This past Thursday, August 11, I went to the Whiskey A Go Go in Hollywood to see a great band called the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. They are currently on tour for the 10th anniversary of their album Don’t You Fake It, which was released in July of 2006.
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
I was lucky enough to stumble upon this band 10 years ago while I was still in high school at a now discontinued music event called Bamboozle Left. Some friends and I had gone to see a couple of bands we knew were playing the show, but in between the different sets we decided to check out some new bands. We hadn’t heard of any of the other bands before but we thought some of them sounded pretty good. One of those bands was the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. In high school I was really into screaming rock bands or hardcore bands–whatever you want to call them–so when my friends and i first heard one of the songs that had some awesome screaming and great music and vocals, we were hooked. We stayed for the whole set and then went and purchased their cd Don’t You Fake It.
Since that day 10 years ago, I have seen the band perform live multiple times and purchased and listened to their next couple of albums. The music has changed a little over the years, which is expected of all bands as they evolve and grow, but they still have essentially the same great sound; my favorite album will always be that first one I bought though. This album has gotten a lot of love over the years with songs being in both movies and TV shows like The Vampire Diaries, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Saw 4, and more. It is still on the music charts today and went platinum in May of this year!
So when I heard they were doing an anniversary show where they would be playing the whole Don’t You Fake It album from start to finish for the first time, I knew I had to go! I was able to get tickets to the show at the at the Whiskey A Go Go, which was definitely a plus because I had never seen a show there before and being such an iconic place in Hollywood for music, I was definitely interested in going there.
The Whiskey has hosted some of the most famous bands, musicians, and singers throughout its 50 years such as the Doors, Janis Joplin, and more. This is not a big nightclub or a venue with seats, here you stand for the show, which is perfect for dancing and enjoying the music like you should be, but if you do need a little rest there are some booths in the back which you can reserve and sit and have a drink while you enjoy the show. You are also so close to the person next to you they can probably hear you breathing, and it gets hot with all the bodies and dancing and singing, but that is all just part of the experience. At a venue this small you are so close to the band you can touch them, but I wouldn’t advise it lol, you see them, and they see you, and it makes the experience better because it is like you are part of the show, not just a face in a massive crowd. Now if this seems a little too much for you to be right up in the action, there is also an upstairs area that is pretty cool where you can look down and watch the band playing with not as many people so close to you.
Although being such a small venue does have downsides, and the one I noticed the night I was there is the need for a clear path around a sea of people. Due to what I assume is the fire code and trying to make sure everyone stays safe, there has to be a clear path around the crowd of people. To make sure this area stays clear there are venue employees telling anyone who is either too far into that path to either move forward or back up out of the way–this was my problem. My cousin and I arrived at the venue a little later, so when we went inside the floor was pretty full already. We got a couple of drinks from the bar (which has some pretty cool looking antique cash registers) and then went to stand on the outside of the crowd. There is not really a clear do not stand in this path sign so we weren’t aware that we were standing in the wrong place; one of the guys who worked there came around and was asking people to move forward or move back out of the path, so we moved as forward as we could and thought we would be fine. Due to the nature of a show people kept moving in and out of the crowd so the whole crowd kept moving forward and back to compensate; this was not good for us in the back because that meant that we ended up in that path again and were told about three more times to please move either forward, which we couldn’t really at that point, or back. Now even though this was slightly annoying, I don’t really hold it against the venue, the path is there for people to be able to walk safely in and out and have a clear path in case of an emergency. So my suggestion to you is to not arrive too late or just pay attention to where you are standing–like I apparently was not–and you will be fine. That being said, the bartender made me a couple of pretty good drinks so I had a good time and didn’t worry much about what was happening around me by the time the band went on.
The show was awesome! It is one thing to hear a song by a band on a cd; it is another to actually see them live and hear those songs come to life. The music was great, Josh Burke is an awesome guitarist; I remember I saw them perform live a little after he had joined the band, and I was amazed at how good he was for being so young. Throughout the show during the different songs, he had guitar solos, and they were quite impressive. The rest of the band was great too, from John Espy playing the drums and Joey Westwood with the bass, which both together make that amazing sound you can feel in your bones. It’s that feeling that makes the music come alive and is always one of my favorite parts of seeing a band live. Randy Winter, rhythm guitarist and awesome screamer for the band, reminds me of high school and the reason I found this band in the first place, and that sometimes a little screaming just works. And then there is Ronnie Winter, the lead singer with a great voice and energy. He sings with passion but also fun and can definitely belt out a note, which he definitely did during this show.
Their songs will get you going if you need a couple of good work out songs, like “Damn Regret;” songs like “Face Down” will make you think, and they will move you when you listen to them, like “Your Guardian Angel.”
All in all, I had a great time seeing the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus perform my favorite album, and I can’t wait to see them again!
Here are a couple of my favorite songs of theirs:
LINKS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT!
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus Website
Seeing The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus at the Whiskey A Go Go This past Thursday, August 11, I went to the Whiskey A Go Go in Hollywood to see a great band called the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.
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