After going viral this year, Royal Blood play The Wiltern again & show a sold-out crowd in LA why they are one of rock’s most exciting acts

Royal Blood - Mike KerrBy Josh Herwitt //

Royal Blood with HotWax //
The Wiltern – Los Angeles
November 9th, 2023 //

For any of you reading this who were unfamiliar with Royal Blood prior to May 28th, there’s probably a good chance that you have heard of them now.

Mocking a lackluster and “pathetic” crowd at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend — it really was but you can judge for yourself here — before flipping them off might not have been the way Mike Kerr (lead vocals, bass, keyboards, piano, guitar) planned for the project he has fronted since early 2011 to go viral, but that quickly became his reality by the following day.

The music media, not surprisingly, seized on the moment, permeating our news feeds and timelines with an onslaught of headlines all pointing to Kerr’s onstage banter and behavior in Scotland. Merely a week later, he was on BBC Radio 1’s airwaves to address the incident with his sidekick Ben Thatcher (drums, percussion, piano), confessing that he “felt like a sort of pro wrestler” and “pantomime villain” during the performance but “meant no offense … and applause is optional.”

Despite all of the subsequent backlash Royal Blood received online, it hasn’t exactly put a dent in their ticket sales — at least in a major U.S. metropolis like LA with endless opportunities to see live music — less than six months later. Take last Thursday’s sold-out gig at The Wiltern for instance, as the English alt-rock duo packed one of the larger-sized venues that they are playing in North America this fall, with the historic theater filled from the reserved pit and GA floor sections up to the mezzanine and balcony for the band’s first time there in six years. It was also the first time in almost two decades visiting that I have witnessed a legitimate mosh pit break out.

Fresh off a nine-day break after their latest shows in the UK and Ireland last month, Kerr and Thatcher were primed for a big night under the bright lights of LA. Much like their appearance more than a year ago at what was then the brand-new Ventura Music Hall (read our show review here), these lads were once again joined by touring member Darren James (keyboards, backing vocals) as their newer studio material starting with 2021’s Typhoons sees them leaning more into synthesizers and keyboards than sticking with the original recipe of only bass and drums they cooked up for their first two albums. What results is a more dance-forward sound that has continued on their fourth LP Back to the Water Below, which was released in September and serves an excellent complement to the rest of their catalog.

Royal Blood

The grungy, post-punk tendencies from their fellow countrymates in HotWax, who were making their debut in the states, proved to pair well with the evening’s main course, and by the time Royal Blood walked out around 9 p.m. to a thunderous applause like the ones they are used to, we were ready to scarf up everything that Kerr and Thatcher put on our plates. They fittingly began with “Mountains at Midnight” — the lead single on Back to the Water Below — and then took us back in time, unleashing the blistering one-two punch of “Boilermaker” and the ensuing “Lights Out” at one point to set the tone for the rest of the night.

Those of us who have caught Royal Blood on previous tours know what they’re capable of when they take the stage, but it’s always exciting to see how their new songs will play out in front of an audience. The fuzzed-out “Shiner in the Dark” and already fan favorite “Triggers” both delivered, and though you won’t necessarily find the album’s title represented in the tracklist like their previous two full lengths, it does come from a lyric during the piano-led single “Pull Me Through” with a groove that will have you singing along or at least nodding your head to by the final chorus, offsetting some of the machismo we have become accustomed to from both Kerr and Thatcher. There was “Tell Me When It’s Too Late” as we neared the finish line, with a triplet feel on the bass drum that the late John Bonham would be most likely proud of, and even though it’s the shortest track on Back to the Water Below at well under three minutes, it’s as big and bombastic as anything else they have done.

