John Gilhooley/ OC Weekly

Descendents

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• For more photos, check out our slideshow here!

Descendents, Black Flag and more at GV30
Santa Monica Civic Center
Dec. 19, 2011

Punk isn't dead, it's just really fucking old. And by that, I mean, it's at least 30 because that's how long concert promotion company Goldenvoice has been around. Anyone who knows anything about punk knows that 30 in punk years is the equivalent of 75 in regular years, so last night's show featuring a bunch of classic bands from Southern California punk's halcyon days was more like the high school reunion you wanted to go to instead of the one you actually went to.

Headlining the show was the Descendents, who have been playing one-off shows for about the past year. The foursome -- singer Milo Aukerman, drummer Bill Stevenson, guitarist Stephen Egerton and bassist Karl Alvarez -- have played three shows in Southern California this year, which ain't half bad considering Aukerman lives in Delaware, Egerton in Oklahoma and Stevenson and Alvarez in Colorado.


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Ali Lerman

​See also: Top Five Wailers Songs You Don't Have To Be High To Enjoy

The Wailers
December 9th, 2011
House of Blues Anaheim

Downtown Disney is always a mess and Friday was no exception. But on this night, it was extra messy. With parking closed off for a private party, attendants were as frantic as the proverbial chickens with their heads cut off. Get your shit together, Disney.

That being said, the Wailers performance at the House of Blues in Downtown Disney brought out all walks of life. This all-ages show packed the audience with the old to the way too young and most had a, uh, "peaceful" mentality. Even though we were thoroughly checked by the security, there was still an ever-present scent of ganja wafting through the air ... none of it coming from the white guy with the beanie with fake dreadlocks attached. (True story. It takes a man with balls to rock one of those at a reggae show.)

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Mary Bell/OC Weekly

Frank Black. Click here to see more photos from the night.

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The Pixies
The Music Box
November 20, 2011

See the slideshow of more images here.

It was a rough start for the Pixies on Saturday.

They opened with "Bone Machine." Kind of. At the first break--"Your bone's got a little machine"--the band stopped abruptly. Someone(s?) had missed their cue. 

Frank Black: "Is it already time for an intermission?"
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Nicolas Bates

Roy Ayers

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Even if you don't recognize the name, you know his music; Roy Ayers is one of the most sampled artists in hip-hop. You've heard his "Everybody Loves the Sunshine" in tracks by A Tribe Called Quest, Common, Mary J. Blige, and countless others. DJs, producers, and musicians alike cite him as having a major influence on their craft. Last night, the legendary vibraphonist was honored for his contribution to the development of hip-hop, R&B, and neo-soul with a hometown "Homage" show presented by ArtDontSleep and EVFA.

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Danielle Bacher/OC Weekly

​Paul SimonMore >>

Andrew Youssef/OC Weekly

​WeezerMore >>

Even though Sunset Junction was canceled, they did manage to present a free show with Helmet at the Slidebar in Fullerton. A number of hardcore fans decked out in Helmet shirts milled around the bar a few hours prior to the show as I got their early to assure a spot.
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Lainna Fader

The Dirtbombs

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The Dirtbombs
June 26, 2011
Alex's Bar, Long Beach
Mick Collins jumpstarted the budding garage rock scene in Detroit as one third of the raw and primitive Gories in the early '90s. Once people realized out how great that scene was he switched gears with the Dirtbombs. And he keeps switching it up; since forming in '92, the Dirtbombs have gone through a number of lineup changes to get to where they are now. The band's latest incarnation includes Ko Melina (formerly of Ko & The Knockouts) on a fuzz baritone guitar, Ben Blackwell and Pat Pantano (formerly of the Come Ons) on duel drum sets, and newest Dirtbomb, bass player Chris Sutton, a lineup almost as weighty as the Gories.

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Mi Tran

Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie

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Mi Tran

James Blake

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James Blake
May 24, 2011
Masonic Lodge, Hollywood Forever Cemetery

Even before the release of his self-titled album, U.K. electronic artist James Blake had already captured the eyes and ears of every single music website and blog on the internet. The much deserved hype came from his covers of artists like Feist and Joni Mitchell. Anticipation started to build up for his first full-length which was released in February. To many, the glitchy post-dubstep album is considered one of the best of 2011.  
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