An L.A. Lottery League photo re-cap

L.A. Lottery League has been the most significant and awesome musical event I’ve ever been a part of. Period.

In a nutshell: 48 musicians from 27 groups got together to form 12 quartets for one incredible night of entertainment.

What follows is just my own personal report on what went down this past Saturday at L.A. Lottery League’s Big Show. There will be more Lottery League postings soon (with mp3s, video) but until then…

This is my tribute to the musicians of Los Angeles, California.

Photo: Charles Mallison.

When we arrived there was just an empty warehouse. But soon Chiefs Deseret and Michael (as well as Dalton and I) had a base set up in the front. Some very kind volunteers (Diana, Leili, Jesse, Mikhai) joined us.

Before the beginning. Photo: Amy Fortunato.

Before we had any music, we welcomed Jae Kristoff, Lottery League originator and ambassador from Cleveland, Ohio. Then it was time for business.

Lottery Curse. Let there be sound… Photo: Amy Fortunato.

Lottery Curse
This was a bold event and it demanded a bold beginning. We got it with Lottery Curse. Combining Melvin Butel (of Dicso Bunny), Andy Villalobos (Masks), Ulises Lizarraga (Tremellow) and Bobby Vega (Stab City) resulted in an explosion of rock energy—and one ten minute long song. I feel like the whole evening’s music unfolded from this one jam…

Photo: Homar Velous.

Thank you, Lottery Curse!

Photo: Charles Mallison.

Medieval Babes got things started on the big stage. Photo: Sean Carnage.

Medieval Babes
So when we got to Medieval Babes, we were rolling. This was a “real show.” And Medieval Babes—Dan Catalinotto (of Stab City), Caleb Stone (Professor Calculus), Steven Cano (Tik///tik), and Alex L (Tremellow)—were a really great band.

Photo: Homar Velous.

Noise plus hard rock—”I can’t believe no one has tried this before!” That became a common refrain at the Big Show.

Double Double—my favorite sandwich from my favorite SoCal burger place AND a new favorite band. Photo: Amy Fortunato.

Double Double
I don’t think these four—Erik Felix (of So Many Wizards), Preston Mendell (David Liebe Hart Band), Brian Gimmel (M31), and Ryan Beal (Norse Horse)—knew each other at all before Lottery League. Yet they totally worked out some great new music.

Photo: Charles Mallison.

Before the event I described Double Double as “tropical + trippy” and I will stick with that. The washes of guitar over the bright and snappy-sounding rhythms were cool. Double Double was the first band of the night to use the space—the warehouse—and it felt good to hear that click in to place.

Photo: Charles Mallison.

Photo: Angie Meng.

No No Jammers—another all-star group. Photo: Carnage.

No No Jammers
I don’t think I am going too far out on a limb here in saying No No Jammers were big stars of the night. The players were Rhea Tepp (Magick Orchids), Warren Woodward (So Many Wizards), Ashish Sharma (Tiger Stripe), and Erik Anaya (Eric’s Got It Covered). Why did they connect with the crowd so immediately?

Photo: Amy Fortunato.

Transformer pants.

Photo: Angie Meng.

It was a circus by the time Purebreeds Don’t Bite took the stage. Photo: Amy Fortunato.

Purebreeds Don’t Bite
What happens when you put Mary Chartkoff (Your Mom/Your Dad), Josh Crampton (Luna is Honey), Adam Papagan (David Liebe Hart Band), and Tookie Binky (Turbo Tookie Fitness) in the same group? Purebreeds Don’t Bite, of course!

Photo: George L. Tapia.

More like pure pleasure. These guys delivered the looseness the crowd was waiting for, and after they played, it was party time through to the end of the show.

I can see a lot of the Lottery bands like P.O.P. becoming truly popular. Photo: Angie Meng.

P.O.P. (Positive Outreach Program)
P.O.P. had a lot to do with that party vibe kicking in, too. What a group—Champoy (Magick Orchids), Brian Randall (Poweraxe), Tyler Sabbag (Pizza!), and Margot Padilla (I.E.). They also did the night’s first cover song.

Photo: George L. Tapia.

There should be a cartoon starring P.O.P. They looked and sounded so good I can imagine kids watching and playing at being them.

Photo: Angie Meng.

Jae Kristoff gave away Lottery League CDs from Cleveland. Photo: Ella//Oharu.

