scott schultz

Download: Crystal Antlers “Parting Song For The Torn Sky”

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Crystal Antlers are one of my current favorite stoner rock/ psychedelic bands coming out of L.A.—or anywhere for that matter. The first time I saw them, I messed up my camera and wasn’t able to shoot them. I saw them at last week’s Eagle Rock Fest, and I thought they turned out the best set of the evening. The chance to shoot them at the Unknown Theater in the Theater District of Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood was too good to pass up, especially since the gig came with FREE BEER!

I only had a dollar to my name that night, so I had to juggle fake tasks to avoid putting my tip bill in the jar too early. I stretched that bill for four beers! And because the opening band was a bunch of high school kids from the Valley—the very enjoyably poppy and CW-ready Limetree Warehouse—there were plenty of teenagers for me to bum cigarettes off of. I don’t remember how many cigarettes I got, but it was at least eight. THANKS, KIDS! And one of them had a seriously hot mom! (Cut me some slack—I’m 40.)

The best thing about the Unknown Theater is the rising theater seats, which are easy to climb on for elevated shots—although I did get my foot stuck in one of the seats briefly and that kind of sucked. The worst thing about the venue was the lack of bathrooms. It was a long wait after the beer was flowing. Luckily for me, there are plenty of nearby parking lots where you can smoke and pee at the same time even though it was a frigid 50 degrees that night.

Crystal Antlers blew the roof off the theater and they played a bunch of new material which they will be recording next month in L.A. after their current tour. As sudden as the set began, it ended with everybody’s ears ringing, or bleeding—depending on how tough your ear drums are. On the way home, I passed the Hot Wings takeout window, and there was a dance crew dancing to T.I.’s ‘Whatever You Like,’ so I snapped a shot of that also. The best part is the cook with apron joining in with the danceline. I guess it takes 5 minutes for wings to be properly cooked anyhow.

—Scott Schultz