Butthole Surfers and 400 Blows at Echoplex on August 27, 2011. Photos by Debi Del Grande.

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Art Brut, Art v. Science and The Hundred Days at Satellite on August 27, 2011. Photos by Debi Del Grande.

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1. It should be dark out. The Strangegloves put it best with their lyric “The night time, is the right time.”
2. The venue should be enjoyable. This is determined by a complex algorithm involving many factors including a venue’s: size, shape, sound, decor, and rules (or preferably a lack thereof).

So when I heard that the cancellation of Sunset Junction resulted in the Growlers scheduling a FREE Amoeba show at 5pm, as well as a second show at the DIY art space NOMAD Gallery at midnight, I was happier than a Catholic priest in an unsupervised playground. The Amoeba show alone would have been a welcome substitution for the festival set. The Nomad show was just icing on the cake and an extra special treat for longtime fans that miss the days of the Growlers at warehouses and dive bars. It’s been over a year since the Growlers played a DIY space in the L.A. area, and the Nomad Gallery was a choice pick.

This Frogtown venue is tucked away in a residential area, behind large fortress walls. Upon entering, one might notice a fire pit in one corner, porta potties in another, a wrestling ring and a bar—all before reaching the interior gallery. It feels like the front yard of an abandoned hacienda that’s been taken over by an eccentric punk rocker. Inside the gallery, high ceilings and psychedelic projections fluttering across the wall behind the stage created an expanding effect to the modestly sized rectangular room. I walked in during the tail end of the Abigails set and unfortunately only caught a couple numbers from singer, Warren Thomas’ (Grand Elegance, Growlers) newest project. The old school country vibe got the kids a-shakin’ as he snarled, “All my friends are alcoholics and I am too.” Next up was Tomorrow’s Tulips and (I know what you’re gonna say, but…) I swear to god they sounded spot on like the Velvet Underground. From the back of the gallery, the stripped down drum sound and the singer’s dead pan Lou Reed voice, combined with the psychedelic images projected high above the band felt as though I was at the Factory in 1968 (who’s got the Amil Nitrates?).

As the Growlers set up their equipment, the audience grew, packed with the typically diverse Growlers’ crowd: hipsters, hippies, punks, greasers, geeks and norms in an even ratio of boys to girls. Singer Brooks Nielsen apologized for the unusually long set up time and promised a show worth the wait. It was. They opened with ‘Tijuana,’ as if to warm up the audience, and nothing could have been more perfect. Bodies gyrated slowly as the voices attached to them sung along, “Take me to the city of wasted dreams where there’s little boys with M16.” The Growlers continued rolling out hit after hit and revamped versions of familiar songs (i.e. an uptempo Wet Dreams) proving that they are continuously evolving as all around incredible musicians. Temperatures rose and bodies flew through the air as people began rushing the stage. At some point the fourth row became the first, and couples all the while danced and made out. After an hour the Growlers finished their epic set and an insatiable audience demanded an encore. The Growlers obliged.

All told, the night was a wild ride on an alternate universe path that never would have happened had the city not called bullshit on the obvious game of Three Card Monty being played by the organizers of the Sunset Junction Festival. For this, and the rampant community spirit spawned by the impromptu shows that the festival’s cancellation facilitated, I think we owe the Los Angeles Board of Public Works a thank you letter and a firm hand shake. Well played!

—Vanessa Gonzalez

The Fling and Vanaprasta at Dangerbird Records on August 27, 2011. Photos by Debi Del Grande.

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Sunset Junction has been canceled. You need a permit to put a ferris wheel and indie rockers in the streets. But, really, the Junc supposedly owed the city 6-figures from last year and it was pay up today or Public Works shut you down and though we can imagine some really cool action sequences to muster up the money and a trip to Vegas by a hopeful street food vendor, the dough will not rise from the kitchen and so you’ll have to stick something else in your pre-heated weekend oven. More info here

—Daiana Feuer

Photos of Mika Miko, Very Be Careful, and Nico Stai from Sunset Junction.

MIKA MIKO

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VERY BE CAREFUL

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NICO STAI

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L.A. RECORD‘s Chris Ziegler and Charlie Rose will be the main stage (Bates stage) closing DJs from 5 PM to 10 PM on Sunday at Sunset Junction, which is right after Fool’s Gold and Tiny Masters of Today and during Mika Miko, the Sonics and Built To Spill as well as covering several unsupervised hours of sticky street food and rides. (Buzz Bands’ Kevin Bronson, Rock Insider’s Ashley Jax and Hell Ya!’s Heather Peggs will be DJing at other times.) If you don’t get a chance to visit us at our booth—which will have FREE coconut water that you can use to wash down your FREE L.A. RECORDs!—at Sunset Junction, come exchange knowing glances as we lead in the Sonics with something by Bunker Hill!