The Glory Stompers at The Whiskey on 1/14

Have I mentioned that recently The Whiskey has gotten a lot better? Well, it has! The last few shows I've seen there have had zero drama from security guards and no bands have had their sets cut short. My only complaint would be that one of the bartenders likes to charge $2 for tap water. Hey lady, cut it out. But mostly, it's alright.

The Glory Stompers played a totally bitchin' show at The Whiskey last Monday! The crowd was a bit sleepy and timid at first but they all warmed up after Joe shouted at them and humped the air for a few songs. Lovely stuff.

James and Mike tearin' it up!

That would be Joe's leg. Mike and Dustin are busy shredding.

I write about these guys all the time and I'm sure I'm beginning to sound rather redundant by now but they're the kind of band that even the average concert-phobic shmoe wouldn't mind seeing over and over again. They've easily got one of the best stage performances of any LA band I know and they're really solid musicians. If you like hard rock or metal you'll probably love this band.

Joe wields the American flag like it's a weapon.

Be sure to check out The Glory Stompers on Facebook or Reverb Nation.

The next event on my concert calendar is Ascendancy at The Whiskey on 1/24.

Party Weekend Recap! Delta Rose, Future Villains, The Glory Stompers

My quest for hard rock continued over the weekend as I revisited one of my regular haunts and sought out new adventures in the Valley. Last weekend was so non-stop I had to cram two concerts into a single blog post. More cramming is soon to follow.

The adventure started on Friday night at The Viper Room Halloween party with Delta Rose and the Future Villains. I heard the other bands scheduled for that night were really awesome but I missed them because I had another party to hit up before the night was over. Delta Rose is a blues/hard rock band from Rosemead and they know how to rock!  Guitar slinger Forrest is obviously versed in metal phrasing because he was laying down a lot of speedy, chugging rhythms and grinding, metal solos as well as sleazy blues licks. I dug it. The whole band was dressed like the droogs from A Clockwork Orange (it was a costume event). Very cool!

Next up was Future Villains. I've seen these guys plenty of times on the Sunset Strip. They're a hard rock band but they also have a party rock vibe - in a good way. Vocalist Dusty has a killer screech! At times it sounds like he's shredding his vocal chords much like lead guitarist Clay is shredding on his Gibson. These guys tore it up on stage and got the crowd really worked up with two of their best songs - Hell Angel and Down the Drain. They also did a pretty sweet cover of Cowboys from Hell. 

Saturday night I had the pleasure of seeing The Glory Stompers play at a house party in the Valley. I don't make it out to house parties much but there was no way I could pass up a Glory Stompers show. They played a short but sweet set in the garage of former band mate Trevor Howard's house and blew everyone's minds as usual. These guys are on the fast track to becoming local legends and I strongly advise you to check out their live show if you have not done so already (see previous blog post about The Glory Stompers)! They were followed briefly by a Misfits cover band before the cops came and rained on the party, making us dial down the noise. Booooo! It was only 11:00!

Check out all the bands on facebook, like their pages, improve your life.

www.facebook.com/DeltaRose

www.facebook.com/futurevillains

www.facebook.com/theglorystompers

The next event on my concert calendar is Skeletonwitch tonight at The Whiskey.

The Glory Stompers CD Release Party at The House of Blues

I was at the House of Blues twice last week! What a great week for local music. Steel Panther on Monday, and The Glory Stompers on Friday for their long awaited CD release party! 

The Glory Stompers are a high energy five piece that smoothly blend a variety of different influences to summon forth a powerful hard rock-metal alchemy of sorts. They possess a genuinely unique sound - something that is rarely encountered these days, and which easily sets them apart from other hard rock/NWOAHM bands. 
I've watched these dudes play a ton of shows but this was the first time I've seen them pack the House of Blues! I was so stoked for them! And it somewhat restored my faith in the people of LA to see such an outpouring of support for a local band. The Glory Stompers have built a solid track record of delivering exceptional live shows with their over the top stage presence and tremendous, synergistic energy and this show was no exception. It's difficult to describe unless you've seen them, but when these guys take the stage I would maintain that it definitely feels more like a "concert" than like seeing some friends play in a bar (not that I don't enjoying seeing my friends play in bars every chance I get). There is no lack of entertainment or shredding! To complete a perfect evening, singer Joe Manente performed his signature move during the last song of the set by stapling pictures of the presidential candidates to his forehead and chest (while sober). I'm sure you can find some bloody footage on youtube. Seriously, check these guys out the next time they play a show!

The next event on my concert calendar is TYR at The Whiskey on Wednesday, September 12th.