311 with RNR

It seems just like yesterday that for the first time Las Vegas hosted the annual 311 day, back in 2010. Although I was not fortunate enough to snag a ticket in the few minutes before they sold out, 311 once again showed Las Vegas love by kicking off their spring tour at The Joint. Despite being fan since the release of their 1995 "Blue Album," I was still a virgin to seeing 311's live show. Needless to say, with 15 years for my imagination to run wild, I was beyond excited to see this show.

Opening was Las Vegas' own hip-hop groove band 702. This massive eight piece band consists of a highly technical guitarist, intense bass, keys, and drums, all feeding the beat to four emcees. Their songs ranged from groovy beats to loud rock, channeling several styles, from Jurassic Five to Rage Against the Machine. RNR was highly dynamic, captivating the audience and getting the crowd spun like they were the main act. I was truly impressed by everything they brought to the Joint, and it's been a while since I could say that about a homegrown band. Truly innovative and sure to go somewhere, be sure to do your part, show some Vegas love and take a moment to give RNR a listen.
Before 311 took the stage, fans began rushing down to the floor and "three-eleven" chants began breaking out of the over-anxious crowd. 311 started off hard, wasting no time whipping the fans into a frenzy. Nick Hexum addressed the thousands of cheering fans, "What's up Vegas! Welcome to the first show of 2011. Thanks for comin' out. Let's get loose and have some fun; what do ya say?" 311 definitely brought the fun, playing mostly songs from their back catalog, fans sang along and danced through a groovy two-hour performance. Despite throwing a rather plain show relying only on house lighting, this allowed Hexum's ambient voice and the music to shine even stronger through. I was thoroughly impressed with 311's incredible performance and hope to catch many more in the future. The next day, 311 posted on their facebook, "Thanks Vegas!! Great fun was had by all." 311 also gave fans a link to their incredible setlist, which consisted of many old tracks and rarities that surely please everyone in the house. Fortunately I captured several of these rare moments on video. [Notably Part II: A wicked drum circle with all members on drums following Applied Science, Part III: Eons, and Part IV: Mindspin]

Videos:
Part I - RNR, 311: Intro / Sick Tight, Beautiful Disaster
Part II - 311: Welcome, Mixed Up, Applied Science (entirety)
Part III - 311: Eons, Omaha Stylee, and Down.
Part IV - 311 Encore: Mindspin and Feels Good

HeartBreakerz

As a follow up to their hugely successful Bass Gravy party, hyperaudio and awol productions held Heartbreakerz, the anti-valentine's day party at Daddy Mac's. This all night dance party featured DJs Freshmode Kore, Wambat, Ryan Donova, Lea Luna, Jayrod, Rize, and Quiet.

Daddy Mac's is a small bar & grill that often hosts live music in the evenings, but since hyperaudio and awol started throwing parties here, it has become something else entirely. When an electro party is in the house, the lights are dimmed low, bass rattles the walls, and the crowd is full young girls dancing with glowsticks and led lights. All these truly beautiful sights and sounds are something I have not seen since the early days of awol, over a decade ago.

Each DJ spun for over an hour, each one keeping it fresh with their own sound/style, some had emcees, and Lea Luna even hopped on the mic during her set. Although this party was not banging hard enough for people to start smashing glasses (like Bass Gravy), the beats were steady and kept the people dancing into the early morning hours.

More important than this one event, I must give a shout to Chad and everyone at awol productions for helping bring back the underground electronic scene to Las Vegas. The void of this type of music and parties over the last ten years has been felt by many, leaving us forced to drive to Los Angeles to get our fix. But now Las Vegas can look forward to fresh new parties on the regular with hot and international DJs. I must also add that to see the klub kids in attendance restores my faith in the Las Vegas electro scene, something I feared was dead never to return.

awol's official video:

Badfish: A Tribute to Sublime & Scotty Don't

Returning for their fourth year in a row, always rocking the House of Blues the Saturday before the big game, Badfish: A Tribute to Sublime. Opening of course was Scotty Don't, (the actual band behind Badfish) and although you'd think these guys would tire after a few hours on-stage, you'd be wrong. Playing solid through the evening as opener, headliner, and encore, Scotty Don't always puts on a high energy show "and good good vibes just keep on playin, playin." This concert has become a tradition for many of us Las Vegans and is always sure to be a great time and a full house.
Scotty Don't wasted no time picking up the beat and getting the audience down on the floor and dancing. Based on the singing and highly enthusiastic crowd, it appears that all these years traveling as a Sublime tribute band, has allowed them to develop their own style and fanbase. I could argue that no band deserves it more, not only for their dedication and perseverance, but for their ability to put on a great performance filled with solos, jam-outs, and beer-throwing without fail.
After Scotty Don't tore it up for nearly an hour, the band was back within thirty to play over two hours of Sublime's best. Picking it back up with an increased momentum, the band jammed-out fan favorites, one right into another. Setlist included: Get Low, We're Only Gonna Die For Our Arrogance, Badfish, Doin' Time, Wrong Way, New Thrash, Seed, Waiting for My Ruca, Scarlet Begonias, Garden Grove, Ebin, Caress Me Down, 5446 That's My Number, Smoke 2 Joints, 40 oz. to Freedom, Don't Push, April 26, 1992, Rivers of Babylon, Date Rape, Santeria, and What I Got. Many songs were sang along word for word by hundreds of fans, hands waived and clapped, while everyone danced.
My crew and I had such a blast at Badfish, we took it to the next level, leaving hysterical pictures to be found on our phones the next day. Although our memories remain a bit fuzzy, this yearly night with Scotty Don't and Badfish is something we look forward to all year. Even after having to the privilege to see the original Sublime with Rome in July 2010, many agree that Badfish stands tall right along side them.

Badfish never disappoints! Check out my review from February 2010 or just go check them out yourselves http://www.badfish.com/