The Long and Short of It, Archons, Get Your Death On, Firethorn @ Casbah 01/05/09

Oh man, what a night! After spending a week in SF for New Years, I was having SD withdrawals, seriously. When I saw the lineup for Anti-Monday League at the Casbah, I knew this was the shot of San Diego music my skull needed to revive my tired ass. I love Firethorn, for a lot of reasons, great live show, great guys, and great tunes. So I made sure to get there early. After catching up with Drew and Paz about New Years and the upstairs tenants’ lack of electricity, I wandering into the already thumping set of Firethorn. If you haven’t seen them, definitely check'em out, they have that gritty rock that is part punk, part grunge, and all awesome. They played a bunch of new songs. Usually, when bands play new songs I think, hmmm, maybe it’ll grow on me, but these new ones I really liked from the moment I heard them. Firethorn has a great sense of melody, and tonight they sounded better than ever. Looking forward to hearing the new songs on record. I really like when Mr. Chris, kicks it up a notch into his screamy vocals. At the end of the set, they set feedback gods ablaze as Chris crashed to the floor, then tackled Sean, and serenaded the audience with the noisiest cover of Blackstreet "I Like the Way You Work"

Get Your Death On followed, and kicked up the heavy riffing. With slamming drums, and riffs meant to make your head convulse forward as though dragged by a semi-truck, GYDO played what they deemed their “best show of 2009.” The very rhythmic intense instrumental sections took you through a portal to some other dimension where everything moves in slow motion. Then the drummer and guitar player would bring you back to reality with a haunting scream or melody. It was awesome when they got the audience to cheer in the “lowest” cheer ever, gggrrrroooowwwlllll!!!!

The last two bands I was most excited to see, since I love talking to Jeff when he’s working the door and had never seen his band before. Wow! When I heard him getting his amp setup, he was already tearing the guitar up! Then the band started and the sound was hitting so loud and hard, my stomach decided to curl up and die. Every hit almost knocked by breath out, and the riffing was fast and brutal. I was seriously impressed. Jeff tore into to some awesome squeeling solos on the guitar with his wah pedal, he brought it straight sinister. Between Jeff and Chad, growling intensely into the mic, my head was thrashing away. One guy decided to start thrash dancing at one point, clearing out the front row.

Closing out the night was The Long And Short of It. I had heard so many good things about this band, and about Ben’s energy on stage, and to say I had high hopes is an understatement... And They Killed It! Ben dominates that stage, and is so animate, that he brings you along with his every word and move. This was great hardcore, just coming straight at your face. The band had such an awesome groove that got people jumping all over the place and Ben’s screams cut you up. Seriously, he is like a sorcerer controlling the crowd with his hands, flailing around and a face that looks like it is singing with more conviction and intensity than one can believe.
Check out this small overloaded video clip of The Long and Short of It, it was sooo loud, but sooo awesome.

It was a late show for a Monday night, but people stayed to the end and were spent up in the energy. Totally a great night.
Check out more pics, by clicking on Keep on Reading
Get Your Death On merch-Bird Necklace (PETA endorsed)

Anti-Monday League Mr. Pyles (almost lost your DVD)

Rosey with her faves: cigs, wine, and comp

Archons has Large AMPS and Loud!


Firethorn getting crazy!

Friday Pictures: Cullen's 30th Birthday- Planse Mistaken For Stars, Kingdom of Magic, Get Your Death On @ Tower Bar

I wanted to get my Street Scene pictures up because they were in demand, but I would be remiss if I didn't write about how great Friday night was, too. It was Cullen Hendrix's 30th birthday. The night started out at his home with a spread of apps, beer and wine, and a gathering of his friends. Then we all headed to the Tower Bar for the melt your face off rock of Planes Mistaken For Stars, Kingdom Of Magic, and Get Your Death On.

My pictures are actually in reverse order of the night but I'm lacking the patience to put them in chronological order, but you can get the general feel for the night from all of them. It was a great time and it was so nice of Cullen to do a ticket buyout for his party revelers. And as it goes at the Tower, the cheap drinks were flowing and even for the huge crowd, there was never any crazy wait to get served. Man, I love that place.



Planes Mistaken For Stars


Planes Mistaken For Stars















Kingdom of Magic





Cullen Hendrix


Get Your Death On!






I really have nothing to say about the bands that the pictures don't already say for themselves. There was a funny moment in the early part of the night where the bar wanted Cullen to make sure the bands knew that they couldn't play too loud. Ha. What does that even mean for bands like this in a venue like this? Well, not much, but I was glad to have my earplugs or my ears would've bled. It was loud, it was heavy, it was mind blowing. The energy was huge both from the bands and from the crowd.

It made me glad that the rain came in the morning so I could stall and get to Street Scene at a more leisurely time than I'd planned. Huge thanks to Cullen and Sarah for opening your home and for being awesome hosts; couldn't have asked for a better way to roll into the weekend.