I’ve heard a lot of music in my time but SAZA has a unique vibe I’ve never encountered before. They’re unquestionably swaggy, powerful, musical. Also: wild, evil, extreme—yet still rock ‘n roll. What more can you ask for? Photo: Carnage.

Solar Wimp is (L-R) Jeremy Kerner, Mark Kimbrell and Justin Brown. All photos: Sean Carnage.

Jeremy’s the ‘leader’ by dint of being the longest-term member but Solar Wimp is a definitely a band, not a solo project… Photo: Carnage.

…That’s because all three Wimps—like Mark on drums—are super dynamic players, jumping from background to foreground in milliseconds. Photo: Carnage.

Justin Brown—another sick player in a trio of accomplished musicians, who like to get real weird. Photo: Carnage.

How can one remain so calm while rocking out so gnarly? Photo: Carnage.

I will miss Solar Wimp, but they have one more album coming out so—there’s that to look forward to. Photo: Carnage.

Solar Wimp—total legends. Thank you very much for all the great music! Photo: Carnage.

Wryngwyrm on this night was Luisa Coats (R) and her friend מוֹשִׁיעַ. They weren’t so much Black Metal as ‘absent of light’—like the dark when the moon is hidden… Photo: Carnage.

I was impressed with the Wryngwyrm album, but what they did at Oracle totally caught me off guard: deeeeep trance Jew Harp OM music from the depths of inner space. WOW! Photo: Carnage.

I loved the suits—it added gender ambiguity, as both players had, generically-speaking, similar long hair, glasses, etc. Photo: Carnage.

Luisa methodically coaxed the most unholy noises from a broken guitar. She never gave up. It was mesmerizing. Photo: Carnage.

I would follow Wryngwyrm anywhere. Photo: Carnage.

The gathered crowd trying to process what they were experiencing. Photo: Carnage.

Wryngwyrm—I want more! I certainly hope they will come back in 2023. Photo: Carnage.

Tricky Youth was monumental—astounding. Photo: Carnage.

Tricky had this very ‘hard’ surface persona, but the music belies such vulnerability… Photo: Carnage.

…Beneath the metal, Tricky Youth’s questioning heart is pure gold. Photo: Carnage.

The acoustic at the end was a nice touch. Brilliant, in fact. Star moves. Photo: Carnage.

Then there’s SAZA… holy SHIT! Photo: Carnage.

Watching SAZA I felt like folks felt when they heard the original King Crimson in 1969—a scary blast out of hell that penetrated my soul! Photo: Carnage.

SAZA singer Harley. Photo: Carnage.

Man, could Harley scream and sing and wail on that bass clarinet. Photo: Carnage.

SAZA (L-R): Hazel Rigby, Harley Hollenstein, Will Wright Kreppel, Asher Price. Photo: Carnage.

SAZA weren’t afraid to be dynamic, bring things down—then up… Photo: Carnage.

Then bring it over the top—FULL BLAST! Kinda proud of this photo. Photo: Carnage.

SAZA—best band in Los Angeles? Photo: Carnage.

‘Bitches Brew’ vibes from that clarinet. Photo: Carnage.

Really phenomenal—thank you, SAZA. Photo: Carnage.

Just when you think things couldn’t get any better… Ladies and gentlemen, Vitamin Wig C! Photo: Carnage.

Vitamin Wig C’s Robbie Hansen is, without a doubt, a musical genius. Photo: Carnage.

I guess Robbie was improvising? I’ve never been 100% sure where Vitamin Wig C music ‘comes from.’ Photo: Carnage.

Perhaps the songs were finding him, animating Robbie’s fingers before flying off…. Photo: Carnage.

I was dancing 99% of the time so no pics of us doing weird dances like the ‘choo-choo’ Vitamin Wig C invented on the spot. Wonderful wonderful wonderful! I was floating two feet off the ground at the end of the night… Photo: Carnage.