Since our last encounter, the core of Royal Blood’s setlist hasn’t changed with “Come on Over”, “Hook, Line & Sinker”, “Little Monster”, “How Did We Get So Dark?”, “Loose Change”, “Out of the Black”, “Ten Tonne Skeleton” and of course “Figure It Out” all making a return this time. While we can’t say we don’t enjoy hearing these songs when they are performed, it would be nice if Royal Blood mixed things up a little more or expanded upon what they have already recorded to make every show feel special. Yet, in fairness, they did bring out HotWax’s Tallulah Sim-Savage to play guitar on “Waves” at the start of their encore — something we hope they will consider doing more of in the future. We would also like to see their concerts extend past the 90-minute mark, even if it were only for a little bit longer, and there’s no question that should be the case in due time.

Regardless of our commentary on Royal Blood’s current live show, Back to the Water Below has easily ascended, alongside Queens of the Stone Age’s In Times New Roman…, to be one of our favorite rock albums of 2023. It shares the same accessibility 2014’s self-titled effort and 2017’s How Did We Get So Dark? have, and at the same time, sonically still manages to move the needle forward enough for now.

We can imagine at this point that Royal Blood would just like to forget BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend, and we are definitely not interested in dwelling over past indiscretions anymore. Kerr and Thatcher have not only the bravado and charisma, but also the chops to stake their claim as a top-notch rock act for a long time. And hey, maybe a little notoriety never hurts, too.

Setlist:
Mountains at Midnight
Come on Over
Boilermaker
Lights Out
Shiner in the Dark
Hook, Line & Sinker
Triggers
Trouble’s Coming
Typhoons
Pull Me Through
Little Monster
How Did We Get So Dark?
Tell Me When It’s Too Late
Loose Change
Out of the Black

Encore:
Waves (with Tallulah Sim-Savage)
Ten Tonne Skeleton
Figure It Out

The Bellwether offers LA’s music scene a breath of fresh air

The BellwetherBy Josh Herwitt //

Whether you’re born and raised, a transplant or just visiting from out of town, Los Angeles has a music scene that not many other cities around the world can rival.

Sure, it’s true that New York City and Las Vegas have also been tagged with the “Entertainment Capital of the World” label, but when it comes to live music, there’s something for everyone in LA. From arenas and amphitheaters to clubs and theaters, LA County remains home to more than 50 music venues that are currently in operation. There’s the iconic Hollywood Bowl (read our past coverage here), legendary Troubadour and the state-of-the-art YouTube Theater, although we would be remiss to not mention the Greek, Orpheum, Roxy and Wiltern, too.

But with mega promoters AEG and Live Nation maintaining a stranglehold on the marketplace, is there really room for another music venue in LA and one that’s actually independent?

Michael Swier and Gregg Perloff believe so. That’s why three years after signing the lease on a 45,000-square-foot property west of the 110 Freeway and adjacent to downtown LA, the two business partners opened The Bellwether in July as one of the city’s newest nightlife destinations and have already seen acts like Carly Rae Jepsen, HAIM, Phantogram, Silversun Pickups, Slowdive and Wilco grace its stage.

Baroness at The Bellwether


Baroness at The Bellwether

Swier is no stranger to the live entertainment business. He cut his teeth running music venues in the Big Apple, turning Bowery Ballroom and Mercury Lounge into Manhattan mainstays on the Lower East Side before taking that success cross country to LA where he owns and operates the Teragram Ballroom and Moroccan Lounge. Perloff, similarly, has a wealth of knowledge and experience after working alongside renowned promoter Bill Graham and putting on shows for a couple of decades as the CEO of Bay Area company Another Planet Entertainment, which has organized the annual Outside Lands Music Festival (read our past coverage here) since 2008. So with both Swier and Perloff at the helm, it should be safe to say that The Bellwether rests in good hands.

The space itself, meanwhile, is gorgeous despite its immediate surroundings externally. While the City West and Westlake neighborhoods are some of the remaining few in LA that have yet to gentrify at all, inside the vibe feels like a completely different world than what lies right outside its front doors. The big horseshoe bar in the foyer greets guests as they come in, and if you get there early enough, you might have some time to check out the outdoor lounge that offers a 270-degree view of the downtown skyline or go VIP with an upgraded ticket to the Looking Glass Lounge.

