psychedelic rockers riff on pizza, skate spots
by Matthew Youdan
photo by Olivia Jaffe
The Shrine are liquidating hardcore enthusiasts and heavy jams, crashing through a North American tour with Primitive Blast. The Shrine are performing their named and perfected “psychedelic violence,” developed over half a decade's run in Los Angeles. Along the way they're stopping in for an exciting return to Vancouver, and they are not to be missed.
Primitive Blast is their newest heavy hitter, stocked like a fallout shelter with wild and excited riffs. Their songs are the re-configured skeletons of classic rock radio, swapping out ribs, tibulas, and skulls with equal abandon. Thrasher's find solace in the face-melting solos that adorn their recordings, while they segue to shouting matches between band members. Their performances often extend, like their epic album ender “The River," in to an awe inspiring coda destined to test your mosh pit stamina.
During this time they've earned the respect of their idols, including Black Flag's Chuck Dukowski, and found themselves recording and performing through Black Flag founder Greg Ginn's amplifier. “He's probably my favourite guitar player ever,” says lead singer/guitarist Josh Landau on Ginn's recent announcement of a reunion tour. “But Ginn writing new songs and having a pre-recorded bass is a bummer,” Landau comments, still lamenting Black Flag's infamously wild performances during the ‘80s punk revival.
Despite a hectic road schedule, the Shrine have made the most of mobile technology and keep up to date appearances online. Less astute followers and fans might mix them up with their same-name Chicago space. “Nope, fuck that dance club,” says the band’s frontman. They maintain their own variety of links, including a free download of their album and a tumblr to document their survival on the road “Pizza...pretty much good everywhere. You can't find good Mexican outside of the West Coast, but we survive somehow,” Landau says.
Many of their updates show them flipping skate decks in streets, parking lots, and bowls. Regarding their favourite skate locations, Landau comments “I’m the one that skates the most, everyone cruises though. West Linn, Oregon has been my favourite since I was there years ago: endless pool coping and those shallow stairs.” If you're looking for the perfect rain city park to shred before their set, Landau's already got his board and park. “I know Leeside’s the spot up in Vancouver, but we haven't gotten a chance to hit it yet. Hopefully this time!”
But don't confuse them for another band obsessed with American waste. Despite love for pizza, Mexican, and skateboarding, some of their best tours have been across the Atlantic. Landau comments on Sweden, “we met Smod Mike in Gotenburg and ended up staying up all night printing T-shirts at his lair. Then it turned out he was Graveyard's really good buddy and their artist, so he kinda hooked us up with this tour that we're on now.”
Last May, the Shrine came to Vancouver and tore up the Rickshaw, which we thanked them for with some stellar hospitality at a local bowling alley. “Zach (Rickshaw Theatre) took us to the bowling alley and opened it up late. We had 20 people bowling and a ton of beers and killer tunes cranking. When we finally got back to his place to crash the sun was up. It was fucking amazing.”
Vancouver's likely to have a spectacle of an after party with them this Spring as well. Their shows only get better, their riffs only get heavier, and their moshpits only get more reckless. The most important lesson they've learned since their last visit? “All you have to do is rock, and there's drugs and chicks everywhere!”
The Shrine, Dirty Fences, Three Wolf Moon and Hopeleus, hit the deck at the Astoria Pub on March 22.