DANCIN' IN THE STREETS: ALLAH-LAS, CALIFORNIA LIONS AND GREATER CALIFORNIA ROCK THE STREETS OF LONG BEACH - 6/28/2014

Long Beach's Summer and Music concert series got off to a sensational start tonight with the Third Annual Dancin' in the Streets event. The free SAM kick off show moved to a new larger location on the Downtown Promenade just a few steps from the building that once housed the legendary Blue Cafe. An estimated crowd of over a thousand people packed the area to see Greater California, California Lions and the LA psychedelic rockers Allah-Las. DJ Lithuanian Prince provided the soundtrack for the dance party that took place throughout the evening and continued after the bands finished their sets.

GREATER CALIFORNIA
Greater California kicked off the live performances with an impressive set that seamlessly mixed together both folk and psychedelic rock. The Long Beach band was celebrating the release of their new 7" single "Long Shadows" which is being released by local record label Porch Party Records. They chose to close their set with the new single and were joined on stage by an all star roster of local musicians including members of Bobby Blunders, The Humpers, Wild Pack of Canaries as well as three members of California Lions. It was a great start to an awesome evening of music.

Terry Prine of Greater California

CALIFORNIA LIONS
The Long Beach band took the stage and played a lively set of folk meets California dream pop. The inclusion of a horn section tonight added a soulful, high energy dance feel to several of their songs and kept the crowd dancing throughout their hour long set. The band mixed the set list with songs from their fantastic 2013 debut EP as well as songs from their soon to be released new record. Carina Downing and Daniel Perkins share lead vocal duties and they both have a quality to their voice which makes their music the perfect summer soundtrack. 

We have been big fans of California Lions since we caught them at last year's Folk Revival Festival back in November. Click here to see our complete recap with video:  
http://liverockgig.blogspot.com/2013/11/long-beach-folk-revival-festival-great.html

CARINA DOWNING OF CALIFORNIA LIONS

ALLAH-LAS
We have to admit that we were already huge fans of the Allah-Las. Once the announcement was made that they were playing this event we were counting down the days like a kid counts down to Christmas. The band is signed to Innovative Leisure Records which is also home to local retro rocker Nick Waterhouse and the Long Beach surf trio, Tijuana Panthers.

Allah-Las' sound is a mix of garage, surf and psychedelic all rolled into one. You can hear a little bit of early Stones, Beach Boys and Love in their mesmerizing, hypnotic music. Lead Singer/Guitarist Miles Michaud has always reminded us of a young, Animals-era Eric Burdon. His vocal style comes across as effortless and laid back but he can reach back with intensity just in the right spots. Lead guitarist Pedrum Siadatian, bassist Spencer Dunham and drummer Matthew Correia provide the exceptional Byrds-style harmonies which give their music a cool ethereal quality. Tonight's Long Beach show was the last stop on the band's US tour that started June 11th and featured a spot at the legendary Bonnaroo festival in Tennessee.

THE ALLAH-LAS

The band's excellent self-titled debut album was released back in September 2012. Tonight's set list was a nice mix of songs from the debut album as well as six songs from their new album Worship the Sun which is being released on September 16th. Drummer Matthew Correia took the lead vocal duties on a few songs toward the end of the band's set. Below is a video of Matt singing vocals on "De Vida Voz" which is the first track on their soon to be released new record.

We have to give credit to the organizers and sponsors of all of these great SAM events. They have given the residents of Long Beach great shows featuring amazing bands at no charge. After talking to some of the people in the crowd it was apparent that these shows are starting to become more of a regional draw by pulling in people from LA and OC. This bodes well for establishing Long Beach as a destination for music fans and in turn, driving the local economy. Don't miss Summer and Music's next event, Twisted at the Pike, which takes place July 11 featuring Fartbarf, De Lux, Free Moral Agents and Wild Park of Canaries.

ALLAH-LAS SET LIST

RIVAL SONS LIVE CONCERT FOOTAGE-NEW YEARS EVE-DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH 2013-14

Rival Sons closed-out 2013 with a bang and ushered in the New Year among all of their hometown fans. This night was especially meaningful for us, in particular, as the night began and was sponsored by The Federal Bar in downtown Long Beach. The Federal Bar stands directly across the street from the meeting place of what would, 15 years later, become LIVE ROCK GIG.  