P.O.P. threw it down, & Fubbx+Fn picked it right back up. Photo: Carnage.

Fubbx+fn
I was waiting all night for Fubbx+Fn. When we chose groups, they were band #12 of twelve, and there had been a few snafus finalizing their line-up on Draft Night. So I was cautious. I needn’t have been: Fubbx+Fn were Fubbx+F’n amazing!

Photo: Carnage.

Fubbx+Fn were post-grunge/post-industrial aggro. Electronic music made with electric instruments. I guess that’s what happens when you pair rockers with an 8-bit hacker. Eric Hanson (David Liebe Hart Band), Chad Matheny (Emperor X), and Juan Larrazabal (Kool Skull)—yet another superb band. We were seven for seven at this point…

Photo: Angie Meng.

Back on the main stage, Magii was just heating up. Photo: Charles Mallison.

Magii
Make that eight for eight? YES. Geoff Geis (Pizza!), Bizzart (Bizzart), Joaquin Pastor (Masks) and Matteo Himes (M31) were Magii and they put LOS ANGELES hip hop over LOS ANGELES rock-styled backing and life was soo good.

The first evidence of collaborative spillover from other Lottery bands! Photo: Amy Fortunato.

Tookie form Purebreeds Don’t Bite ended up on stage somehow. I was actually in front watching the door at this point. Lottery League is all about surprises!

Fooly Cooly kept the radness going. Photo: Amy Fortunato.

Fooly Cooly
By this time I felt like I was at the greatest rock concert ever. Fooly Cooly were just the latest round of superstars. Whatever influences come from mixing Amorn Bholsangngam (Luna is Honey), David Garske (Professor Calculus), Duncan Thum (Pizza!), and Wesley Randolph (Wha1e), it sounded really rocking!

Photo: George L. Tapia

Euphoria…that’s what I felt.

By the time Big Wuddupp & the Tiny Little Wuddupps reached the stage things were really cooking. Photo: Charles Mallison.

Big Wuddup and the Tiny Little Wuddups
And I think Josh Angeles (of Josh Angeles) was feeling that too. His band mates—Kyle Souza (Stab City), Eli Chartkoff (Your Mom/Your Dad), and Peter Moran (MC Peter Moran)—were dressed to thrill. This may have been the best band name of the night, but were they the best band?

Photo: Amy Fortunato.

If I hadn’t been keeping an eye on things, I probably would have cracked open a beverage and rolled on the floor.

Photo: David Estrin.

First You Were There, Now You Are Here were the final act on the Lottery Stage. Photo: Charles Mallison.

First You Were There, Now You Are Here
But…I was sober ‘cuz I was doing sound for these guys. With Patrick Logothetti (of Masks), Ryan Janke (Professor Calculus), Adrian Acosta (Tremellow), and Nima Kazerouni (So Many Wizards) this was gonna be good.

Photo: Homar Velous.

And like all the bands that came before them, First You Were There, Now You Are Here totally delivered. Really epic and emotional too. Perfect, I think, to have closed out our Lottery stage.

Photo: Charles Mallison.

In the end there was Brohammer. Photo: Amy Fortunato.

Brohammer
Leather fringe, girls with sparklers, fog—so much fog. Only Brohammer could finish out this spectacular and surprising night.

Photo: Charles Mallison.

Brohammer was and is Ryan Lichten (of Poweraxe), Lee Noble (Lee Noble), Kyle Mabson (Kyle H. Mabson), and Carlos Michel (Tremellow). They didn’t even know each other before Lottery League. You never would have known it.

Photo: Angie Meng.

Photo: David Estrin.

Thank you to everyone who helped out with the Big Show, especially my fellow Chiefs (Dalton Blanco, Deseret Rodriguez, Michael Nhat), Diana, Leili, Mikhai, Matt, Jesse, Papa B, Kyle Mabson, and Infest.

Photo: Angie Meng.

Thank you to everyone who documented the show. If I mis-credited you, or if you have video/photos/audio you’d like to share, please contact me sean@seancarnage.com

Thanks, guys! Photo: Dalton Blanco.

Most of all thank you to Jae Kristoff and Maura for coming to L.A. from Cleveland, Ohio, where they first did the Lottery. I hope you had a great time. You inspired us all with your idea.