The Wiltern Theatre

Moderat are back to mesmerizing their fans again following an extended hiatus as they demonstrate at The Wiltern

September 27, 2022 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

Moderat //
The Wiltern – Los Angeles
September 23rd, 2022 //

With the music industry still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic over the last two and a half years, it’s not hard to find a concert worth catching in LA at the moment. Artists and bands across every scene have been trying to make up for lost time, and those more specifically in the world of dance music have been no different.

But it’s not every day that you get to see a top-notch electronic act perform live inside one of the city’s most historic music venues on a Friday night.

And in the case of Moderat, it took the German supergroup consisting of Sascha Ring (aka Apparat) and Modeselektor members Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary more than six years to release their fourth studio album More D4ta as the follow-up to 2016’s phenomenal III. While that remains Moderat’s largest gap between full-length efforts, they haven’t forgotten how to captivate their audiences after going on an extended hiatus.

The Berlin-based three-piece was greeted by a strong turnout at The Wiltern for its first LA show since 2017 when Ring, Bronsert and Szary played The Mayan (read our show review here) in between what many fans have considered to be two career-defining performances at Coachella — and we truly can’t disagree with that assessment from what we saw during Weekend 1 (read our festival review here).

After all, there aren’t a whole lot of electronic-leaning acts out there who are doing anything like what Moderat does when it comes to their approach and sound as they fuse electronic beats and textures behind live vocals — led by Ring with Bronsert and Szary assisting — and instrumentation.

Caribou would be another one that comes to mind after witnessing the Grammy nominee’s gig at LA’s Greek Theatre last November (read our show review here), but unlike Moderat, Dan Snaith has had a knack for mixing 70’s funk and soul as well as 90’s hip-hop and R&B into his music over the years.

While you won’t hear any of those genres on More D4ta that Moderat put out in May via Modeselektor’s own Monkeytown Records, there are some similarly hypnotic moments throughout the 10-track LP. Just take new singles “Fast Land” and “Easy Prey” for instance, the latter of which surprisingly wasn’t on the group’s LA setlist despite being performed in Oakland the evening prior along with its 2014 remix of Jon Hopkins’ “Abandon Window” (yeah, I guess you could say we’re jealous about that).

Regardless of whatever songs we didn’t to get hear before Ring, Bronsert and Szary headed south to CRSSD Festival, there was plenty to enjoy. From the opening lines of “Reminder” to the mesmerizing audio-visual experience of “Bad Kingdom” that entrances us every time, Moderat had a packed crowd hanging on every word that Ring delivered by the time they ran through an encore that concluded with “Les Grandes Marches” and “No. 22” off their 2009 self-titled debut from what feels like ages ago.

There also aren’t many acts, electronic or not, that will come back out for a second encore. Moderat are built a little bit differently in that way though, and based on the applause they were showered with at The Wiltern, it wasn’t completely shocking to watch them return to the stage one last time and drop “Intruder” for those screaming “one more song!” at the top of their lungs.

Because after waiting five-plus years to tour the world again, can you really blame them?

Setlist:
Reminder
More Love
Animal Trails
Undo Redo
Doom Hype
Rusty Nails
Eating Hooks
Running
Neon Rats
Bad Kingdom
Ghostmother
A New Error

Encore #1:
Fast Land
Les Grandes Marches
No. 22

Encore #2:
Intruder

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Photos Tagged With: Apparat, Caribou, Jon Hopkins, Moderat, Modeselektor, The Wiltern, The Wiltern Theatre

Jim James, The Claypool Lennon Delirium take us on a psych-rock roller coaster at The Wiltern

July 8, 2019 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

Jim James

By Josh Herwitt //

Jim James & The Claypool Lennon Delirium with Uni //
The Wiltern – Los Angeles
July 3rd, 2019 //

Ever since he launched his solo career more than five years ago, Jim James has been trying to bring people closer together.

The frontman and primary songwriter of My Morning Jacket frequently preaches peace, love and equality on and off the stage, but at a time when technology continues to dominate our way of life and our political divides grow bigger by the day, unity has become a challenging proposition to achieve no matter how famous or popular you are — unless you’re Oprah.

It’s not for a lack of effort from James (born James Edward Olliges Jr.), though.

Claypool Lennon Delirium

The Louisville native remains steadfast in his commitment to doing and saying the right things, whether it’s helping to get out the vote or raising awareness and funds around a number of important environmental, climate and humanitarian issues.

