Punk Rock show reviews: Summer Circus of Discontent

Photos and review by: Alan Ralph @ConcertGoingPro

Back in the day, Warped Tour was the travelling festival of the summer. It’s back after a six-year absence, but as a destination festival, with one of its three locations being in Southern California.

Historically, the Bay Area always reaps the rewards of destination festivals like Coachella where bands will book other nearby shows or West Coast tours outside of the festival’s radius clause— so much so that Spinning Platters esteemed Editor even coined the phrase Fauxchella (and owns that domain name!) — and each year keeps track of Coachella bands that make their way up here.

So now, one of the advantages of Warped Tour bringing nearly 100 punk rock bands to Long Beach is that some of them will book in the Bay Area… and in the span of four nights following Warped Tour Long Beach, five of the travelling festival veterans and one LBC newbie made the journey up here.

Continue reading “Punk Rock show reviews: Summer Circus of Discontent”

Mosswood Meltdown 2025 – We Love You

Follow Emily Anderson @EmilyPhotoAdventure

Mosswood Meltdown is an annual beacon for all the freaks, geeks, rebels, righteousness, and everything that smells like punk rock.  The East Bay punk scene has continued to thrive, as punkers converge on familiar and unique locations from 925 Gilman Street to the beach with a solar-powered van and even the public transit system. This is a dedicated mob of misfits that continues to expand and connect.  It was no surprise that this year’s Mosswood Meltdown had a significantly larger attendance than years past.  Moving the date to an off-holiday weekend was a plus. Although headlining a legend like Devo and closing the festival with Bratmobile, a new uprising force in the punk world, is a stronger likelihood for a significant increase in attendance.  My main complaint was that this festival ended too soon. I am still hungry and looking forward to next year.   This must have been a shared feeling, as the early bird tickets for 2026 sold out quicker than a sneeze. Continue reading “Mosswood Meltdown 2025 — We Love You”

Film Review: “The Naked Gun”

One hundred percent pure, unadulterated co… medy

Frank Drebin Jr. (Liam Neeson) fashionably thwarts a robbery in ‘The Naked Gun’.

A cop is thwarting a bank robbery, engaging in hand-to-hand combat with one of the robbers. At first, they block punches, then their actions become a game of patty-cake, and then it’s a pantomime as the cop dispenses with the robber with a finger gun. Ah yes, the healing power of comedy! From the minds of legendary filmmaking trio Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker (Jim Abrahams and brothers David and Jerry Zucker) came Airplane! (1980) and Top Secret! (1984) and then The Naked Gun (1988), a feature film version of the TV show, Police Squad! Yes, ZAZ really liked exclamation points. The trio’s brand of humor redefined blockbuster comedies, continuing Mel Brooks’s 1970s “spoof” style of adult, metanarrative, slapstick humor. A remake of The Naked Gun has been circling Hollywood for a long time, and it has finally arrived in the form of a legacy sequel directed by The Lonely Island’s Akiva Schaffer (Popstar; Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers). Could the new Naked Gun capture the unapologetically silly nature of the original, and is that type of parodic comedy still funny today? The answer to both is ‘yes, of course, now shut up and watch the movie.’  Continue reading “Film Review: “The Naked Gun””

How Did Angie Monroy of The McCharmly’s Get Here?

 

Last year, I had the opportunity to see The Sonics play at Great American Music Hall. It was a fantastic show, but I was particularly entranced by the Chicano Soul / Retro Garage band opening, The McCharmly’s. We had the opportunity to speak to lead singer Angie Monroy about her musical journey. 

The McCharmlys are on the road with SadGirl and put on one helluva live show. Tour Dates here. You can also pick up records and download music from their Bandcamp page. 

Single of the Week: “Bound” by Julia, Julia

I get scared when a member of a band I like mysteriously goes “solo.” I noticed that Julia Kugel Montoya of The Coathangers, a brilliant punk band, was releasing a solo album, I initially wouldn’t listen to the single. It took me two weeks, and I’m gutted I missed two weeks with “Bound.” First of all, it sounds NOTHING like The Coathangers. But this song is GORGEOUS!!! It’s a stunning, intense ballad. You can’t mosh to it, but you easily cry to it. 

“Bound” is the first single off Julia, Julia’s Sugaring The Strawberry, which is out September 9th. Preorders are available here. Although full tour dates have yet to be announced, she will be playing a free festival, Happy Sundays, curated by Julia herself, in Long Beach on August 23rd & 24th. 

