Paul and I headed to the Greek Theatre for Robby Krieger’s 60th Anniversary Celebration, and let me tell you — the place was buzzing like a beehive with a backstage pass. The lineup read like a love letter to rock: Billy Idol, still sneering like rebellion itself. Perry Farrell, cosmic and theatrical as ever. John Doe of X, carrying all that iconic punk soul.
And here’s something worth noting: There was only ONE woman on the bill — and it damn well should’ve been me. I sing with Robby all the time at my gallery. But it’s show business, baby. You roll with it, you laugh, and you keep your mic warm. The night brought a cavalcade of ’90s stars, each one a nostalgia bomb. My longtime friend Norton Wisdom painted live on stage like a tornado of color and emotion — shifting with every note, every drum hit, every breath of the crowd. Speaking of drums, Stephen Pearcy jumped in, smiling ear-to-ear. The whole evening was surprise after surprise, the kind of show that reminds you why rock ’n’ roll grabbed the world by the throat in the first place. The Greek was gorgeous. Perfect weather, end-of-season sparkle, and Robby — Robby — proving that age is nothing but a number written in pencil.
He played for two and a half hours straight. No breaks. No slowing down. Just pure, genius-level guitar work from a man who refuses to stop. His son Wayne sang a few songs, and every time he steps into the spotlight, he channels something uncanny — like Jim Morrison is whispering through him. Wayne is stocky, wild around the edges, probably partying harder than he should, but that’s the charm. After a lifetime with Robby, he’s become a living echo of Jim.
Digital Wildness at LACDA — Man vs. Machine, and the Machines Are Winning. Downtown at LACDA, the digital art scene is exploding. Every month, strange new sound creatures slither in through the doors — tech kids, AI dreamers, misfits, experimental musicians — the kind who build instruments out of code and then pretend they can control them.
Spoiler: they can’t. It’s more like riding a mechanical horse that’s glitching in five dimensions.
During the monthly Thursday Art Walk, the galleries on Fourth and Main and Fifth and Main open their doors. The area may not be charming, but the crowds? Packed. Electric. Hungry for art. We recently had Kat Museum do a four-month experimental residency — four months of sonic madness. LACDA is always looking for new artists, new troublemakers, new visions.
If that’s you, tell them Tequila sent you. They’ll listen. Tequila TV, Retail Slut, and the Underground That Never Sleeps. Over at Gallery Dig It All (Eye Comanage), we’ve been hosting monthly gatherings for my long-running project, Tequila TV. My show has been broadcasting in West Hollywood for 40 years — four decades of championing the underground, the brave, the loud, the weird, and the wildly talented.
Big news:
We’re launching a pop-up with Retail Slut, one of my favorite legendary shops. Helen and I are curating a Senior Invasion from December into January — yes, senior punks showing the kids how it’s REALLY done. Helen’s also doing a show at The Monty celebrating Retail Slut’s rebirth.
Last month, Mojo made a surprise appearance — a rare and beautiful thing — alongside Richard Eastman and Reid from Green Jellø. The room vibrated with stories, history, laughter, and that underground magic you can’t manufacture. We’re stationed at Melrose and Larchmont — the perfect HQ for scheming, painting, performing, gossiping, and keeping the spirit of rock ’n’ roll alive. Sean Shimmer, formerly of Green Jellø and now leading Shimmerbed, also hosts evenings there, spotlighting the newest bands clawing their way into the scene.
Vampires at Victorio’s, Nervous Gender, and Other Beautiful Night Creatures. Halloween was unholy perfection. We hosted the best vampire gathering at Victorio’s Restaurant in North Hollywood. We featured Nervous Gender, one of my all-time favorite bands. I’ve been booking them since 1982, and they’ve only gotten sharper, stranger, and more powerful. They played with Atomik Kangaroo, turning that sleepy restaurant into a sonic riot. I’ll be doing more events there — keep your eyes open and your veins ready.
The Doo Dah Queen, Missing Parades, and Punk Rock Bowling on Pause. Pasadena is preparing to crown the new Doo Dah Queen at the Old Town Pub. No parade this year, which is why it’s now the “annual — or occasional — Doo Dah.” But the crown still finds a head, and the celebration still rolls.
It looks like Punk Rock Bowling is taking a year off, too. Politics has gotten so messy it’s spilling into everything, even our fun.
But here’s the truth I stand by:
You can’t control what THEY do. But you can absolutely control your joy.