Because when James sings “No use waiting and wondering why / Better get together while we still got time” on his third solo album Uniform Distortion that dropped last year, it’s a message that many of us could learn from. After all, actions speak louder than words, and a songwriter with as much talent, insight and creativity as James certainly knows that.

Embarking on a 33-date North American tour that included festival stops at Shaky Knees and Bonnaroo in support of the 11-track LP, the 41-year-old multi-hyphenate was back in LA — the city he now calls home since moving there in 2016 — on the eve of Independence Day for only one night at the always-beautiful Wiltern. The last time we caught James in the City of Angels, he was headlining another historic SoCal venue just a few miles down Olympic Blvd. after the release of his second solo effort Eternally Even. And boy, was that a lot of fun at the Orpheum Theatre as celebrity fanboys like Christopher Mintz-Plasse (aka “McLovin” from the 2007 film “Superbad”) showed their appreciation for one of rock’s last remaining guitar heroes.

Jim James

But things were a little different for this occasion, in large part because James would be billed as a co-headliner alongside his psychedelic counterparts in The Claypool Lennon Delirium for much of the tour. Even so, with Primus bassist and lead singer Les Claypool being a legend in his own right and guitarist/vocalist Sean Lennon conceived by a couple himself, we had quite the pairing for a Wednesday affair. Heck, the duo even covered Pink Floyd, King Crimson and The Beatles among cuts off 2016’s Monolith of Phobos and its stellar follow-up South of Reality that arrived in February. So if you like psych rock with an extra dose of weird, then these guys are probably for you.

That said, one could argue fairly easily that James’ songs are a bit more accessible than The CLD’s, and with that in mind, it wasn’t hard at all to understand why the man who has also put out music under the pseudonym Yim Yames assumed the closing duties for this tour. It became even more evident once James took the stage, shredding his way through tracks on Uniform Distortion like “Over and Over” and “You Get to Rome” before going to an acoustic guitar for “A New Life” from 2013’s Regions of Light and Sound of God. James would end up performing almost all of Uniform Distortion, but the real standouts of the show were in fact slightly altered versions of the Marvin Gaye-inspired “Here in Spirit” and the ever-haunting “Same Old Lie” to close what felt like a roller-coaster set full of peaks and valleys — and of course, plenty of screeches and squeals emanating from his Gibson ES-335, too.

James didn’t break for long before beginning a three-song encore with one from My Morning Jacket’s catalog in “I’m Amazed” and then dueting with Amo Amo’s Lovell Femme on “Of the Mother Again”. While it may have been somewhat predictable for him to offer us “State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.)” as a parting gift, it wasn’t as if it came unwanted. If anything, it was a strong reminder of how powerful music can be as a unifying force and a gateway to a more positive and promising future, especially with someone like James serving as a guiding light.

JIM JAMES

Setlist:
Over and Over
You Get to Rome
A New Life
Out of Time
Just a Fool
Throwback
No Secrets
Here in Spirit
No Use Waiting
All in Your Head
The World’s Smiling Now
Yes to Everything
Same Old Lie

Encore:
I’m Amazed (My Morning Jacket song)
Of the Mother Again (with Amo Amo lead singer Lovell Femme)
State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.)

THE CLAYPOOL LENNON DELIRIUM

Setlist:
Astronomy Domine (Pink Floyd cover)
Blood and Rockets: Movement I, Saga of Jack Parsons / Movement II, Too the Moon
Little Fishes
Cricket and the Genie (Movement I, The Delirium)
Cricket and the Genie (Movement II, Oratorio Di Cricket)
South of Reality
The Court of the Crimson King (King Crimson cover)
Easily Charmed by Fools
Boomerang Baby
Breath of a Salesman
Cricket Chronicles Revisited: Part 1, Ask Your Doctor – Part 2, Psyde Effects
Tomorrow Never Knows (The Beatles cover)
Third Rock From the Sun

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Amo Amo, Jim James, King Crimson, Les Claypool, My Morning Jacket, Pink Floyd, Primus, Sean Lennon, The Beatles, The Claypool Lennon Delirium, The Wiltern, The Wiltern Theatre, Uni

Gov’t Mule honor Tom Petty & more at The Wiltern

September 18, 2018 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

By Josh Herwitt //

Gov’t Mule //
The Wiltern – Los Angeles
September 11th, 2018 //

It’s hard to believe that summer is already over. Just a few months ago, we were celebrating the start of the season at Arroyo Seco Weekend (read our festival review here) with modern-day guitar royalty as Jack White, Gary Clark Jr., Neil Young and more highlighted what was mainly a rock-centric lineup in Pasadena.

