important. Would you listen to your favorite punk band if they wore polo shirts and belonged to a golf club? Would Lady Gaga, who is actually a stunning singer and multi-instrumentalist herself, garner as many “little monsters” if she didn’t wear suits made of meat? There’s a direct correlation between a musician and his or her image, whether you want to admit it or not. It’s simply up to each individual artist to decide if that image is going to be used for good (such as, The Beatles walking Abby Road), or evil (whatever this is.)
And while I’m not ready to put One Direction on repeat anytime soon — unlike a preteen adolescent girl, I know what makes me beautiful and I’d prefer not to hear it from a boy I can’t legally date–, I would listen to Before You Exit. Maybe I’ll also give latest X Factor finalists Emblem 3 a chance, too. Because there are male musicians all around us who play well, learn their trade, entertain us on stage, and happen to look really great while they’re doing that. I’m not saying they aren’t that media definition of a “boy band”. But I am saying we can at least toss image aside and judge a musician on their abilities, just this once, right?
If you’re still pretty upset with boy bands in general, don’t stone me! Instead, tell me what you think about bands like Before You Exit, Emblem 3, and even pop rockers like Fun. being considered a “boy band”. Comment below with what you think!
The title of this post is almost in time for Halloween. But we’re not asking you for trick or treats just yet. Get Scared is the hard rocking, intense group of guys that melted faces at their SOMA San Diego show on September 15th. If you weren’t there, you can check out these photos and be there in spirit. If you were there, you can still check out these photos and reminisce about all the good times. Either way, it’s candy for your eyes, and you didn’t have to dress up and go door to door to get it!
That was only one of the many things that were yelled out at pop-rockers Social Club, as we filmed for the very first installment of Streetside Sessions. If you don’t know what a Streetside Session is (or you can’t guess from the extremely obvious title), then hang tight, because a video will be around here soon. And when it does get here, you’re welcome to swoon and ahh at the brilliance that is performing on the streets of San Diego. To say this shoot was fun would be an understatement. The day was spent in Bankers Hill and included balcony-spectators, rolling compliments, and even a five dollar bill from the window of one woman’s car. Drive-by donations, anyone? The video isn’t here quite yet, but in the meantime, enjoy some behind the scenes shots of the shoot.
I know, I know, we are such a tease.
Click photos to launch full-screen.
Behind the Scenes, filming with San Diego based band Social Club
Behind the Scenes, filming with San Diego based band Social Club
Behind the Scenes, filming with San Diego based band Social Club
Behind the Scenes, filming with San Diego based band Social Club
Behind the Scenes, filming with San Diego based band Social Club
Behind the Scenes, filming with San Diego based band Social Club
Behind the Scenes, filming with San Diego based band Social Club
Behind the Scenes, filming with San Diego based band Social Club
Behind the Scenes, filming with San Diego based band Social Club
Behind the Scenes, filming with San Diego based band Social Club
Behind the Scenes, filming with San Diego based band Social Club
Behind the Scenes, filming with San Diego based band Social Club
Behind the Scenes, filming with San Diego based band Social Club
Behind the Scenes, filming with San Diego based band Social Club
Behind the Scenes, filming with San Diego based band Social Club
Behind the Scenes, filming with San Diego based band Social Club
Behind the Scenes, filming with San Diego based band Social Club
Behind the Scenes, filming with San Diego based band Social Club
Behind the Scenes, filming with San Diego based band Social Club
Behind the Scenes, filming with San Diego based band Social Club
Behind the Scenes, filming with San Diego based band Social Club
1. Fulfill your Peter Pan syndrome. I don’t want to grow up! Who does? Warped Tour is the perfect place to forget that you’re an adult and actually have bills to pay and a car that is owned by you and not your parents. Get lost in a mosh pit, hurt your foot, and then have a valid excuse to skip out on work the next day. Or body paint with some slightly half naked girls. Take a Super Soaker to the crowd with little to no repercussions. There are a million and one ways to be a kid at Warped, so try them all and forget you’re responsible for just one day.
The Indie 