JESUS CHRIST VS. THE WORLD LIVE!
What better night to go see a few hardcore bands than the night before Mother’s Day. I know it was an awesome treat for a mom like me who loves metal. I was invited to come out and see Jesus Christ vs. the World’s last show, possibly ever and boy. So I made my way out to The Griffin, formerly known as O’Connell’s back when I used to play there with the Jefferson Jay Band. Not too much has changed with the venue since new ownership. A few more booths were added and the bar was done up a bit, and they removed the gross couch that people used to love to sit on, but to me it seemed to be how I remembered it. I brought my husband along and my best friend Reverend Stickman because supporting local music is what we do, plus none of us had been to a hardcore show in a very long time. When we walked in, it was semi full and I saw a lot of interesting fans that were all dressed up to show their support for the hardcore scene and Actuary was already on stage. Actuary is a group of six guys from the Los Angeles area that play what they call Experimental/Noise/Grindcore music.
It was definitely experimental and noisy, it’s not something that I would actively listen to, but they had some intent listeners so I’ll give them that. There wasn’t much stage presence, but I don’t think that’s what they’re going for. It’s all about the “music” to them. Next was Squirrelly Arts and this was a treat for me. I had never seen them live, but I have seen their names in the San Diego Reader a few times and it turned out the Rev. Stickman had played with them at the Second Wind Bar in El Cajon. Squirrelly Arts is a five piece Industrial Metal band that had me floored from the first song. Their stage presence, technical musicianship and creativity make losing your hearing very worthwhile. The female vocalist will definitely surprise you when s deep guttural growl hits your face. Besides, the awesome costumes and music, they spit blood and I was lucky enough to leave with some of it on my shirts and jeans. The sound guy wasn’t too happy about it, but it all worked out in the end. They were gracious enough to hook me up with their newest album, so stay tuned for a future interview with Squirrelly Arts. If you’re looking for a great show, check out their facebook page for concert dates. You won’t be disappointed.
Shortly after Squirrlley Arts, JCVTW was on stage ready to perform the, “the best last sow ever,” a fan said to me as I was walking around with my camera. And they were right! The three piece band took the stage ready to offend you or make you love them. To me, they looked pretty loved. They didn’t need special costumes or make up to show you what they were about, although the singer Chris Poulin sported a unique hat and nonchalantly placed a music stand in front of him to hold his binder of lyrics. They played every song they had, the guitarist rocked out and the drummer played hard. You could tell they were all having a great time. It was bittersweet knowing I wouldn’t get to see them again, but I was just grateful to get the chance to see them at all. The last band was Bad Acid Trip and from what I gathered from the bands and their friends, playing with this band was a real treat for them. Bad Acid Trip is a four piece band from North Hollywood and they classify themselves as a Avant-garde/Thrash/Grindcore Metal band. They are currently signed to Serjical Strike. This is another band with an awesome show. They take over the stage and you can tell that it is like a second home for them. I had never heard of or read anything about this band, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I feel they closed the night nicely and they definitely made me check them out further when I got home. I have to say that, The Griffin did an excellent job matching the bands for this show, something they weren’t that great at in the past. The atmosphere kept the night going strong and when I had left I had no clue that it was past midnight. I left the show with my ears ringing; a smile on my face and wishing the show didn’t have to end oh and blood splatter on my clothes. The only thing that bothered me was the next day was when I was informed that someone had stolen the guitar that belonged to Mike from JCVTW. I guess it goes to show that even though a bar can go under new management, they can’t stop the evil that is theft from happening. They did however say they were going to look at their videos from their security cameras to help the band possibly find who did this. Good luck to JCVTW’s members and thank you for allowing me to be a part of your last show. I wish you nothing but good things in your pursuit for other music projects. You can check out any of these bands sites by clicking on their names above or within the article.
- Tunage
Written by Lili Mooneyham
Shortly after Squirrlley Arts, JCVTW was on stage ready to perform the, “the best last sow ever,” a fan said to me as I was walking around with my camera. And they were right! The three piece band took the stage ready to offend you or make you love them. To me, they looked pretty loved. They didn’t need special costumes or make up to show you what they were about, although the singer Chris Poulin sported a unique hat and nonchalantly placed a music stand in front of him to hold his binder of lyrics. They played every song they had, the guitarist rocked out and the drummer played hard. You could tell they were all having a great time. It was bittersweet knowing I wouldn’t get to see them again, but I was just grateful to get the chance to see them at all. The last band was Bad Acid Trip and from what I gathered from the bands and their friends, playing with this band was a real treat for them. Bad Acid Trip is a four piece band from North Hollywood and they classify themselves as a Avant-garde/Thrash/Grindcore Metal band. They are currently signed to Serjical Strike. This is another band with an awesome show. They take over the stage and you can tell that it is like a second home for them. I had never heard of or read anything about this band, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I feel they closed the night nicely and they definitely made me check them out further when I got home. I have to say that, The Griffin did an excellent job matching the bands for this show, something they weren’t that great at in the past. The atmosphere kept the night going strong and when I had left I had no clue that it was past midnight. I left the show with my ears ringing; a smile on my face and wishing the show didn’t have to end oh and blood splatter on my clothes. The only thing that bothered me was the next day was when I was informed that someone had stolen the guitar that belonged to Mike from JCVTW. I guess it goes to show that even though a bar can go under new management, they can’t stop the evil that is theft from happening. They did however say they were going to look at their videos from their security cameras to help the band possibly find who did this. Good luck to JCVTW’s members and thank you for allowing me to be a part of your last show. I wish you nothing but good things in your pursuit for other music projects. You can check out any of these bands sites by clicking on their names above or within the article.
- Tunage
Written by Lili Mooneyham
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