The day had finally come, and the triple D collaboration of D. O’B Sound Studios owner and veteran drummer/producer, Derik O’Brien, DC-Jam Records owner Darron Hemann, and Dying Scene head honcho Dave Buck known as the Hi-Fi Rock Fest was getting underway at the Queen Mary’s Park in sunny Long Beach last Saturday. People came from far and wide to see acts like True Rivals, The Sonics, Naked Raygun, Richie Ramone, and more….but of course the Boston greats, Street Dogs, and the Dead Kennedys, fronted by Ron (Skip) Greer.
The day kicked off with Los Angeles-based duo The Two Tens. A perfect match for the rising sun and the Long Beach atmosphere – notes of surf mixed with garage and a little pop were a great introduction to what was to come next. The band features guitarist Adam Bones and drummer Rikki Styxx and released a music video back in July for their song “Watching Me”, which appeared on their latest work “Volume 4”, which you can have a look at here.
The day was about to kick in to full gear as Detroit, Michigan’s Downtown Brown took the stage. The band plays a mix of funk, punk, ska, jazz…or as Skankin’ Pickle used to say – the skafunkrastapunk. The group has a great stage presence, and both the bassist and drummer have long-ass dreads that they love swinging about, just adding to the performance. Since 2001, the band has released multiple albums, the latest being “Hot Part”, which just came out this past August (have a listen here). The majority of the DTB’s set featured songs from the new album, including “Happy Music For Happy People”, “Orange Bitch”, and a cover of Lorenzo Lamas’ “Smooth Talker”. Great set and I can’t wait to see these guys again.
Next up was a band that was on my “to-see” list, Los Angeles punks True Rivals. The band is comprised of members of Unwritten Law, Lit, Bullets and Octane and Rufio, and blend their collective experience into a really well-rounded classic punk sound – you get the grit, the riffs, the blaring guitar and of course the jump kicks and frantic stage presence. True Rivals released their debut album “The Revenant” last year, and their setlist included favorites like “Roots Rock n Roll”, “White Collar Crime”, “Stay True”, and more. You can have listen to the entire album here.
Have a look at the entire photo gallery of The Two Tens, Downtown Brown, and True Rivals below, and stay tuned in the coming days for shots from Dirty Filthy Mugs, Richie Ramone, Street Dogs, and many more.