Long Beach has a long history of being a music centric town. The Downtown Long Beach Associates whom organize the New Years Eve celebration, made a brilliant move  when deciding to feature a band right from their own backyard. In a quote featured in an article by the Long Beach Post, Gina Dartt, the events DLBA's marketing and events manager said, "We thought it'd be a good reflection of Long Beach to have original artists this year. It's what Long Beach is all about." The DLBA reports upwards of 10,000 attendees annually according to this article. We would have posted the setlist we managed to get after the show, but it didn't make it home with us. It's probably still somewhere in The Federal Bar where the night ended as well. Happy 2014, may you rock all year long!

 

 

 

 

 

 



TIJUANA PANTHERS-CONCERT REVIEW-FINGERPRINTS RECORDS-LONG BEACH, CA-8/24/2013

Tijuana Panthers took a break from their west coast tour tonight to play a special homecoming show at Fingerprints Music in Long Beach. A capacity crowd packed the popular East Village record store to see the return of their hometown heroes. The band was celebrating the release of their new album "Semi Sweet" which is out now on Innovative Leisure Records.



Tijuana Panthers' sound is a mix of 60's surf rock, garage rock with a little punk attitude mixed in for good measure. The band took the stage at Fingerprints and tore into the song "Pushover" a great track from the new album.  Check out the video we shot. By the time the song was over the crowd was worked into a hot, sweaty frenzy. They seemed to feed off the energy that the band put out during their live show.

 

Phil Shaheen drums like a possessed madman while Daniel Michicoff played his bass like a machine gun and guitarist Chad Wachtel is reminiscent of a young Dick Dale. What makes Tijuana Panthers unique is that they have no dedicated lead singer. All three members take turns singing lead vocals while the others handle background harmonies.  

 

Below is a video of the band performing the song "Summer Fun" from their debut album Max Baker.



 Below is a video we shot of the band performing "This Town" which was the last song of their set. At this point in the evening the room felt like a sauna from the heat being generated by the crowd.



SET LIST

PUSHOVER

TONY'S SONG

BAINBRIDGE

FATHER FIGURE

CHERRY STREET DONUT SHOP

REDHEADED GIRL

BOARDWALK

FORBIDDEN FRUIT

CREATURE

BABY I'M BORED

CREW CUT

PRAYER NEEDS

DON'T SHOOT YOUR GUNS

THIS TOWN

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

 

Wayne "The Train" Hancock - Concert Review - 12/14/12 - Alex's Bar - Long Beach, CA

If you are tired of what passes as modern day country music you owe it to yourself to check out Wayne "The Train" Hancock. The authenticity of Wayne's writing and performing hearkens back to the traditional country sounds of Hank Williams and Jimmie Rodgers. The self proclaimed "King of Juke Joint Swing" was in Long Beach tonight playing in front of a packed house at Alex's Bar. Wayne attracts a rabid and diverse fan base which also includes enthusiast of honky tonk, western swing and blues.

 

 

Wayne's current touring band consists of  Zach Sweeney on lead guitar and Zack Sapunor on standup bass. Both are excellent musicians and feed off of Wayne's improvisational style. Like many nights before the band started with no written playlist which makes for a spontaneous show with a lot of energy. Wayne took the stage and told the crowd that they looked like the floor of the New York Stock Exchange due to the constant chatter of song requests being thrown at him. From the first note of tonight's show it was easy to see why many refer to Wayne as "The Real Deal." There are very few performers that can play a retro style of music without coming across as a novelty act. Wayne is not rehashing the past but instead adding to the to the great tradition of American music.

 

Guitarist Zach Sweeney, Wayne Hancock, Bassist Zack Sapunor

Wayne's songs often paint a picture of heartache, freedom and the spirit of the open road.  Tonight at Alex's he played songs from every era of his long career. From his debut album he played the title song "Thunderstorms & Neon Signs" as well as "Juke Joint Jumpin'" both which have not only become staples of Wayne's live show but also two of his signature songs. Much to my delight he also played several songs from 1997's That's What Daddy Wants including the title song, "87 Southbound," "Highway 54" and the the crowd pleaser "Johnny Law."

 

Big Sandy with Wayne Hancock

The highlight of the evening was when Wayne spotted Rockabilly Hall of Famer Big Sandy in the audience. Big Sandy joined the band for a couple of songs which sent the crowd into a frenzy. The fact that Sandy was in the audience is a testament to the sincerity and honesty of Wayne's music.

 

Wayne closed the show with an extended rendition of the song "Tulsa" from the 2006 album of the same name. The jam session was a fitting end to an unforgettable night of live music. Wayne has an outstanding catalog of recorded music but nothing compares to seeing him live. If you have ever wondered what true American music sounds like look no further than Wayne "The Train" Hancock.