For many, the holiday season can be a depressing time. Despite all the talk of good cheer, the mirth and merriment can conceal an underbelly of loneliness and dejection. It’s no coincidence that, every December, depression levels skyrocket.
The cause of all the melancholy is simple — it’s the endless stream of bad music on the radio. How many obnoxious Christmas carols and wailing Trans-Siberian Orchestra guitar solos can any person endure before doing damage to their mental health? Luckily, the Casbah has put together a delightfully oddball show that’s guaranteed to permanently wipe the lyrics to “Jingle Bells” from your memory. Continue reading…
Weezer‘s enduring popularity can be a sore spot for the band’s early fans.
Following the success of its first two albums, the band took a three-year hiatus in the late nineties before finally returning to the spotlight. That period is more than just an empty space on Weezer’s resume — it serves as the wedge between the band’s two distinct groups of devotees.
On one side, there are those who were weened on the classic Blue Album and the almighty Pinkerton, and who view the band’s last five albums as, at best, a goofy waste of time, or, at worst, a pillaging of their youth and cynical cash-grab on the same insidious par as the Star Wars prequels. Continue reading…
It wouldn’t be summer in San Diego without the Del Mar Summer Concert Series. Every year, the renowned Del Mar Thoroughbred Club sets its sights on music lovers, lining up local and national bands for a summer-long, weekly series of concert events. Past years have featured memorable performances by bands like Violent Femmes and Devo, and this year’s run is already off to a fine start, thanks to an exciting set by local favorites Pinback.
Now, another San Diego group is set to blow the crowd away. On Friday, August 13, local buzz band The Soft Pack will wow fans and degenerate gamblers alike with their fast and furious punk rock. Continue reading…
The mood of the night was determined long before Pinback ever took the stage. When a hefty drunk man began thrashing around to the pre-show soundtrack like it was a Smashing Pumpkins concert, it became clear what kind of night it was going to be.
Pinback’s gigs are the biggest contradictions in the music business. The San Diego-based band, which consists of main players Rob Crow (vocals, guitar) and Zach Smith (vocals, bass), produces some of the mellowest music around, yet their shows are anything but sedate. Imagine crowd surfers and mosh pits that resemble an Ozzy Osbourne concert, but swap the Mohawks and Doc Martins for fringe haircuts and dress shirts (on account of the horse races.) Continue reading…