Before we go any further, there’s some pretty cool history about the building that we can’t help but share here as well. In the 80’s, it was a trendy, “New York-style” nightclub for the elite known as Vertigo where entry was often based upon appearance — that’s LA for you — even if you had your name on the guest list. That was all before Prince bought the place in the early 90’s and turned into his own purple-shaded Grand Slam palace complete with carpeted walls, naked bodies on columns and a dance floor featuring an embedding of his ankh-styled “Love Symbol.” But after less than three years, it would change hands again and mostly be used for private events. At one point later it was called the Tatou Supper Club and then 333 Live/The Gold Room at 333 Live prior to becoming a home for the queer disco party series A Club Called Rhonda, yet nothing at 333 South Boylston St. has survived for very long, let alone has as much promise as The Bellwether does.

Much like The Regent Theater (read our venue review here) only over a mile away and Lodge Room in Highland Park, there’s a restaurant component to The Bellwether named The Virginian that serves small bites, pizza by the slice, specialty cocktails and other nourishment one hour before doors open. It might not have a menu that’s as gourmet as Checker Hall‘s — there’s no whipped feta with burnt honey butter and Urfa chili — but the options are a step up from what you would find at an AEG or Live Nation venue. After all, who doesn’t want a $19 poke bowl before a full helping of live music?

Baroness at The Bellwether


Baroness at The Bellwether

At a capacity of 1,600, the multifaceted destination fits nicely into LA’s music venue ecosystem. Many of the popular spots for artists and bands to perform are either well under and over that number, with next-door DTLA neighbors The Belasco (1,500) and The Mayan (1,700) two of the closest in size. The main room gets its character from the dance floor’s parquet pattern and an expansive mezzanine, accessible via staircases on either side, that provides excellent sightlines of the stage. Once the show begins, bars on the first floor and balcony of the ballroom make it so that you don’t have to walk very far to get a drink and miss any of the action. Swier’s brother Brian was tasked with overseeing the design and interior of The Bellwether, and after an initial encounter recently, we can’t say we aren’t impressed by his aesthetic and execution.

Our introduction to the new kid on the block came on a Saturday night more than four months after its grand opening as alt-prog-sludge four-piece Baroness stopped through on their “Sweet Oblivion Tour” with a bevy of support — Primitive Man, Midwife and Agriculture — following last year’s bone-rattling performance on a wild Oscars night. This time, though, things were a little different for the Savannah-based outfit comprised of John Baizley (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, percussion), Nick Jost (bass, keyboards, backing vocals), Sebastian Thomson (drums) and last but not least, Gina Gleason (lead guitar, backing vocals), after the release of its sixth studio album Stone in September. Compared to what we witnessed at The Echo, there’s no doubt that The Bellwether was the better (and naturally, bigger) setting for the Grammy-nominated rockers who treated us to the tour debut of “Take My Bones Away” toward the end of the evening.

That’s a testament to what Swier, Perloff and their entire crew have accomplished so far at a time when economic trends have been more unpredictable than ever coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. What is most inspiring is their continued belief in what they are doing, especially when everything shut down in 2020, never wavering in their commitment and pouring in millions of dollars without one outside investor. And now, it’s finally paying off for them.

Not only that, but for anyone who thought the City of Angels didn’t need or couldn’t support another new music venue, The Bellwether is quickly proving otherwise and delivering a simple but important reminder to us all at the same time: Don’t underestimate the power of live music.

BARONESS – OCTOBER 28TH, 2023

Setlist:
Last Word
A Horse Called Golgotha
March to the Sea
Beneath the Rose
Under the Wheel
War, Wisdom and Rhyme
Anodyne
Chlorine & Wine
Tourniquet
Shock Me
The Gnashing
Isak

Encore:
Take My Bones Away (tour debut)
The Sweetest Curse

Run the Jewels leave no stone unturned in LA, capping off their 10th anniversary tour with a fourth & final night at Hollywood Palladium

Run the Jewels - El-P & Killer MikeBy Josh Herwitt //

Run the Jewels with The Alchemist, Tenacious D (DJ set) //
Hollywood Palladium – Los Angeles
October 14th, 2023 //

It’s almost hard to believe that more than a decade has already passed since El-P and Killer Mike formed Run the Jewels after being introduced to each other by Cartoon Network executive Jason DeMarco in 2011.

