This has been a weird few months for me: my partner of three years is leaving for NYC at the beginning of May, the place where I work has been for sale and on the verge of imploding for a year, and stress from both (plus my natural runaway tendencies in the weird sex ‘n drugs experimentation dept.) has really been getting me down.
Until this past Monday night, that is.
Monday night at the Smell I got to be part of a concert collabo with Kyle Mabson, Brian Miller and Jim Smith that really put the wind back in my sails. This was the ultimate Sean Carnage Monday Night! It was so much freaking fun!!!!
And I really felt it on Tuesday morning: there’s something about hosting a successful show that just puts the spring back into your step. I was hosting my friends Justin and Sara from Cleveland, and I was filled with pride about all the wonderful friends I have made in L.A…. and the ability to share that with my old buddies just made that feel even better. I really love it here. And all the love I was feeling from all of you made all my personal gloominess evaporate. Whoosh! It was gone. So thank you. Now I just have to get caught up on the emails…. D’oh!
A few quick observations about this past Monday’s concert: Kyle Mabson is pretty much the #1 unsung hero of L.A. underground music at the moment. He and I combined the Foot Village record release party that Brian Miller and I had planned for Pehrspace into the Dan Deacon show Kyle was booking at the Smell, and the result was a magificently fun time. We also ended up with a bill that was a veritable encyclopedia of the most exciting music happening in 2008!
Winners jump-started the festivities with their intense electro-art music and their equally intense stage moves. Everyone was freaking out over Andrew and Eva’s awesome tunes and equally wondrous masks and dancing. I love Winners: they make me feel young.
Ownweatherone is my old old pal Justin Husher’s new Cleveland band. The duo (this time with Justin’s friend Adam on drums… Adam usually doesn’t play with the band, but is instead a cutting-edge artist who makes sparkly gnome sculptures) played the show I did in Cleveland last fall. They were fucking rad at the Smell, and added that heavy rock element which I so crave.
Robin Williams On Fire… I can’t believe this was their last gig! I mean, seriously, guys, WTF!? The SF Bay-based trio’s all-treble punk assault was one of the best new sounds coming out of California. This last show was so chaotic and wild that I can’t really be sad. Still, I will miss RWOF. Sniff. I can’t wait to hear what Dalton, Dylan, and Mike do next…
Kyle Mabson did his noise-jam thing and got everyone SO pumped up. It’s really pretty simple stuff, but that’s where Kyle shows his artistry. I mean, can you imagine anyone else being successful with Kyle’s formula? Kyle looked really happy—he was practically skipping around all night long—and who can blame him? This show was a triumph.
Another triumph: Foot Village. Their performance really blew the tops of peoples’ heads off. My pal Justin was likening them to Crash Worship, but I was disagreeing. Foot Village does tribal drumming, but with a positive vibe that, while bludgeoning at times, ultimately leaves everyone clear and energized. I hope their new record sells like fucking gangbusters ‘cuz when I got home and listened to it, I was even more impressed by everything they have accomplished. Buy FRIENSHIP NATION for yourself and all your friends and watch them trip out!!!
Finally, Dan Deacon arrived in front of the stage area and debuted the entire first half of his new record. It was incredible. Dan has really captured the zeitgeist of what is happening with electronic music in the 21st century, and to see everyone in the audience flipping out and having so much fun while boogying to some really weird sounds… There is no way you couldn’t love it. Dan Deacon rules!
IMPORTANT: This week we are back at Pehrspace… don’t miss out on the Mondays!
WE DO THIS EVERY MONDAY!!!
OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS: I don’t have photos yet, but the Team Andrew/Deadlee/Mae Shi Sunday night Pehr fundraiser from two weeks back was a huge HUGE success, both musically and financially. The bands raised nearly $200 for Pehr and created one of the wildest and most fun parties I have ever experienced. More on this night when I get the pics… Until then, thanks Andrew & friends!!!
Don’t miss this Monday!!!
SEAN CARNAGE PRESENTS THE BEST OF THE CUTTING-EDGE
Monday, April 14th
I.E. (party in the 909 comes to the 213)
2.0 (the ultimate in gooey, messy performance art)
60-Watt Kid (implode like a supernova)
Snacks (appetizers & sound-art from Baltimore)
E & E (I.E. dancers now solo artists!)
Show starts 9:30pm / all-ages / $5
Pehrspace—325 Glendale Blvd., in Echo Park
See you there?
Enjoy the photos by Eva, Bill, Sean, Alf & more!
Winners!
Ownweatherone!!!
Robin Williams On Fire!!!
Kyle Mabson!!!
Foot Village!!!
Dan Deacon!!!
WWW.SEANCARNAGE.COM
