The Associated Press printed a news story today about a kindergarten student in Ohio who was suspended for his Mohawk haircut.
Apparently, this is his third violation — the school maintains that his mother received fair warning to comply with dress code regulations. According to the mother, however, this is simply a case of discrimination. She originally sent him to school with spiked hair. As the school had a problem with that, the mother has since left it flat. Upon a recent hair cut, the school opted for disciplinary action.
The school code states, “prohibiting students dress or grooming practices include those which … materially interfere with school, work, create disorder, or disrupt the educational program.”
This is ridiculous. To amplify the issue, the school didn’t even bother to mention specifics about what was wrong with the haircut or what measures the mother should take to make things right — only that it’s disruption to class.
The upcoming presidential election has been dubbed among the most important in American political history. One of the hottest issues concerns which Democratic candidate deserves the most support — Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. Tina Fey recently appeared on SNL’s Weekend Update and offered her take on the issue.
I caught the Lucifer Over America tour last night with Rotting Christ, Immolation, Belphegor and Averse Sefira. This was my second metal show at the House of Blues on Sunset Strip. My first experience was the Radio Rebellion Tour with Gojira and Behemoth. And, while last night’s event didn’t sell out the house, the crowd was sizable — and we had a devil of a good time.
In my experience, this was your typical metal show — a lot of black, metal t-shirts, pentagrams, devil horns and helicopter hair. The turnout consisted mainly of guys. There were a few women, some looking androgenous in the circle pit, the rest off to the sides or upstairs.
Metal crowds are a lot of fun. In most cases, there is no scenester attitude — you’ll simply find good people congregating for love of the music. Don’t get me wrong, you can always count on a few assholes — and this show was no exception. Suffice it to say, a few were escorted from the building and some over-intoxicated chick became a nuisance for those on the floor.
First on the bill was Averse Sefira from Austin, Texas. They were the only band to wear corpse paint, but nothing too flashy. Averse Sefira is a talented group, but the music is not really my flavor. The vocals didn’t drive me to do anything beyond wonder how long their set would last — just a colorless monotone with less range than the Cookie Monster himself.
Next up was Belphegor, a black metal band from Austria. It seems the lot of the crowd was there for Belphegor, more than any other band on the bill. Their music is really fast-paced and has some good breakdowns. In the spirit of true black metal, Belphegor played under a dark stage.
Then came Immolation, from New York. Immolation truly shined when it came to talent. The music has some complicated changes and they were super tight. And what arresting stage presence — I’m impressed by how they maintained badass-itude, while engaging the crowd and showing appreciation for their fans.
Immolation, though they were a treat, would fit better on a death metal grindcore bill.
Lastly, and my favorite of the evening, was the Greek black metal band Rotting Christ. Rotting Christ let the music speak for itself and played on a simple stage, with no adornments. The show was flawless and they had an energetic stage presence. About half of the songs came from the new album, Theogonia. Remaining songs came from Genesis and Sanctus Diavolos. My personal favorites were “The Sign of Prime Creation” and “Keravnos Kivernitos,” from the new album.
As for the House of Blues, it’s one of the better venues in Los Angeles. The sound was a little muddy this time, which distracted from the detailed guitar solos, but it was still a decent show. We also watched from upstairs, so the sound might have been better on the floor.
Got any plans for the Oscars Sunday? Me neither. Why? Cause I’m not a raging moron. Instead, I’ll be catching the Lucifer Over America tour with Rotting Christ at the House of Blues on Sunset Strip.
Also on the bill is Immolation, Belphegor and some other pack of Satan’s cronies.
Doors at 7:30 p.m. Show starts at 8:00 p.m.
Tickets are $35 at the door — more if you purchase through Ticketmaster.
I know, I know — nothing says subculture like the bubblegum pop capitol of the world. It may be located on the Strip, but give the House of Blues a break. This is the same venue that housed the RadioRebellion Tour back in October and the 2007 Summer Slaughter Tour. Any venue that books bands with names like Cattle Decapitation and Rotting Christ obviously isn’t targeting the mainstream.
Released June 2007, Zeitgeist the Movie is a web film produced by Peter Joseph. The film points to organized religion, 9/11 and the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank as crucial driving forces in the progression toward complete societal control.
If nothing else, Zeitgeist the Movie will stir you to question what you accept as inevitable reality.
Watch the film, check the sources, conduct some independent research and decide for yourself.
Left Gate is a counter cultural blogazine that explores ideas a little left of center.
What Is Counter Culture?
Counter culture is another way to say emerging culture or alternative philosophy. There is no solid definition for counter culture — it is constantly changing and left to individual perspective. By necessity, once society absorbs something into the mainstream, it is no longer considered counter cultural. Herein lies the importance of counter culture, as these innovative, revolutionary waves of thought have a hand in shaping the mainstream.
Left Gate is a counter culture magazine that explores ideas a little left of center. The sole purpose of Left Gate is to create a haven for all things deviating from the mainstream. If you want to angle off the beaten path, Left Gate is the place you. The site provide reviews, downloads and videos on music, books and film. It addresses conspiracy theory, alternative lifestyles and philosophies and current and historical cultural issues.