The Grammy-nominated hip-hop duo has rode a titanic wave of success over that span, putting out four albums in less than seven years with 2013’s self-titled debut paving the way for subsequent releases in 2014, 2016 and 2020.

To mark the occasion, RTJ announced a 10th anniversary tour consisting of four-night residencies in New York, Chicago, Atlanta and LA this year, with each LP being performed from start to finish on its respective date.

But the project’s fourth and most recent full length entitled RTJ4 — one that features Greg Nice, DJ Premier, 2 Chainz, Pharrell Williams, Mavis Staples, Josh Homme and Zack de la Rocha — is what propelled Jaime Meline and Michael Render into the Top 10 of the US Billboard 200 for the first time, and even though they were at Coachella in 2022, they had yet to schedule a proper show in LA after dropping the 11-track effort due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down live music for 18 months.

Run the Jewels - El-P & Killer Mike

That’s, in part, why we circled Saturday’s finale at the Hollywood Palladium on our calendar while also knowing it would be the last gig of the tour. We did wonder if Meline and Render would be running (no pun intended) on fumes by that point, but the two emcees seemed to be in great spirits when they took the stage after surprise DJ sets from Tenacious D and The Alchemist, the latter of which boasted guest appearances by Evidence and Rakaa Iriscience of Dilated Peoples, had riled up the capacity crowd.

As much as the beats and production that El-P cooks up in the lab are the catalyst for new RTJ material, the wordplay between Killer Mike and himself is what make them such a visceral force in front of any live audience no matter where they are at that moment. Plus, their stage antics and banter aren’t too shabby either. Not many acts in the hip-hop scene roll into town, specifically this one, and choose Jack Black of all celebrities to introduce them to a sold-out venue of 4,000 folks. Yet, that’s exactly what RTJ did when Black walked out to Queen’s epic hit “We Are the Champions” and sent fans into an absolute frenzy with his hype-man skills.

The beauty of an RTJ show, like any good concert, is that you simply don’t know what’s going to happen next. Sure, it was a little disappointing that de la Rocha didn’t grace us with his presence like he did only a couple of days earlier when Run the Jewels 2 was showcased in full, but El-P and Killer Mike weren’t about to wave goodbye without a cameo from their friend Joi, a longtime associate of the Atlanta-based Dungeon Family collective known for its collaborations with OutKast, Organized Noize and Goodie Mob, during an eight-song encore.

RTJ, however, weren’t about to wrap up (again, no pun intended) the tour with a Run the Jewels 3 cut. Instead, they fittingly went back to where things all started, unleashing the title track on Run the Jewels to send us home with one final banger and close the book on the “RTJX Tour.” Where they go from here following 10 years in the rap game, no one really knows. Neither does El-P or Killer Mike right now, and from what they have recently said, that’s the way they like it. Fortunately for us, so do we.

Setlist:
yankee and the brave (ep. 4)
ooh la la
out of sight
holy calamafuck
goonies vs. E.T.
walking in the snow
JU$T
never look back
the ground below
pulling the pin
a few words for the firing squad (radiation)

Encore:
Legend Has It
Oh My Darling Don’t Cry
Blockbuster Night Part 1
Talk to Me
Sea Legs
Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)
Down (with Joi)
Run the Jewels

Portola Music Festival 2023: Our awards & highlights from Year 2

Portola Music Festival 2023Photos by Matthew Medina // Written by Molly Kish //

Portola Music Festival //
Pier 80 – San Francisco
September 30th-October 1st, 2023 //

After a weekend of pavement-pounding electronic music that saw the second edition of Portola come in hot and leave the city of SF buzzing, our feet are just finally recovering. Assembling a lineup of up-and-coming talent and several legendary electronic artists, Goldenvoice dialed in a well-rounded roster this year but also improved upon both production and staging issues from its 2022 debut.