Thus, it was only fitting that we closed out summer the same way we started it, with another legendary guitarist soothing our souls. Warren Haynes has been prolific in every sense of the word, whether he’s playing with The Allman Brothers Band, the Grateful Dead or his primary band Gov’t Mule, and watching him work his Gibson Les Paul onstage always feels like a rare treat as he nears the age of 60.

Touring in support of their 11th studio album Revolution Come…Revolution Go that came out last year, Gov’t Mule made their return to LA on a Tuesday night with a solid crowd showing up at The Wiltern. The Southern rock act has been at it for almost 25 years, and even though they’ve been working together for a decade now, Haynes (guitar, vocals), Matt Abts (drums, percussion, vocals), Danny Louis (keyboards, guitar, trumpet, vocals) and newest member Jorgen Carlsson (bass) have offered no signs of slowing down of late. In fact, Mule have put out a new release every year since 2013, and while they haven’t disclosed any plans to do so before the end of 2018, it’s always possible that could change once they’re off the road soon.

Unlike what they did four years ago in LA when they played the Orpheum Theatre, Haynes and company paid tribute to a smaller list of heroes this time around, most notably the late Tom Petty with a cover “Breakdown” coming during an extended version of their The Deep End, Volume 1 track “Beautifully Broken” before transitioning into covers of The J.B.’s and finally Al Green to end the second set. Ann Peebles’ “I Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody’s Home” with a special guest appearance from “Conan” band leader Jimmy Vivino on guitar brought us all the way home, serving as just another reminder that every show Gov’t Mule plays these days feels like a special one.

Setlist:
Set 1
Bad Little Doggie
Broke Down on the Brazos
Rocking Horse
Pressure Under Fire
Scenes From a Troubled Mind
Revolution Come, Revolution Go
Million Miles From Yesterday
Easy Times
Time to Confess

Set 2
Slackjaw Jezebel
Mr. High & Mighty
Steppin’ Lightly
Mother Earth (Memphis Slim cover)
Beautifully Broken (>)
Breakdown (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers cover) (> “Beautifully Broken” reprise)
Doing It to Death (The J.B.’s cover) (with Doug Woolverton)
I’m a Ram (Al Green cover)

Encore:
I Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody’s Home (Ann Peebles cover) (with Jimmy Vivino) (with “Will It Go Round in Circles” lyrics)

Filed Under: Featured, Photos Tagged With: Gov't Mule, The Wiltern, The Wiltern Theatre, Warren Haynes

Dancing the night away with Cut Copy in LA

September 14, 2018 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

By Josh Herwitt //

Cut Copy with Kauf //
The Wiltern – Los Angeles
September 7th, 2018 //

Cut Copy are no strangers to LA. If you didn’t know any better, you might think the synthpop outfit that spawned out of Dan Whitford’s solo DJ project actually lived in the City of Angels.

But the Australian four-piece undoubtedly enjoys coming to California every time it drops a new album, and with the release of their fifth LP Haiku from Zero nearly a year ago now, the past 12 months have been action-packed for Whitford (vocals, keyboards, guitar), Tim Hoey (guitars), Ben Browning (bass, vocals) and Mitchell Scott (drums, vocals).

For those in LA who missed Cut Copy 10 months ago when they visited the Shrine Expo Hall with De Lux, Palmbomen II and Cooper Saver also on the bill, their headlining performance last Friday at The Wiltern was another chance to dance the night away upon hearing several classics such as “Need You Now”, “Free Your Mind”, “Future”, “Hearts on Fire” and to close, “Lights & Music”. In fact, the last time that we caught them back in March, a mini downpour erupted at Shaun White’s Air + Style (read our festival review here), but it didn’t phase them. Who said playing — and dancing — in the rain isn’t fun anyway?

Nevertheless, Cut Copy always know how to throw one of the best dance parties in the biz, and though they just finished their latest tour with three West Coast shows in LA, Berkeley (supporting Phoenix) and Portland last weekend, it’s plausible that these Aussies could be back in the states next year for some more dates, particularly once festival season officially returns. Until then, this one should hold us over.