Film Review: “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”

Third time’s a (fantastic) charm!

Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) turns from the fire.

It’s the third (released) attempt at a Fantastic Four movie, and after two truly embarrassing attempts, this time Marvel Studios got it right. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the best Marvel feature film since Avengers: Endgame. The Fantastic Four could have been an interesting and worthwhile introduction to a new phase of the MCU, in its aesthetic, tone, and multiversal angle, had it been released following Endgame. Unfortunately, here we are, with a decade-long experience of watching Marvel cinematic fodder, constantly lowering expectations, and suffering from superhero fatigue. Luckily, Fantastic Four: First Steps pushes through any worry and/or fatigue with a fun, concise (don’t think about the plot too much!), and beautifully constructed story setting with the best character chemistry since the first Avengers film. Continue reading “Film Review: “The Fantastic Four: First Steps””

Film Review: “Smurfs”

Smurfs uses familiar tricks and catchy tunes to reset the series, but is it too late?

A whole lotta Smurfs in Smurfs.

After three feature film attempts between 2011 to 2017 to push The Smurfs brand back into mainstream culture, with diminishing returns, Paramount Animation is restarting with a new film, Smurfs. Losing the ‘The’ in the title is a futile way to differentiate itself from the previous set of forgettable films, even though this new film represents the best of the bunch. Smurfs is beautifully and creatively animated, and features catchy songs and skillful voicework, but still comes off as a stale retreading of tropes, jokes, and plot devices from superior animated films of the last decade. Continue reading “Film Review: “Smurfs””

Single of the Week: “SOME WOLVES” by torpedo

90 seconds of build-up. That’s it. 90 seconds is NOT the perfect song length. “SOME WOLVES,” however, is a perfect metaphor for the reality of life. It’s simply unresolved tension that hangs there with no resolution. Which is right where we are living- everything is tension upon tension, and the closest we can get to relief is a new tension. 

So fucking good.

“SOME WOLVES” is the lead track off torpedo’s latest record, What the fucked do we all do now |- Lights, the perfect album title the fuckery of now, and happens to be out NOW on Broken Clover Records. 

West Coast Tour Dates began, um, yesterday? 

TORPEDO – LIVE 2025:

07/10 San Diego, CA – The Tower Bar

07/11 San Pedro, CA – The Sardine

07/12 Los Angeles, CA – The Redwood Bar

07/13 Palmdale, CA – Transplants Brewing

07/15 Visalia/Fresno – TBA

07/16 Santa Cruz, CA – The Crepe Place

07/17 Sacramento, CA – The Press Club

07/18 San Francisco, CA – Bottom of the Hill

07/19 Chico, CA – Naked Lounge

07/20 Eugene, OR – John Henry’s

07/23 Portland, OR – High Water Mark

07/24 Yakima, WA – Bearded Monkey

07/25 Bremerton, WA – The Charleston

07/26 Bellingham, WA – The Shakedown

07/27 Seattle, WA – Substation

How Did Molly Neuman Get Here?

Molly Neuman is a rock n roll legend. She is the drummer for Riot Grrl groundbreakers Bratmobile. She was also a member of The Peechees and The Frumpies. AND she helped run Lookout Records in the late 90s. AND managed The Donnas. AND was Vice President at early digital music distributor eMusic. This is only a small portion of her career.

She’s now President of CD Baby and hitting the road with Bratmobile this Summer: Continue reading “How Did Molly Neuman Get Here?”

Show Review: the MFkn’ O.G. Original Gangsta ICE-T at GAMH!

Photos and review by: Alan Ralph @ConcertGoingPro

WHAT!? There’s no way that legendary O.G. Original Gangster rapper Ice-T (and heavy metal singer… and movie star…. and longtime Law and Order: SVU television actor) would be performing at the 470-capacity Great American Music Hall?! Is this for real? Ticket purchased immediately! Yes indeed, on Friday June 27, the I the C the E the T himself rolled into “Frisco” (his words) with his O.G. DJ Evil E and performed a ninety-minute set including shout-outs, NSFW jokes, and he even showed off a few of his special Bay Area friends.

Continue reading “Show Review: the MFkn’ O.G. Original Gangsta ICE-T at GAMH!”