Even in the weeks leading up to the festival, the production company provided ample opportunities to hear and interact directly with Portola’s founders via Reddit AMAs, delivering some of the best social media content and marketing strategies by any Bay Area festival to date. It felt like Goldenvoice had something to prove and in turn, wanted to reassure their fans they were being heard.

Portola Music Festival 2023

On site, there were a number of improvements to the footprint at Pier 80 that included better cellphone service and stage designs. The Warehouse, being the main point of contention a year ago, was set up inversely with several entry points and exits. This allowed for much better traffic flow and sound quality, creating an immensely more enjoyable experience. The Crane Stage, meanwhile, was moved outside and had a completely different aesthetic as its big sky backdrop opened up the sound quality and was able to accommodate a larger crowd. And how could we not mention the secret Bowie bar in between the Ship Tent and Warehouse as a highlight of the weekend? Plus, reference points for those trying to meet up with friends once inside were a lot more abundant.

The crowd in 2023 felt very communal, with as many there to catch specific performers as there were to experience certain artists for the first time. During almost every set you could overhear people talk about how they have “always wanted to see this act” or how they were “blown away” by the performances they were witnessing. The stoke was real and palpable throughout the entire weekend, as both days brought relentless beats and epic headliners who left everything they had on the dance floor. Solidifying itself as easily one of the most intense Sundays every year, Portola held nothing back once again. With hopes of continuing the festival in the Bay despite Goldenvoice’s contract expiring next year, we can’t wait to see what’s to come in 2024.

Portola Music Festival 2023 - Labrinth


Labrinth

PORTOLA MUSIC FESTIVAL 2023 AWARDS:

Headliner of the Weekend: Skrillex

Favorite Stage: Warehouse

Breakthrough Performance: Avalon Emerson

Best Dance Party: Todd Terje (DJ set)

Largest Crowd: Nelly Furtado

Best Legacy Act: Basement Jaxx (DJ set)

Hardest Set: Carl Cox

Best Performance: Labrinth

Most Cunty: COBRAH

Best Stage Production: Eric Prydz Presents HOLO

Favorite Festival Addition: Bowie bar

Best Activation: Brilliant Sticker Show & Rave Flyers exhibit

Favorite Merch: BYLT Coach Jacket

Best Afterparty: The Blaze with Barry Can’t Swim at Gray Area

Best Mascot: Portola rat

Goose make a compelling case in their Santa Barbara Bowl debut why they’re one of the hottest (jam) bands to catch live right now

GooseBy Josh Herwitt //

Goose //
Santa Barbara Bowl – Santa Barbara, CA
September 29th, 2023 //

What is it about jam bands that makes them so polarizing? Is it their penchant for improvisation, their long-running songs or their loyal, dedicated fans?

From the Grateful Dead and The Allman Brothers to Phish, Widespread Panic and many more, a lot of folks I come into contact with either love ’em or hate ’em. Regardless of where you stand on the matter though, the reality is that they have been part of the music ecosystem dating back to the early 60’s and continue to be more than six decades later.

With that in mind, there should be little debate to assert that Phish have stood squarely at the top of the jam-band mountain for the past 30-plus years. The Burlington foursome that formed in the early 80’s at the University of Vermont has taken the torch from the Dead and in their own way kept that fire burning bright, building a unique community of diehards often known for traveling far distances to see them rock out at least three hours each night.

But there’s a new kid on the block now, and even though they might call themselves an “American indie-groove band from Connecticut,” it’s no secret that Goose like to “jam” when they step onstage. Phish’s music, after all, has always been rooted in grooves, and in that regard, it feels like the five-piece named after an Anatidae waterfowl rather than an aquatic animal is certainly paying homage to Trey Anastasio, Jon Fishman, Mike Gordon and Page McConnell with that sort of description for their sonic creations.

