BITE ME! Show Orgy - NIN, Gwen, U2 + more!

NIK’S SHOW ORGY

Hey it’s been a long time since our last orgy and, to be honest, I kinda miss the excitement. So screw the foreplay and let’s jump right in!

For the first time in ages the BiteMe! Squad headed out to the Key Club on a Monday night. I was amazed at how much traffic was on the strip at 9 p.m. Do people really go out on a Monday? Apparently so because there was a nice size crowd outside the club as we pulled up. About half of the crowd was there for Metal Shop, and the other half were there to show their love for The Prom Kings. The boys were in their hometown to support their recently released self-titled effort. The raucous alt-rock foursome features vocalist Chris Carney, guitarist Joey Hollearn, bassist Mauricio Brandao, and drummer Luke Pickerill. Together they are one energetic unit, and they had the crowd rockin’ out to their catchy blend of funk, pop, & rock.

I missed my first invite to The Standard, but was free for the second. The event: The Bauhaus’ tour kick off party, and Viva K was there to send them off. High up on the rooftop it was a whole other world. When the BiteMe! Squad walked off the elevator we stepped back in time – back to the late 70’s early 80’s. And let me tell ya, you couldn’t find a better place to people watch in the city. Aardvark’s racks must have been picked clean for this event. The members of Viva K were also among the retro-ly dressed. Here to promote their Stinky Records debut, the eclectic foursome melded alt-rock conventions with punk’s aggressiveness and exotic instrumentation. The members— Ween (v) Ravi (g), Skoda (b) Evan (sitar, synth)—all hail from diverse musical backgrounds. Vocalist Ween is reminiscent of a cross between Joan Jett and Perry Farrell and there’s lots of energy present in the band’s live delivery. All four members share a passion for peace and social justice, which is reflected in their music, and their sound is a mixture of Siouxie and the Banshees, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, U2, and Joy Division.

I had the absolute pleasure of seeing Nine Inch Nails at the Hollywood Bowl. I’ve never been to the bowl before and what better way to be devirginized that with NIN. (Thanks Ms. Sarah for allowing me to be your guest). Talk about smoking hot – this show was A-MA-ZING. Trent is still the man and he gets better with each performance. It doesn’t get better than rocking out with NIN while sipping champagne under the stars in the Hollywood hills. Talk about surreal.

The BiteMe! Squad had the pleasure of catching an intimate performance from Agent Sparks at The Silverlake Lounge. Agent Sparks features former Audiovent bandmates Ben Eizinger (vocals & guitar) and Paul Fried (bass). Rounding out the group is the lovely Stephanie Eitel (vocals/keyboard) and the charming George Purviance (drummer). I was really impressed with the band’s EP and even more impressed with the band’s live show. This group has got it together. Be sure to put them on your watch list.

It’s really amazing that U2 is still going strong with original members in tack. That’s probably the key to the bands longevity and stellar live shows. Seeing U2 live is a very spiritual experience. There’s always a lot of love in the air mixed with the excitement. Bono’s a great frontman, and he knows how to get the most from his audience. The most moving moment when the band played “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and Bono declared “This is your song now America.” It’s sad, but true. Will we ever learn? Get off your ass people. Don’t let Bush happen again.

U2 was great but Depeche Mode was even better. It’s hard to believe that it has been 25 years and L.A. still has a whole lot of love for Depeche Mode. I swear their biggest fan base must be in Los Angeles. The band’s show kicked off with “A Pain That I’m Used To,” which was followed by “John The Revelator” (both off the new album Playing The Angel). The light show was spectacular, the band was tight, and Dave sounded and looked amazing. HELLO! Talk about a hottie. The set list was a perfect mix of old and new. The band played about 7 tracks off the new record and hit upon some of their old time best. Dave was key to the show’s dynamism, although it wasn’t too hard to get the crowd involved. The band didn’t need to hire back up singers. The crowd did it for them, coming in right on cue without being prompted, especially on “Personal Jesus”. The guys even treated us to a special version of “Just Can’t Get Enough”. FUN!

And speaking of fun, my girl, Gwenie, Gwen, Gwen capped off the Thanksgiving weekend. There was no way in HELL I was missing this. I’ve been a big No Doubt fan for years (once I got over the initial overkill of “Just A Girl”), and I’m an even bigger Gwen Stefani supporter. This show was absolutely AWESOME! It was fun, electric, and exciting. The costumes were beautiful, the Harajuku dancers were fly, and Gwen was smokin’ hot. Dammmnnn that girl has got some legs. This was her first tour without her No Doubt family and she was fabulous all the way up until the grand finale with the marching band and fans on the stage. By the way, Gwen is pregnant with her first baby. When did she find the time? Congrats girl!

Well kiddies, it’s been fun. 2006 is around the corner. Here’s to more great shows! -NIN