CRASS: An Amazing Evening in L.A. (video)

and coming soon... SYSTEM OF A DOWN

Kelly Larson, Seven, Seth Auberon, Pat Macpherson, Wisdom Quarterly; Anarcho-Punk.net

Crass Tribute Band vocalists playing roles of Eve Libertine and Joy De Vivre (Larson/WQ)

"We're weird, we're here, deal with it" the musicians of the L.A. Crass Tribute Band are saying as they perform "Smother Love" at the Echo, St. Patty's Day, March 17, 2013 (Larson/WQ)

Time, 10:00 pm. Setting, "Part Time Punks Club" at The Echo, Silverlake, east of Hollywood. A benefit for Black Panther Elder Freeman who is suffering from cancer. 

 

First came the speakers: Kevin Baker from "March Forward" at Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans Against the War (ivaw.org), Vida Jafari from "Progress for Science" (an anti-vivisection group), and Roland Freeman (a Black Panther from the late 1960s).

 

Rocking out hardcore British style (Larson/WQ)

A California Crass tribute band took the stage in wedding dresses.

Those were the men [Marcus Savino (Silver Daggers), Allen Bleyle (Apple Brains), WSKM (Tearist), and Arlen Jones], who began to play every song on the classic British punk album, "Penis Envy."
 

"Bata Motel" original by Crass, below by Crass Tribute Band, Los Angeles, March 17, 2013
 

   

Then a series of female lead singers took turns at the mic in place of Eve Libertine and Joy De Vivre, who recorded the original album. They were: Jessica Espeleta, Mecca Vazie Andrews (MVMT mvmt), Nikki Godinez (Peter Pants), Inez Parra, Paloma Parfrey (Sharp Ease), Claire McKeown (Dirt Bird), Tuna (Dogteeth), Lila DeMagalhaes, Allison Wolfe (Bratmobile), Grace Hall (Cool Moms), Jula Bell (Bulimia Banquet), and Beth Capper (Oiler, Fleabag).

System of a Down
 

In their only US show before setting off for a European tour, SOAD will be taking over the elegant Hollywood Bowl (shown at left). If the venue survives, it will have survived the band's only American show in two years, which came after a hiatus of five years as members undertook solo projects. SOAD is one of the most uncompromising yet critically acclaimed and popular protest bands in the history of rock 'n roll. 

• Tickets for Hollywood Bowl on sale Friday, 10:00 am PDT

(SOAD) "B.Y.O.B." about the US police state and "Hypnotize" about the Tiananmen Square Massacres of 1989, which killed 4,000 to 6,000 civilians and injured 30,000 more.

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