For those following closely, the million-dollar question — figuratively and literally — in the jam scene of late has been if Goose are next in line to eventually succeed the almighty Phish. The two groups have already formed a friendly bond, with Anastasio sitting in with Goose last year for the second of two sold-out gigs at Radio City Music Hall that featured a more unexpected cameo appearance by Father John Misty, too.

Goose - Peter Anspach

Yet, it was less than six months after those shows in NYC that Rick Mitarotonda (guitar, vocals), Trevor Weeks (bass, poetry), Ben Atkind (drums), Peter Anspach (keyboards, guitar, vocals) and Jeff Arevalo (percussion, drums, vocals) were touring with Anastasio and his solo project on an eight-date run that offered them even more exposure to Phish’s fan (or should we say “phan”) base.

Every member of Goose, similar to Phish, is an excellent musician. Mitarotonda’s virtuosity and emotive solos are assuredly reminiscent of Anastasio’s at times, and you wouldn’t know that Anspach, a guitarist first and foremost, only started playing keyboards when he signed on as the fourth member of Goose in 2017. The formal training that Mitarotonda, Atkind and Arevalo each received while they were at Berklee College of Music in Boston is quite evident when you watch them perform, but for a band showcasing as much musicianship as Goose, their vocal capabilities are equally impressive. It’s something Mitarotonda has worked very hard at according to Anspach, whom he shares the role of lead vocalist with, and what could ultimately help separate Goose from the pack when you consider that singing hasn’t always been a priority for some musicians in the jam world.

Of course, Goose’s pursuit to not only be an outstanding outfit in the live space but also one that takes the album-making process just as seriously is another side to the quintet that’s refreshing and can’t be overlooked. After 2016’s Moon Cabin sans Anspach and subsequently 2021’s Shenanigans Nite Club, they made such clear when they hired an outside producer for the first time, and their decision to elect D. James Goodwin, who has worked with Bob Weir as well as established indie acts like Kevin Morby and Whitney, proved to be a good (no pun intended) choice for the release of Dripfield in 2022. Goose have made songwriting a priority early on in their ascent, but a smart marketing strategy that saw them gross more than $100,000 during the COVID-19 pandemic by livestreaming eight concerts from a barn in their home state has propelled them rather quickly into the mainstream. In fact, few jam bands have earned the opportunity to perform on late-night television like Goose have.

You could tell by the turnout Goose received at their Santa Barbara Bowl debut — a day before making an inaugural appearance at Ohana Fest and a day after headlining The Wiltern in LA for the first time — they have come a long way in less than a decade. Though the 4,562-seat amphitheater wasn’t sold out, it was mostly full from the GA floor up to the A, B and C sections, a promising sign for any young band on the rise, with chants of “Gooooose” ringing out as the sun set over the Pacific Ocean.

Like any top-notch jam band, Goose craft a unique setlist every time they take the stage with an arsenal of covers at the ready and this outing would be no different. Much of the first set was carried by live cuts of material that has yet to be officially laid down in a recording studio, but Bruce Hornsby & the Range’s “The Way It Is” and Echo & the Bunnymen’s “The Killing Moon” that kicked off the evening’s second set provided everyone at the Bowl with a couple of familiar reference points. Nevertheless, the accessibility and hooks that Dripfield offers listeners are what sets Goose apart from other jam-oriented artists, and as its tracks — “Arrow” and “Hot Tea” plus “So Ready” (an alternate version of “Slow Ready” featuring some auto-tune from Mitarotonda) were what we were treated to in this case — take on their own size and shape under the bright lights, they’re destined to fill a room no matter how big or small it is. So with a European tour lined up next month and a couple of more arena performances before 2023 concludes, there’s no telling how high these guys will be flying by this time next year.

Setlist:
Set 1
Earthling or Alien?
Mr. Action
Time to Flee (with “Honeybee” teases)
The Way It Is (Bruce Hornsby & the Range cover)
Seekers on the Ridge pt. I (>)
Seekers on the Ridge pt. II
So Ready

Set 2
The Killing Moon (Echo & the Bunnymen cover) (>)
Arrow
Same Old Shenanigans
Everything Must Go

Encore:
Hot Tea