Setlist:
Need You Now
Black Rainbows
Visions
Nobody Lost, Nobody Found
Airborne
Living Upside Down
Free Your Mind
Counting Down
Future
Pharaohs & Pyramids
Hearts on Fire
Standing in the Middle of the Field
Take Me Over
Out There on the Ice

Encore:
Meet Me in a House of Love
Lights & Music

Filed Under: Featured, Photos Tagged With: Cooper Saver, Cut Copy, De Lux, Kauf, KCRW, Palmbomen II, Phoenix, Shrine Expo Hall, The Wiltern, The Wiltern Theatre

Deafheaven continue their evolution at The Wiltern

August 22, 2018 by Zach Bourque Leave a Comment

By Zach Bourque //

Deafheaven with Drab Majesty, Uniform //
The Wiltern – Los Angeles
August 18th, 2018 //

Bay Area black metal genre benders Deafheaven stopped through The Wiltern last Saturday in support of their latest album Ordinary Corrupt Human Love. Echoing the band’s newly evolved sound were two unique openers that each brought something fresh to the table.

New York industrial-punk duo Uniform took the stage first, with the band’s striking logo of a crucifix intersected by a sickle serving as its backdrop. If that’s not “goth,” then I don’t know what is. The two-piece act composed of guitarist Ben Greenberg and vocalist Michael Berden belted out fast, energetic punk with an industrial twist. Adding to the overall experience was a live drummer who did his best imitation of a drum machine. What a time to be alive. While the venue was still mostly empty at this point in the night, Uniform undoubtedly made their mark on everyone in attendance with a startling sound that left a mark — even if it wasn’t to everyone’s liking.

Drab Majesty couldn’t have been more of a tone shift from the aggression of Uniform. Donning white face paint and platinum blonde wigs, the LA duo made up by Deb Demure and Mona D filled The Wiltern with a dense, 80’s-inspired new wave sound that remained dark and gothic. Drab Majesty were shrouded by giant flumes of fog throughout most of their set, which fueled an already dream-like atmosphere that felt at once out of place and right at home opening for Deafheaven. Slower tracks like “39 By Design” off their 2017 sophomore LP The Demonstration sounded particularly incredible live with The Wiltern’s high ceiling.

Uniform

Few bands have evolved with the confidence of Deafheaven. What began as a twosome consisting of vocalist George Clarke and guitarist Kerry McCoy has grown into a nearly undefinable force in heavy music that has gained popularity and notoriety worldwide. Deafheaven’s second album Sunbather in 2013 made many throughout the black metal community blush with its trademark bright pink cover art and quite a few unorthodox elements sonically, including post-rock ambience and emotional lyricism.

Fortunately, Deafheaven haven’t bowed to convention or criticism. Their fourth studio album Ordinary Corrupt Human Love, which ANTI‐ released last month, is their arguably their most experimental to date, spanning more than an hour over seven songs. There’s a sense of angst and nostalgia in the music that leans far more positive and hopeful than their previous work. There are still echoes of black metal at times, but you can feel this is a band that’s embracing its differences instead of defending them.

Seeing Deafheaven live reinforces that notion. While vocalist George Clarke still dresses the part in all black with black gloves, sunflowers were placed carefully all across the stage and home movies played in the background. Clarke himself appeared liberated onstage as he ran around and banged his head with a newfound energy in sharp contrast to his rigid and stoic look from years past.

Drab Majesty

A headlining show at The Wiltern is nothing to sneeze at, and this particular one most likely marked Deafheaven’s biggest LA show to date. Fortunately, the venue’s early vacancies were filled by the time Deafheaven stepped onstage. The fans were just as eclectic as the opening acts, with a mixed crowd ranging from goths to hipsters and everyone in between.

Furthermore, it’s hard to call an eight-song setlist short when each song is nearly 10 minutes long. Fortunately, Deafheaven spread the love evenly across their catalog on this night before the quintet capped things off with a monster encore that concluded with fan favorite “Dream House” off Sunbather.

Few artists or bands could pull together to create such a unique lineup like this one, and it was refreshing to see a metal outfit such as Deafheaven take a chance on Drab Majesty and Uniform. It was a gig that had something for everyone, one that stood as a metaphor for the band’s evolution and the scope of its fan base. With an upcoming show at Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown on October 19th, Deafheaven won’t be making their Southern California fans wait too much longer for another taste.

DEAFHEAVEN

Setlist:
Honeycomb
Canary Yellow
Sunbather
Brought to the Water
Worthless Animal

Encore:
You Without End
From the Kettle Onto the Coil
Dream House

DRAB MAJESTY

Setlist:
Induction
Dot in the Sky
39 by Design
Kissing the Ground
Not Just a Name
Too Soon to Tell
Cold Souls

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Deafheaven, Drab Majesty, Pappy & Harriet's, The Wiltern, The Wiltern Theatre, Uniform

Day N Night Fest 2017: From Chance to Kendrick, hip-hop’s finest shine bright in the OC

September 18, 2017 by The Bam Team Leave a Comment

J.I.D

By Joseph Gray & Rochelle Shipman //

Day N Night Fest //
Angel Stadium – Anaheim, CA
September 8th-10th, 2017 //

It’s not too often that you’ll walk past a crazed mosh pit of diverse youngsters on your way to church. Nor are we usually witness to strippers and party-friendly political disruption just a few minutes before a bold declaration of one’s self-reflection. Yet, it was this kind of contrast that led thousands to Orange County as music is the ultimate unifier, with hip-hop currently at its forefront.

Not ignorant to this, Day N Night Fest took its rap-heavy lineup outside Angel Stadium for its second go-round. Celebrating what was once thought to be a fleeting fad, attendees fought through heat, long lines and fatigue to keep the energy flowing consistently over three days.

The main stage served as the hub for the vigor — rising (19-year-old!) star Khalid took early precedence on Friday night, bringing pure joy, cheerleaders and raw emotion to the stage, effortlessly running through the hits on his breakout album American Teen. Closing out the first night was Travis Scott, fresh off his support slot on Kendrick’s “DAMN. Tour”, proving that he is worthy of his own spotlight with a voice that reverberated far past the edge of a crowd and at one point, his now-famous mechanical bird in conjunction with his latest LP Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight.

Saturday, meanwhile, featured the vintage gospel spirit and warm vibes that have elevated Chicago emcee Chance the Rapper to superstardom. Earlier in the day, SZA, this summer’s breakout star, delivered her first festival performance since the release of her well-received debut album Ctrl. Swaying, spinning and singing her raw emotions and shortcomings while coming of age, the Top Dawg Entertainment songstress didn’t disappoint. And even after the old folks were admonished to the delight of the youthful crowd, they still danced to 23-year-old Lil Uzi Vert’s melodic pandemonium that was highlighted by his newest single “XO Tour Llif3” and him running and jumping everywhere imaginable.

As for Sunday’s main-stage performers, we were given the full sphere of Compton. YG drove us through his neighborhood and reminded us that his infamous “FDT” (aka “Fuck Donald Trump”) sentiments he put on display last year at The Wiltern (read our show review here) still remain, but he danced, joked and ushered out exotic dancers with a live band behind him, throwing one hell of a political party that resonated with the diverse crowd.

SZA

Later on, Kendrick Lamar essentially extended “The DAMN. Tour” for one more night on Day 3. Explosive with his confident self-discovery, K-Dot manned the stage by himself and dished out crowd-friendly tracks like “DNA” and “Element” before treating his longtime supporters to “Money Trees” from his Good Kid, M.A.A.D City debut and eventually closing the festival with literal fireworks following the smash “Humble.”

While the headliners thrilled as expected, it was at the side “Day” and “Night” stages where the festival’s biggest highlights were generated. J.I.D, the rising Atlanta rapper who is signed to J. Cole’s Dreamville imprint, absolutely thrilled during his set. Dazzling with his rapid-fire and agile flow, J.I.D showed off his ability to command a crowd with songs such as “General” and “EdEddnEddy” before jumping into the crowd for the tempo-changing hit “Never” that left the crowd chanting for “one more song!”

On the same “Day” stage, Canadian singer-songwriter Daniel Caesar expressed how much he loved being in California and those who flooded the smaller stage to express just how happy they were to hear him say that. Following the release of his well-reviewed Freudian project, the Toronto native was remarkable as he traded frenzied stage dives for some silky-smooth harmonies instead, taking us along his sonically beautiful journey that you will certainly know more about in the coming months.

Vic Mensa, Playboy Carti, Isaiah Rashad and Dom Kennedy were some other notable crowd favorites of the weekend. And though his crowd was far from massive, St. Louis’ Smino had one of the most energetic audiences all weekend, with attendees feverishly singing along to many of the jams off his stellar debut blkswn.

While its organization leaves a little bit to be desired, Day N Night solidified its spot this year as an expansive festival that seems to be growing with the culture. And if the insight of Migos is any indication, we have a bigger, brighter and even more explosive festival to look forward to next year.